Tagline: “The most gruesome day in the calendar!”.
Gloom and Doom from Italy’s maestro of the macabre Mario Bava, commands inspection for the true. Here we have the original UNCUT version of Bava’s excellent anthology “I Tre Volti della Paura - The Three Faces of Fear”, in Italian language with very readable subtitles thanks to Image Entertainment’s Mario Bava Collection DVD.

It was released here in the States by AIP under the title of “Black Sabbath” [this is where my favorite band of all time got their name] with the studios typical tampering. The Boris Karloff intros totally were re-filmed [by another director] and put between each story which doesn’t happen here, the order of the stories was changed around, and even the Roberto Nicolosi score was traded for a very passable, yet less intriguing Les Baxter score. Opening with a quite different color blasted introduction by the man, the legend. Boris Karloff sets the stage for three tales of terror that are representative of Mario Bava is his best years.

The first of the three tales is “Il Telephono-The Telephone”. A short suspenseful Gallio-esque tale tells of Rosy, a woman all alone getting ready for bed that receives a series of menacing phone calls. The caller tells her how he is watching her and wants her splendid body, not to caress but to kill. Luckily a friend stops by and stays the night as all is well till the caller shows up. Also this is the first Italian thriller filmed in color.

Next up is the longest of the 3, “I Wurdulak-The Wurdulak. An atmospheric gothic horror tale in which Matt Damon discovers a headless corpse while traveling. So he takes it to a near by house where a family fears their father Boris Karloff has come home as a Wurdulak. An engrossing entry with excellent settings here like some spider web filled ruins, howling winds and fog are all awash with lurid lighting.

Last but far from least “La Goccia D’Acqua-The Drop of Water”. Is a chilling tale of a supernatural nature, in which a nurse is called to house on a stormy night to assist with a woman that has just died during a séance? She decides to help herself to the dead woman’s ring and returns home where she is haunted by the woman with dripping water, a house hold fly and finally the shocking ending. Defiantly one of the creepiest shorts there is.
Ending the festivities on a comical note, with Boris Karloff in Wurdulak form, bidding us farewell while mounted on a mechanical pony ride of sorts, which was also cut from the U.S. version. Relish in the greatness that is Mario Bava. Like all the Italian flicks A.I.P. producers Nicholson and Arkoff would tamper with, I’ll take this, the original. This is a must for the Bava fan.

A picture from the still gallery with Bava on the left.

This particular Anchor Bay release is out of print. But fear not. The Bay re-released it in The Mario Bava Collection Vol. 1 Box Set. Remastered, Uncut and correctly framed at 1.78:1, the print aside from some very minor scratches and print wear is very good with bold colors that showcase Bava’s primary colored lighting. Enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs.
Xtras: Mario Bava Biography & Liner Notes by Tim Lucas, Mario Bava and Boris Karloff Filmographies, Gallery of more than eighty photos’ and promotional materials and finally the Italian Trailer.

Mario Bava Vol. 1:
Black Sunday
Black Sabbath
The Girl Who Knew to Much
Knives of the Avenger
Kill, Baby.., Kill

Mario Bava Vol. 2:
Lisa and The Devil
The House of Exorcism
Bay of Blood
Baron Blood
Kidnapped
Roy Colt and Winchester Jack
5 Dolls for a August Moon
Four Times that Night