Theatre of Blood Review

Theatre of Blood

Director: Douglas Hickox
Stars: Vincent Price, Diana Rigg, Ian Hendry, Harry Andrews, Coral Browne, Robert Coote, Jack Hawkins, Michael Hordern, Arthur Lowe, Robert Morley, Dennis Price, Milo O'Shea, Eric Skykes and Diana Dors.
Running Time: 104 mins
Release: May 1973

Edward Lionheart (Price) is a Shakespearian actor who takes poetic revenge on the critics who denied him the recognition that he though so rightly deserved.

Vincent Price plays Edward Lionheart and he's absolutely fantastic in the role. He makes Lionheart appear to be a over-acting hammy actor which is an absolute joy to watch. Though it's not just Lionheart that he plays. He plays the guises that Lionheart uses to get closer to his enemies to move in for the kill.

He plays them all brilliantly especially Richard the III (It's a great rendition) and Butch. The first time he used a guise I didn't realise that it was him. He's a intelligent man who thinks of himself really highly and has a god complex. You do sympathise with him and why's he's killing the critics because they never gave him credit they always panned him. In someway's I think some actors would like to kill their critics so there's some wish fulfilment with Lionheart.

As he's a Shakespearian actor and performed in Shakespeare's plays he uses the plays involving murder as an inspiration for some of his kills and there are some fantastic kills in this film. I love the one liners he says after killing a victim. They are really funny. Of the few roles that I have seen Price in this is my favourite. He's a great American Shakespearian actor.

Diana Rigg plays Edward's daughter Edwina Lionheart who works in films like her father but not in the acting department. She works in the make-up department. This is the only thing that I have seen her in aside The Avengers TV Series and Game of Thrones and she's really good in this and it's great to see her play a rather villainous but sympathetic character.

Of course like her father she wears some disguises and she has a very popular one where she dresses up as a man with a big moustache and a small afro which could only happen in the seventies. I love her scene where she's in the hair salon whilst her father is killing one of the critics with smoke everywhere and the critic screaming she's calmly reading a magazine not being phased at all !.

Ian Hendry plays Peregrine Devlin the leading film critic. Oddly I found myself sympathising with him as the film progressed as he understood Lionheart and he didn't give Lionheart a battering unlike some of the other critics in the film. He's brilliant in this and I love his fencing scene with Lionheart it's really camp and sends up all the sword fight scenes that came before. I love the part of the trampolines it got me in hysterics.

Harry Andrews plays the lecherous Trevor Dickman who uses the casting couch as per se. He's not that much different from the character that he plays in Entertaining Mr Sloane which was also directed by Hickox. Though in this he's straight. He does some great Shakespearian acting himself before the curtains close on him.

Jack Hawkins plays Solomon Psaltery a film critic who panned Lionheart. Lionheart does not kill him he hurts him by other means in one absolutely brilliant scene which I don't want to spoil. It should be noted that Hawkins does not talk that much in this film as he was suffering from throat cancer which unfortunately killed him after this film was released. He's fantastic all the same and you may recognise him from Zulu.

Diana Dors plays Maisie Psaltery Solomon's much younger wife her role is very small though her one scene is brilliant and rather comedic.

Michael Hordern plays George William Maxwell the first critic we see and is the first to die. His death scene is my favourite as it's the most gruesome though we don't see much of what's going only that he's pressed against plastic sheeting trying to get away.

Dennis Price plays Hector Snipe another unfortunate critic his death is particularly gruesome. He's rather unwise and does not have much screen time till he meets his sticky end. His final scene is really nasty.

Robert Coote plays Oliver Larding another critic who gets on the wrong side of Lionheart his death is particularly nasty and Lionheart's line afterwards is perfect.

Coral Browne plays Miss Chloe Moon. Browne is perfect in the role as a upper crust woman who thinks rather highly of herself. She is very sharp. Her death is brilliant and hilarious. I should add that Coral Browne married Vincent Price shortly after making this film

Robert Morley is Meredith Merridew a plump theatre critic who loves food though doesn't have the stomach for it when he meets his demise. He seems the most happy of the critics and doesn't take the situation as serious as the others I felt. He was great fun to watch though.

Arthur Lowe plays Horace Sprout a character not far different from Mainwaring in Dad's Army but with less warmth. He's fantastic as he always is and his death is gruesome and funny watch for the maid who screams twice she had me in stitches.

Milo O'Shea plays Inspector Boot the plodding detective who's always one step behind Lionheart. He's fantastic in the role.

Erik Sykes plays Boot's right hand man Sergeant Dogge it's a very funny role as his character is rather a bit dimwitted not his own fault mind. He's a great character actor.

The score is by Michael J.Lewis and this is his most famous piece of work and for good reason. It's magnificent and really adds atmosphere and drama to the film. The opening score is really iconic and is my favourite piece in the film.

Douglas Hickox certainly had style when it came to directing and this is beautifully filmed the cinematography is amazing. I know this is a British film but there's something quite american about it. There's not one shot out of place and his vision for the film really shows on screen.

This film is a great slightly camp comedy horror that mixes some drama elements in. There's a fantastic cast with Vincent Price stealing every single scene he's in. The dialog is great and there's some fantastic quotes in this film mostly uttered by Price. The score is perfect and it's shot beautifully with such style. The deaths are incredibly inventive and effective. I think the best way to view this film Is a black comedy and a marvellous one of that. If your a fan of Price you sure going to love this I certainly did, every single minute of it.