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Theater of Blood Customer Reviews (1 - 3 of 12 Reviews)

A puckish exercise in style over substance, some of the best British character actors of the early seventies attack their roles with alacrity! ("Ham" served as dessert?)

Vincent Price is in top form as the villainous Edwin Lionhart, Shakespearean thespian wrongly presumed deceased. Former "Avenger" Diana Rigg decks out in a number of amusing disguises as Lionhart's daughter Edwina, ranging from male drag to blonde ingenue. An original "Avenger" (way back in the beginning of the series, when Patrick MacNee was his sidekick), Ian Hendry (as head of The Critics' Circle) keeps things emotionally well grounded. The remaining cast are suitably quirky self-absorbed cardboard characters, ripe for bumping off with temerity in manners inspired by scenes from The Bard himself!

All the players here dig in with relish, as one might expect from anyone who ever received hash notices in theatrical reviews. All the guilty parties concerned appear to have had a fun time while making this bit of camp horror fluff. The story is remarkably similar "The Abominable Dr Phibes".

After this movie, Diana Rigg compiled a book of nasty theatrical criticism entitled "No Turn Unstoned." Vincent Price and Coral Brown met during the making of this film, and afterwards they wed.

The Merchant of Menace....
Theater of Blood ranks up there with the two Dr. Phibes movies as essential Vincent Price viewing.

Price is great as Edward Lionheart, a supposedly dead Shakespearian actor, seeking revenge on the eight critics who robbed him of the Critic's Circle Award. The murders revolve around the Shakespeare motif, and the "Pound of Flesh" murder is suspiciously used again in the movie "Seven", as is the "stuff the fat guy with food until he bursts" murder. (Think the writer of Seven saw Theater of Blood and the Dr. Phibes movies...?)

Diana Rigg is great as Price's daughter, and the spectacle of the Great Vincent Price as an effeminate hairdressr is worth the price of admission alone. Theater of Blood is a true classic. (Too bad the DVD doesn't have more extras- just a pan-and-scan trailer that looks LOUSY!!)

Price's Personal Favourite of All His Films...
In an interview with NPR's Terry Gross, late great Vincent Price's daughter was asked which of her father's films was his favourite. She said he loved Theatre of Blood because he got to do Shakespeare.

1973's Theatre Of Blood followed the two Dr. Phibes films which were marvelously devilish black comedies. In Theatre Of Blood, Price tops his Phibes performances. Price plays Edward Lionheart, a Shakespearan actor loved by his fans but mercilessly reviled by a group of snobby theatre critics who berate his performances in print and later humiliate him at an awards ceremony. Lionheart sets out to get revenge on the nine critics by use of murder plots in Shakespeare's plays. The makeup and costumes are superb as well as the supporting cast -- particularly the lovely Diana Rigg, Milo O'Shea, and Robert Morley. Price dons dozens of disguises as he methodically carrys out his mission. He's hysterically funny as "Butch", a hairdresser for one of the female critics. This film should be considered among his essential works.