Mikes Film Talk

This is a retro review of the blackly comic Theatre of Blood, with its “Critical Murder” of critics. This tale of men and women who slaughtered the Shakespearean actor Edward Lionheart until he killed himself was directed by none other than Douglas Hickox.

The very same gentleman who wrote and directed one of my favorite “camp” (And also blackly comic.) horror films; Waxwork. He works his magic here in this 1973 horror film. His touch, so deft here, had not diminished in 1988.

The Story

Richard Lionheart, star of stage and a Shakespearean actor who refuses to move forward, is humiliated by critics in the Best Acting Award. He kills himself only to rise from the grave to exact fitting revenge on each critic, one by one. He is aided by his devoted daughter Edwina.

The Cast

Full of the Crème de la crème of British character actors, this one impresses. But first:

Vincent Price as Edward Lionheart. *Granted Price was American, from Missouri no less, but he first started in London.

Diana Rigg as Edwina Lionheart. Riss was ore leading lady than character actor, but she was in fact a very serious actor at heart.

the rest

Ian Hendry who worked with Rigg in The Avengers is Devlin, the one critic Lionheart really hates.

Harry Andrews, Coral Browne, the love of Price’s life, he married her after this film was made. *Rigg set up a date after noticing their chemistry. IMDb.*

Robert Coote, pal of David Niven, Jack Hawkins, who had to be voiced by Charles Gray because of his esophageal cancer. Michael Hordern, Arthur Lowe; from Dad’s Army, Robert Morley, father of Sheridan and top notch character actor, plays Meredith Merridew, the critic who is fed his “babies.”

Dennis Price, Milo O’Shea, Madeline Smith, Diana Dors, Joan Hickson; the best Miss Marple ever, Renée Asherson and last but certainly not least: Eric Sykes.*An aside about Sykes: He could well tie Spike Milligan (The Goon Show) as the funniest man in Britain.*

What works

Each death pays tribute to a specific play by Shakespeare. The joke is that the police are so illiterate that they have to “study” the bard’s plays. This is high camp. Each death scene, orchestrated by Lionheart but aided by the meths drinkers of yesteryear, is clever and over the top.

Each critic is dispatched with vicious glee by Lionheart and his devoted daughter Edwina.

The film ends with Lionheart dying a second time.

The Verdict

This is 5 star black comedic horror. Vincent Price has never been better. Diana Rigg knocks it out of the park and the chance to see so many of Britain’s acting icons in one place is unbelievable. Watch this one if you can. It is steaming on Pluto, Tubi and it can be rented/purchased via Amazon Prime.

This is brilliant cinema and well worth the one hour and 44 minutes to view it. Check it out.

The Trailer