As time passes it becomes increasingly clear that remakes, reboots, and requels are not only here to stay, we are likely to get more of them. Some may decry that the film business is creatively bankrupt and as such must defer to known properties to make a buck, but remakes and reboots don’t have to be treated with such ire. While there are certainly plenty of examples of remakes and reboots going sideways, there are some that either equal or in the rare case surpass the original. Even rarer, is seeing a son remake his father’s film 40 years later, and that’s the case with Lamberto Bava’s “The Mask of Satan.” Severin Films releases this for the first time in North America but does this remake or reboot stand toe-to-toe with Mario Bava’s classic, “Black Sunday?”

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

When a group of skiers becomes trapped in a crevasse, their discovery of a long-frozen female corpse will unmask an ancient evil, unlock a portal of the damned and unleash a nightmare of Satanic vengeance.

HOW IS IT?

Italian horror isn’t for everyone. It can be silly, over-the-top, and plots so manic that it’s a miracle if they even make any sense. On this basis alone one would wonder why people love them so much, and the answer is simple; they’re really fucking fun. ”The Mask of Satan” is a prime example of why some people love Italian horror movies while others loathe them. Filled with obnoxious characters, completely unexplained circumstances, and some great practical effects, ”The Mask of Satan” ticks all the boxes and then some. It does come with the traditional baggage that these films carry, but that shouldn’t deter most viewers from enjoying this updated retelling of a classic Italian horror film.

In the conversation of “remake vs reboot,” ”The Mask of Satan” is squarely in the latter camp. While the general story beats and plot remain consistent, the way the story unfolds is drastically different. We trade a pair of scientists for a group of unruly young skiers, and instead of a broken-down carriage, the group skis into an ice hole that just so happens to house the corpse of the evil witch, Anibas. As these stories often go, the kids find the corpse, take off the death mask, and set off a chain of events intended to bring Anibas back from the dead in the body of one of the skiers while some of them start to lose their minds. Like any great Italian horror film, questions are raised that don’t get answers, like how the priest survives in the church underneath the ice, but the answer really isn’t important considering how cool the underground ice church looks. From a production design perspective, ”The Mask of Satan” has a lot to love by marrying classic Gothic architecture with a white winter wonderland offering an interesting contrast of man-made creations and nature. This isn’t just limited to the sets either, as the makeup and practical effects from Sergio Stivaletti add a gruesome edge to what was traditionally a more restrained horror movie. Let’s put it this way, you’ll never look at a deflated breast the same way again!

However, ”The Mask of Satan” isn’t a perfect film. There are too many characters in this movie considering the scope, and we aren’t sure the decision to have them gradually go mad works, even if it does give us some pretty great scenes like the one with the priest in the confessional. The script also struggles to keep the pace up through the entire runtime leading to a wobbly second act, but these aren’t the kinds of things that ward off Italian horror fans and can even be seen as part of the formula. In true Italian fashion, the ending is equal parts outrageous and unhinged defying logic in favor of aesthetic. It’s one thing to remake someone else’s film, but for Lamberto Bava to remake his father’s film from 40 years prior is something special and this may be Lamberto Bava’s best film as well. It pays homage to what came before while updating it appropriately without sacrificing what made the original “Black Sunday” work, just turned up a couple of notches.

HOW DOES IT LOOK?

This is the first North American release of ”The Mask of Satan” and as usual, Severin does a great job with this transfer. The film was scanned in 2K using the original camera negatives and maintained the 1.66:1 aspect ratio. The film looks great and retains the natural grain that came from the print while cleaning up the color grading to make the visuals pop on modern hardware. The use of color isn’t as overwhelming as something like “Suspiria,” and the contrast of greens and oranges against the white winter and blue hues adds some mystique and otherworldliness to the church setting. Images from this release are used throughout this review.

HOW DOES IT SOUND?

For sound options, there is a surprisingly robust Italian and a Spanish language mono track considering the limitations of the encoding. There is never any competition between dialogue, action, and other sounds, and the music adds a nice tribal touch to the film’s soundtrack. Some scenes involving lots of screaming occasionally have a light cracking noise at their peak, but we suspect this has more to do with the audio levels when the sound was originally recorded as opposed to anything done by Severin.

ANYTHING SPECIAL?

Severin releases are often chock full of special features, and ”The Mask of Satan” certainly doesn’t skimp, but it is one of the lighter releases when it comes to supplemental material. For our review, we immediately went for The Curse of the Mask, Interview with Director Lamberto Bava. This 37-minute interview with Bava was quite enlightening, especially to hear how he doesn’t like remakes while at the same time acknowledging that is more or less what he is doing, classic Italian hyperbole. The original idea for this was to be part of a TV series about witches, and the thought was to do a retelling of “Viy.” The decision to pivot to a retelling of his father’s film was rather organic and Bava thinks this is one of the best scripts for any of the films that he has done. Bava really enjoyed working with this cast and gave special kudos to Mary Sellers for her intoxicating confessional performance. Italian horror junkies will likely notice Michele Soavi in the film and Bava recalls his surprise that Soavi was willing to go back into acting after doing so much to establish himself behind the camera. A full list of special features is listed below.

Bonus Materials

The Curse Of The Mask – Interview With Director Lamberto Bava
Una Americana A Roma – Interview With Actress Mary Sellers

Sabina The Teenage Witch – Interview With Actress Debora Caprioglio

LAST RITES

”The Mask of Satan” isn’t as rambunctious as the most audacious Italian horror films, but as a retelling of father Mario Bava’s “Black Sunday,” it works extremely well. The transfer from Severin is top-notch, and Italian horror fans would be remiss for not adding this to their collections!

THE GORY DETAILS

Thank you to the fine fiends over at Severin for providing a review copy for the crypt! The Mask of Satan is available NOW and can be purchased via Severin Direct!

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Nov 4, 2020

Matthew Orozco