When his brother disappears, Robert Manning pays a visit to the remote country house he was last heard from. While his host is outwardly welcoming - and his niece more demonstrably so - ...
See full summary »
Did you miss our interview with Sarah Paulson where she talks about her first IMDb credit? Watch it now, and see our latest videos and more in IMDb Picks.
Related News
October 20th Blu-ray & DVD Releases Include Demon Knight, Bordello Of Blood, The Oblong Box
20 October 2015 5:50 AM, +01:00 | DailyDead
20 October 2015 5:50 AM, +01:00 | DailyDead
July 21st Blu-ray & DVD Releases Include What We Do In The Shadows, Black Sabbath, Madhouse, I, Madman
21 July 2015 2:36 AM, +01:00 | DailyDead
21 July 2015 2:36 AM, +01:00 | DailyDead
July 7th Blu-ray & DVD Releases Include Maggie, The Crimson Cult, Robot Jox
7 July 2015 5:48 AM, +01:00 | DailyDead
7 July 2015 5:48 AM, +01:00 | DailyDead
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Connect with IMDb
Share this Rating
Title: Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Photos
Learn more
People who liked this also liked...
Monster of Terror
(1965)
Mystery
|
Horror
|
Sci-Fi
Director:
Daniel Haller
Stars:
Boris Karloff,
Nick Adams,
Freda Jackson
The Dunwich Horror
(1970)
Horror
Director:
Daniel Haller
Stars:
Sandra Dee,
Dean Stockwell,
Ed Begley
The Haunted Palace
(1963)
Certificate: Passed
Horror
Director:
Roger Corman
Stars:
Vincent Price,
Debra Paget,
Lon Chaney Jr.
The Creeping Flesh
(1973)
Horror
|
Sci-Fi
Director:
Freddie Francis
Stars:
Christopher Lee,
Peter Cushing,
Lorna Heilbron
Fantasy
|
Horror
Director:
Freddie Francis
Stars:
Christopher Lee,
Peter Cushing,
Roy Castle
Dark Places
(1973)
Horror
|
Thriller
Director:
Don Sharp
Stars:
Christopher Lee,
Joan Collins,
Herbert Lom
A Different Story
(1978)
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
Paul Aaron
Stars:
Perry King,
Meg Foster,
Valerie Curtin
The Skull
(1965)
Horror
|
Thriller
Director:
Freddie Francis
Stars:
Peter Cushing,
Patrick Wymark,
Jill Bennett
Drama
|
Fantasy
|
Horror
Director:
Freddie Francis
Stars:
Christopher Lee,
Rupert Davies,
Veronica Carlson
Countess Dracula
(1971)
Horror
Director:
Peter Sasdy
Stars:
Ingrid Pitt,
Nigel Green,
Sandor Elès
The Oblong Box
(1969)
Horror
Director:
Gordon Hessler
Stars:
Vincent Price,
Christopher Lee,
Rupert Davies
The Gorgon
(1964)
Horror
Director:
Terence Fisher
Stars:
Christopher Lee,
Peter Cushing,
Richard Pasco
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| 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
|
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
When his brother disappears, Robert Manning pays a visit to the remote country house he was last heard from. While his host is outwardly welcoming - and his niece more demonstrably so - Manning detects a feeling of menace in the air with the legend of Lavinia Morley, Black Witch of Greymarsh, hanging over everything. Written by Jeremy Perkins <jwp@aber.ac.uk>
Taglines:
Come face to face with naked fear on the altar of evil! See more »Genres:
HorrorParents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
Edit
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
15 April 1970 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Curse of the Crimson Altar See more »Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Color (Eastmancolor) (uncredited)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
An underrated slice of late Sixties horror/psychedelia. It was filmed in 1968 and reminded me somewhat of The Dunwich Horror which was made around the same time and similarly attempted to update Lovecraft with setpieces inspired by the drug culture and the Summer of Love. The difference with the Crimson Cult is that it was filmed in England with a stellar cast who can actually act, unlike poor fish-out-of-water Miss Sandra Dee in Dunwich. It is a treat to see Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee trading pleasantries in their scenes. Michael Gough extracts the maximum from his small role as a pitifully unhinged factotum. Barbara Steele exudes a grandly Gothic malevolence in her scenes as Lavinia. She is probably the single most memorable presence in the film and whatever power it possesses is largely thanks to her. (Great costume, too!) The dungeon sequences are probably the best though my favorite moment in the film occurs when the innocent young man asks Karloff's sinister professor "What do you collect?" and with a friendly grin Karloff replies, "Instruments of torture!" Marvelous moment.
This movie is ridiculously difficult to find. After years of searching I located a bootlegged videotape which is in terrible condition--grainy and the colors which should be vividly over-the-top are quite washed out. Also the print lacks the original score which was quite nifty as I recall from seeing it on American television in the early 70s. There is supposed to be a laser disc version from the early 90s. It would be great if a patron who owns this would do a review of that.