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Theatre Of Blood [DVD] [1973]
 
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Theatre Of Blood [DVD] [1973]

DVD ~ Vincent Price
4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
RRP: £12.99
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Frequently Bought Together

Theatre Of Blood [DVD] [1973] + The Abominable Doctor Phibes [DVD] [1971] + Doctor Phibes Rises Again [DVD] [1972]
Total RRP: £38.97
Price For All Three: £14.84

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Theatre Of Blood [DVD] [1973]
85% buy the item featured on this page:
Theatre Of Blood [DVD] [1973] 4.5 out of 5 stars (22)
£4.98
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Product details

  • Actors: Vincent Price, Diana Rigg, Ian Hendry, Harry Andrews, Coral Browne
  • Directors: Douglas Hickox
  • Writers: John Kohn, Anthony Greville-Bell, Stanley Mann, William Shakespeare
  • Producers: Gustave M. Berne, John Kohn, Sam Jaffe
  • Format: PAL
  • Language English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: 15
  • Studio: MGM Entertainment
  • DVD Release Date: 21 Oct 2002
  • Run Time: 102 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00006JY23
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 8,561 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

    Popular in this category:

    #50 in  DVD > Horror > Comedy Horror

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Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
A brilliant, bizarre 1973 comedy-horror, Theatre of Blood pitches somewhere between a Hammer horror and the Ealing comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets.

Vincent Price stars as the hammy, self-important and thoroughly psychotic Edward Lionheart, a veteran thespian who refuses to play anything other than Shakespeare. Piqued by a circle of critics, whom he feels were disrespectful in their notices and denied him his rightful Best Actor of the Year Award, he decides to murder them one by one in parodies of some of Shakespeare's grislier scenes. He's aided by his daughter Edwina (played by Diana Rigg, often in fake moustache and male drag) and a ghoulish company of dosshouse zombies.

Some of the murders are quite extraordinarily gruesome, despite their camp, comedic overtones. Arthur Lowe's henpecked critic has his head sawn off while asleep (in a parody of Cymbeline) and Robert Morley's plumply effete dandy is force-fed a pie made from his beloved poodles, choking him to death (cf Titus Andronicus). Jack Hawkins and Michael Horden also meet unpleasant ends. Theatre of Blood is a genuine and underrated oddity in the annals of British cinema and especially uncomfortable for those who happen to be in the reviewing trade.

On the DVD: Theatre of Blood on disc is not a triumph of digital enhancement, with sound blemishes unamended and hazy, faded visuals in places. The only extra is the original trailer. --David Stubbs

Special Features
English
Region 2


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Customer Reviews

22 Reviews
5 star:
 (13)
4 star:
 (8)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Unsurpassed Magic., 17 Mar 2004
By "marcusmuck" - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   
What can I say? - you either love him or loathe him (surely there's no-one who's undecided on the Master?)

Of my friends, family and acquaintances I am alone in loving Vincent Price. And, believe me, this is the pinnacle of his acting career.

It's really not just him- everything from the inventive storyline, witty script, creative directing (whatever happened to Douglas Hickox?) to the various excellent supporting actors, this film is the best you'll get- in the genre....

Other reviewers have given this the once over & done a good job so I'll let you read those but there are also various sub themes as well; is it not ironic that Price's melodramatic acting is the central theme here? And your like or dislike of what's before you could be pivotal to your survival.....

The DVD itself is disappointing- there's an awful trailer and not much else; but IS there anything they could have dredged up? An interview or documentary perhaps?

Also- I'm finding that a lot of these DVD releases have awful sound quality. Ho hum.

Even so- this is pretty much my favorite film in this category and if you've got this far BUY IT!!

P.s: the locations (London) are also very effective- deserted post-industrial landscapes). Most of these will now been bulldozed or commercialised so enjoy!

