Not to be confused with Ozzy Osbourne’s band (more on that later), “Black Sabbath” is a 1963 anthology horror movie from Italian filmmaker Mario Bava.
I had never heard of this movie and would normally scoff at the idea of watching it. The low-budget foreign feel of the early 60s seems off-putting, but don’t let that fool you.
It came to my attention whilst watching Shudder’s 101 Horror Movie Moments. “Black Sabbath” translates in Italian as “I tre volti della paura, lit,” or “The Three Faces of Fear.” And the film is hosted by horror legend Boris Karloff.
I have learned that the order of the three stories differs between American and Italian releases. This has a major impact on the pacing. They also significantly altered on the of the stories to soften up it for the American audiences. To that I say Pish. But since the original version is impossible to find, you’re stuck with the American.
I tre volti della paura, lit
“Black Sabbath” is comprised of three separate horror stories: “The Drop of Water,” “The Telephone,” and “The Wurdulak,” the latter of which Karloff stars in.
Like most anthologies, each part is not of equal quality. The decision to alter the order suffers since the hands down best is “The Drop of Water” which is shown first (it was intended to be last by the filmmaker). The others are passable, but not nearly as memorable.
In “The Telephone,” a woman (Michèle Mercier) is home alone one night. She begins receiving unnerving phone calls from someone who claims to be watching her. Lidia Alfonsi and Milo Quesada co-star.
“The Wurdulak” is a tale of Russian folklore that is like Dracula. The story is fine and the most fantastical of the three. The best part is getting to watch Boris Karloff, who stars.
I’ve heard the name Boris Karloff millions of times but haven’t watched any of his films (shame on me). Karloff isn’t just an actor. He’s an entertainer. He has a presence on screen that compels you to watch. He’s a cinematic icon and deserves the praise.
The Best
I’ve viewed a boatload of horror and “The Drop of Water” is one of the scariest things I have ever watched.
Helen Chester (Jacqueline Pierreux) is a nurse who gets a call late on a dark and stormy night. Her patient has passed, and she needs to come to the house to dress her for burial. I loved Pierreux’s acting throughout this story. She conveys fear in a truly plausible way and deserves credit for carrying the story.
Upon arriving, Helen finds the house is filled with cats and assorted junk. Creepy dolls are strewn about. Great.
The terrified maid (Milly Monti) offers some background. The patient was a medium, and she was amid a seance when she died. “She’s just as the doctor left her.” The maid explains.
Helen enters the room. She draws the bed curtains and gasps at what she sees; The dead body, which is the single most terrifying thing I have witnessed in a movie. My goosebumps had goosebumps.
I read that Mario Bava’s father, Eugenio Bava, was an Italian cinematographer and makeup artist who worked on films spanning fifty years. Eugenio Bava is the hand that created the corpse, and holy hell he did an amazing job. It’s unsettling, but in a realistic and uncanny way.
The hideous creation alone would make “The Drop of Water” memorable. But it’s a great story, and Mario Bava is masterful at crafting tension and horror as it plays out.
A lesser filmmaker would rely on the creepy corpse. There would be loud music and stupid CGI. Mario Bava demonstrates why he’s a pioneer of giallo horror.
Black Sabbath
A funny aside, the band “Black Sabbath” took their name from the film. They saw the movie showing at a local cinema and marveled that people would pay money to be scared.
“The Drop of Water” on its own gets an A+. Seeing Boris Karloff earns additional points, though the other stories are weaker. It’s a good film overall, and one that may be new to you. I highly recommend it for Two Months of Terror.
