Black Sabbath (I tre volei della paura / The Three Faces of Fear). Mario Bava, 1963.
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Edition screened: Arrow Blu-ray, released 2013. English language with optional original Italian dub. Runtime approximately 92 minutes.
Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.
In addition to many supplemental features, this impressive 3-disc package from Arrow includes the original Italian cut of Black Sabbath in addition to the American (AIP) version running about three minutes longer. These two versions merit a little discussion:
The film was recorded with English-speaking actors. The original Italian release was dubbed with Italian, which makes for an interesting experience if you turn on the subtitles to read English that corresponds to the actors’ mouths while you listen to Italian language. The American version simply retains the (original) English soundtrack.
Black Sabbath is a portmanteau of three short stories introduced and segued by Boris Karloff. The Telephone is a slightly sexy horror/revenge thriller. The Drop of Water is a truly frightening tale of curses and psychological terror. The final and longest story is The Wurdalak, a Russian tale of the undead starring Karloff himself.
The three dramas are edited to varying degrees in the American version, with only minor and inconsequential cuts to The Drop of Water and The Wurdalak. The Telephone is altered more substantially to remove violent images and suggestions of lesbianism, leaving the story less interesting, less suspenseful, and less sensible. The American version runs a few minutes longer due to different and slightly longer versions of the Karloff introductions, which add little if any enjoyment to Black Sabbath in either version.
My recommendation is to watch the American versions of The Drop of Water and The Wurdalak, especially to enjoy the classically fine writing and spooks of The Drop without distracting lip synch issues. The Telephone, comparatively short, is best enjoyed in the original Italian overdub.
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