Many films fuse humour with horror and many of those fail to be accomplished in either genre. Bringing fun to the scary often results in a clunkiness which neither raises laughs or goosebumps. The worst example might be the utterly awful Bloodbath at the House of Death, a 1984 film which teamed all-round showbiz eccentric Kenny Everett with veteran actor Vincent Price. What Price thought as he navigated his way through this stinker is not a matter of record, but he may have ruefully cast his mind back a decade to the contrastingly wonderful Theatre of Blood. Released in 1973, it is one of the few great comedic horror films. Its success rests entirely on Price’s stately and delightful shoulders.
It helped that Price played actor Edward Lionheart, which meant his character could assume roles within the film. The arch and hammy were exempt from criticism as that is what Lionheart took to his Shakespeare-inspired murders. Lionheart had had it with bad reviews so, with helpful daughter Edwina (Diana Rigg), he offed his negative critics. With a supporting cast of British greats including Harry Andrews, Diana Dors, Jack Hawkins, Ian Hendry, Joan Hickson, Arthur Lowe and Robert Morley, Theatre of Blood was a consummate roll-call of honour for a fast-vanishing era of British drama.
This package, on Blu-ray only, is an equally excellent release. The image restoration is fantastic, as is the sound. The well-illustrated booklet’s essay is in depth. The extras on the disc include shorts on the music, an archive reminiscence from Price, appreciations of the film by knowledgeable experts and more. Best of all is the enthusiastic commentary from committed fans and The League of Gentleman quartet Jeremy Dyson, Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith. More than an archive curiosity, Theatre of Blood resonates in the work of all four whether together or apart. This is a textbook example of how to do this sort release properly.
Overleaf: watch the trailer for the Blu-ray release of Theatre of Blood
