The Keep 1983
5.7 / 10
The Keep
Set during World War II, a German army garrison is sent to guard a mountain pass in a village in Romania's Carpathian mountains and sets up barracks in an ancient stone fortress. Two of the soldiers unwittingly release a mysterious entity that kills or corrupts those within its influence, drawing the attention of a Gestapo commander, a Jewish scholar, and a mysterious traveller.
Set during World War II, a German army garrison is sent to guard a mountain pass in a village in Romania's Carpathian mountains and sets up barracks in an ancient stone fortress. Two of the soldiers unwittingly release a mysterious entity that kills or corrupts those within its influence, drawing the attention of a Gestapo commander, a Jewish scholar, and a mysterious traveller.
Videos & Photos
All 3 Videos & 20 Photos
cast
Full Cast & Crew
... Glaeken Trismegestus
... Eva Cuza
... Captain Klaus Woermann
... Father Mihail Fonescu
... Major Kaempffer
... Dr. Theodore Cuza
User reviews
See All 1 Reviews16 Feb 2022 by Wuchak
**_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-
Release Date:
Dec 16, 1983 (United Kingdom,United States)
Run Time:
1hr 36`
MMPA Rating:
R
Original Language:
English
Production Countries:
United Kingdom,United States
Status:
Released
Plot Keywords:
Related Movies To
The Keep
**_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-
Cast & Crew of
The Keep
Directors & Credit Writers
... Director
... Third Assistant Director
Cast
... Glaeken Trismegestus
... Eva Cuza
... Captain Klaus Woermann
... Father Mihail Fonescu
... Major Kaempffer
... Dr. Theodore Cuza
... Alexandru
... Tomescu
... Radu Molasar
... Lutz
... S.S. Adjutant
JJ
Jona Jones... Otto
... Josefa
... Border Guard 1
... Border Guard 2
... Alexandru's Son
JE
John Eastham... Alexandru's Second Son
... Josefa's Son
... Carlos
... S.S. Kommando
Produced By
Videos & Photos of
The Keep
Videos ( 3)
The Keep - Trailer
YouTube
Vinegar Syndrome Promo Trailer
YouTube
Photos ( 20 )
Related Movies To
The Keep
A Minecraft Movie (2025)
0 /10
Four misfits find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they'll have to master this world while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, Steve.
Run Time: 1hr 41` . MMPA: PG . Release: 31 Mar 2025
Director: Jared Hess , Maddy Powell , Laura Hutton
Producer: Cale Boyter , Rachel Tenner , Lydia Winters
Stars: Jason Momoa , Jack Black , Matt Berry , Pauline Chalamet , Jennifer Coolidge , Danielle Brooks
Final Destination Bloodlines (2025)
0 /10
Plagued by a violent recurring nightmare, college student Stefanie heads home to track down the one person who might be able to break the cycle and save her family from the grisly demise that inevitably awaits them all.
Run Time: 1hr 50` . MMPA: R . Release: 09 May 2025
Director: Zach Lipovsky , Dominic Dobrzensky , Amanda Petura
Producer: Craig Perry , Chris Pan , Nathan Stewart
Stars: Tony Todd , Melissa Barrera , Anna Lore , Renata Vaca , Quintessa Swindell , Mary Elizabeth Winstead
The Legend of Catclaws Mountain (2024)
0 /10
Mindy adopts Angel, a high-spirited pony that—according to legend—will lead its owner to gold hidden in the nearby mountains. When Angel is kidnapped by a mad treasure hunter, Mindy and her school friends head into the hills to rescue the pony and hunt for the lost gold. But Mindy meets a mountain man that warns her the treasure is part of an ancient curse—if they remove the gold, they'll destroy the beautiful forest.
Run Time: 1hr 45` . MMPA: PG . Release: 27 May 2024
Director: Ritchie Greer
Producer: Heather Jocelyn Blair , Amber Wegner , Adrienne McQueen
Stars: Hayden Hishaw , James Duval , Robert Davi , Dee Wallace , Ilia Volok , Ricco Ross
The Cult (2024)
0 /10
When a young woman relocates to a small town in Europe, she notices the place has something weird. As time goes by, she starts to fear for her life. Based on actual events and in the book the day she became plastic.
Run Time: 1hr 30` . MMPA: . Release: 01 Jun 2024
Director: Alexandre Alonso
Producer:
Stars:
Snow White (2025)
0 /10
Following the benevolent King's disappearance, the Evil Queen dominated the once fair land with a cruel streak. Princess Snow White flees the castle when the Queen, in her jealousy over Snow White's inner beauty, tries to kill her. Deep into the dark woods, she stumbles upon seven magical dwarves and a young bandit named Jonathan. Together, they strive to survive the Queen's relentless pursuit and aspire to take back the kingdom.
