Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Vernon Sewell

Writers:

Mervyn Haisman (screenplay) and
Henry Lincoln (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

15 April 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Come face to face with naked fear on the altar of evil!

Plot:

When his brother disappears, Robert Manning pays a visit to the remote country house he was last heard from...

Plot Keywords:

H.P. Lovecraft | Virgin | Professor | Fire | Sacrifice

Cast

Boris Karloff	...	Professor Marsh
Christopher Lee	...	Morley
Mark Eden	...	Robert Manning
Barbara Steele	...	Lavinia
Michael Gough	...	Elder
Virginia Wetherell	...	Eve
Rosemarie Reede	...	Esther
Derek Tansley	...	Judge
Michael Warren	...	Chauffeur
Ron Pember	...	Petrol attendant
Denys Peek	...	Peter Manning
Nicholas Head	...	Blacksmith
Nita Lorraine	...	Woman with whip
Carol Anne	...	1st Virgin
Jenny Shaw	...	2nd Virgin

Also Known As:

The Crimson Altar (USA) (poster title)
The Crimson Cult (USA)

Runtime:

89 min | USA:87 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:16 | UK:15 | Australia:M | Sweden:15 | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Grim's Dyke House, Old Redding, Harrow Weald, Middlesex, England, UK

Company:

Tigon British Film Productions

Trivia:

German Import DVD has two Super-8mm Versions (English language), as a special feature on the disc.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After the firemen turn on the water valves on the fire engine they take the ladder on wheels to the house. However when they cross over the hose pipes you can see that they lie flat on the ground so clearly no water is running through them.

Quotes:

Eve Morley: It's like a house from one of those old horror films.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Grindhouse Universe (2008) (V)

Under-rated horror outing for three old masters

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.

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.