Black Sabbath (1963)

72% User Rating

1h 35min

"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 vampires suck only the blood of those they love dearest."

Three short tales of supernatural horror. In “The Telephone,” a woman is plagued by threatening phone calls. In "The Wurdalak,” a family is preyed upon by vampiric monsters. In “The Drop of Water,” a deceased medium wreaks havoc on the living.

Mario BavaDirector

Cast

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Boris Karloff

Gorca (segment "The Wurdalak")

Mark Damon

Vladimire d'Urfe (segment "The Wurdalak")

Michèle Mercier

Rosy (segment "The Telephone")

Susy Andersen

Sdenka (segment "The Wurdalak")

Lidia Alfonsi

Mary (segment "The Telephone")

Jacqueline Pierreux

Helen Chester (segment "A Drop Of Water")

Glauco Onorato

Giorgio (segment "The Wurdalak")

Massimo Righi

Pietro (segment "The Wurdalak")

Rika Dialina

Maria (segment "The Wurdalak")

Milo Quesada

Frank Rainer (segment "The Telephone")

Milly

The Maid (segment "A Drop Of Water")

Gustavo De Nardo

Police Inspector (segment "A Drop Of Water")

Harriet Medin

Neighbor (segment "A Drop Of Water")

Reviews (1)

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CinemaSerf

Rating 60%

May 18, 2023

Boris Karloff introduces this triptych of short stories. I found the first, the shortest, to be the least interesting centring around a greedy nurse who robs a corpse of a valuable ring only to find that it's erstwhile owner isn't quite finished with it, or her, quite yet! The second sees a beautiful woman return to her apartment one evening only to find herself subjected to repeated telephone calls warning her that she shall not see the morning! Michèle Mercier is quite effective as the terrified "Rosy" in this story. Finally, Karloff himself takes to the stage in a rather lengthier, enjoyable, vampire story that sees a travelling count discover the body of a dreaded bandit and take it to a nearby farm. It's only once there, and with the return of the father "Gorca", that he begins to realise that this danger has already been "invited in"! The productions have a very Hammer look to them, the make up and visual effects (especially in the first story) don't hold up so well, but in the main, the three stories are quite solid with portentous messages of revenge for those who would steal or cheat or kill! You are unlikely to recall it a few days after watching, but Bava knew how to do budget/studio horror quite well and the last two stories make a decent fist of developing some sense of menace and threat. Good fun.