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Another anthology from horror studio Amicus, The House That Dripped Blood features four macabre tales written by Psycho author Robert Bloch, with a wraparound story in which Detective Inspector Holloway (John Bennett) investigates the mysterious disappearance of a famous horror movie-star and learns of several other cases all linked to a creepy old house.

The first case is that of Charles Hillyer (Denholm Elliott), a horror novelist who moves into the house to write his next novel, Dominick the Strangler. As Hillyer gets stuck into his work, he becomes convinced that the titular character from his latest book is stalking him. It's a solid way to kick off the film, with Elliot putting in a fine performance, and director Peter Duffell delivering plenty of suspense and chills, helped no end by Tom Adams as grinning loon Dominick, who looks convincingly deranged as he lurks in the shadows.

Tale number two, Waxworks, is my least favourite, which I find surprising since it stars Peter Cushing, one of my all-time favourite horror actors. Cushing plays retired businessman Philip Grayson, one of a pair of old love rivals who lose their heads after paying a visit to a Museum of Horror, where one of the exhibits bears an uncanny resemblance to the woman they both loved. Duffell does his best to make something of the weak material, using strong red and green lighting to add a sense of the unreal, but the result is still rather forgettable.

Another horror legend—Christopher Lee—turns up for tale number three, but like Cushing, he is unable to turn what is a rather predictable tale into anything special. If you can't guess how this one is going to end by the halfway mark, then you clearly haven't seen enough horror films. Lee plays the frightened father of a young girl with a secret; Nyree Dawn Porter is the teacher who cannot understand what he is so scared of.

For my money, the final story offers the most entertainment value, and here's why: a) the story is fun and delivers quite a few genuinely amusing moments (with a couple of neat in-jokes for horror fans), b) Ingrid Pitt's cleavage is fantastic, and c) it stars both Worzel Gummidge and The Crowman (Jon Pertwee and Geoffrey Bayldon AKA Catweazle). Pertwee is wonderful as pompous horror actor Paul Henderson, who buys a cape from Bayldon for his latest role as a vampire; the only problem is that whenever he wears the cape, he becomes a vampire for real.

Pertwee and Pitt pop up again as vampires in the last part of the wraparound tale to attack Holloway, who has payed a visit to the house against the advice of estate agent A.J. Stoker (John Bryans). Stoker closes the film by finally revealing the secret of the creepy property, but the explanation for the supernatural occurrences is something of a damp squib.

5.5 out of 10, rounded up to 6 for Pertwee and Pitt.

*contains very minor spoilers* (I'm sure the back of the box gives away more!)

Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Joss Ackland, Jon Pertwee...hey, this is one heck of a B-movie cast! All my British friends, together in the same horror anthology. Bliss. Mind you, I'm generally not too crazy about Amicus films; they're more screwed-up and cynical than their charming Hammer counterparts. But this time, Amicus got it just about right. The quality of the stories is uneven, but each has merit.

Story #1 is a pretty dull tale about a horror writer (played by Indiana Jones' buddy Denholm Elliot) who is haunted by one of his fictional creations, a strangler called Dominick. There are some interesting twists, yeah, but the characters are such stereotypes that it's hard to care much about them. And there's really nothing more tedious than writers writing about themselves! Stick with it, though, there's better stuff to come.

Story #2 is probably my favorite. The newly-retired Peter Cushing is haunted by a waxwork figure in a horror museum; it bears a striking resemblance to the late love of his life. An old friend, played by Joss Ackland (a very natural and likable performance), arrives and also falls under the wax girl's spell. I didn't really understand this story when I was ten, probably because I had not yet learned to pine for inaccessible women. However, since then I've been convinced that a wooden figure in a playground was modeled on an ex of mine, so suddenly this really resonates! A wonderfully sad, lonely tale.

Story #3 is also great. Christopher Lee gets to play a sort-of good guy, a rare treat for his fans; his daughter, as it turns out, is a little sorceress. The contrast between her sweet appearance and evil aims works rather well.

Story #4 is...ahem...rather silly, actually. It stars Jon "Doctor Who" Pertwee as a flamboyant horror film star. There's a lot of metahumor in this one; for example, Pertwee's character complains about having to star in cheap horror movies within the context of...a cheap horror movie called "The House that Dripped Blood"! "Doctor Who" was cheap, too, so one wonders if Pertwee was secretly complaining about his own career. But, apparently, he was actually spoofing Christopher Lee. The humor is this segment works, but it's strange to end such a dark movie with a goofy installment. I also don't know quite how to feel about seeing Jon get hoisted up on clearly visible wires during a "flying" segment.

After a somewhat dodgy epilogue with more Pertwee facing-making, the whole thing wraps up nicely with some cryptic remarks from an estate agent. On to the next British horror cheapie!

By their very nature, these anthology movies are mixed bags, but this is definitely one of the strongest. It's worth a look for the cast alone, and the middle two installments are definitely superior horror shorts.

Peter Duffel directed this anthology film that stars John Bennett as a Scotland Yard Investigator looking into the disappearance of two films stars(played by "Doctor Who" star Jon Pertwee, and Ingrid Pitt) who were last seen in an old house they had let while filming a new movie. The real estate agent tells him four tales about the mysterious house: 'Method For Murder' - A writer comes to believe his character(a mad strangler) has come to life. 'Waxworks' - Peter Cushing plays a retired man who becomes fascinated with a waxwork version of Salome, much to his regret; 'Sweets For The Sweet' - A man(played by Christopher Lee) treats his young daughter harshly out of fear, bringing an ironic fate upon himself. 'The Cloak' - The film star buys a cloak that turns him into a vampire. Good set of tales here, with fine direction and music score; Last tale is best, a real treat.

Another Amicus Production anthology starring Christopher Lee and the late Peter Cushing. It seems like you can never go wrong with those two - or Amicus for that matter; classic performances by both men indeed. I don't consider these tales terrifying but they offer substance and quality that becomes enjoyable to the viewer. I won't go into any detail concerning each tale, but like usual, they all represent a unified theme. The conclusion is satisfying and I would love the opportunity to own this film. A fun way to spend your afternoon if you cherish the usual setup from Amicus - and, if you're not familiar, why not get acquainted?

Don't let the title fool you, there is no blood in this film. THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD is a rather tame, four part anthology film about an old manor, and the untimely deaths of its occupants.

First, Denholm Elliot is a horror writer who moves into the house seeking inspiration for his next book. He no sooner dreams up a creepy character, than it appears to have come alive!

Next, Peter Cushing visits a wax museum, only to find something quite unexpected concerning one of the figures.

In the third segment, Christopher Lee is either a heartless father to his young daughter, or she is far more than she appears to be.

Finally, John Pertwee is a jaded horror actor, who stumbles upon a certain, very familiar cape in an occult shop. Lighthearted terror and mirth ensue. Co-stars Ingrid Pitt!

The wraparound story has a Scotland Yard detective trying to solve these cases. Entertaining, though not very frightening, it's still good to see Cushing and Lee in anything!...