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Post by lukemorningstar on Sept 9, 2008 10:01:57 GMT
This MUST have had a thread of it's own at some time in the past. This has to be one of my all time favourite Brit Horror movies. It has a top notch cast, some genuinely brutal and unsettling killings, plenty of high camp, some great humour and a really creepy atmosphere throughout.
Michael Horden's murder at the start is particularly nasty (and the camera angle as Price delivers the 'O Pardon me thou bleeding piece of earth.....' speech) as is Coral Browne's electrocution by 'Butch' the hairdresser.
Even the critic's names are great; 'Snipe' 'Sprout' etc
And Diana Rigg in drag too....... all in all an incredible, funny and frightening film. Or is it.....................?
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Post by Johnlprobert on Sept 10, 2008 9:44:44 GMT
One of my favourite films of all time in any genre. By turns horrific, funny, witty, moving, with great performances. a clever script, and a director for whom this was the pinnacle of an otherwise pretty undistinguised career making crime thrillers (sorry Douglas but it's true - this is the film you'll be remembered for for all time). Price gives the performance of a lifetime but everyone else is on the mark too, right down to those meths drinkers who are as disturbing as they are knockabout funny. I remember reading a review that said that the swings from horror to humour are amongst the broadest ever put on screen and I think that still holds true - Arthur Lowe's head rolling off the bed, that marvellous duel scene which ends with Hendry being horribly slashed, Robert Morley choking to death on his 'doggy woggies'. Finally, a special note on the music, which is much better than you might expect and for me is one of the standout scores of the 70s. Welshman Michael J Lewis really delivers the goods and raises an already incredibly high bar to send this movie into the stratosphere. I love it and it's a major influence on everything I've ever written, but especially the novel I'm finally going to write next year.
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Post by pulphack on Sept 10, 2008 11:39:56 GMT
a wonderful black comedy, and actually a better movie in total than the phibes films, the success of which presumably prompted it. there's a wonderful robert morley piece in one of his collected punch articles about filming the scene where the funeral carriage is let loose. i can't remember which one of the books it is - i have four of them in paperback - but i'll have a look later and see if i can locate it.
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Post by dem bones on Sept 11, 2008 20:36:28 GMT
More of an Abominable Dr. Phibes man myself, but Richard Lionheart's fiercely loyal bum army were my idols when i was growing up! Had this big thing about running away to the Embankment and sitting around a bonfire in my trench coat with a bottle! Talk about "be careful what you wish for." Anyhow, whoever made the comment to the effect that "the swings from horror to humour are amongst the broadest ever put on screen" is spot on. That first murder really sets the tone - the tramps laying into Michael Hordern with broken bottles while the bogus policemen look on with approval. Particularly jarring coming so soon after the unscary opening credits of Lionhart giving it his all in some hysterical melodrama.
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Post by franklinmarsh on Sept 12, 2008 7:18:42 GMT
I like this one. It misses Phibes wonderful art deco sets, but has a more realistic air about it. Funny and horrible. How can you resist a film in which critics are horribly murdered? A superb cast. Vincent Price with an afro flouncing into shot and lisping 'Hi, I'm Butch' is magnificent.
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Post by pulphack on Sept 15, 2008 13:06:47 GMT
exactly, mr marsh. the phibes films look better with all that art deco beauty and robert fuest's style, but none of the cameos are as good as arthur lowe and robert morley; and joseph cotten in the first phibes is no match for ian hendry as a nemesis for la price. although that phibes DOES have a basil kirchin score...
it's a close call in some ways, but Theatre does edge it overall.
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Post by Johnlprobert on Sept 15, 2008 14:32:45 GMT
Can't see the appeal of Kirchin myself - maybe I'm allergic to jazz (is it Jazz? I don't even know that I'm so ignorant).
I much prefer John Gale's score for Dr Phibes Rises Again, although of course he wrote Vulnavia's theme for Abominable because Fuest didn't like Kirchin's.
Anyway, Michael J Lewis would win in a fight. And he had a bigger orchestra.
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Post by David A. Riley on Sept 15, 2008 14:49:00 GMT
With all this talk about Theatre of Blood I decided to give myself a treat Saturday night by including it in my night-in DVD marathon - and it certainly does live up to everything everyone says about it. After Witchfinder General, one of Price's best films. And what a superb cast. A virtual Who's Who of British character actors for that period. Do we have any like that today? And any film with Ian Hendry in it is always worth watching. A truly great talent.
David
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Post by mattofthespurs on Sept 18, 2008 9:42:19 GMT
The first Horror movie I ever saw.
Was allowed to watch it when it screened on BBC 2 one Saturday night paired with, unless I'm very much mistaken, The Raven starring Lugosi and Karloff.
It scared the crap out of me (was probably 9 at the time) and scarred me for about 20 years. Still, it did help to instil a love of all things horror in me.
One of Price's best, and Diana Rigg is superb.
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Post by lukemorningstar on Sept 18, 2008 11:00:08 GMT
Scared the crap out of me too, Matt, and I was in my mid thirties at the time (just kidding of course, I must have been about 9 or 10 myself - and I think you are spot on about the pairing with The Raven too)
The murders in this movie are, for it's time, very violent and graphic. Especially Michael Hordern's demise and the 'Butch' electrocution scene - that is still really horrible now!
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Truegho
Devils Coach Horse
Posts: 135
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Post by Truegho on Nov 9, 2008 16:00:42 GMT
Agreed, very good horror movie.
The scene were Robert Morley is force fed his poodle pie is one of the grossest scenes ever!
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