The Masque of the Red Death

Prince Prospero, a petty tyrant, fills his castle with the rich and powerful as a plague ravages the countryside. Having sold his soul to the Devil, Prospero believes himself to be immune to all of the suffering and death that surrounds his land. Meanwhile, Death itself has other ideas. Thanks to some British tax incentives and a wealth of award-winning sets, The Masque of the Red Death is one of the best-looking films that Roger Corman ever made. Vincent Price is fantastic as Prospero and the rest of the cast is filled with great British character actors like Hazel Court, Jane Asher and Patrick Magee. The gothic atmosphere and creative use of color give the film Italian vibes, somewhere between the works of Mario Bava and Dario Argento. Deemed too pretentious by the powers-that-be at American International Pictures, The Masque of the Red Death ended up being the beginning of the end for Corman and his cycle of Poe films.

Rating: 66.6%

(Image from Wikipedia)