The Masque of the Red Death (film)

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The Masque of the Red Death

Directed by	Roger Corman
Produced by	Roger Corman, George Willoughby
Written by	Charles Beaumont, R. Wright Campbell, Edgar Allan Poe
Starring	Vincent Price, Hazel Court, Jane Asher
Distributed by	American International Pictures
Release date(s)	1964
Running time	90 min.
Language	English
IMDb profile

The Masque of the Red Death is a classic 1964 horror film, directed by Roger Corman, based on the short story written by Edgar Allan Poe in 1842. It incorporates a sub-plot based on another Poe tale, Hop-Frog. The film stars Vincent Price, Hazel Court, and Jane Asher.

1 Plot summary
- 1.1 Deaths
2 Trivia
3 External links

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The story is set in Medieval Europe. The Satanist Prince Prospero (Price) invites several dozen of the local nobility to his castle for protection against an oncoming plague, the Red Death. The local peasantry, or anyone the Prince suspects of having the plague, are killed by crossbow fire outside the castle walls. Prospero orders his guests to attend a masked ball and, amidst a general atmosphere of debauchery and depravity, notices the entry of a mysterious hooded stranger dressed all in red. Believing the figure to be his master, Satan, Prospero is horrified at the revelation of his true identity.

[edit] Deaths

Scarlatti:shot in the throat with a crossbow by Prospero.
Mrs. Scarlatti:either died of the red death or killed herself after prospero refused her sanctuary in the castle.
Ludovico:killed in a swordfight with Gino.
Juliana:clawed by an eagle.
Alfredo:burned to a crisp on a chandelier.
Senora Escobar:died along with everybody else of the red death.
Prospero:died of the red death disease after seeing the enbodiment with a face that looks like him.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Trivia

A dialogue from the movie can be heard during almost two minutes of the gothic metal/doom metal Norwegian band Theatre of Tragedy's most acclaimed song, And When He Falleth, acompained by instrumental arrangements.
Several short quotes have been used by Entombed on the album Clandestine.
While in the film Prince Prospero is depicted as being in awe of the Red Death on believing him to be his master; in Poe's book, he is angry at his arrival and believes him to be one of his guests, making a statement against his indifferance to the plague and initially goes forward to arrest him.