The Masque Of The Red Death (1964)

As a plague called the Red Death ravages the Italian countryside, a Satan worshiping Prince (Vincent Price) and his debauched guests are safe behind his castle walls ..... seemingly. Based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe and directed by Roger Corman. This is easily the best of Corman's Poe films and in its own way, as powerful as Bergman's THE SEVENTH SEAL. Everyone is working at their highest level here. From Daniel Haller's sumptuous production design, Robert Jones's stunning art direction, Laura Nightingale's colorful costume supervision (there is no "costume designer" credit) and Nicholas Roeg's vivid cinematography (the film's color palette is exquisite). The film has a richer look and creative level than his other Poe films. Perhaps it was shooting in England for the first time rather than Hollywood but this doesn't have the feel of a low budget American International film. Vincent Price too gives his best performance in his Poe canon. With Hazel Court, Jane Asher, Patrick Magee (whose face and voice reeks of decadence and corruption) and Nigel Green.