Black Sabbath

I'm always on the lookout for any anthologies. Books TV movies it doesn't matter. I love a great short story. I've recently been going through the "Thriller" TV series and it's been hit or miss. But the presence of host Boris Karloff led me to "Black Sabbath" which I'd heard of before but never realized was an anthology. "Black Sabbath" consists of three stories strung together loosely by Karloff's introductions.
It all kicks off with a tale called "Drop of Water" which is a very creepy little ghost story. If I had seen this thing when I was younger it probably would have caused many sleepless nights. It's loaded with creepy sounds incredible atmosphere and some great looking sets. Then...wham! It hits you with some damn scary moments. It's not gory or anything but it's loaded with overwhelming dread. I honestly didn't think any of these older films could scare me anymore but this story certainly did.
The next story called "The Telephone" is also quite good but it suffers from a simple rushed ending that I almost missed. "The Wurdulak" tries to be the showcase piece of the film but I think it falls flat. It's moody and eerie enough but Boris Karloff plays the lead role and frankly isn't convincing. This one concludes in the most logical fashion and it drags quite a bit.
I can't recall watching any Mario Bava directed films in the past but given the strength of "Black Sabbath" I'll probably watch more of his filmography. The acting other than Karloff's disappointing role was very well done. And there are some very beautiful women featured throughout. Michele Mercier, Suzy Andersen, and Rika Dialina are all stunning.
This is definitely worth watching mostly for the terrifying "Drop of Water"

Very charming horror anthology, presented by Boris Karloff. All shot in beatiful sets, this is a nice addition if you like classic horror. The hilarious ending is out of place and makes it very funny..

Except from the scenarios, specially on "The Wurdalak", the first two tales haven't done much for me... very obvious, no help from the acting nor the dubbing... as for "The Drop of Water", it sure keeps up with the "best for last" saying.

I was hoping for the second one to be better (hey! Vampires!), but the last one surprised me enough to save the whole experience. I'll definitely check some other Mario Bava's out.

Yeah, the last part is creepy but not THAT creepy in my opinion. Oh, and I did mostly watch this because of the title.

A well put together horror anthology which consists of spooky and dread-inducing tales, with charming intro & outro by Boris Karloff, evocative camerawork and atmosphere that Bava is known for. The film starts strong with its first segment, _The Telephone_, which feels contemporary than the rest but totally nails the suspense and fully utilize Bava's masterful giallo work. It's fairly simple but gripping throught. The middle segment, _The Wurdalak_ fills the most runtime. I'd say it's an interesting folky vampire story though unfortunately not as hypnotic as I was expecting and somewhat wears out its welcome by the end. The last segment, _The Drop of Water_ is without a doubt a standout. It's a genuinely unsettling ghost story with a bit of psychological horror. In all the segments, Bava with his wide array of talents within the genre, ensures that this is a treat from start to finish.