Being that we’re in October, it seemed appropriate that for the next Letterboxd List review we turn to the Top 250 Horror Films list where we find Theatre of Blood.
Title: Theatre of Blood
Director: Douglas Hickox
Released: March 16, 1973 (Theatrical – Canada)
Runtime: 1 hour 44 minutes
George Maxwell (Michael Hordern), a London theater critic, is lured to a rundown building where he’s murdered.
When a few fellow critics gather at the crime scene, Peregrine Devlin (Ian Hendry) notices a poster for Julius Caesar starring Edward Lionheart. Devlin admits he didn’t care for Lionheart, saying he could never write anything good about him and that you start to resent an actor if you always have to give them negative reviews.
Lionheart was once regarded as one of the great Shakespearean actors of his time. When the Critics’ Circle passed him over for Best Actor, he was humiliated and last seen leaping into the Thames. By all accounts, he was dead.
As it turns out, Edward Lionheart is very much alive. And he has a score to settle with his critics.
Vincent Price is a recognizable name, face, and voice. Looking at his filmography, I realize that I haven’t seen as much of his work as I thought I had. But in what I have seen him in, I always enjoy him.
Speaking of enjoyment, Price seems to be enjoying himself here. He’s relishing every second of the over-the-top camp the script asks of him, along with more costumes than a Cher concert. Sure, Theatre of Blood is a horror movie, but the camp provides the comedy as the deaths are played for laughs more than scares.
There’s a broad supporting cast here. One who stands out, mostly for doing a lot with limited screen time, is Diana Rigg as Edwina Lionheart. We’re left wondering just how involved she is until her motives are revealed.
For as campy as it is, I was a fan of the writing as well. I loved the creativity of having each death tie back to a work of Shakespeare. TheTroilus and Cressida and The Merchant of Venice deaths were my favorite of the bunch. And Hector Snipe (Dennis Price) reacting to George’s murder with “At last, a headline instead of a byline” is some A+ wordplay.
If you’re a fan of Vincent Price, this is a must-watch.
If you’re looking for a horror movie to add to the rotation this Halloween season, this would make a great addition.