Masque of the Red Death
If it isn’t known, I’m a fan of Vincent Price movies. When I get a chance to watch his movies, I will. Masque of the Red Death is one of my favorites and I can watch this multiple times.
Photo Credit: Alta Vista Productions
Released: Oct 30, 1964
Runtime: 89 mins
Director: Roger Corman
Writer: Charles Beaumont, R. Wright Campbell, Edgar Allan Poe
Actors: Vincent Price, Hazel Court, Jane Asher
PLOT
It's time for a new dance to begin... the Dance of Death!--Man in Red
A European prince terrorizes the local peasantry while using his castle as a refuge against the Red Death plague that stalks the land.
MY THOUGHTS
Why should you be afraid to die? Your soul has been dead for a long long time.--Man in Red
Masque of the Red Death does not have graphic deaths. I know, what a shame. But there is quite a bit of a substance on the faces of those infected with the Red Death. I assume blood, so you get a lot of blood. We also get a stabbing, shooting by arrows, and a man, dressed as an ape, getting burned alive. However, most people die from the Red Death.
Very good acting. I mean, it’s a Vincent Price movie! Vincent Price (known for House of Wax, House on Haunted Hill, and numerous other movies) plays Prince Prospero, the evil satanic head of the castle. Who loves to host lecherous parties while the peasants are dying due to a plague. We also have Hazel Court (known for The Curse of Frankenstein, The Raven, and The Man Who Could Cheat Death) as Julianna. She’s in love with Prospero and wants to become a bride to Satan.
Jane Asher (known for lots of non genre movies and tv shows.) plays the young Francesca, the naive and devout christian who Prospero kidnaps and tries to corrupt. She plays the good opposite the evil Prospero.
Masque of the Red Death is about a man, Prince Prospero, who lives his life to the excess. He hosts lavish parties while his countryman and peasants are dying from a plague. He also claims to worship Satan and revels in it.
While in the village he sees Francesca, a poor villager. He takes her, her father, and her boyfriend back to the castle. He has the father and boyfriend imprisoned, and she is taken to be bathed and clothed in nice clothing.
Prospero spends the rest of the movie partying with his deviant friends and trying to corrupt the innocent Francesca. Though he starts losing friends. First he sends his falcon to kill his girlfriend and then his equally sadistic right hand man is tricked into a monkey suit by a little person, wanting revenge. Despite these deaths, they continue to party until a man dressed in red robes shows up and all start to die.
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Masque of the Red Death is basically a morality tale of the haves and the have nots. With a little Christianity and Satanism thrown in the mix. With Death getting the last laugh. Overall one of Vincent Price’s better movies. And I definitely recommend watching Masque of the Red Death.
And now for your Forever Final Girl Exclusive…Did you know?:
Hop Toad's wife, Esmeralda, was played by Verina Greenlaw who was only a child at the time. Her dialog was dubbed by an adult actress.
Roger Corman shot this film in England to take advantage of British tax laws. By making this a British production with a British crew, the production got a government subsidy. However, he didn't enjoy filming it there due to the disruptions caused by the heavily unionized crew's insistence on regular tea breaks.
Jane Asher asked Roger Corman if a friend could visit the set and join them for lunch. She explained that her friend was a musician who was about to do his first gig in London that night. At the end of lunch, Corman wished him good luck with his concert. Roger Corman hadn’t heard of the singer. That singer was Paul McCartney.
The Masque of the Red Death is based on a 1842 short story by Edgar Allen Poe.
Hop-Toad and Esmeralda were drawn from Edgar Allan Poe's short story "Hop-Frog". That story was inspired by an actual incident in 1393, where French King Charles VI and 5 of his lords dressed and chained themselves as "wild men" at a masquerade, and their costumes caught fire from a stray spark. 4 of the lords died, and the incident became known as the Bal des Ardents (Ball of the Burning Men).
The leather armor Prospero's soldiers wear over their chainmail are the same used by the gladiators in Gladiator (2000) 57 years later.
A dialogue from the movie can be heard during almost two minutes of the gothic metal/doom metal Norwegian band Theatre of Tragedy's song, And When He Falleth, accompanied by instrumental arrangements.
Dell Comics published a comic book adaptation of the film.
Check out my other reviews here: Forever Final Girl
Let’s get into the rankings:
Kills/Blood/Gore: 4/5
Sex/Nudity: 0/5
Scare factor: 2.5/5
Enjoyment factor: 5/5
My Rank: 4/5
IMDB: 6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: critics: 8.9/10 audience: 6.7/10
Letterboxd: 3.6/5