Why so much hype?

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

I see several reviews on here making this film out to be some sort of Bergmanesque masterpiece. I don't see it that way. I found the characters rather uninteresting, including their final fates. There's no optimistic coda with the young lovers, and the only thing the film seems to have to say about the cruel Satan worshiping Prospero is "everyone dies eventually". Meh. It didn't strike me as scary or suspenseful at all. The only things I liked were that Jane Asher's quite the cutie, and Price gives a good performance.

Deciding to visit the countryside towns, an Italian prince throws his annual masquerade ball to overlook his burning a village down to forget the plague ravaging the area only when the party guests start dying, he is forced to come face-to-face with his own personal demons.This one has several built-in pluses working for it being another of the Price/Corman/Poe films. Among the best parts here is that this one continues what occurs in most of the other efforts as it features some great location work. As most of the time is spent with the characters exploring the Gothic, cob-webbed labyrinthine castle, it builds up suspense marvelously through several fun and highly enjoyable scenes. The first trip through the castle, as the character is exploring it for the first time, creating a sense of dread as the build-up to an unexpected moment is clearly within reach with the small little jump at the end a nice topper. The fact that a large portion of the film is built around his treatment and obsession with the girl works well with the different manners he goes about trying to win her approval through his cruel treatments makes for some fun times here, and are given a lot of room to work here with the setting in that particular castle. The beautifully constructed story is as usual based on one of Poe's tales, and it keeps the movie rolling along nicely as a fast-paced film from this time, which is quite nice and it stays close to the story as well. As well, there is plenty to like about this one's main facet with the party scenes. The dagger sequence is as brilliant a display of suspense as ever, and a later dream sequence is also a masterful highlight capturing a striking mood. The last plus here is the film's biggest asset in that it ages a lot better than the others in the series due to it's high production values, beautiful looking scenery, and the occasional shock jump here and there. Of course, all of this is useless without the wonderful as ever Price leading the way with one of greatest performances ever. He truly is magical to behold and this one is no exception. There's really only one complaint about the film, which is quite dependent on many viewer's own issues. This is the fact that the much-rumored party sequence is so late in the movie that it can seem like eternity to get there. Yes, it does move along at a fast enough clip, but it happens so late in the film that it can seem like forever before it happens. It is worth the wait, however, but sometimes it feels like it should've happened earlier. One relatively minor complaint, though, isn't enough to deter this from one of the better Corman/Price/Poe film around.Today's Rating/PG-13: Violence and satanic themes and rituals

This is a great movie. It is very scary. This movie has a great story line. It also has great acting. It also has great special effects. Based on the classic short story by Edger Allen Poe this movie will scary you out of the your mind. Village is being terrorized by an evil sprite called the red death. A prince of who worships the red death. Has a ball and give sanctuary to the rich. Vincent Price was a great actor Hazel Court was a great actress. 7.1 is underrating this classic horror film. Roger Corman is a great film maker. I need more lines and I am running out of thing to say. I am going to repeat myself sorry. Great movie great movie great movie.

Another addition to Roger Corman's series of movies adapted from Edgar Allan Poe stories casts Vincent Price as a Satan-worshiping medieval prince holding a party while a horrible plague ravages his fiefdom. I saw the movie as an allusion not only to the feudal system, but as an indictment of decadence in general, as Prospero tortures and humiliates people to entertain his guests. As for Jane Asher, she and Paul McCartney were an item in the '60s. My mom liked her so much that she cut her hair like Asher wore hers. Asher more recently appeared in the original version of "Death at a Funeral". Who ever would've guessed that there would be a link between Poe and the Beatles? Anyway, "The Masque of the Red Death" is a fun movie, and I suspect that they had fun making it.