Masque of the Red Death (1989 film)
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''Masque of the Red Death'' is a 1989 American horror film produced by
Roger Corman Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...
, and directed by Larry Brand, starring
Adrian Paul Adrian Paul Hewett (born 29 May 1959) is an English actor best known for the titular role of Duncan MacLeod on the television series '' Highlander: The Series''. In 1997, he founded the Peace Fund charitable organisation. Early life Paul was ...
and Patrick Macnee. The film is a remake of the 1964 picture of the same name which was directed by Roger Corman. The screenplay, written by
Daryl Haney Daryl Haney (born June 21, 1963 in Charlottesville, Virginia), also known by the pen names Duke Haney and D. R. Haney, is an American actor, screenwriter, novelist, and essayist. Film career Born to a Virginia farming family, Haney relocated ...
and Larry Brand, is based upon the classic 1842 short story of the same name by American author
Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wid ...
, concerning the exploits of Prince Prospero, who organizes a '' bal masqué'' in his castle while the peasants of his fiefdom die from the
plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pe ...
in great numbers.


Plot

Machiavel ( Patrick Macnee) is a mysterious masked rider in a red cape who roams Prince Prospero's realm. The appearance of the rider is followed by a deadly plague that scars its victims and devastates the peasantry. The rural people are becoming desperate and seek to escape the devastation. Meanwhile, Prospero (
Adrian Paul Adrian Paul Hewett (born 29 May 1959) is an English actor best known for the titular role of Duncan MacLeod on the television series '' Highlander: The Series''. In 1997, he founded the Peace Fund charitable organisation. Early life Paul was ...
) barricades himself at his palace, to avoid any villagers entering his immediate domain and disturbing him. He also organizes a masquerade ball where he invites the nobility of his land to participate. Village maidens are also brought into the castle to provide entertainment for his guests. Amongst them is Juliette ( Clare Hoak), an innocent
peasant A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer with limited land-ownership, especially one living in the Middle Ages under feudalism and paying rent, tax, fees, or services to a landlord. In Europe, three classes of peasant ...
girl, who continuously resists the prince's lustful pursuit. When Claudio ( Jeff Osterhage), the prince's friend, advises Prospero to stop pursuing Juliette, the angry prince jails them in the
dungeon A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period. An oubliette (from ...
s of his palace. Meanwhile, desperate peasants try to breach the defences of Prospero's castle to escape the Red Death. In response to their attempts to enter the safety of his castle, the prince orders boiling oil to be poured on them from high atop the battlements, scorching many of them to death. The party is in full swing when a mysterious masked man in a red cape joins the fun unannounced.


Cast

*
Adrian Paul Adrian Paul Hewett (born 29 May 1959) is an English actor best known for the titular role of Duncan MacLeod on the television series '' Highlander: The Series''. In 1997, he founded the Peace Fund charitable organisation. Early life Paul was ...
as Prince Prospero * Clare Hoak as Juliette * Jeff Osterhage as Claudio * Tracy Reiner as Lucrecia * Patrick Macnee as Machiavel *
Maria Ford Maria Ford (born 1966) is an American film and television actress, model and dancer. Known for her " scream queen" performances in low-budget films of the 1990s, she is one of the main subjects of the 1998 documentary ''Some Nudity Required''.Ri ...
as Isabella


Reception and analysis

The film did not receive any substantial reviews when it was first released in 1989, but subsequently it became a more popular target of analysis in specialty publications. It received two stars from film critic
Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic and film historian, as well as an author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives. He is perhaps best known for his book of fi ...
, who commented that Paul's Prospero was "more thoughtful and troubled" but also that "despite an interesting approach to the figure of the Red Death and a literate (if talky) script, overall cheapness and very slow pace cripple this medieval melodrama." The ''Overlook Film Encyclopedia of Horror'' commended Tracy Reiner's performance in her role as Prospero's sister Lucrecia, but criticised the film: "The grandeur and elegance of Corman's earlier film are missing: in their place is plentiful dialogue about the cruelty of God and Death and the behavior of princes." In comparison to the 1964 version, the depiction of Prospero is described as more "troubled and thoughtful" but the role of Death has been criticized as appearing more "literate" and "verbose", attributes which, according to the critics, impact adversely the plot delivery and suspense of the film. In another critique, the film has been described as "more adept" and "less visually stylized" than the 1964 version, qualities, which according to the reviewer, hold the promise of better quality modern adaptations of Poe's works. Another critic describes the film as one of Corman's "weakest movies" and "Corman at his schlockiest". The script has been criticized as putting an emphasis on the love interests of the prince who is shown in an incestuous relationship with his sister Lucrecia, played by Tracy Reiner, while relentlessly pursuing innocent peasant girl Juliette, played by Clare Hoak. Adrian Paul's portrayal of prince Prospero is described as "more subtle" and "realistic", compared to the 1964 original, but the same attributes make the character dull, according to the review. The production values of the film have been described as "third rate" and the direction "haphazard". In the same review it is mentioned that "the cast is overacting shamelessly" and that the film is not faithful enough to Poe's story to justify its title. The ''
Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...
'' critic comments that to enhance the portrayal of Death in this film version, the rest of the actors play listlessly as if they were already dead for added effect. He then pokes fun at the special effects which he does not consider very effective. He also distributes fictitious honours to the actors, based on their pronouncements in the film.


See also

*
Edgar Allan Poe in television and film American poet and short story writer Edgar Allan Poe has had significant influence in television and film. Many are adaptations of Poe's work, others merely reference it. Film Adaptations * Perhaps most well known are the films directed by Roge ...


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Masque Of The Red Death, The 1989 films 1989 horror films 1989 fantasy films Films about viral outbreaks Films based on works by Edgar Allan Poe American supernatural horror films Films produced by Roger Corman Films about personifications of death Horror film remakes Films with screenplays by Daryl Haney Works based on The Masque of the Red Death 21st Century Film Corporation films 1980s English-language films 1980s American films