PodBill
Just what I expected
Teringer
An Exercise In Nonsense
Glucedee
It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.
Johan Louwet
The most interesting thing about this movie was the whole back story of how Marek became Mr. Sardonicus. I had heard about ghouls before but I thought they were some undead creatures like zombies. I don't know if zombie movies got their inspiration from this movie or legend but I certainly loved the idea of the punishment he got for digging his father's grave just because his former wife wanted that winning lottery ticket so badly and be wealthy. With all this wealth though he couldn't get a cure. The ghoul face of Sardonicus is splendid and really creepy, his mannerisms and actions deliciously cruel what you expect from a man that has become a monster. The actions undertaken on the poor maid and almost ton his own wife by Krull are proof how devilish he has become. Strong performances from Guy Rolfe as Mr. Sardonicus, Oskar Homolka as Krull, Ronald Lewis as Dr. Robert and Lorna Hanson as the maid Anna. The ending might seem typical for the period of time, but I loved it a lot.
Dennis Stewart
Mr. Sardonicus is really a classic vintage horror film of 1961, and a very cool plot to boot. The story of Sardonicus is a real spooky chiller with very good acting but I like to focus on the character Anna played by Lorna Hanson.A perky peasant woman maid who looks like you want to apply leeches to her but I don't favor her face I would like to the apply the leeches to Lorna Hanson's bare feet. I wonder what went thru the mind of Lorna Hanson when she accepted this part and decided to bare her feet for leeches and if she had a boyfriend or husband see the scene and what he thought watching Lorna's performance. Even my own wife Cathy shocked me after we watched Mr. Sardonicus together she remarked to me: "If they paid me enough as an actress I would have let Oskar Homulka place leeches on the soles and toes of MY bare feet as you and other men watched" I asked her if to her I was considered as "just another man" in the audience? She remarked "well...yeah". What is it with this woman? Maybe another man can tell me.
mark.waltz
As sardonic as that statement is, it is entirely appropriate for this Gothic thriller about a mad baron, grave robbing, a curse and revenge, William Castle style. Without the Castle touch, it is a fairly entertaining formula grand guignole, equivalent to anything Vincent Price was making over at American International and that Hammer films was producing in England. In Castle hands (including the baron's moat around his own castle), the result is a grin-fest wider than the evil aristocrat's. He's a former peasant who through nefarious means (which have to be seen to be believed) and is married to the former girlfriend of the doctor he has treating him for his hideous disorder which is actually more charmatic than medical.The portly Oscar Homolka is the one-eyed valet to the baron who assists him with his torturous experiments (involving leeches) yet seems to secretly resent him for causing his partial blindness. When Castle comes on with the thumbs up or thumbs down cards for the Baron to get retribution (or not), you long to see him get the leeches or some other hideous torture, but the result is more "Fractured Fairy Tales" than Edgar Allan Poe. Still, there's a spooky enough early 20th Century atmosphere to please Gothic horror fans, and the result ends up being better than most of Castle's later films (the classic "Rosemary's Baby" and the spooky "The Night Walker" not included) but still only appropriate for the matinée crowd or drive-in theater customers who always expected schlock when they put those strange speaker devices on their car windows.
Coventry
Boy oh boy, I already was an avid William Castle fan based on all of his work that I've seen thus far (approximately six of his most commonly known achievements), but now I ought to be considered as a downright Castle GROUPIE! "Mr. Sardonicus" is probably my new favorite Castle film, as I absolutely loved the (admittedly grotesque and far-fetched) story, the supreme Gothic ambiance, the charming make- up effects and the wondrously sinister performance by Guy Rolfe. Sir Castle also distinguishes himself as a master story-teller, as the plot slowly and gradually unfolds with a great emphasis on secrecy. It is best that you don't know anything about the plot from beforehand, and then I guarantee you'll be fascinated and increasingly curious regarding the revelations and background of the titular character. Actually, it's too bad that most of the reviews and summaries promptly and blatantly reveal Mr. Sardonicus' horrible secret, because the element of surprise and "shock" are downright terrific if you don't know anything (like I did). The year is 1880 and eminent surgeon Dr. Cargrave suddenly gives up everything when he receives a letter from his former love interest Maude. She's married now and lives in the Eastern European castle of her husband; the reputedly sinister Baron Sardonicus. Maude begs for Dr. Cargrave's help in the letter, and thus he travels to her, only to learn that Sardonicus is indeed a petrifying persona… The baron explains Dr. Cargrave about the grisly events that led to him wearing a mask and then immediately blackmails him into testing some of his breakthrough medical theories on him. As stated already, the plot is quite grotesque and implausible when you contemplate about it, but first and foremost it's compelling and authentically unsettling. The tale of the lottery ticket is truly inspirational, if you ask me, and it automatically provides the film with some profound themes like greed and desecration. These are themes that you don't immediately expect in a movie directed by a showman who became famous through stuffing his low-budget horror movies with gimmicks and interaction with the public. Speaking of which, "Mr. Sardonicus" only features one gimmick, at the very end, and it's actually the dumbest and most redundant element of the entire film. This flick stands on itself, without needing the help of any kind of gimmick, thanks to atmosphere and solid scriptwriting. Many sequences, like the nightly trip to the fog-enshrouded cemetery, are sheer highlights of Gothic horror. The titular character Baron Sardonicus is, because of his looks but simply also his nihilistic attitude and vile persona, a monster that undoubtedly deserves a high ranking in the list of most villainous cinematic characters in history. Guy Rolfe gives away a splendid performance, and also the entire supportive cast is terrific, most notably Oskar Homolka as the creepy one-eyed servant Krull. Along with "Homicidal", this William Castle gem comes with my highest possible recommendation!
