Theater of Blood (1973)

Theater of Blood (1973, UK)

Douglas Hickox's campy black comedy-horror film from American International Pictures was originally titled Much Ado About Murder, and was obviously inspired by the success of star Vincent Price's Dr. Phibes movies.

It reportedly required over six gallons of fake blood for the eight ghastly yet creative murders (see below), with a total body count of eleven. The demented, macabre film was mostly a series of elaborate and flamboyant Shakespearean death scenes.

The film's tagline warned:

"It's curtains for his critics."

Egotistical and vain Shakespearean actor Edward Lionheart (Vincent Price in an over-the-top role) received poor reviews for his performances and stage adaptations from the theatrical Critics Circle. After he was passed over for the coveted Critic's Circle award for Best Actor, he apparently committed suicide - although his own death by drowning was faked (he was rescued from the Thames River).

Then, the deranged, humiliated and murderous mad-man exacted deadly revenge on his nasty, London theater critics who had snubbed him and ended his career, with parodies of deaths from the last season of his Shakespearean plays.

In many of the cases, Lionheart underwent numerous costume and hairstyle changes, while recreating the various roles for which he was criticized - as a doctor-surgeon, as a Scottish masseur, as a French chef, as a fencing instructor, as a camp hairdresser (with a huge afro wig) named "Butch," etc.

Lionheart also gloriously gave a hammy recital of the words of Shakespeare as each of the critics met a dastardly demise.

In the film's fiery conclusion, as Lionheart perished in the flames of the burning theatre, he was given a eulogizing, wry and cynical send-off by critic Devlin:

"Yes, it was a fascinating performance, but of course, he was madly overacting as usual, but you must admit he did know how to make an exit."

Assaulted, Bloodied and Butchered, on the Ides of March by a bunch of Tramps

Reminiscent of Julius Caesar's death (in Julius Caesar)

Speared or impaled in chest, and his corpse was dragged behind a horse

The fate of Hector at the hands of Achilles (in Troilus and Cressida)

Critic's wife (Joan Hickson) awoke, after being drugged, to find her husband's beheaded body (after being sawed off) next to her in bed

The death of Cloten (from Cymbeline)

Critic's still-beating, warm heart, weighing a pound, was cut out, and placed in a box

Shylock received a "pound of flesh" (from The Merchant of Venice)

Lush critic dunked head-first and drowned in a casket of Chambertin 1964 red wine at a wine-tasting

The murder of Duke of Clarence (from Richard III)

Rapier-fencing duel (on trampolines) between Lionheart and the young critic

The famous swordfight between Tybalt and Mercutio (from Romeo and Juliet)

Tricked (by Lionheart playing the Iago character) into believing his wife Maisie (Diana Dors) was unfaithful, and smothering her in a fit of jealous rage, and afterwards sentenced to life in prison

Iago's murder of his wife (from Othello)

Electrocuted with hair curlers (Lionheart impersonated a hairdresser named Butch)

Re-enactment of Joan of Arc burned at the stake - with quotes heard (from Henry VI, part 1)

Fed his own "babies" - poodles baked in a pie

Queen Tamora ate flesh of her two sons baked in a pie (from Titus Andronicus)

Two red-hot daggers on rails attached to a descending pulley (emptying bag of sand) - were poised to blind the bound critic

The blinding of the Earl of Gloucester (from King Lear)

Consumed in flames of burning theater, Lionheart jumped to his death from the top of the building (with his dead daughter Edwina (Diana Rigg) in his arms)

Quotes from King Lear (from King Lear)