Review of Theatre of Blood

Introduction

If ever there was a truer example of "if you can`t say something nice, don`t say anything at all".

For fans of the Master of Menace, Theatre of Blood has to rank among his signature movies alongside the Abominable Dr. Phibes and its sequel. It isn`t a great movie, in fact it`s a terrible movie, but therein lies its appeal. It`s so deliberately over the top it`s great.

In this gory romp through Shakespeare, Vincent Price has a ball playing over the top ac-tor Edward Lionheart, a thespian so hammy that every ticket should have come with a side order of mustard. Homicidally deranged, he exacts revenge for his humiliation at the hands of a group of critics who denied him his greatest moment - a best actor award.

Michael Hordern, Coral Browne, Arthur Lowe, Robert Morley and Harry Andrews all meet grisly ends inspired by the murders in the works of Shakespeare. I`m not quite sure how to equate Shakespeare with one victim having his head surgically removed (and try reading that without hearing Vincent Price`s voice in your head). Mad Vince is aided and abetted in his mayhem by his equally nutty daughter Edwina, played dazzlingly by Diana Rigg. Fans of the Avengers tv series will feel at home with this movie which is shot with the same peculiar style and elan. On another level, with its screechingly obtrusive musical score, lashings of blood and the woefully underused Ian Hendry in the lead, the picture is also pure `seventies kitch. Watch out for the Master`s electrifying turn as a ginger-permed hairdresser.

Theatre of Blood is a classic of black, black humour and is so completely over the top as to redefine camp.

Video

The main feature is presented in non-anamorphic 1.66:1 (very likely the original aspect ratio for the time, rather than the anamorphic 1.85:1 mentioned on the specimen packaging. The only extra on the disc is the original theatrical trailer, presented in fullscreen 4:3 with the credits at the end shown horrendously cropped - an excellent advert for why movies should be viewed in their original aspect ratio. The image is no better than you could expect from a British movie of the early 1970`s, with a soft grain structure, strong but not oversaturated colours and a slightly soft-focus photography style that makes the picture not quite as sharp as one would like. The source material for this print is passably clean (again, the age and pedigree of the movie has much to do with its condition).

Audio

The sound is in mono, as you would expect, and is shrill and tinny (again, as you would expect). Vincent Price spends much of the movie chewing the scenery and the recording techniques of the era have had a hard time with his peculiar tones. The movie score by Michael J Lewis is obtrusive and wholly inappropriate, which all adds to the cheesy experience.

Features

The only extra on the disc is the aforementioned pan n` scan trailer. This movie is typical of MGM`s budget, no-frills line, and I suppose we should be glad that the movie has made it out in digital form at the very least. Some goodies would have been nice, but a budget price point would be even nicer.

Conclusion

Douglas Hickox`s direction of "Theatre", and Wolfgang Suschitsky`s photography are reminiscent of some of the "designer" movies and television of the late 1960`s and early 1970`s. I`m thinking of Robert Fuest`s episodes of the Avengers and his two Phibes movies. Not to mention his adaptation of Michael Moorcock`s The Final Programme. Other movies such as Basil Dearden`s The Assassination Bureau (also starring Diana Rigg) spring to mind. They all have a "look" or "feel" about them.

While "Theatre of Blood" isn`t in the same style as some of the horror-comic genre of recent years, it has a charmingly gleeful attitude to horror (mainly because you spend the whole picture on Uncle Vinnie`s side). I`ve always had a soft spot for this picture even though I`m by no means a horror movie fan. It`s great fun, packed with famous faces of the time. Watch out for Eric Sykes as the detective`s sidekick. Magic.