Black Sabbath (1963) aka I Tre Volti Della Paura aka The Three Faces Of Fear aka The Three Faces Of Terror aka Les Trois Visages De La Peur

4.5 / 5 Dec '08
Tagline: A story that goes beyond the boundaries of the Supernatural to the half-world of the living dead. Where a woman's soul inhabits a fly's body, where Vengeance is only a voice and where vampires suck only the blood of those they love dearest.
Directed by: Mario Bava, Salvatore Billitteri
Written by: Mario Bava, Alberto Bevilacqua
Actors include: Boris Karloff, Michele Mercier, Jacqueline Pierreux
Genre: Horror
Length: 92 minutes
Banned: Nope
Country: Italy/France/USA

Review:
I've certainly heard of Mario Bava many times, this is my first experience with one of his movies, but it most definitely will not be my last. What a fantastic trilogy this one is, great cast, compelling and extremely easy to watch. It actually reminded me of an Amicus or Hammer picture because it was so classy! Don't be mistaken though, if you want actual horror and surprises this will definitely satisfy. The first tale "The Telephone" is about a woman who receives threatening phone calls from someone who can obviously see her. It's very much set up like a giallo, and there is quite a big surprise with what happens from there that I dare not ruin. The second tale is the longest, it's about Wurdalaks...in essence a cross between a vampire and a zombie that goes after the people they love. Wurdalaks apparently enjoy the blood the most from those they love the most which is sort of an interesting spin on the situation. We meet a family who's father has gone out to kill a Wurdalak and promised to return in 5 days. He warns that if he doesn't return in those 5 days that they are to kill him. It sorta goes on from there but is really fascinating. The last story is called "The Drop Of Water" which teaches us the very important lesson of don't steal from corpses (as if I didn't already know). The effects on this one of the corpse are frickin' stunning, I actually thought they did a fantastic job of getting grotesque just right. Seriously recommended especially for those who are Bava-curious, this should make you want to see all of his, just like I want to now!