As a big Mario Bava admirer, and someone who has collected a stack of his films, I can understand your point of view, Adam. My first watch of Black Sunday was also disappointing. Over the years I have periodically returned to it and seen the various versions, increasing my opinion of the film, but there are many other Bava titles I would put on before choosing Black Sunday. Kill, Baby, Kill; The Whip and the Body; Hercules in the Haunted World; and Hatchet for the Honeymoon are all above it in my preferences.
Black Sabbath is my favorite of his films, probably because there is no time for the stories to outstay their welcome.
For a Barbara Steele film that shows her acting range, I would recommend NIghtmare Castle. She plays dual roles, sisters with different personalities. It also is the only film that she did her own dub. On the downside, the pacing issues you encountered in Black Sunday are probably worse during the middle stretch of Nightmare Castle.
As a big Mario Bava admirer, and someone who has collected a stack of his films, I can understand your point of view, Adam. My first watch of Black Sunday was also disappointing. Over the years I have periodically returned to it and seen the various versions, increasing my opinion of the film, but there are many other Bava titles I would put on before choosing Black Sunday. Kill, Baby, Kill; The Whip and the Body; Hercules in the Haunted World; and Hatchet for the Honeymoon are all above it in my preferences.
ReplyDeleteBlack Sabbath is my favorite of his films, probably because there is no time for the stories to outstay their welcome.
For a Barbara Steele film that shows her acting range, I would recommend NIghtmare Castle. She plays dual roles, sisters with different personalities. It also is the only film that she did her own dub. On the downside, the pacing issues you encountered in Black Sunday are probably worse during the middle stretch of Nightmare Castle.