Bloodbath at the House of Death

"Bloodbath at the House of Death" – every horror fan will undeniably fall in love with the title alone already – is a slapstick horror comedy/spoof starring the BBC radio presenter Kenny Everett and the legendary horror acting legend Vincent Price. Now, I'm not really familiar with the works of Kenny Everett, but I am a self-proclaimed expert when it comes to Vincent and the name of his character here pretty much summarizes his entire rich and highly respectable career. He is the "Sinister Man" and appears in the film, albeit less extendedly as I hoped, as some sort of deranged cult leader. The rest of the story is relatively simple: a random group of international scientists and paranormal investigators gather together at Headstone Manor, also known as the House of Death, to research the truth behind the legend of allegedly 18 people being slain at the place. "Bloodbath at the House of Death" is far from brilliant, sometimes hardly even funny, but I would definitely say this is an underrated attempt that understandably got overlooked in the massive horror/comedy offer of the early 80's. The script, co-written by director Ray Cameron, makes fun of great and obvious classics such as "Alien", "E.T.", "Poltergeist", Carrie" and "The Shining", but also holds more subtle jokes and references in store to reward the attentive horror freaks. Something I couldn't help noticing, though, is that quite a few jokes in the more recent "Scary Movie 2" were directly lifted from this film. Okay, admittedly, both film were basically influenced by the same haunted house classics (like "The Legend of Hell House", "The Entity" and "House on Haunted Hill") but still it's quite suspicious that the Wayans Brothers supposedly thought up the exact same jokes, like for example the ghost rape turning into a kinky sex game. Other than the movie-related jokes and situations, there certainly also isn't a shortage of textbook slapstick stuff like a blind character constantly running into trees and a crippled guy repeatedly falling flat on his face. It may not be politically correct, but it sure as hell is funny. Perhaps the main reason why I – and surely many genre fanatics with me – appreciate the film so much is the gore. In spite of the comical and non-horror friendly atmosphere, there are quite a few gross killings on display. The devilish house always repeats the same macabre methods of elimination, namely stabbing, hanging, struck by lightening, drowning, slit throats, etc. Some of the illustrations of murder here are a lot nastier than the case in many contemporary slasher flicks.

Starring horror icon Vincent Price & comedy legend Kenny Everett this camp British horror comedy is a hugely mixed bag.

It tells the story of a group of scientists and experts in their field who investigate the mysterious Blood House where 18 people were savagely murdered in one night.

When the jokes are on point the movie is really enjoyable, sadly too many jokes fall flat and leave the movie more of a bust than it should have been. With Price & Everett this should have by all rights been a cult classic.

To it's credit the film has a lot of imagination, from original death scenes to some fantastic satirical humour!

However for every laugh there are three or four poor jokes ranging from silly to cringe inducing.

A harmless effort and ahead of it's time, but comes across a bit rushed.

The Good:

Price and Everett are excellent

Very inventive kills

Some great gags

Well scored

The Bad:

Not as funny as it should have been

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Kenny Everett should have broke Hollywood

Not from Hellraiser, but from many other movies from the 80s or before (this movie was made). ET and the Alien scene being the most prominent one I'd reckon. But there are other references and jokes/spoofs/stabs this takes on things you know. I mean it even uses a lightsaber at one point ... I wonder how much that would cost to have in your movie nowadays ... but back to this.

And just to be clear if you haven't figured it out yet: it mixes comedy and horror. I have friends who think that is a combination that is an absolute no go. They don't like it, if you feel the same way - well better not watch this. It's quite the curiosity though. Having Vincent Price in it, who I can only imagine had quite the fun time with this. Many jokes are silly, but if you roll with them, you can still enjoy them.

There is still enough blood and violence ... not enough to warrant the title mind you, but I would assume they used that in a funny self deprecating way! A weird little movie with surely a weird (in a good way) fan base for it.

Edit: I re-watched this the other day ... and have to admit, I really more than enjoyed the re-watch ... I had forgotten many things ... and this was really funny ... especially the first half ... there is the cringe Poltergeist/invisible man scene I reckon ... might not play in the best way ... but enjoy this for what it is if possible ... silliness galore! With a Price - no pun intended ... he always lends gravitas.

This is a comedy in the tradition of Airport (Flying High) and Police Squad (or The Naked Gun), where a group of scientists are gathered to investigate the goings on at a haunted house in the country woods of Britain. Kenny Everett is the star of this film, pulling from characters developed from his various video shows to create his main character, with a good backup of other actors making up the rest of the group. The slapstick comedy (played seriously) comes frequently right from the start of the film but then tends to fall a little flat in the second half, but is still very enjoyable if you're a fan of Everett. Vincent Price's name might be a surprise for such a film, but he plays his role with the usual strength he carries. Pamela Stephenson has a memorable scene which re-energises the film, while subtle humour in other scenes carry it to the end. Check it out if you enjoy British humour.

Kenny Everett was a zany comic who started out as a DJ in the 1960s before fronting a prime time TV comedy show in the 1980s. This 1984 film is his only attempt at a big screen offering. Kenny died of AIDS-related illness in 1995, aged 50.

The film is a Hammer horror spoof, though many other films and genres are spoofed along the way. It is written by Barry Cryer, who appears in the title sequence. Eight scientists (including Kenny and, more plausibly, Dr Pamela Stephenson) investigate an old house where, 18 years earlier, 18 people were killed there in one night. The others are played by John Fortune, Sheila Steafel, Don (Rising Damp) Warrington, Gareth (coffee ads) Hunt, Cleo Rocos and John Stephen Hill. All were well known 80s British personalities but not entirely convincing as scientists!

The best known actor here is Vincent Price, though he only appears in a few scenes, as the 'sinister man'. Pat Ashton's appearance as the murdered barmaid marked her last appearance in a run of 20 years of British comedy shows before she disappeared, which is a shame as she was always good fun. It pretty much also marked the end of John Stephen Hill's acting career though he is better mapped as he went on to immerse himself in his Jesuit faith.

The film is a bit hit and miss, like Everett's TV shows - lots of scenes that don't really work, interspersed with occasional moments of genius. It is the only opportunity to see Everett on the big screen, and it represents a peak of sorts in early 80s British comedy. I don't want to judge it too harshly.