The Masque of the Red Death

Satanist Prince Prospero (Vincent Price) torments members of the local peasantry and entertains fellow nobles from within his safe castle walls as a plague ravages the surrounding land in Roger Corman’s The Masque of the Red Death. Corman’s seventh of eight features adapted from the writings of Edgar Allan Poe, Red Death’s decadent descent into psychedelic debauchery, aided by the vibrant cinematography of a young Nicolas Roeg, has lost none of its lurid power in the decades since its premiere. This new 4K restoration reinserts footage censored from the initial American release, giving contemporary audiences Roger Corman’s original, beautifully depraved vision, with all of its pomp and poetry.

Restoration Credits

The 4K restoration of THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH was based on the 35mm original picture negative, on loan to the Academy Film Archive from MGM Studios, a 35mm British Technicolor print, and the 35mm original sound elements. Missing censored scenes from the American release were replaced using shots from a 35mm Technicolor print from the Dante/Davison Collection at the Academy Film Archive. Scanning and image restoration was completed by Roundabout Entertainment in Burbank. The audio was restored by Audio Mechanics in Burbank.

Restored by the Academy Film Archive and The Film Foundation, with funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation.