The Crimson Cult Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Crimson Cult Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 3, 2015

1968’s “The Crimson Cult” invests in a psychedelic atmosphere to help its rather routine story achieve a cinematic identity. Venturing into dreamscape encounters and kaleidoscopic visuals, the feature gets by on oddity and a striking use of color. “The Crimson Cult” also boasts a cast capable to attracting any horror fan’s attention, with Christopher Lee sharing the screen with genre legend Boris Karloff, in one of the final screen appearances. While the overall effort doesn’t exactly thrill, there’s enough artistry and personality collected here to make it worth a look.

Positioning itself as a sort of detective story, “The Crimson Cult” also dabbles in witchcraft, with Barbara Steele hired to portray a special cult figure painted green and wrapped in gold. She’s a striking figure and remains a focal point while the screenplay deals with ritual sacrifice and lascivious behavior. While it’s a tale of a man (Mark Eden) searching for his missing brother, “The Crimson Cult” would rather stick to exploitative elements, remaining close to Lee and Karloff as they add ominous behavior to what ends up becoming a movie about the exploration of a creepy mansion (littered with hidden rooms) and the subconscious.

The Crimson Cult Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.67:1 aspect ratio) presentation makes an immediate impression with a visit to the nightmare realm, finding Steele's green skin and shimmering outfit making a precise HD impression. The rest of the viewing experience is supported by strong hues and acceptable delineation, permitting access to the darker passages of the picture. Skintones are natural. Detail is generally superb, offering encouraging sharpness that adds to the ghoulish mood, and grain is tastefully managed. Scratches and speckling fall within a normal range. Brief moments of flicker are detected, and some mild judder remains.

The Crimson Cult Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Leading with a strong synth score, the 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix registers freshly with music, which extends to party sequences blasted with rock and roll. Instrumentation is satisfactory. Dialogue exchanges are capable, provided necessary dramatic heft and genre mood, with silences mildly diluted by hiss. Atmospherics are acceptable, delivering creaky dwellings and outdoor activity.

The Crimson Cult Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features actress Barbara Steele and film historian David Del Valle.

• "In Conversation with Christopher Lee" (47:12, HD) is a 2012 chat with the iconic actor, covering his entire life, including war and marriage. Highlights from his filmography are inspected, with emphasis on his time with Hammer Films, "The Wicker Man," and "The Lord of the Rings."

• Interview (13:07, HD) with composer Kendall Schmidt discusses the origin of his career, where he scored trailers, working his way to re-scoring entire movies, often replacing orchestral work with an electronic sound. The featurette is a career overview, with little time offered to "The Crimson Cult."

• And U.S. (2:03, HD) and U.K. (2:44, HD) Theatrical Trailers are included.

The Crimson Cult Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Director Vernon Sewell has trouble escalating nightmarish encounters, but he maintains a cinematic presence for "The Crimson Cult," blasting the effort with colors and macabre events to hold attention. While hardly a genre event, the picture is passable entertainment with a killer cast, who always manage to find subtle notes of eeriness to play when the script often fails to inspire them.