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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Price has a ball, 8 Oct 2004
By Deborah MacGillivray "Author," (US & UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
This review is from: Theatre of Blood [DVD] [1973] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC] (DVD)
Price decided to ham it up for the Abominable Dr. Phibes and Dr. Phibes Rides again. Riding on a tide, he took up this high camp film, and some of England's biggest name actors came out to play his victims. In Phibes style, you have a series of set victims - in this case, Stage critics - and the much scorned Shakespearian Actor Edward Lionheart extracting his revenge by killing his victims through acting out a scene from Shakespeare's plays. Deliciously witty Diana Rigg is there to support Price as his doting, darling daughter Edwina, who mourns her father's recent death, and hisses at the critics who refused to honour his talent while he was alive.

Price's all-star victims include his real-life wife, Coral Browne, Harry Andrews, Ian Hendry, Jack Hawkins, Robert Morley (especially funny twist on the tale!), Denis Price and Diana Dors and more. Hot on the trail of the killer, with Hendry in tow, are Inspector Boot (Milo O'Shea) and Sergeant Dogge (Eric Sykes), but Price and his "helper" are one step ahead.

It's Price at his wickedly delightful best. And great to see the funny takes of the Bards tales being used as a murder medium. Douglas Hickox (Zulu Dawn, Sitting Target), ably orchestrated the marvellously talent crew of actors through this black humour marathon.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars DON`T LOOSE HEART HARRY., 18 Aug 2007
By L. Wilson (Natal South Africa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I first watched this film at the midnight movies in Manchester and I loved it. The story is gruesome to say the least but it is still a very funny film. Only Vincent Price could have pulled this off with such style. The fantastic supporting cast must have been queuing for parts because the pick of the 70`s actors have let themselves loose for Douglas Hickox to direct without respect for age or gender. Let yourself go and enjoy a classic of the era.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Tosh of the highest order
Everyone has a marvellous time here and the cast of British character actors reads like a Who's Who of British cinema and theatre in the 70s and before. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Guy Whit

4.0 out of 5 stars Theatre of Blood
As a general rule, I am not especially drawn to horror films - even those which have a strong vein of comedy running through them - but Theatre of Blood (Douglas Hickox, 1973) is... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Oliver Twist

5.0 out of 5 stars Theatre of Blood -- Brush Up Your Shakespeare
I think that Vincent Price is always worth watching. He could be both
horrible and funny at the same time. Theater of Blood is a near perfect
example. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Todd Schaffner

5.0 out of 5 stars Art imitating life?
Vincent Price Edward Kendall Sheridan Lionheart a shakesperian actor who seemingly commited suicide. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Kenneth Lewis

5.0 out of 5 stars It's another Classic VP film
One of my fave films - Vincent Price is fab as a hammy old actor who will only play Shakespearean roles. Constant critical scorn drives him to a failed suicide attempt. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Clegsy

4.0 out of 5 stars A fine combination of wit and gore
Edward Lionheart is a Shakespearean actor who has more ham than talent. His plays have been savaged by the London critics, who now have denied him a great acting honor. Read more
Published 18 months ago by C. O. DeRiemer

4.0 out of 5 stars Horror with comedy
I saw this for the first time recently and recommend it strongly. Vincent Price stars as Edward Lionheart a famous Shakespearean actor who is snubbed at the annual critics awards... Read more
Published 23 months ago by S J Buck

5.0 out of 5 stars Grand Guignol Classic
Along with the fabulous casting, and the career defining performance from the greatest horror (and comic horror) actor of all, the best thing about this film is the story itself,... Read more
Published 24 months ago by Lou Knee

4.0 out of 5 stars 'The Taming Of The Critics!'
This is a wonderful movie. Vincent Price plays the brilliant but one dimensional Shakesperian actor Edward Lionheart. Read more
Published on 6 Jul 2007 by Antony May

5.0 out of 5 stars 'It's Lionheart alright, only he would have the temerity to re-write Shakespeare!'
Vincent Price puts in a bravura performance as Edward Lionheart, a frustrated thesp, who is shamefully passed over by the critics for the 'Actor of the Year' award he so richly... Read more
Published on 6 Mar 2007 by P. L. Rock

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