Sunday, September 1, 2013

THE MASQUE OF RED DEATH (1964)



Edgar Allan Poe+ Vincent Price + Roger Corman. 

How can you avoid combination of terror like that where darkness, decay and doom dominates! When subjects of the kingdom suffering from Red Death (plague), the tyrannical & Satan worshipping Prince named Prospero and his degenerate sycophant courtiers are safeguarded in a luxurious castle. But how long they remain protected against the destiny of death. The film has quite a few flaws but Corman did brilliant job here much like a seasoned gothic champion. The highlight of the film is as expected- the absolutely awesome act of Vincent Price. The man is really anatomy of terror in his heydays!  Towards the end, the film resembles slightly with Bergman’s much celebrated  scene of ‘The Seventh Seal’ where the prince has face to face with the messenger of death, but that’s the only matching element.
Recommended for fans of old school horror.  

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