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Black Sunday

Original title: La maschera del demonio
  • 1960
  • Approved
  • 1h 27m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
17K
YOUR RATING
Black Sunday (1960)
Trailer
Play trailer3:27
1 Video
99+ Photos
Horror

A vengeful witch and her fiendish servant return from the grave and begin a bloody campaign to possess the body of the witch's beautiful look-alike descendant.A vengeful witch and her fiendish servant return from the grave and begin a bloody campaign to possess the body of the witch's beautiful look-alike descendant.A vengeful witch and her fiendish servant return from the grave and begin a bloody campaign to possess the body of the witch's beautiful look-alike descendant.

  • Director
    • Mario Bava
  • Writers
    • Ennio De Concini
    • Mario Serandrei
    • Nikolay Gogol
  • Stars
    • Barbara Steele
    • John Richardson
    • Andrea Checchi
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.1/10
    17K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Mario Bava
    • Writers
      • Ennio De Concini
      • Mario Serandrei
      • Nikolay Gogol
    • Stars
      • Barbara Steele
      • John Richardson
      • Andrea Checchi
    • 148User reviews
    • 125Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Black Sunday
    Trailer 3:27
    Watch Black Sunday

    Photos172

    Barbara Steele in Black Sunday (1960)
    Black Sunday (1960)
    Black Sunday (1960)
    Black Sunday (1960)
    Black Sunday (1960)
    Barbara Steele in Black Sunday (1960)
    John Richardson and Barbara Steele in Black Sunday (1960)
    Enrico Olivieri and John Richardson in Black Sunday (1960)
    Arturo Dominici and Barbara Steele in Black Sunday (1960)
    Ivo Garrani in Black Sunday (1960)
    Antonio Pierfederici and John Richardson in Black Sunday (1960)
    Enrico Olivieri, John Richardson, and Barbara Steele in Black Sunday (1960)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Barbara Steele
    Barbara Steele
    • Princess Asa Vajda
    • (as Barbara Steel)
    • …
    John Richardson
    John Richardson
    • Dr. Andrej Gorobec…
    Andrea Checchi
    Andrea Checchi
    • Dr. Choma Kruvajan…
    Ivo Garrani
    Ivo Garrani
    • Prince Vajda
    Arturo Dominici
    Arturo Dominici
    • Igor Javutich…
    Enrico Olivieri
    Enrico Olivieri
    • Constantine Vajda
    Antonio Pierfederici
    • Priest
    Tino Bianchi
    • Ivan - Manservant
    Clara Bindi
    • Innkeeper
    Mario Passante
    Mario Passante
    • Nikita - Coachman
    Renato Terra
    Renato Terra
    • Boris - Stablehand
    Germana Dominici
    • Sonya - Innkeeper's Daughter
    Nando Gazzolo
    • Narrator
    • (voice)
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Mario Bava
    • Writers
      • Ennio De Concini
      • Mario Serandrei
      • Nikolay Gogol
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Mario Bava and Barbara Steele had a difficult working relationship. She sometimes refused to come to set because she did not like her wig or the fact that her cleavage would be shown. One time she refused because she believed Bava would force her to appear nude. Sher admits that she was difficult due to her inexperience and inability to understand Italian.
    • Goofs
      In the opening credits, Barbara Steele's name is misspelled as Barbara Steel.
    • Quotes

      Princess Asa Vajda: You, too, can feel the joy and happiness of hating.

    • Crazy credits
      For "The Mask of Satan," the English language version prepared in Italy, Barbara Steele's name is listed as "Barbara Steel" on the trailer and on the credits of the film itself.
    • Alternate versions
      The full list of differences between the 83-minute original cut and the 80-minute AIP cut:
      • A different English-language dub, and a new score by Les Baxter.
      • An added pre-text crawl warning the audience about the film's content: "The producers of the picture you are about to see feel a moral obligation to warn you that it will shock you as no other film ever has. Because it could be very harmful to young and impressionable minds, it is restricted to only those over fourteen years of age."
      • Alternate opening credits.
      • A brief exchange between Katja and Constantine where he tells her their father has died is cut.
      • A scene where Katja and Andrej talk in the garden is cut.
      • An exchange between Katja and Andrej outside her room is cut.
      • Kruvajan's death scene is cut down significantly to remove shots of his eye spurting blood.
      • The scene were Prince Vajda reanimates and menaces Katja is trimmed.
      • Vajda's death scene, particularly the close-ups of his head melting, is trimmed.
      • Asa taunting Andrej before being burned at the stake is cut.
      • Added closing credits.
    • Connections
      Featured in I motorizzati (1962)

    User reviews148

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    Atmosphere so rich you can taste it
    For some unknown reason, here recently I've been in the mood to watch a lot of vintage 1960s-70s Italian horror movies. Hardly any other film comes as highly recommended as Black Sunday and after viewing this incredibly moody effort, I can easily see why. It's by far one of the most beautifully photographed films I've seen of any genre. It's also one of the most atmospheric; a sense of horror and dread hang over every frame, and yet it is a film whose power does not lie entirely in the narrative. It's hidden somewhere, pretty much everywhere... in dark corners, in secret crypts, in fog, in shadows... The shots in this film are brilliantly composed. It is a true triumph for director and cinematographer Mario Bava, who provides such rich, dream-like technical depth that (pardon the cliché) this film truly does transport viewers somewhere else in time.

    Even though this movie is best appreciated as an exercise in style and technique, the plot line (witch who is executed and returns centuries later to get revenge on the descendants of her executioners) is also enjoyable. So is Barbara Steele, who is ideally cast in a dual role as both the evil witch and the pure heroine. She's an actress who can switch from innocent and ravishing to hideous and horrific with the flick of an eyelash. No wonder she's considered the queen of horror. She deserves to be.
    helpful•71
    8
    • FrankensteinsDaughter
    • Nov 1, 2005

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    FAQ7

    • What is 'Black Sunday' about?
    • Is 'Black Sunday' based on a book?
    • Why the title 'Black Sunday'?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 15, 1961 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Italy
    • Languages
      • Italian
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Fright
    • Filming locations
      • Prince Massimo's Castle, Arsoli, Rome, Lazio, Italy(Castle)
    • Production companies
      • Galatea Film
      • Jolly Film
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 27 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

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