The Masque of the Red Death – Scream Factory (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA/UK, 1964
Director: Roger Corman
Writers: Charles Beaumont, R. Wright Campbell
Cast: Vincent Price, Hazel Court, Jane Asher, David Weston, Nigel Green, Patrick Magee

Release Date: September 22nd, 2020
Approximate Running Times: 88 Minutes 47 Seconds (Theatrical Cut), 90 Minutes 21 Seconds (Extended Cut)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC (Both Versions)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English (Both Versions)
Subtitles: English (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $27.99

"Death and debauchery reign in the castle of Prince Prospero (Vincent Price), and when it reigns, it pours! Prospero has only one excuse for his diabolical deeds – the devil made him do it! But when a mysterious, uninvited guest crashes his pad during a masquerade ball, there'll be hell to pay as the party atmosphere turns into a danse macabre!"  - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (Extended Cut), 4/5 (Theatrical Cut)

The Masque of the Red Death comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.3 GB

Feature: 21.1 GB (Extended Cut), 18.4 GB (Theatrical Cut)

No information is provided except that the extended cut comes from a recent restoration. The source used for the extended cut’s transfer is in excellent shape. Colors are nicely saturated, flesh tones look correct, image clarity, contrast, and black levels are solid, and there are no issues with compression. That said, the theatrical cut comes from a different source than what was used for the extended cuts transfer. And quality-wise, the theatrical cuts transfer is a few notches below the extended cuts transfer.

Audio: 4.25/5

Each version comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and both versions come with removable English subtitles. Both the audio mixes sound clean, clear, balanced, and robust when they should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a photo gallery (51 images-stills/posters/lobby cards), a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with producer/director Roger Corman (18 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an introduction by film historian Stephen Jones (7 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with author/film historian Steve Haberman for the theatrical cut, and an audio commentary with film historians Kim Newman And Barry Forshaw for the extended cut.

Summary:

Though Vincent Price had many memorable roles before the Poe films that he made for American International Pictures, several of his Poe films rank among his best films. Which is not a surprise since the Poe films and Vincent Price’s style of acting were a perfect match.

Also, when discussing Vincent Price’s Poe films, one must not overlook his collaborations with Roger Corman. They would make six Poe films, starting with the House of Usher and culminating with The Tomb of Ligeia. By the time Vincent Price and Roger Corman made their fifth Poe film, The Masque of the Red Death, their collaboration had reached its apex.

Most of Vincent Price’s Poe films were made on modest budgets, which included recycled sets and costumes. What sets The Masque of the Red Death apart from the other five Poe films that Vincent Price made with Roger Corman? The Masque of the Red Death has arthouse aspirations, while their other collaborations are straight-up horror films.

From its opening moments, it's clear that The Masque of the Red Death is more of a cautionary allegory than a film that aims to scare you. The narrative is filled with subtext that is further reinforced by symbolic imagery. With a superb ending that serves as a perfect coda to the events that preceded it.

The most surprising aspect of The Masque of the Red Death is the performances. The cast as a whole is excellent in their respective roles. And though Vincent Price (The Fly) once again dominates, obscuring anyone who shares the frame with him, there are a few standout performances, including Patrick Magee (A Clockwork Orange) as a sadistic named Alfredo, whose arrogance leads to his own demise, and Hazel Court (The Premature Burial) as Juliana, Prince Prospero's jealous lover.

From a production standpoint, there is not an area where The Masque of the Red Death does not deliver and then some. Roger Corman’s solid direction makes The Masque of the Red Death one of his greatest achievements as a filmmaker. Another area where The Masque of the Red Death excels are its visuals, which were photographed by cinematographer Nicolas Roeg (Don’t Look Now, The Man Who Fell to Earth), who would go on to become a director in his own right. The most memorable scene visually is Juliana’s death at the hands of the birds. Ultimately, The Masque of the Red Death is an extraordinary work that has not lost any of its potency.

The Masque of the Red Death gets an excellent release from Scream Factory that comes with a solid audio/video presentation, two versions of the film, and an assortment of insightful extras, highly recommended.

 Written by Michael Den Boer