Die drei Gesichter der Furcht

This is an anthology film with three stories, totally unrelated introduced by a rather aged, dignified Boris Karloff. Karloff introduces each with great savvy and a generous dose of wit and humour. All three stories were directed by Italian horror specialist Mario Bava, whose use of the camera was legendary and unique. The first story was based on a story by Chekov called "The Drop of Water" and it is the best of the three. This little story about a nurse that steals a ring off the body of a witch, having been warned not to, is one of the scariest scenes ever to be filmed. The second story about a killer and a phone is adequate. The third story, starring Karloff as a Wurdelak...or vampire..is very good. It has plenty of atmosphere, and is the only film in which Boris ever played a vampire. All in all, Black Sabbath is a good film. It shows the talent that Bava had for taking fairly ordinary situations in life into horriffic ones.

Excellent horror anthology film from Mario Bava with three stories as well as linking segments with Boris Karloff. The first story is "The Drop of Water," about a nurse who steals a ring off the finger of a medium's corpse. If you guessed that won't end well for her, you're right. This is a suspenseful story with fine atmosphere. That corpse is one of the creepiest-looking things I've ever seen on film. The next story, "The Telephone," is about a woman receiving mysterious taunting phone calls. A nice-looking segment, and Michele Mercier is definitely attractive, but this is the weakest of all the stories. That isn't to say it's bad, though. It's interesting enough just not as good as the other two. The final, and best, story is "The Wurdulak," about a family awaiting the return of their father (Boris Karloff) who went out to kill a vampire. When the father returns, he's very different. Karloff is lots of fun in this story as well as the linking segments.

This review is mainly for the dubbed American version. The original Italian version differs from the American with the order of the stories changed as well as some violent and suggestive content that was cut for American release. I give both versions the same score because, to me, the differences aren't enough to make one better than the other. "The Telephone" has the most significant changes but remains the weakest story in both versions. The Italian version has a score by Roberto Nicolosi and the American score is by Les Baxter. I preferred the Baxter score personally but I can see where others would prefer Nicolosi's more subtle score. I recommend you try both versions if you have the time. It's a colorful and beautiful-looking film that ranks high on the list of horror anthology movies I've seen. Karloff and Bava fans will love it.

This terrifying film with plenty of vampires , weird deeds and murders is formed by three stories proceeded in some memorably horrific set-pieces : 1) ¨The telephone¨ by author Snyder : A prostitute (Michele Mercier) terrorized in her flat by phone calls from a broken-out inmate (Milo Quesada) receives visit her lover (Lidia Alfonsi). 2) ¨The Wurdalak¨ by Aleksey Tolstoi : In a night of nightmare during the early 1800s , a Russian noble (Mark Damon, usual in Spaghetti Western) and a family (exceptional Boris Karloff, a gorgeous Susy Andersen, and Massimo Roghi) stumble vampires who must kill those love and go after their descendants ; the undead vampires of hell terrorize the house in a orgy of stark horror. 3) ¨The drop of water¨ by Chekhov : In the early 1900s , a nurse (Jacqueline Pierreux, mother of actor Jean Pierre Leaud, 400 blows) steals a ring from a medium dead and she seeks avenge , then a ghastly specter arises , exacting cruel revenge for past robbery.

Bava's second great hit (the first was Black Sunday or Mask of the demon) surprisingly realized with startling visual content and well scripted by Marcello Fondato and Albert Bevilacqua . This omnibus terror is plenty of thrills and chills in glimmer color and in lurid paste with sensational results . This genuinely creepy tale is photographed by Ubaldo Terzano and Bava himself with magentas , shades of ochre , translucently pale turquoises and deep orange-red reflecting paleness on the victims . Eerie and suspenseful musical score by Roberto Nicolisi , though in American version was composed by Lex Baxter , Corman's usual. The motion picture was stylishly and strikingly shot by Bava , filmed in parallel orbit to those Roger Corman ( Edgar Allan Poe cycle) and produced by American International (James H. Nicholson , Samuel Z. Arkoff) . Bava along with Riccardo Freda are fundamental kings of Italian horror , in fact collaborated deeply among them , as Bava terminated two films of Freda, ¨Il Vampiri¨ and ¨Caltiki¨ and they created the Giallo sub-genre. Rating : Good , acceptable atmospheric direction from genre master MarioBava , this is one more compelling horror ventures in which his camera stalks in sinister style throughout a tale with extraordinary visual skills . A must see for terror buffs.

Originally titled I TRE VOLTI DELLA PAURA (THREE FACES OF FEAR), this horror anthology made it to the U.S. with a new title to remind viewers of how good Bava's BLACK Sunday (1960) was. It also gained an excellent Les Baxter soundtrack and Boris Karloff as a host, though the tales were reversed in order and the strong lesbian subtext of one segment and some violence were omitted, but that's good ole' American censorship for you (both have since been restored, anyway). In any case, this anthology is a classic of its kind.

"Drop of Water" (based on a story by Checkov) is a chilling tale of a nurse (Jacqueline Pierreux) who gets her just desserts after stealing a diamond ring from the hideous-looking corpse of a psychic. "The Telephone" (based on a story by F.G.Snyder) was the least satisfying of the bunch for me personally, yet is still above average. In it, a lascivious, unstable and bisexual young beauty (Michele Mercier) receives threatening phone calls that seem to be coming from a man who has a personal vendetta against her. Final tale is "The Wurdalak," which was based on a Tolstoy. Boris Karloff stars as Gorca, a man turned into a vampire by the curse of Wurdalak, which makes him attack and kill only those he loves (namely his extended family, including child). It's astonishing to look at and very suspenseful. All three are colorfully, creatively done, drenched in Bava's trademark rich atmosphere and bring something a little different to the table. "Drop" (last in the Italian version) has the most chilling central image, "Wurdulak" (middle in the Italian version) has the boldest color palette and most vivid art direction and "Telephone" (first in the Italian version) is a very early giallo. Horror regulars Mark Damon (from Corman's HOUSE OF USHER), Massimo Righi and Harriet White Medin (usually typecast as a stern housekeeper in Italian horror films) co-star in this one.

Score: 8 out of 10 (only because I'm reserving a point until I get to watch the original Italian version).

"Tre volti della paura " is a movie made up of three sketches,linked by Boris Karloff's comments -he plays the lead in the second segment - and all dealing with death following a logical progression:fear of death in the first sketch,some kind of "night of the living dead"cum vampires in the second one and terror around a dead woman in the third.Mario Bava did not need any special effects that mar so many horror films today:his baroque settings (Michele Mercier's flat in the first sketch,the countess's Gothic mansion in the third,and the lunar landscapes in the middle one),his knowing lighting effects,his color research,his incredibly effective use of the depth of field (visually stunning in the final segment)are as impressive today as they were forty years ago and were a strong influence on other Italian directors such as Dario Argento.Worth the price of admission.