ADDITION: Kino Lorber (AIP version) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray (February 2015): Kino Lorber are separately releasing the 83-minute AIP version (Black Sunday) on Blu-ray in a very reasonably-priced bare-bones package. They had already released the "Mask of Satan" version on Blu-ray in 2012 and their lone AIP 1080P is pretty much the same as the Arrow. English-language Audio is equally robust to the Arrow but the only extras are 6 trailers. We'd still endorse the Arrow, but for Region 'A'-locked viewers who want the 'Black Sunday' version in HD - this price would be hard to pass-up.

***

ADDITION: Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray (February 2013): Supplementing Eric's comments directly below - It looks like the new Arrow has a slight technical edge with the longer version having a superior bitrate. The image is a shade brighter and has more detail. The same source as the US version but a minutely more robust 1080P transfer. As advertised it includes three versions - all lossless audio - and plenty of extras including Mario Bava's first sound horror film directed by Riccardo Freda and Mario Bava; I Vampiri (1956.) It also has the Lucas commentary, deleted scenes etc. etc. I think this is easy to determine that this is the ultimate 'Black Sunday' package. Bava fans should be ecstatic!

Gary Tooze

BLACK SUNDAY cut as an extra but the cut did not make the final product. The AIP version has been reconstructed here using the MASK OF SATAN master with the footage specific to the AIP cut newly telecined in HD from a fine grain 35mm element provided by MGM (who retain the rights and materials to AIP product through their acquisition of the Orion catalog). A quality shift is evident with the MGM material generally looking cleaner (and darker) than the export master (very noticeable in the first shot after the AIP credits). The commentary by Video Watchdog editor Tim Lucas – recorded for the 1999 Image Entertainment DVD – is included on the export version, and is still a valuable resource (even though it precedes the completion of Lucas’ mammoth Bava book ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK) detailing the shoot, the source story, and pointing out Bava’s seamless glass mattes and in-camera effects. Alan Jones provides an introduction, mentioning that Bava completed not only Riccardo Freda’s I VAMPIRI (as is commonly known), but also Pierto Francisi’s HERCULES and HERCULES UNCHAINED, as well as Freda’s CALTIKI THE IMMORTAL MONSTER. He also mentions that former cameraman Bava disliked the “pretentious” term cinematographer. Actress Barbara Steele’s interview appears to actually be the interview from the Italian Ripley’s Home Video DVD along with the deleted scene: a mood-shattering dialogue scene present only in the Italian version (it has not appeared on any of the US releases, but a transcription of the dialogue was present as a text extra on the Image DVD). Also included are the international MASK OF SATAN trailer (interlaced), the US trailer, the subtitled Italian trailer (pretty much the same as international trailer but the Italian audio is in terrible condition), and a US TV spot.

The second and third disc (both dual-layer DVDs) present both versions of the feature as well as all of the extras in standard definition PAL. Disc Three includes I VAMPIRI (1957) – in standard definition – an early example of Italian horror started by director Riccardo Freda (MURDER OBSESSION) but finished by Mario Bava (who had also served as the film’s cinematographer) after a disagreement with the producers. The film is presented in Italian with English subtitles; the film was heavily modified for its US theatrical version THE DEVIL’S COMMANDMENT (the trailer of which is also included here) – including additional footage featuring THE MUNSTERS’ Al Lewis doubling for Paul Muller to attack some additional victims – while the original English export version seems to be lost (a rare print of it reportedly played at an American Bava retrospective in the nineties). Twenty-two trailers (some in English, others in Italian, some digitally recreated) are also included, as well as an illustrated booklet featuring an essay on the film by Matt Bailey, an interview with Barbara Steele (conducted by Calum Waddell), a piece on I VAMPIRI by Alan Jones which describes its troubled shoot, and a statement about the film by Freda (who does not mention walking off the production, but does mention his next collaboration with Bava on CALTIKI). The standard Blu-ray/DVD combo version includes a reversible cover with alternate original artwork, while the 1000-piece limited slipcase edition features an insert with four alternate cover images (viewable through the slipcase window while the standard version’s back cover descriptive matter is included on the back of the slipcase).

Eric Cotenas

***

ADDITION: Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray (September 2012): Significant upgrade although still missing roll 15b. Very pleasing to have Bava's Black Sunday in the new format - especially looking so superior to the SD editions. Contrast is notably more layered - the black levels have really benefitted from the improved resolution. Some scenes lean to moiring but never quite achieve it. Detail improves - there is a bit of gloss here and there but I don't suspect any digital manipulation. It is close to the 1.66: aspect ratio - a shade off. Speckles still exist.  Really - the film will never look perfect - but, I think, this is a giant step forward in home theater presentations for Black Sunday.

 - Gregory Meshman

***

OLDER COMMENTS:

ADDITION - Ripley Home Video - PAL - January 2005 - This is not a bad issue of the film, with less damage than the Image Entertainment edition. It has good boosted audio options and decent extras, but no commentary.

Marco Forneir says: "The Image DVD (that I also have) is slightly cropped horizontally compared to the RHV one, and is missing a few moments compared to the RHV edition. Technically the Image edition is not cut, but RHV managed to discover an additional part of the film (roll 15b) that was never before included in any home video edition. Hence the true uncut version is only the RHV one."

*****

COMMENTS MADE IN 2000: The Image Entertainment edition with its anamorphic picture quality is by far the superior release when it comes to the image (even with the flagrant damage marks), the Extras and even the menus. That is about all there is to say here. With an unusual running time the Films sans Frontieres PAL edition was shown to be taken from a NTSC source and has 'ghosting'. One might wonder which is the appropriate title for the film (both are shown above). For those keen on this Bava film, the Image DVD is the obvious route to go.

 Gary Tooze

NOTE (Thanks Annie!) - having bought the Italian DVD edition of Mario Bava's Black Sunday I was surprised to see that this edition in particular is the first one on home video that restores a scene to its rightful place in the film.

The scene I'm talking about is the one where the Barbara Steele character is talking with her father outside the house where they live. Before, this was intercut between the one where a little girl reluctantly goes milking a cow. Now, the outside scene segues into that wonderful set piece where Steele is playing a wonderful melody on the piano while her brother cleans his shot gun and their father is sitting by the fireplace.

According to the extra feature that explains all this, we get to know that this change was made according to the original script sequence and for this reason alone I think you should change your final verdict on your comparison.