The Three Faces of Terror is a horror anthology film made by special effects artist Sergio Stivaletti. Stivaletti worked with many of the luminaries of Italian horror, including Dario Argento, Sergio Martino and Riccardo Freda; and their influence appears to have rubbed off on him somewhat as while this isn't a great film by any stretch of the imagination; it's an interesting one that harks back to some of the classics of Italian horror; most notably Mario Bava's masterpiece Black Sabbath, of which the title is a direct reference. The first story also takes influence from the Bava film as a major plot point involves someone taking a ring from the finger of a dead person. While on a dig, a man takes a ring from the finger of a mummy and subsequently finds himself dealing with a curse - that being that he turns into a werewolf! The story is not as interesting as it could have been (certainly a recurring theme in this film) and that's a shame. He finally does turn into a werewolf at the end and as you would expect given the director's primary vocation, it features a good change sequence and the werewolf costumes isn't all that bad either.The second story is probably the most inventive of the three and focuses on the subject of plastic surgery. A woman goes to see a surgeon with her friend; and requests that she has her face altered to look just like said friend. The doctor and the friend subsequently disappear; leaving the girl on a strange odyssey through the surgery. While inventive in theme, this theme is not particularly thick on the story side and that leaves it rather lacking as it doesn't really go anywhere. The final story was my favourite and is entitled 'Guardian of the Lake'. This simply focuses on a bunch of friends that go for a relaxing weekend at a lake and end up becoming dinner for a monster that happens to live in the lake. This film has some originality with regards to the wraparound story as each of the stories ends; before we get the final conclusion of each story once the third story has - apparently - finished. This doesn't particularly add anything to the film; but I don't think I've seen this in an anthology before. The conclusion to the wraparound is decent also - although anyone who has seen the British classic Tales from the Crypt won't be very surprised.

Three strangers awaken in a train car and find the mysterious Prof. Price (John Phillip Law) there with a hypnosis device that allows the user to see a story about themselves. First story - a grave robber steals a ring off a corpse and his fence (Law again) discovers the mysterious secret/curse behind it. Second story - an actress (working on DEMONS 7, no less) takes her friend to visit a plastic surgeon (Law one more time) but finds her friend has an odd request. Third story - three friends head to a lake but don't heed the warning of a stranger (Law one last time) who tells them to split before sundown.This is an incredibly lame Italian horror anthology from FX-man-turned- director Sergio Stivaletti. First off, you will probably figure this thing out in three minutes (or by just reading the plot synopsis above). Stivaletti, who also wrote it, does himself no favors when, in the first 5 minutes, Prof. Price announces his device tells you a story about your PAST! Gee, I wonder if these folks are really, gasp, dead? Doubly non- shocking for anyone who has ever seen an Amicus anthology.It would be slightly entertaining if the proceedings weren't so incredibly lame. The entire film is shot-on-video and looks like one of those low budget Ivan Zuccon flicks. How far the Italian horror industry has fallen! Stivaletti does succeed in some good FX (he better!) and Law, who sounds more and more like Roger Corman, gives a decent performance. The only thing I found truly enjoyable here was the obligatory bad English dubbing. My favorite exchange:Girl: "What about a sandwich?" Boy 1: "Yeah, sounds great. You made it, didn't you? With your own hands." Boy 2: "Okay, I'll take one too."The only thing funnier than that is Stivaletti's final shot with his depiction of what God looks like as he hovers above earth.

I can't believe this movie has a decent rating and won some visual effects award. I mean, the werewolf effects were terrible. Hell, the lake monster effect is cheesy as hell. Jason and the Argonauts had better graphics than the travesty of the lake monster. For a minute, I thought I was playing the God of War II on PS2 except that monsters in GOW had way better graphics.You have got to see the acting to believe it. Everyone did their darndest impression of cardboard figures. You know in some porn movies, the stars look stiff and talk as if there are something in their mouth? Yeah, something like that. Seriously, you can't wait for all of them to be killed off. The story lines are all cookie-cutters. Nothing you haven't seen before. The whole movie is just one long extended episode of the twilight zone or outer limits. Big deal. I would given this movie a 1 but given that it is obviously low budget and the lead actress is incredibly hot, I will concede and give it a two.

Sergio Stivaletti IS ones of Italian Horror movie future, i see only DVD version, i can't see at cinema, but i think that movie collect all fashion of old movies that a lot of people love.For an old movies fan like me, that love old style horror movies, it's a masterpiece, that show a very good direction, a nice photography, and old, simple, but good stories.if you like old movie with actor like vincent price, peter cushing, directed by master of horror like Terence Fisher, Corman, Bava, Freda, and more, you like that movie, which is an honest homage to these old movies.Stivaletti is ones of few men in Italy that try and risk in first person to produce that kind of movie, that actually are not more produced in Italy, but them are our past (yes, i'm an Italian guy), and i would like to be the present and future of Italian production.how many people can tell to risk in first touch? in my mind i can think to people like R.rodrigez, S.raimi, but are few people, well, here there is another talented guy, Sergio stivaletti.p.s. i ear English track, and i show (i show the movie, to be correct) to some my friends (not italians friends), Australian and German, and they tell my that is not so terrible English.p.p.s. check first edition of mad max, and try to understand that mel Gibson told in that movie.... you discover that is not simple to act and talk fluently in English, also if is your first language.