Theatre of Blood (1973)

Vincent Price plays Edward Lionheart, a Shakespearean actor whose failed career drove him to suicide. When he manages to survive, Lionheart uses the fact that the world thinks he is dead to return and seek revenge on the members of the circle of critics that gave him scathing reviews. As the members of the critic circle begin to drop dead in the manner of the great death scenes of Shakespeare, it is clear that Edward Lionheart is alive and well and must be stopped.

Douglas Hickox does a wonderful directing job on this fun horror film. The action flows like clockwork and keeps the viewers attention throughout. Wolfgang Suschitzky’s cinematography is excellent and he is able to sneak in some odd angles wherever he can in this mad movie. Even the set designs in the old theater that Lionheart hides out in are eye-catching. My only complaint of the film is an unnecessary fencing sequence featuring an obvious stunt double for Price.

The real star of this absolute blast of dark humor and Shakespearean horror is Vincent Price. He commands attention and delivers during all of his screen time. Price changes costume multiple times and manages to step in and out of different characters at the drop of a hat. His most impressive (and bizarre) scene comes when Lionheart washes up on a muddy riverbank after attempting to commit suicide and wakes up in a scene that plays out like the rebirth of his character.

The rest of the cast is perfect in their roles. The gorgeous and versatile Diana Rigg plays Edwina Lionheart, a woman loyal only to her father. Ian Hendry (Repulsion) plays Peregrine Devlin, the leader of the circle of critics. He keeps his part subtle, allowing the rest of the cast to go bonkers. Lionheart’s troupe of hobos is one of the most bizarre aspects of the cast. They follow his every command but manage to both mock and worship him whenever they can.

Theatre of Blood is an excellent horror film that can be enjoyed whether or not you’re a fan of Vincent Price. It is full of ironic death scenes, creative gore set pieces, dark comedy, and more Shakespearean references than you can shake a stick at. Price was quoted as saying this is his favorite of his film roles and it definitely shows. Also, if you ever wanted to see Price in an afro wig, then this is your movie.