Run Time: 1hr 49` . MMPA: PG . Release: 12 Mar 2025
Director: Marc Webb , Gianpiero Vannucci , Lisa Vick
Producer: Callum McDougall , Ben Howarth , Jared LeBoff
Stars: Rachel Zegler , Gal Gadot , Andrew Burnap , Martin Klebba , Jeremy Swift , Ansu Kabia
Santa Isn't Real (2023)
0 /10
After suffering a brutal attack on Christmas Eve, Nikki struggles to convince her friends that the assailant was none other than Ol' Kris Kringle. When Santa returns to terrorize the group in their remote cabin the next Christmas, Nikki and her friends must overcome disbelief as they fight to stay alive.
Run Time: 1hr 16` . MMPA: R . Release: 08 Dec 2023
Director: Zac Locke
Producer: Jordan Michaud-Scorza
Stars: Scarlett Sperduto , Kaya Coleman , Dana Millican , Cissy Ly , Michelle Damis , William Earl Ray
Crypto Legacy (2020)
2.5 /10
Troy Morgan doesn't like his family's farm. The place creeps him out. After spotting some strange lights one evening, Troy and his little sister Carrie go to investigate the creepy barn.
Run Time: 1hr 11` . MMPA: . Release: 01 Oct 2020
Director: Charles Townsend
Producer: Charles Townsend
Stars: Sheri Gill Dixon , Brian Kunz , Brandon Young , Nathaniel Barton , Linzi Gray , Thalia Reynolds
Conjuring the Cult (2024)
0 /10
After discovering his blood-soaked daughter dead in the bathtub, David Bryson attends a self-help group to help save him from his ghostly nightmares. But when a group of mysterious cult-like women offer to help him resurrect his daughter. David's choices will not just decide his fate... but the fate of his dead daughter's SOUL.
Run Time: 1hr 33` . MMPA: . Release: 01 Oct 2024
Director: Calvin Morie McCarthy
Producer:
Stars: Neil Green , Elissa Dowling , Chynna Rae Shurts , BJ Mezek , Jason Brooks , Brad Littlefield
The Mount 2 (2023)
4 /10
A year after the incident at the Mount, the police are still investigating the murders of Philomena and Caroline. The Mount has been cordoned off by the police. However, on Halloween night, a group of teenagers break in. They plan on holding a wedding between friends, conducted by a rather odd character, however, little did they know some unexpected guests would show up to crash the party.
Run Time: 1hr 21` . MMPA: . Release: 12 May 2023
Director: Ian Charles Serra , Isaac Barrao
Producer:
Stars: Niall Serra , Esther Roiz , Mia Sen , Christina Linares , Sam Bush , Tony Loddo
The Haunting at Saint Joseph's (2023)
2.6 /10
An engaged Muslim doctor, her fiancé, and their friends go on a holiday at St. Joseph’s Guesthouse, unaware that it was the site of a sacrifice of an innocent centuries before. They soon come to believe that it's haunted and causing them to go crazy, as their emotions spiral out of control.
Run Time: 1hr 40` . MMPA: . Release: 26 Feb 2023
Director: Jon Cohen
Producer:
Stars: Tim Spriggs , Melissa Brattoni , Brandon Krum , Brandon Krum , Tal Hymans , Alex Snow
Remnant (2024)
0 /10
Grace is a young woman whose life has been turned upside down by tragedy. When she returns home to the family farm to rebuild her shattered life, her world begins to unravel as a series of strange events haunt her, pushing Grace to the edge of madness. A mysterious figure lurks in the shadows and a ghostly woman appears in the darkness of night. Is Grace imagining these apparitions, or are they a warning of a nightmare still to come?
Run Time: 1hr 52` . MMPA: . Release: 30 Jun 2024
Director: Mike Horan
Producer:
Stars: Nicole Pritchard , Shaun Robert Foley , Tsu Shan Chambers , Remi Webster , Megan Bell , Martin Ashley Jones
In the Lost Lands (2025)
0 /10
A queen sends the powerful and feared sorceress Gray Alys to the ghostly wilderness of the Lost Lands in search of a magical power, where she and her guide, the drifter Boyce, must outwit and outfight both man and demon.
Run Time: 1hr 42` . MMPA: R . Release: 27 Feb 2025
Director: Paul W. S. Anderson
Producer: Paul W. S. Anderson , Paulina Najmiec , Krzysztof Solek
Stars: Milla Jovovich , Dave Bautista , Arly Jover , Amara Okereke , Fraser James , Deirdre Mullins