By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. Coming Soon. His niece also lives in the house with him, unaware of the strange going ons. We pick up the story when one of those descendants travels to the town to find his brother. Barbara Steele is underused and extremely typecast as the malignant Lavinia, but what the heck, even with her face painted green and ridiculously over-sized goat horns on her head, she still remains a luscious beauty. Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. Apparently this was put there at the last minute to cash in on the late 60s drug phase, it certainly has nothing to do with the actual plot, the fluorescent green and pink titles is about as psychedelic as it gets. Please click the link below to receive your verification email. | Rating: 3.0/4.0 It is a treat to see Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee trading pleasantries in their scenes. Lavinia's heir, J. D. Morley (Christopher Lee), wants revenge on anyone related to her killers, such as Robert. By the film's end we get an explanation, and it is in no way complete or satisfactory. Curse of the Crimson Altar a.k.a. FAQ "[6] The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote that apart from a wild party and some exposure of a woman's bosom in a bed, "this is one of the lamest and tamest horrors in a long time, with the script hobbling along like an underprivileged Agatha Christie thriller through acres of would-be sinister dialogue as the handsome hero investigates endlessly and Karloff and Christopher Lee dispense meaningful sneers. … Featured on: Steele is lovely and creepy. Don't have an account? This movie is a good example how they created a very good atmosphere. At the end of the 19th century, in a little Italian village by a lake an old statue is recovered. A journalist takes a bet that he can spend the night in a haunted castle on All Hallow's Eve. Lee and Karloff play so well off each other... Good atmosphere, good actors, but the story is so-so. And the cost, the total for petrol is 1 pound, 7 shillings and six pence (about 90 pence in new money)! The level-headed Lee looking very urbane and being the personification of English gentry? The Crimson Cult packs the one-two punch of featuring both Christopher Lee and Boris Karloff in roles utilizing their spooky screen-personas. There are some effective elements, and a few self-aware moments, but they aren't as well handled as they could've been, and the characterisation and dialogue is pretty weak. On the other hand, of course, "Curse of the Crimson Altar" wouldn't have been half as good if it weren't for him. Well, first and foremost there's the wonderful pairing of Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee, both of whom give performances way above the level of the product they were working with, and there's the lovely Barbara Steele portraying the green skinned witch Lavinia. The result is a movie that seems to take itself as seriously as the Hammer films from the same era. Movies like Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968) Relic (2020) Within the Woods (1978) Writers Retreat (2015) Bhoot … Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Robert Manning (Mark Eden) searches for his vanished brother in a rural English village, where he is entangled in the legend of Lavinia (Barbara Steele), a witch killed 300 years ago. Occult expert Professor Marsh (Karloff) informs Manning about a witchcraft cult led by Morley's ancestor, Lavinia (Steele). Written by This movie is disappointing for numerous reasons. Seriously, signup for our newsletter or Freddy will hunt you in your dreams.