George Taylor This zany little film about a man who wants his disfigured face repaired, is another from the mind of William Castle, Huckster extraordinaire, who really spends far too much time in the shadow of Roger Corman. Castle could sell anything and usually did. A decent movie worth a viewing.

meddlecore A prestigious plastic surgeon is lured to the castle of one, Baron Sardonicus.His groundbreaking medical expertise is required by the baron; though he is really in it to check up on the love of his life- who was forced into marriage with this horrific man.Sardonicus is afflicted with a facial deformity so ghoulish, he dawns a mask to hide it from the public's view. Hence his odd lifestyle.And, when everything else fails, Sardonicus demands the doctor perform a risky new experimental medical procedure (that sounds a lot like Botox). But the doctor refuses.That is...until Sardonicus gives him an ultimatum he can't refuse.The doctor agrees to perform the procedure, if the Baron would be willing to release his love from the bonds of marriage. And it seems to work...but there's a twist.Then...a weird little interlude where Castle comes in and pretends to interact with the theatre audience...having them vote on how the finale should go...and he clearly has a negative view of human nature...This is an entertaining film that has a sort of man without a face vibe- and is based on the same model as Joseph Pevney's The Strange Door from 1951 (albeit with a different storyline).I personally found it humorous the guy had invented the hypodermic needle, as well. Something we take for granted today, I guess. And where would we be in plastic surgery today without it! This is well made for a budget film...and I love how Castle fashions himself in a Hitchcockian way- even giving himself a little cameo as the carriage driver.Certainly worth a watch, as an homage to some classics- with a contemporary twist.6 out of 10.

mistermemory If you like old horror movies, you should like this one. It has all the ingredients – creepy, remote castle with a torture chamber; a disfigured, mentally unstable villain; a loyal, if not so bright, henchman; a dab of debauchery; a damsel in distress; and a pure-hearted hero. The conceit here is that Baron Sardonicus's face is frozen into a hideous smile and he needs our good doctor to fix him or else his wife (who just happens to be the doctor's old flame) will get the disfigurement treatment herself. They were working with a low budget, but the acting is solid all around, the atmospherics are good, and the story moves quickly enough. I think it compares favorably to the other William Castle movies and the Corman/Poe series. Yes, Castle's appearances in the beginning and three minutes from the end (to conduct the "punishment poll"!) are tiresome, but just ignore them and enjoy the rest.

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!