Vincent Price in “Theatre of Blood” (1973)
…A partial DVD review!
And a look at a film-load of frightful
fun!
SUMMARY: The Critics
have Spoken… Their LAST WORDS!
“They’re not going to start killing people for writing BAD
NOTICES, are they?”
Apparently Vincent Price is doing exactly that, in this delightfully
ghoulish romp through the lives (…and deaths) of a group of theatre
critics.
Presumed dead by suicide, Edward Kendal Sheridan Lionheart
(Price) was an accomplished Shakespearian stage actor, who was denied what he
felt was his due by a pompous circle of critics who, at the last moment, decided
to give their award to a young newcomer instead.
With the help of his devoted daughter “Edwina” (Diana Rigg)
who spends much of the film dressed as a man with red afro hair, moustache, and
dark glasses (...it would seem SHE was a better actor than her father, see above!), and a group of devoted outcasts and derelicts, Lionheart
systematically “offs” the reviewers one-by-one, in grizzly deaths inspired by
the plays of the Immortal Bard.
Thus, the unfortunates are stabbed by a crowd, dragged
behind a charging horse, beheaded, drowned in a barrel of wine, suffer the
extraction of a “pound of flesh”… and
there’s one sequence concerning British mainstay Robert Morely and a PIE, best
left to the imagination.
Oh, and there’s
one death by electrified hair curlers, that in Lionheart’s mad view, is analogous
to Joan of Arc being burned at the stake.
 |
| Next! |
“It’s Lionheart all right! Only HE would have the temerity to
rewrite Shakespeare!”
Observations:
The relationship between Lionheart and daughter Edwina is
very much like that of Batman villain Ra’s Al Ghul and daughter Talia – but
without the “dashing detective” to test her loyalties.
 |
| Say, HE'S even creepier than Vincent Price! |
“Theatre of Blood” echoes the earlier Vincent Price
murder-fest “The Abominable Dr. Phibes” (1971), where he (all together now) systematically
“offs” the team of doctors and hospital staff who botched his wife’s operation,
resulting in her death. Though, in "Phibes", his
inspirations are the biblical plagues, rather than Shakespeare’s plays. But, hey… It’s Vincent Price, what would you
EXPECT from him!
The critics come off as SO pompous, arrogant, and
self-important that you actually cheer each time Lionheart claims another
victim! At least *I* did! Go, Lionheart, go!
DVD Specifications:
“Theatre of Blood” is “Side A” of a two-sided single disc
also containing “Madhouse” (1974), in which Price stars with fellow
horror-meister Peter Cushing. That, in
turn, is part of a greater set “Vincent Price MGM Scream Legends Collection”,
featuring a total of SEVEN Price thrillers, and additional documentary material.
“Theatre of Blood” is billed on the packaging as being in “widescreen”. It is not.
No extras are included with “Theatre of Blood” beyond its
Theatrical Trailer (02:30). It’s a
lively affair, full of quick cuts of the many murders and scenes of general
mayhem… but NO voice-overs or accompanying text beyond the title, Price’s star
billing, and a list of supporting players – identified as “Guest Victims”.
 |
| BLEED to me, only with thine eyes! |
The trailer is SOOO not in widescreen that the names of the
aforementioned “Guest Victims” are partially CUT OFF on either side of the screen
image! ..."Cut Off" before they're "Cut Down", can you imagine such a thing!
Final Thoughts:
I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, LIKED this film! Honest and truly, I did!
…And, if it were to turn out that, perhaps, I didn’t like it
after all… I’d certainly never let that slip to Edward Kendal Sheridan
Lionheart.
I wanna keep on Blogging (...in a non-critical manner, of course) for a long time!
An aside, “Escape from 
Mr. Stevens also appears as himself in an extra feature of
the “Forbidden Planet” DVD set, that was released in 2006. 
