Black Sunday (1960)

This was just great. My first Bava experience--hopefully I'll eventually take in his entire oeuvre....

Black Sunday is a black and white gothic horror film focused on the revenge plot of an executed plot and the people trying to stop her.

The plot itself is fine. It's nothing extra special, but it facilitates the movie well enough. The characters and many of the other general building blocks of the film are also fine. So why is this movie worth watching?

Well, the director, Mario Bava, does a stellar job of setting the scene. The soundtrack to the movie is spectacular. The black and white really aides to the atmosphere, as does the cinematography. The cinematography, in particular, is outstanding. The film relies on a wonderful selection of long shots. There are many shots where the length doesn't particularly add to the story, but it certainly adds to the atmosphere and overall creep...

A diabolical witch and her partner who were executed 200 years ago return from the grave to possess the body of her identical descendent.
How exactly does one begin a review on such a seminal horror classic as Black Sunday? Mario Bava’s directorial debut also serves as his masterpiece, and helped initiate his legacy as one of the greatest directors of horror films in history. Bava had of course had extensive experience prior to this influential film with a couple documentaries and shorts in addition to completing a handful of films for other directors; including Riccardo Freda’s I Vampiri, which is widely considered to be the first Italian horror film. Having a hand in kickstarting a genre is certainly no small feat, and is testament to Bava’s extraordinary talent and vision.
Bla...