CURSE OF THE CRIMSON ALTAR (1968)

3 stars

88 Films. Blu ray. September 9th

Another in the releases from 88 Films from Tigon. Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee screams the opening titles in lurid green accompanied by Peter Knight’s over the top music. Add to this Barbara Steele and Michael Gough and you’ll be declaring “What a cast”… shame the film that follows doesn’t quite live up to the expectations presented by their presence!

It opens bizarrely and freakily psychedelic – well it was the 60s. A woman is being whipped by various folk including the aforementioned iconic Steele as Lavinia Morley, resplendent in very impressive headgear. Peter Manning (Denys Peek) is under the influence of something – Lavinia asks him if he is “ready to sign”, that way he is able to enter “our world of darkness”. He then kills the whipped woman and he is then branded.

Robert, Peter’s brother, is going through a box of stuff that belonged to his sibling. There is a letter indicating that he is staying at Craxted Lodge (actually Grims Dyke House, now a hotel), but when he contacts them they deny he has ever been there and have never heard of him. Despite this, Robert decides to pay a visit. Stopping for petrol in the nearby village he hears of ‘Witches Night’.

Reaching the house he is greeted by lots of folks partying, drinking and doing drugs including Eve Morley (Virginia Wetherell), who proves to be more than friendly. Her Uncle (Christopher Lee) is owner of the house and disregards the letter, despite it being on Lodge notepaper, but invites Robert to stay. Robert makes a joke at one point about the house being the sort of place Boris Karloff could “pop up at any moment”.

Then of course he does turn up in the shape of the wheelchair bound Professor John Marsh, an expert on the area. He tells of the many who have died – linked to those who burned Lavinia at the stake and cursed them and their descendants…

When Michael Gough makes an appearance as Elder, the butler, he warns Robert that he should get out, whilst he still can. Things start to really go off the rails as our hero has a nightmare involving Lavinia and the others from the beginning sequence – as the plot progresses, the nightmares continue with freaky people in masks.

Spooky, if old fashioned chills, one of the assets here is Karloff, who is his usual good value, despite his emphysema and arthritis. Supposedly based on H. P. Lovecraft’s ‘The Dreams of the Witch House’ though this isn’t acknowledged in the credits. The whole affair is all a bit flat and uninteresting, a touch silly and hardly a classic despite the cast involved. Lee apparently wasn’t a fan. Director Vernon Sewell also helmed THE BLOOD BEAST TERROR (1968) – not necessarily a demonstration of his abilities!

Known as The Crimson Cult in the US

Steve Kirkham

EXTRAS

4 stars

Audio commentary by Film Critics Kim Newman and Sean Hogan

On the Cutting Room Floor (18 mins) – Howard Lanning on Editing Tigon Films. Talks about working on this film plus The Body Stealers and Haunted House of Horror; About Karloff being lovely and Lee not mixing much with rest of the cast. On George Sanders not wanting to be in The Body Stealers. On his Dad working on the props on 2001: A Space Odyssey and how many of his family members were in the film industry. Plus working with director Gerry Levy

The Altar of Sacrifice (20 mins) – Sean Hogan on H.P. Lovecraft & Curse of the Crimson Altar – an interesting exploration of Lovecraft and his work; Arkham House publishing; the writer being embraced by the 60s counter culture; how this film is loosely based on Dreams in the Witch House and various adaptations; Other adaptations like The Dunwich Horror ultimately leading to talking about the film under review.

Creating the Curse of the Crimson Altar – Making Of (35 mins): Talks to Virginia Wetherell, Editor Howard Lanning, Mark Eden, actress Annette Whiteley and Mary Spain who handled continuity. Much talk of Karloff, Lee, Michael Gough and Barbara Steele, about the house where it was shot ad about making the film. You also get Renée Glynne at the end recorded in 2016.

Original Trailer/Crimson Cult Trailer/Stills Gallery

You also get Reversible sleeve featuring great new artwork by Sean Longmore & original US “The Crimson Cult” poster; Limited edition O Ring and Booklet Notes by Andrew Graves