Villain(s)  Resurrected vampiric witch

Actor(s):  Barbara Steele, John Richardson, Andrea Checchi, Ivo Garrani

Brief Description  Black Sunday (originally titled La maschera del demonio or The Mask of Satan) is a 1960 Italian Gothic horror film that marks the official solo directorial debut of maestro Mario Bava. Loosely based on Nikolai Gogol’s short story "Viy", the film is widely considered a masterpiece of horror cinema. It launched British actress Barbara Steele into stardom as one of the genre’s most iconic "scream queens". The movie is celebrated for its atmospheric, high-contrast black-and-white cinematography, shocking practical effects, and its fusion of witch, vampire, and zombie lore.

Plot:
The film opens with a brutal and unforgettable sequence. In 17th-century Moldavia, Princess Asa Vajda (Barbara Steele) and her lover, Igor Javutich (Arturo Dominici), are condemned for witchcraft by the Inquisition, led by Asa's own brother. Before her execution, Asa defiantly curses her brother and all of his future descendants. The executioners then place the heavy, spiked "Mask of Satan" over her face and use a large wooden mallet to brutally nail it into her skull. A sudden thunderstorm prevents the villagers from burning her body, forcing them to bury her in a heavily secured crypt. Two hundred years pass. Dr. Choma Kruvajan (Andrea Checchi) and his younger assistant, Dr. Andrej Gorobec (John Richardson), are traveling through Moldavia toward a medical conference.

When their carriage breaks down near the ruins of the Vajda estate, they decide to explore the ancient, overgrown crypt. Inside, Dr. Kruvajan is attacked by a large bat. While swatting at it, he accidentally breaks the stone cross guarding Asa’s tomb and shatters the glass window of her stone coffin. He cuts his hand, and his blood drips into the eye sockets of the nailed mask, unknowingly initiating Asa's resurrection. Outside the crypt, the doctors meet Princess Katia Vajda (also played by Barbara Steele), the exact look-alike descendant of the executed witch. Dr. Gorobec immediately falls in love with her. As the blood revitalizes Asa, her flesh slowly begins to reform inside the tomb. She uses her telepathic powers to resurrect her lover, Igor Javutich, who rises from his nearby grave as a zombie-vampire servant. Together, they begin a calculated reign of terror against the current Vajda family.

Javutich terrorizes Katia's father, Prince Vajda (Ivo Garrani), who is driven to a state of absolute, paralyzed fear. Dr. Kruvajan is called to the castle to treat the Prince, but he is intercepted by Javutich and led straight to Asa's crypt. Asa hypnotizes and bites Kruvajan, turning him into her mindless thrall. Kruvajan then murders the Prince. Asa’s ultimate goal is to completely drain the blood of her look-alike descendant, Katia. Doing so will allow Asa to permanently possess Katia's youthful body, reclaiming her life and achieving true immortality. Dr. Gorobec becomes highly suspicious of the bizarre occurrences and enlists the help of a local priest. Together, they discover the truth.

Gorobec tracks down the vampire-controlled Dr. Kruvajan and kills him by driving a wooden stake through his eye. Meanwhile, Javutich kidnaps Katia and brings her to the crypt. Asa prepares to complete the ritual to drain Katia’s blood. However, because Asa has not yet fully fed on Katia, she remains physically weak. When Dr. Gorobec storms the crypt to save Katia, he finds both women unconscious and is momentarily confused as to who is who, due to their identical faces. Gorobec notices a crucifix around one of the women’s necks. He uses it to expose the true witch. At the same time, the local villagers arrive with torches. They seize Asa, tie her to a wooden stake, and set her on fire, finally breaking the multi-century curse and saving Katia.