Curse of the Crimson Altar Blu-ray - Christopher Lee, Boris Karloff, Barbara Steele

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "The Crimson Cult" or "Black Horror" or "The Dreams in the Witch-House")

Directed by Vernon Sewell
UK 1968

When Robert Manning goes in search of his missing brother, his trail leads him to a remote country house owned by the mysterious Morley. There, he finds himself dragged into a nightmarish plot of witchcraft, black magic, and murder.

Directed by Vernon Sewell (Blood Beast Terror) and starring horror royalty, Barbara Steele, Christopher Lee, and Boris Karloff, Curse of the Crimson Altar is another wickedly creepy tale from the house of Tigon. Visually arresting and tense and it’s not only a satisfying slice of Technicolor gothic, it’s also a fan-favourite and cult classic.

***

When his brother disappears, Robert Manning (Mark Eden) pays a visit to the remote country house he was last heard from. Whilst his host Squire Morley (Christopher Lee) is outwardly welcoming - and his house-keeper`s beautiful niece Eve (Virginia Wetherell) his niece willing to fulfil his needs - Manning detects a feeling of menace in the air with the legend of Lavinia (Barbara Steele), the Black Witch of Greymarsh, hanging over everything. Will the village's renowned expert on witchcraft, Professor John Marshe (Boris Karloff), be able to shed light on the wicked going-ons at Craxted Lodge? This adaptation from Lovecraft`s `Dream in the Witch House` was shot in Grims Dyke, the allegedly haunted house of W S Gilbert of Gilbert and Sullivan fame. It is remarkable for being the only time that Lee, Karloff and Steele appeared in the same film and is also the last British film to star Karloff, which was innovatively filmed by John Coquillon.

Posters

Theatrical Release: December 1968

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Review: 88 Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

Box Cover		CLICK to order from: Bonus Captures:
Distribution	88 Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:27:25.323
Video	1.66:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 36,993,801,962 bytes Feature: 25,708,035,456 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.88 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Audio	LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -30dB
Subtitles	English (SDH), None
Features	Release Information: Studio: 88 Films 1.66:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 36,993,801,962 bytes Feature: 25,708,035,456 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.88 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Audio commentary by Film Critics Kim Newman and Sean Hogan • On the Cutting Room Floor - Howard Lanning on Editing Tigon Films (18:04) • The Altar of Sacrifice - Sean Hogan on H.P. Lovecraft & Curse of the Crimson Altar (20:31) • Creating the Curse of the Crimson Altar - Making Of (35:01) • Original Trailer (2:39) • Crimson Cult Trailer (2:00) • Stills Gallery (16 images) Reversible sleeve featuring new artwork by Sean Longmore & original US “The Crimson Cult” poster Booklet Notes by Andrew Graves Blu-ray Release Date: September 9th, 2024 Transparent Blu-ray Case Chapters 10

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: 88 Films Blu-ray (September 2024): 88 Films have transferred Vernon Sewell's Curse of the Crimson Altar to Blu-ray. In 2015 we compared the Odeon Entertainment and the Kino Lorber Blu-rays (both OOP - out of print) HERE. We have added some frame matched captures below. The 88 Films 1080P has deeper blacks and warmer skins tones. It certainly looks superior to my eye. It's clean and the film appears to have 'youthened'. It's a pleasing boost in the HD presentation.

NOTE: We have added 64 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, 88 Films use a linear PCM dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. Curse of the Crimson Altar has aggression including whippings, beatings, ritualistic stabbings, a raunchy party and annual 'burning witch' celebration that appear a bit scattered. The ritual scenes have intentionally hollow dialogue (Barbara Steele.) The score was by English musical arranger, conductor and composer Peter Knight (orchestrator of the music for Roman Polanski's Tess and for Jean-Jacques Annaud's Quest for Fire) and I know the Kino had a "replacement score" but I believe this is the original. It can sounds somewhat psychedelic in the lossless - which would be theatrically accurate. 88 Films offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'B' Blu-ray.

The 88 Films Blu-ray offers a new commentary by Kim Newman (author of Nightmare Movies: Horror on Screen Since the 1960s) and Sean Hogan (author of Twilight's Last Screaming.) They talk about the luminescent green titles and how common they were in late 60's early 70's Brit horrors, the hallucinogenic sequences, the screenplay by Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln, based on the H. P. Lovecraft short story "The Dreams in the Witch House", and why it was left uncredited. They discuss The Dunwich Horror, Karloff's final British film appearance - his being ill and couldn't be insured, Barbara Steele, Christopher Lee, Mark Eden, director Vernon Sewell and much more. It's very informative delving into the usual minutia and comparables. On the Cutting Room Floor spends 18-minute with Howard Lanning on editing Tigon films. He was also the editor for The Body Stealers, Witchfinder General and The Blood Beast Terror. The Altar of Sacrifice has Sean Hogan on H.P. Lovecraft & Curse of the Crimson Altar for over 20-minutes. Creating the Curse of the Crimson Altar is a 35-minute 'Making of...' that includes interview snippets with Lanning, Mark Eden (Séance on a Wet Afternoon), Virginia Wetherell (Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde and Demons of the Mind), Annette Whiteley (The Devil-Ship Pirates) and continuity gal Mary Spain. Lastly are an original trailer, a separate trailer for the Crimson Cult title and a stills gallery with posters, title cards etc. The package has a reversible sleeve featuring new artwork by Sean Longmore, an original US “The Crimson Cult” poster and booklet notes by Andrew Graves (Not Dancing With Ingrid Pitt.)

Vernon Sewell's Curse of the Crimson Altar was shown in the US on a double bill with Count Yorga, Vampire. It has Boris Karloff, as occult expert Professor Marsh, who did not have long to live during production of Curse of the Crimson Alter, Christopher Lee's acting is not challenged and we also get, not-enough of, Barbara Steele (Castle of Blood, The Horrible Dr. Hichcock), as 'Lavinia', looking a similar shade of green to an Orion slave girl. Michael Gough (Horrors of the Black Museum) adds great flavor and support - plus cutie Virginia Wetherell (Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde and Demons of the Mind.) It has delightful ancestral witching, ritual sacrifice, a remote mansion and spooky grounds, a missing brother...and strange dreams. Most of these Tigon horror efforts are appealing if never quite imitating the Hammer-esque formula with total perfection. I'm happy and it's a keeper for me. The 88 Films Blu-ray is the best a/v and supplements for the film including a Newman / Hogan commentary, over an hour's worth of video extras and booklet. How can we resist? Recommended!

Gary Tooze

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