Horror Hospital (1973)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

Antony Balch

Writers:

Antony Balch (screenplay) and
Alan Watson (screenplay)

Release Date:

April 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Comedy | Horror

Tagline:

The Operation is a Success ... When the Patient Dies

Plot:

Jason, a member of a 1960's pop group, decides he needs a break at a country retreat. On the train he meets Judy...

Plot Keywords:

Mind Control | Blood | Decapitation | Fire | Wheelchair

Cast

Michael Gough	...	Dr. Christian Storm
Robin Askwith	...	Jason Jones
Vanessa Shaw	...	Judy Peters
Ellen Pollock	...	Aunt Harris
Dennis Price	...	Mr. Pollack
Skip Martin	...	Frederick
Kurt Christian	...	Abraham
Barbara Wendy	...	Millie
Kenneth Benda	...	Carter
Martin Grace	...	Bike Boy
Colin Skeaping	...	Bike Boy
George Herbert	...	Laboratory Assistant
James Boris IV	...	'Mystic' Rock Group (as James IV Boris)
Allan 'The River' Hudson	...	'Mystic' Rock Group (as Allan {The River} Hudson)
Simon Lust	...	'Mystic' Rock Group

Also Known As:

Computer Killers (USA)
Doctor Bloodbath (video title)

Runtime:

85 min | 100 min (uncut)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Italy:VM14 (DVD rating) | Italy:VM18 | Australia:R | UK:18 | USA:R | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | UK:18 (video rating) | Norway:(Banned) (1974-2003) (cinema release)

Filming Locations:

Knebworth House, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Noteworthy Films

Trivia:

The films Italian title "Diario proibito di un collegio femminile" translates to "Forbidden diary of a girls' boarding school".

Soundtrack:

Mark of Death

Delicious bad and simple '70's genre work.

The atmosphere of this movie is unmistakably '70's like, with ridicules hair-cuts and outfits. The movie is like many other genre movies from the '70's, meaning that it features nudity, lots of gore and yes also a dwarf. The movie further more of course also features some really bad sound and fake looking reddish '70's blood. The acting is below par, as you would expect, with the exception of course of Michael Gough, who's presence alone is good enough to uplift this movie. He is not as well known as a Peter Cushing or a Christopher Lee but his acting is always excellent.

The movie is unnecessarily slow at times. Some sequences go on for too long without really adding something to the build up or the overall story and movie. It doesn't make the movie always flow really well and make the movie feel overlong, even though it's well below 2 hours short.

The atmosphere and horror elements of the movie are rather good. The movie uses some nice and atmospheric settings and some effective but simple cinematography. Michael Gough also adds to the movie its atmosphere and horror, also with the help of his killing automobile and mysterious henchmen and other strange characters.

The story itself is quite ridicules, mainly because it isn't going anywhere really. Therefor the movie perhaps makes a bit of a pointless impression but overall the movie is entertaining enough to consider this a simple and typically enjoyable '70's genre movie.

Obviously a movie for fans only.

4/10