Horror

Fantasy

The Keep

Paramount Pictures

Associated Capital

Capital Equipment Leasing

Howard W. Koch Productions

Gene Kirkwood Productions

United Kingdom

United States of America

English

Scott Glenn

Alberta Watson

Jürgen Prochnow

Robert Prosky

Gabriel Byrne

Ian McKellen

William Morgan Sheppard

Royston Tickner

Michael Carter

John Vine

Wolf Kahler

Jona Jones

Rosalie Crutchley

Frederick Warder

Bruce Payne

David Cardy

John Eastham

Philip Bloomfield

Yashaw Adem

Stephen Whittaker

Ian Ruskin

Stephen Jenn

Benedick Blythe

Robin Langford

Renny Krupinski

Peter Guinness

Sean Baker

Timothy Block

Owain Griffiths

Ralph G. Morse

Doug Robinson

Peter Ross-Murray

Michael Mann

F. Paul Wilson

Chris Kelly

Richard Mills

Herbert Westbrook

Bonnie Timmermann

Barbara Ritchie

Hawk Koch

Alex Thomson

Dov Hoenig

Nick Maley

Gene Kirkwood

Alan Tomkins

Anthony Mendleson

Wally Veevers

Noel Davis

Beryl Lerman

Michael Seirton

John Box

Nancy Klopper

Robin Browne

Nick Allder

George Dean

Robin Gregory

Vicki Deason

Christopher Franke

Edgar Froese

Johannes Schmölling

Paddy Ryan

Tracey Eddon

Alf Joint

Jim Dowdall

Andy Bradford

Nick Hobbs

Callum McDougall

Colin M. Brewer

Theresa Curtin

Gavin MacFadyen

Richard Brams

Roger Simons

Ray Corbett

Arthur Lavis

Shaun O'Dell

John Golding

Terry Sharratt

Leslie Tomkins

Graham Freeborn

Joyce James

Jan Dorman

Paul Madigan

Kieron Phipps

Vic Smith

George Ball

John McGoldrick

Alan Bryce

Doug Turner

Bob Badami

William Trent

Peter Pennell

Campbell Askew

Peter Horrocks

Pamela Power

Phil Sanderson

Steven Maguire

Adam Unger

Tony Palmer

Stephen Spencer

Stephen Janisz

Jeremy Strachan

Graham Sutton

Graham Attwood

**_Arty fantasy/horror taking place at a citadel in Romania during WW2_**   

In late 1941, a motorized German infantry unit holds a pass in the Carpathian Mountains by occupying a strange fortress that’s “built backwards,” as the captain observes (Jürgen Prochnow). When soldiers start mysteriously dying, it draws a ruthless Nazi commander into the fray (Gabriel Byrne), as well as a Hebrew professor and his daughter (Ian McKellen & Alberta Watson). A strange nomad is also attracted to the proceedings (Scott Glenn).  

Based on the 1981 book of the same name, "The Keep" (1983) is a supernatural thriller set in WW2, one of director Michael Mann’s early flicks before his great success with films like “The Last of the Mohicans” (1992). While this was a flop at the box office, it has since developed a cult following. It was no cheapo movie, costing a whopping $11 million at the time and hence has quality production values, especially for an early 80’s horror flick. It’s comparable to a late-era Hammer movie, just made on a huge budget and without Cushing or Lee.

There are elements of “Altered States” (1980), “The Formula” (1980), “The Seventh Sign” (1988) and “Howling V: The Rebirth” (1989) so, if you like those films, check it out (and, yes, I realize those last two came out 5-6 years later).

The production was troubled with Mann’s original edit being 3.5 hours, which is well over TWICE as long as the version released to theaters (!). This has caused critics to denounce “The Keep” as a jaggedly-edited outlandish mess that attempts to be an art film, a horror flick and a WW2 movie without really succeeding at any. The film’s peculiarity is augmented by a dream-like score by Tangerine Dream. Nevertheless, there’s enough good here to entertain open-minded viewers. While there are obvious cut parts, the story isn’t hard to fill-in the blanks.

There is a creature and it’s easily the most intriguing part (in later scenes it sorta rips-off of Jack Kirby’s Darkseid). Yet I found the characters played by Prochnow, Byrne and McKellen interesting too. 

Scott Glenn’s role would’ve been better if he was fleshed out more. He was the protagonist of the book, but his scenes were cut. What we are left with is an enigmatic traveler with glowing eyeballs and a magic stick who has no qualms about jumping into bed with a woman he barely knows (in defense of this sequence, he instinctively KNOWS her and vice versa to a degree). 

The film runs 1 hour, 36 minutes, and was shot in Blaenau Ffestiniog & Llanberis in northwestern Wales, as well as England at Shepperton Studios, just west of London, and Kent (the concentration camp); with Spain standing in for Greece in one scene. 

GRADE: B-

The Keep (4K Modern Trailer)

Vinegar Syndrome Promo Trailer

This Forgotten 80's Horror Gem Had Thanos Like Monster, It's So Good That Fans Want Director's Cut

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The Keep

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Cast

Scott Glenn

Alberta Watson

Jürgen Prochnow

Robert Prosky

Gabriel Byrne

Ian McKellen

William Morgan Sheppard

Royston Tickner

Michael Carter

John Vine

Box office

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