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IMDbPro

The Crimson Cult

Original title: Curse of the Crimson Altar
  • 19681968
  • RR
  • 1h 27m
IMDb RATING
5.5/10
2.5K
YOUR RATING
Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee, Mark Eden, and Barbara Steele in The Crimson Cult (1968)
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.
Play trailer2:35
1 Video
58 Photos
  • Horror
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, Mannin... Read allWhen 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... Read allWhen 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.
IMDb RATING
5.5/10
2.5K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Vernon Sewell
  • Writers
    • Mervyn Haisman(screenplay by)
    • Henry Lincoln(screenplay by)
    • Jerry Sohl(from a story by)
  • Stars
    • Boris Karloff
    • Christopher Lee
    • Mark Eden
Top credits
  • Director
    • Vernon Sewell
  • Writers
    • Mervyn Haisman(screenplay by)
    • Henry Lincoln(screenplay by)
    • Jerry Sohl(from a story by)
  • Stars
    • Boris Karloff
    • Christopher Lee
    • Mark Eden
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 64User reviews
    • 52Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:35
    Trailer

    Photos58

    Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee, Mark Eden, and Barbara Steele in The Crimson Cult (1968)
    Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee, Mark Eden, and Barbara Steele in The Crimson Cult (1968)
    Lita Scott in The Crimson Cult (1968)
    The Crimson Cult (1968)
    Rupert Davies in The Crimson Cult (1968)
    Virginia Wetherell in The Crimson Cult (1968)
    Virginia Wetherell in The Crimson Cult (1968)
    Virginia Wetherell in The Crimson Cult (1968)
    Virginia Wetherell in The Crimson Cult (1968)
    The Crimson Cult (1968)
    Derek Tansley in The Crimson Cult (1968)
    Fred Wood in The Crimson Cult (1968)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Boris Karloff
    Boris Karloff
    • Professor John Marshas Professor John Marsh
    Christopher Lee
    Christopher Lee
    • Morleyas Morley
    Mark Eden
    Mark Eden
    • Robert Manningas Robert Manning
    Barbara Steele
    Barbara Steele
    • Lavinia Morleyas Lavinia Morley
    Michael Gough
    Michael Gough
    • Elderas Elder
    Virginia Wetherell
    • Eve Morleyas Eve Morley
    Rosemarie Reede
    • Estheras Esther
    Derek Tansley
    • Judgeas Judge
    Michael Warren
    Michael Warren
    • Chauffeuras Chauffeur
    Ron Pember
    • Petrol Attendantas Petrol Attendant
    Denys Peek
    • Peter Manningas Peter Manning
    Nicholas Head
    • Blacksmithas Blacksmith
    Nita Lorraine
    • Woman with whipas Woman with whip
    Carol Anne
    • 1st Virginas 1st Virgin
    Jenny Shaw
    • 2nd Virginas 2nd Virgin
    Vivienne Carlton
    Vivienne Carlton
    • Sacrifice Victimas Sacrifice Victim
    Roger Avon
    • Sergeant Tysonas Sergeant Tyson
    Paul McNeil
    • Party Guestas Party Guest
    • Director
      • Vernon Sewell
    • Writers
      • Mervyn Haisman(screenplay by)
      • Henry Lincoln(screenplay by)
      • Jerry Sohl(from a story by)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Boris Karloff became sick with pneumonia while shooting this project in the freezing rain. It was his last British movie. Filming began on January 22, 1968. Karloff had just finished "Targets (1968)," and would recover enough to shoot four Mexican features in May 1968, his final screen work.
    • Goofs
      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

      Robert Manning: You know this is a very interesting old house.

      Eve Morley: I don't know, it gets a bit creepy sometimes. It's a bit like one of those houses in horror films.

      Robert Manning: Yeah, I know what you mean. You say Boris Karloff's gonna pop up at any moment.

    • Alternate versions
      Prior to the 1970 American International release in the USA, film contained additional scenes featuring nudity and mild S&M. This unedited version, bearing its original UK title, now airs on MGM-HD and other U.S. cable networks.
    • Connections
      Featured in Deadly Earnest's Nightmare Theatre: Curse of the Crimson Altar (1978)

    User reviews64

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    Surprisingly watchable!
    I'm neither old enough to have seen this sort of horror at the time (barely born, in fact) nor a real horror fan, but this came up late on BBC2.

    The opening scene is nicely weird enough, with various symbols of witchcraft, with various symbols in sorts of colourful panto vignettes and then soon settles into normal life, old cars, Britishness and all that.

    Looking for his disappeared brother, Robert Manning (a fairly ordinary, nice Mark Eden) drives off to this lodge, from where his brother's last letter was addressed from. On the way up, he is told that the village in question is holding an anniversary witchcraft celebration and finds cars of men chasing a girl running through the woods.

    Reaching the Lodge, the owner, one J D Morley (Peter Cushing, no less) naturally denies any knowledge but offers him a room for the night. As one (naturally) does, in a big, strange old house, where there was a party that involved painting young lady's breasts (and similar!), Manning accepts. A joke with one young seductress about 'the sort of old house from the movies, where Boris Karloff appears' is nicely tongue-in- cheek, as the other big star here, is indeed, Karloff himself.

    He plays a wheelchair-bound professor, who's hobby is collecting instruments of torture. And, of course there's a dodgy chauffeur who goes around shooting at things in the woods (including 'our' man) and who so happens to be mute and an even stranger caretaker. Them there's loads of kaleidoscopic hallucinatory nightmares, with electronically distorted sound FX that our Robert suffers, which are interesting, at least. Then he toddles off, sleepwalking down to the local graveyard.

    It's all hoary nonsense, of course, but whilst a bit dated, there's enough interesting characters played by interesting - and/or sexy people, if you get my drift, for the film to remain entertaining and enjoyable.

    I'd give the actual film 5/10 for its real merit and maybe 7 for the other, entertainment aspects, as I've outlined. I don't think many fans of this genre would be too disappointed either and for them it's definitely worth checking out.
    helpful•12
    2
    • tim-764-291856
    • Oct 1, 2012

    FAQ1

    • What are the differences between the UK Theatrical Version and the Uncut Version?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 15, 1970 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Die Hexe des Grafen Dracula
    • Filming locations
      • Grim's Dyke House, Old Redding, Harrow Weald, Middlesex, England, UK
    • Production company
      • Tigon British Film Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 27 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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