Plot
Concerned about his brother Peter’s prolonged absence, antiques dealer Robert Manning heads to Greymarsh, Scotland, specifically Craxted Lodge, where his brother had sent off his final letter. The anxious Robert is cordially greeted by the estate’s owner himself, the nobleman Morley, who claims to have never met any Peter Manning. Persuaded to postpone his search until the following day, and intrigued by the uninhibited behavior of Morley’s niece, Robert agrees to spend the night there.
After his sleep is disturbed by nightmares filled with witches and black sabbaths, serious doubts about the manor’s salubrity begin to crop up in Manning’s mind. After consulting with an elderly expert on the occult, it becomes increasingly clear that Craxted Lodge remains under the influence of a witch named Lavinia who was burned at the stake in the seventeenth century.
What’s more, forgotten genealogical connections indicate that the Mannings are the main target of the witch’s vengeance.
The Devil is not known exactly for his sense of humor... and He never sleeps.
Critique
4.5Remotely inspired by “The Dreams in the Witch House” by H.P. Lovecraft, “Curse of the Crimson Altar” is actually the work of Jerry Sohl, veteran screenwriter of a prior Lovecraft adaptation that was far from rousing (1965’s “Die, Monster, Die!“). Here, the story attempts an improbable blend of 1970s passions and classic demonology, but the mixture never makes it off the launching pad. The pacing is soporific and the avant-garde touches – kaleidoscopic effects, colored filters – seem entirely out of place.
The cast is truly noteworthy, if basically wasted here. The best performance is offered by Christopher Lee, whose restrained acting emanates an aura of authority that fits perfectly with the elegant interior shots (Michael Gough isn’t bad either in the role of the mentally impaired servant). It’s a completely different story regarding the great Boris Karloff’s performance, visibly dimmed by his precarious health. I’ll mercifully avoid comment on poor Barbara Steele (who should sue her makeup artists) or those pathetic sadomasochistic scenes in the pagan ceremonies.
A Tigon British Film production, directed by versatile director Vernon Sewell, near his retirement.
More Info
- Inspired by the short story "The Dreams in the Witch House" (1933) by H.P. Lovecraft
Quotes
- The Devil is not known exactly for his sense of humor... and He never sleeps.
- Burn the witch!
Trivia
- Mark Eden gets the award for the best metacinematic line of the film: after a quick glance at the Gothic rooms of Morley’s estate, he jokingly remarks: “Like one of those old houses in horror films […] As Boris Karloff is going to pop up in any moment“. He won’t have to wait long.
- Vernon Sewell concludes his long directing career with a full-on horror trilogy: “Curse of the Crimson Altar” (1968), “The Blood Beast Terror” (1968) and “Burke and Hare” (1972).
Products
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| Product name | Price | |
|---|---|---|
 | Curse Of The Crimson Altar | |
![Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968) ( The Crimson Cult ) [ Blu-Ray, Reg.A/B/C Import - Spain ]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41VUsy2TgTL._SL75_.jpg) | Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968) ( The Crimson Cult ) [ Blu-Ray, Reg.A/B/C Import - Spain ] | |
 | The Dreams in the Witch House: And Other Weird Stories (Penguin Classics) |
| Nome del prodotto | Prezzo | |
|---|---|---|
 | L'opera completa | |
 | Black Horror-Le Messe Nere | |
 | Cthulhu. I racconti del mito |
| Product name | Price | |
|---|---|---|
![The Curse Of The Crimson Altar [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51uOHTYwKzL._SL75_.jpg) | The Curse Of The Crimson Altar [Blu-ray] | |
![The Curse Of The Crimson Altar [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51IvkXSWKXL._SL75_.jpg) | The Curse Of The Crimson Altar [DVD] | |
| The Dreams in the Witch House: And Other Weird Stories (Penguin Classics) |
| Nombre del producto | Precio | |
|---|---|---|
 | La Maldicion del Altar Rojo (Curse of the Crimson Altar) (1968) (Vernon Sewell) (Blu-ray) | |
![La maldición del altar rojo [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/615-+rHfDNL._SL75_.jpg){kind=small} | La maldición del altar rojo [Blu-ray] | |
 | Los sueños en la casa de la bruja: Edición revisada bilingüe: 47 (Yuggoth) |
| Produktname | Preis | |
|---|---|---|
 | Schwarze Messe auf blutrotem Altar (Die Hexe des Grafen Dracula) - Uncut/3-Disc Limited Collector's Edition No. 4 (Blu-ray & DVD - Limitiert auf 333 Stück, Cover C) | |
 | Die Träume im Hexenhaus (Arkham-Erzählungen 9) |
| Nom du produit | Prix | |
|---|---|---|
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 | LES REVES DANS LA MAISON DE LA SORCIERE | |
 | Supercollector Lovecraft |
| Product name | Price | |
|---|---|---|
 | Curse Of The Crimson Altar | |
| The Curse Of The Crimson Altar [Blu-ray] | |
| Penguin Classics Dreams In The Witch House And Other Weird Stories |