Lions Gate R1 DVD release
The House That Dripped Blood, Peter Duffel, UK, 1971, 102 mins, Lions Gate, Region 1
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Amicus specialized in omnibus films (many different short stories in one movie) I cannot help to feel that this is rather slow. I am normally not the type to complain about slow pacing but when you feel that 105 minutes long movie with five different stories is overlong there is a problem. I’ve seen most Amicus omnibus movies by now. I could not for the world remember what they were about or tell them apart but since I return to watch another one I cannot have been completely unsatisfied. The framing for the different stories is a policeman investigating the disappearance of a movie star which leads him to real estate agent that explains that something bad has happened to everyone that has lived in the house where said movie star where staying. The first story called Method for Murder is about a horror writer (Denholm Elliot) moving into the house with his younger wife. He is very inspired at the moment and writes a novel about a demented murderer. Naturally he begins to see the murderer and he fears that his creation is taking over his mind. Denholm Elliot is good (as always) but the murderer looks really silly and the story is far from original. The second is called Waxworks and has Peter Cushing. This part feels a bit strange since the mystery is not really taking place in the house but in a wax museum (Cushing lives in the house but that’s about it). Obviously the wax dolls is not only wax (it never is) It manages to build up some tension but the story is uninspired. Sweets for The Sweet star Christopher Lee as stern father to a little girl that he suspects being a witch. It is quite obvious early on where this one is going. The fourth is The Cloak which is played for laughs. A veteran horror star (and asshole) is not satisfied with the props he has to work with. He thinks they look brand new and fake. He is determined to get an authentic looking cloak, he finds one in a strange little shop (It does not look more authentic to me) The actor discovers that he is turned into a real vampire when puts it on. It is mildly entertaining and it has Ingrid Pitt in tight clothes. If I ever get attacked by a vampire I hope it will be Ingrid Pitt. Of course the policeman goes to the house in the end (alone and at night) despite the many warnings. I can’t help to compare this with Rod Serling’s Night Gallery (If you have not watched it yet make sure you do). That series told similar stories but far more effective despite the lower budget and in many cases not as talented actors but the scripts were more inspired. Despite all my negativity The House That Dripped Blood has one major quality: charm. With a cast like that how could there not be? - Reviewed by Jonas Tarestad |
