[Inspector Abberline]

Curse of the Crimson Altar Is always a little disappointing when ever I watch it...
It should really be, well on paper anyway, quite a good little film...It has a stellar cast, Chris Lee,Boris Karloff and Barbara Steele (although her role is mostly sitting around looking evil..) so it should of been quite an old school fright Fest...But a plodding script and some atrocious dialogue makes it a slightly laborious watch...Poor old Boris does his up most,but confined to a wheelchair and obviously having health problems,his performance is stilted and at times he looks confused,and at one point outside by the bonfire scene,him and his chaffuer are hit by fiireworks, Which I assume was unscripted.... It's not a total disaster,as Mark Eden (more famously known for being in Coronation Street) does a fairly good job in keeping the proceedings going, as does Virginia Wetherell...But it is a fairly arduous watch at times,only slightly elevated by some mild S&M scene's,Which consists mainly of a topless woman whipping (bathed in green light) everyone in sight,and a muscle Mary in leather pants and antlers on his head smashing up the flimsey set...It obviously has a cult following,but it's certainly not Tigons finest hour either ...