The Masque of the Red Death (1964)

Director:

Roger Corman

Writers:

Charles Beaumont (writer)
R. Wright Campbell (writer)

Release Date:

24 June 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

LOOK INTO THIS FACE - SHUDDER... at the blood-stained dance of the Red Death! TREMBLE... to the hideous tortures of the catacombs of Kali! GASP... at the sacrifice of the innocent virgin to the vengeance of Baal!

Plot:

A European prince terrorizes the local peasantry while using his castle as a refuge against the "Red Death" plague that stalks the land.

Plot Keywords:

Plague | Castle | Death | Prince | Refuge

Cast

Vincent Price	...	Prince Prospero
Hazel Court	...	Juliana
Jane Asher	...	Francesca
David Weston	...	Gino
Nigel Green	...	Ludovico, Francesca's father
Patrick Magee	...	Alfredo
Paul Whitsun-Jones	...	Scarlatti
Robert Brown	...	Guard
Julian Burton	...	Señor Veronese
David Davies
Skip Martin	...	Hop Toad
Gaye Brown	...	Señora Escobar
Verina Greenlaw	...	Esmeralda
Doreen Dawn	...	Anna-Marie
Brian Hewlett	...	Lampredi

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Germany:16 | Finland:(Banned) (original rating) (1972) | Finland:K-16 (1988) | Finland:K-18 (re-rating) (1972) | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:16 | Norway:16 (cut) | USA:Unrated | UK:X (original rating) | UK:15 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Alta Vista Productions

Trivia:

This was Roger Corman's first film shot in England.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Towards the end of the movie before Prospero sees the man in red, you see a blond woman dancing from left to right, the frame then jumps and the blond woman is once again on the left without having walked by.

Quotes:

Prospero: The way is not easy, I know, but I will take you by the hand and lead you through the cruel light into the velvet darkness.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Thriller (1983) (TV)

A brilliant tale of `intellectual' evil. Probably Corman's finest achievement!

Who ever said Roger Corman is a no-good director, only capable of shooting sleazy quickies??? All the amateur-critics who live by this statement should urgently watch `The Masque of the Red Death' and reconsider. True, Corman depended on a magnificent and professional crew here.but it remains his achieving mostly. First and foremost, the most thrilling Edgar Allen Poe short story sets the right tone. Out of his entirely brilliant oeuvre, this fable is probably the most horrifying one. The over-talented Charles Beaumont adapted this into a compelling and intense script and the wholesome is wonderfully cinematographed by Nicolas Roeg. The same Roeg who went on making cool movies himself like `Don't Look Now' or `Track 29' to only name a few.Last but certainly not least, the legendary Vincent Price gives away one of the most stunning performances in his rich career.

The Masque of the Red Death is the greatest and most ambitious film in Corman's Poe cycle and therefore it should get all the credit and praising it can possibly get. The atmosphere this film breathes is the most horrifying one I ever witnessed and the fable's theme is pure terror! Vincent Price is the absolute top as the wealthy servant of Satan who thinks his safely locked away in his castle while the plague of the Red Death crosses through the countryside.killing all the poor villagers. Inside the walls of his ghoulish castle (with the scariest cellars you'll ever see), Price entertains a group of rich and spoiled bastards by thinking up diabolical games and throwing eccentric parties. He's convinced that Satan protects him and that the plague of the Red Death can't do any harm. `The Masque of Red Death' does something here that is practically unique! There where all other horror movies can't fulfill in telling a satanic tale without showing a huge amount of bloodshed, Corman's film achieves this effect easily thanks to its atmosphere, its intelligent structure and side plots, the costumes and scenery and the beautiful use of colors. There's a genius scene in which a possessed Hazel Court walks from chamber to chamber.each of them shown in a different color. In short.The Masque of Red Death belongs to the absolute top of horror cinema ever! One of the most fascinating films of the sixties and the ideal proof that horror will never see highlights like this anymore.