The Masque of the Red Death

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Samantha F @yellowtrafficlight Jun 12 I loved this movie! It wasn’t what you’d expect from a low-budget horror movie. The acting was superb. What really sets this movie apart from other Roger Corman Poe adaptations is the artistic direction. It is one of the most visually captivating horror movies of its time. I highly recommend this movie. Once you start watching you’ll stay with it to the end. It mesmerizes. See more Joel H @786Joel May 30 The Masque of the Red Death isn’t one of my favorite Edgar Allan Poe stories, and this movie isn’t one of my favorite Poe adaptations, either. It definitely sets a mood, though. There is an impressive visual quality to this film, even if the 90-minute runtime feels a lot longer than it is and the plot is more symbolic than scary. The brief adaptation of Hop-Frog within this tale is probably the most horrifying part. So while I wouldn’t make everyone watch The Masque of the Red Death at my next Halloween party, having it play in the background could be an effective method of setting a spooky tone. See more Homu L @AkemiLord May 3 Fantastic movie. I really enjoyed watching this. Great film! See more Kalissa H. @kali_416 Dec 21 Not my favorite Vincent Price film, but it was still good. See more Richard W @rdwoolf Oct 21 "The Masque of the Red Death" is an Edgar Allan Poe short story (which I have not read). This may have been spooky or scary in 1842. But, at least as presented in this 1964 Hammer film version, it does not seem to hold up this way today. It's just kooky. However, this film is visually appealing with its colorful sets and costumes. And I do enjoy these old Hammer films. And seeing Vincent Price in anything is always a worthy endeavor. See more Hector I @Hector1184BC Oct 6 This film, which is known to be the best in the Corman-Poe series, intrigues me. How is it that it can be so brilliant at times, yet so clumsy at others? It combines two of Poe's short stories, The Masque of the Red Death, a highly aesthetic, frightening fresco, and A Gothic Tale, in which Poe is the heir to the Gothic tradition. Corman adds, as he has done before, another short story, Hop Frop, a rather grotesque but charming little tale. We follow an Italian Renaissance lord played by Vincent Price, who is as convincing as ever in the role of this cruel and refined lord. A disease is ravaging the kingdom (the Red Death) and the prince gathers all his nobles together in order to protect them but also to keep them in his power. In the castle there is also a young peasant girl, whose village has been contaminated by the Red Death. Meanwhile, the grotesque, vulgar, and violent celebrations continue... A series of colorful rooms seems to be the heart of the castle (white, yellow, purple, yellow, and black), but no one can enter them. The prince has made a pact with a well-known dark entity that is supposed to protect him from the evil that lurks... This film is truly a mystery to me. The colorful scenes are beautiful and disturbing, but there aren't enough of them in the film. They are what give it its spice. I even found similarities with Giallo films in the use of color and blood, of course. The rest is sometimes grotesque, no doubt intentionally, but I find that detracts from the story. Perhaps I've seen too many Corman films, but if this is the first one you see, it will no doubt have a different effect on you. It's a film worth seeing nonetheless! See more Read all reviews

The Masque of the Red Death

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