Curse of the Crimson Altar

futes2-1 (futes2@hotmail.com) wrote on IMDB:

Well it's not the great story; it's certainly not the curious nearly S and M moments, although I probably found them interesting as a kid, and it's not the technical brilliance although I must say that cinematographer Johnny Coquillon does an excellent job of lighting and utilising the interiors of the delightful Grims Dyke manor where the majority of the movie was filmed, and it's definitely not the annoying Mark Eden. So just what is it? Well, first and foremost there's the wonderful pairing of Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee, both of whom give performances way above the level of the product they were working with, and there's the lovely Barbara Steele portraying the green skinned witch Lavinia. On top of that there's the very 'Britishness' of it all… it's like a mad little time capsule; the sophisticates chasing a cat suit wearing girl through the forest, explaining to the hero that 'it's a rather sophisticated kind of hide and seek' (what?) and the anything goes swinging sixties party blend wonderfully with the slightly psychedelic hallucinations experienced by Robert Manning. Then there are little moments like the gas station attendant (Ron Pember) actually filling the car ('Craxted Lodge', he says, 'oh, yeah, I know Craxted Lodge' in a slightly sinister and loaded way); when was the last time that happened? And the cost, the total for petrol is 1 pound, 7 shillings and six pence (about 90 pence in new money)! On top of that there is a nice feeling of the 'village where something is not quite right' and the useful device of having the world's foremost expert on witchcraft, Professor John Marshe (Boris Karloff) as a resident and his friendship with a descendant, Squire Morley (Christopher Lee), of the notorious witch Lavinia (Barbara Steele) whose burning at the stake is commemorated in an annual festival which just so happens to be occurring just as the hero, Robert Manning (Mark Eden), arrives on the scene in search of his missing brother Peter (Denys Peek). In a knowing nod to the genre Manning, commenting about the house, says at one point that you expect Boris Karloff to pop up any minute and, of course, he does. Add to this the slightly sinister man servant Elder (Michael Gough), the romantic interest Eve Morley (Virginia Wetherell), and a wonderful old house and what you get is a really nice little movie, but one whose parts are, unusually, better than the whole. Incidentally I stayed at the house back in the 80s and it really is a lovely place, loaded with atmosphere and I was genuinely thrilled knowing the movie was made there. Of course, there are downfalls. Tigon have been accused of taking a rather crude and exploitative approach to horror, although at least two of their films, 'Witchfinder General' (1968) and 'Blood on Satan's Claw' (1970) are, in their own ways, outstanding, but the script here is rather weak and fails to flow from time to time which is not helped by the somewhat pedestrian direction. It would be pointless, however, to attempt a dissection of this movie's technical merits, if you want to do that, take a look at the same year's 'Rosemary's Baby'. If, on the other hand, you just want a great, if somewhat silly, old British witchcraft movie, then look no further than this.

Jonathon Dabell (barnabyrudge@hotmail.com) wrote on IMDB:

Christopher Lee, Boris Karloff and Barbara Steele all in one horror flick. How can any fan of British horror from the 1960s fail to be enticed by such a top line-up?

As it happens, Curse of the Crimson Altar is actually an OK film. It was critically mauled and failed to impress at the box office, but it has some enjoyable moments if you're prepared to forgive its rather dated feel. The story is unoriginal and bland, with a young antiques dealer visiting a spooky looking house in search of his missing brother, only to uncover a witchcraft cult. But there are still plenty of moments to savour, such as some deliciously over-the-top sacrificial rituals, plus expertly acted scenes between Karloff and Lee.   [ show more ]

The lead character played by Mark Eden (eagle-eyed viewers may remember him as nasty Alan Bradley in the British soap Coronation Street) is a crashing bore, and is nowhere near as handsome as he clearly thinks he is. However, some of the more bizarre characters in this film are really well delineated and make the film worth watching at least once. [ show less ]

Gafke wrote on IMDB:

I really wish I had not been loaded on cold medicine and halfway to comatose when I sat down to watch this movie, because from what I remember through the Robitussin haze, it was pretty cool.

A young man named Peter goes missing and his brother Robert tracks him to a grandiose country estate which is lorded over by the elegant Christopher Lee and his blonde bombshell niece, Eve. The village is gearing up for a yearly celebration not unlike The Burning Man, and Robert has no place to stay while continuing the search for his brother. Mr, Lee kindly offers him a room in his mansion, although Robert really seems less interested in finding his brother than in getting Eve into bed. However, when Robert begins having dreadful nightmares that may not exist only in his head, it is up to him, Eve and a wheelchair bound Boris Karloff to solve the mystery.   [ show more ]

There's some really cool stuff in this hard-to-find film, not the least of which is Barbara Steele with blue/green skin and a headdress of rams horns, surrounded by guys in leather, whips and goats masks. As Lavinia Morley, the centuries dead witch who may or may not be possessing one of her descendants, Steele has rarely looked more beautiful and seductive as she does here. This film never takes itself too seriously and there are some wickedly funny moments, something which is all too often missing from horror films, or just isn't done right. Boris Karloff is a riot in one of his last film roles - the stories go that he was plagued by pneumonia on the set of this film and died from complications soon afterwards, but that did not stop him from playing the part of a slightly eccentric, somewhat snooty but always likable scholar to absolute perfection. The opening scenes are great fun, going from Black Mass to psychedelic 60s party (bordering on orgy) within minutes. You won't be bored by the visuals, that's for sure.

The story may not be anything new, but it is cleverly told and seems always fresh and bright for all that the film is 40 years old. The performances are really great and the characters are truly likable, even the bad guys. It's not an easy film to find, but if you can, grab it. It's worth seeing, even if only once. [ show less ]