Bloodbath at the House of Death

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

I really have to say that this one grew on me. I didn't like it a lot at first, but then I started watching it over and it's definitely been one of my favorites for awhile now. What's not to like about it? I, too, am glad to see the positive feedback on this fun movie. It's not as gory as some might have you believe, but, as a comedy, it is a classic. They parody all kinds of fantastically themed movies here, not just horror films. The "E.T." parody is a riot. I guess to say much more on it (aside from the basic plot, which is information provided already) would give away a lot of surprises, so I'll just leave it at that.

Play "spot-the-movie" in this comedy which features allusions to Carrie, Close Encounters, The Invisible man, Jaws, Rocky Horror Picture Show and many more. Sing the inventory of killings at the "House of Death" to "The 12 Days of Christmas". Don't expect a great plot or serious social commentary because this spoof isn't that kind of film. If you just want to veg out and relax you can try to guess who will die next -- and how.

This movie is a classic - it must be, I have been living in Russia and seen 2 copies for sale (legal of course) on DVD (converted from VHS). I still laugh just thinking about it!!! It is so corny but clever. I VAS ZE VORLDS GREATEST!!!! The music to jaws on the bass and the toilet / Hall scene. Making love with a ghost .. . then "I guess I will never see you again" The scene in the pub. The two gay men in the car.. . The song. . . . . Its just great. the thing I notice the most is there is no swearing!!! its just clever This movie is one you can watch many times and as you see it more often, you start to pick up more and more subtle things.

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.