Finally the AIP version of Mario Bava’s THREE FACES OF FEAR retitled BLACK SABBATH is available in a digital medium This new Kino Blu-Ray showcases the film in a high quality transfer but it is not quite fully restored. No matter, it is the English version and what a relief it is to hear Boris Karloff speaking in his own voice. If you own the previous Image or Anchor Bay editions which are in Italian and have never seen the AIP version, there are numerous changes. Aside from being in English, the order of the stories is rearranged. In the original it is 1) THE TELEPHONE, 2) THE WURDALAK, and 3) THE DROP OF WATER. The American version is 1) THE DROP OF WATER, 2) THE TELEPHONE and 3) THE WURDALAK.
There are also a number of different inserts as Karloff’s narration was altered to make it seem more like his old THRILLER anthology series which was then at its height. The Italian segments are longer, more colorful visually, and more humorous in nature. The original ending to the Italian version involving Karloff riding a fake horse inside a movie studio is cut entirely. In addition to rearranging the order of the stories, the AIP version makes a number of vocal alterations to THE TELEPHONE changing it from a giallo type story to a supernatural one and disguising obvious lesbian overtones.
The plot summaries are as follows. In A DROP OF WATER a nurse steals a dead medium’s ring only to have her reanimated corpse come back for it. THE TELEPHONE has a woman tormented by the ghost of her former lover through phone calls until he comes-a-calling. Finally THE WURDALAK (the longest segment) features Boris Karloff and Mark Damon in a period tale of a family stalked by its patriarch who has become a vampire. WATER is definitely the scariest with the face of the dead woman hard to forget while THE WURDALAK is the most atmospheric. THE TELEPHONE now seems little more than filler as it has been so altered that it makes no sense. The original Italian version of this story is definitely superior.
I used to have this version on VHS and later a DVD-R taken from that video but now having this Blu-Ray means I can throw those away. My one complaint with this Blu-Ray release is that it contains no subtitles for the hard of hearing. Both BLACK SUNDAY and THE CRIMSON CULT do have them so this seems an unnecessary oversight on Kino’s part. Still it’s easy to follow and Karloff’s linking segments tie it all together. 2 out of 3 stories isn’t a bad average and the American music track gives it a different flavor. If you’re a fan than you must have this disc. It also comes with commentary from Mario Bava specialist Tim Lucas.
The Capsule Critic 