31 Days of Horror: The Masque of the Red Death (1962)

What?! Expecting another King adaptation?!

Let's be honest. The chances of you watching this movie are slim. While I like to think you, the reader, give some credence to my reviews, you won't watch this film. Too bad for you.

Without going into a dissertation on why Vincent Price is one of the best actors to grace the screen, let me tell you why The Masque of the Red Death is a classic must see.

The spelling alone should intrigue you--no, seriously, it should. Vincent Price gives a masterful performance as Prince Prospero. As villagers take refuge in Propero's castle, the diabolical prince 'invites' refugees to a masked ball only to indulge in very lethal games.

Prospero can not accept that a world filled with so much pain and evil is governed by a loving God. Cold and calculating, Price embodies satanic cruelty as he lords about smugly inflicting pain on the innocent.

Director Roger Corman achieves a pitch-perfect atmosphere of eccentricity and macabre. He builds complexity with subtle symbolism. The stunning use of color speaks for itself. Corman add layer of layer of richness to Price's bold performance. It's beautiful to behold.

This movie continues to fascinate me year after year. Building to a riveting conclusion, The Masque of the Red Death is well executed horror that you just don't find any more.

"Forgive them? If my hound bites my hand after I have fed and caressed him, should I allow him to go undisciplined?"