Mr. Sardonicus

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Matt R "A man of evil… with a face that could stop a heart!" MR SARDONICUS (1961) was made by a real showman who had a twinkle in his eye and a cigar in the corner of his smiling grin. Producer and director William Castle, sometimes referred to the "poor man's Alfred Hitchock", utilized some creative gimmicks to entice crowds to come see his movies. With Mr Sardonicus, he gave the audience the "punishment poll" to decide the fate of the villain or at least the sense that they would. I wish some theaters would do a William Castle revival with all the gimmicks included. I'd buy a ticket to that. MR SARDONICUS is a thrilling and twisted story of a mysterious and sadistically manipulative baron who wants the aid of a British doctor to fix his affliction. It's a period piece a bit reminiscent of Dracula with some psychological provocation to heighten the suspense. William Castle was a unique American showman who deserves more credit. There is a good documentary about him too called SPINE TINGLER! THE WILLIAM CASTLE STORY (2007). It is a fun and engaging look at Mr. Castle from his early days of breaking into the entertainment industry through his push to be considered a serious filmmaker. Spine Tingler also gives you a look at his personality and drive. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/05/24 Full Review Edward K It's was actually decent and watchable. Good plot. The special effects and makeup were silly. I could have done without the intro and epilogue by the director. The leading lady was attractive. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/10/24 Full Review Michael C If there is one word to describe "Mr. Sardonicus", it is "mediocre". The movie was well made, and the cast for the most part do a good job of acting in their respective roles, especially the late Ronald Lewis (Sir Robert Cargrave) and the late Oskar Homolka (Krull), but overall the movie felt too long and just plain dull. I liked the premise of the movie and the story was pretty decent. The movie's script takes The Curse of the Lottery to a whole new level! Still, I felt myself more bored than anything. The segment of the movie where the backstory of how Marek Toleslawski became Sardonicus seemed way too drawn out for some reason. Once I was done watching "Mr. Sardonicus" I did not think I wasted my time, but I did not think the movie was particularly memorable. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 09/25/23 Full Review CodyZamboni For most of the way, this movie is compelling, with a creepy vibe, some brutal torture violence, and a memorable, menacingly scary villian. All punctuated by some effectively unerving makeup fx, But all that is cast aside by a lackluster climax, and a bonus William Castle audience gimmick that undercuts the movie's intensity. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/17/23 Full Review Audience Member A fun idea rather woodenly executed. It borrows from every classic Universal horror, especially Phantom of the Opera, Dracula, Frankenstein - a lone masked madman holed up in his huge Eastern European castle, waited on by a one-eyed manservant (Oscar Homolka chewing up the scenery), desperate for the services of a leading British surgeon (Ronald Lewis). His disfigurement? A face petrified into a crazed lipless smile. Just think what it might have been with Vincent Price in that role instead of the tall and wooden Guy Rolfe. Not dreadful, but a missed opportunity. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member This is a really fun movie to watch, but because of the sheer oddity of it. I guess the moral of the story is a good one, but not to most relevant to the majority of viewers. Sardonicus' facial deformity is quite a fun sight though and makes up for some of the low points. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Mr. Sardonicus

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