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.

SnoopyStyle It's 1880 London. The movie starts with director William Castle introducing this story of a ghoul or evil being who robs graves and feeds on corpses. Sir Robert Cargrave (Ronald Lewis) is a teacher doctor at the Queens College Hospital. He's in love with Maude (Audrey Dalton) but she was forbidden to marry such a lowly man. She married Baron Sardonicus (Guy Rolfe) and Krull (Oskar Homolka) is the baron's man servant. He receives a pleading letter from the baroness, and immediately goes to Gorslava in central Europe. There he finds the mysterious creepy baron with a face mask experimenting on the maid Anna with leeches. There's a locked room which the servants call 'The Chamber of Horrors'.This is a black and white B-horror. For what it is, this is quite watchable. The section where Baron Sardonicus recounts his story as Marek goes relatively slowly. The face is cheesy but I kind of like it. The mask is weirdly compelling. This old fashion horror isn't scary in the modern sense but it does have a good creepy factor. The story is interesting and compelling all the way til the end. The gimmick of the audience voting is just that, a gimmick. It's really only an afterthought in a pretty good old fashion horror.

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!

Martin Teller Gothic horror in the style of the old Universal thrillers, with a cruel baron who "experiments" on unsuspecting young girls to find a cure for his frozen grin. An obvious inspiration is THE MAN WHO LAUGHS, although the make-up here is far more grisly. Also grisly are the torture scenes, not horrifyingly so (in fact, it's almost a playful approach to sadism), but definitely creepy. The performances are generally not that bad, with a memorable turn by Oskar Homolka (the villain from Hitchcock's SABOTAGE) as Sardonicus' mysteriously disfigured Igor-esque lackey. Guy Rolfe is appropriately menacing in the title role, and Ronald Lewis and Audrey Dalton hold their own as the heroes. The plot is a tad slow and full of holes, but in general the film is enjoyable. It also culminates in another delightful Castle gimmick: glow-in-the-dark "Punishment Poll" cards the audience would hold up to decide whether or not to show Sardonicus any mercy. There's only one ending, of course (who's gonna let the bad guy off the hook?) but Castle's obvious glee in the pretense is a joy.