Directed by Peter Duffell. Starring Denholm Elliott, Christopher Lee, Jon
Pertwee, Chloe Franks, Peter Cushing, Joss Ackland, Ingrid Pitt, John Bennett.
Horror/Thriller, UK, 1971,102 mins, Cert 15.
Originally released in an highly sought-after Limited Edition Blu-ray
package back in July 2019, Second Sight have now released the Standard Edition
Blu-ray alongside fellow Amicus portmanteau ASYLUM, porting over the previous
generous special features and infinitely superior reversible sleeve from Graham
Humphreys.
Amicus anthology flicks are British horror’s equivalent of a comfort
blanket, and they don’t get much cosier than director Peter Duffell’s only
horror foray: THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD. A charmingly old-fashioned,
bloodless (despite the misleading title), quartet of Robert Bloch adapted
stories boasting genre stalwarts Cushing and Lee, alongside the ever dependable
Denholm Elliott and a film-stealing turn from Jon Pertwee.
Like ASYLUM, the wraparound premise is housed in an imposing building,
here a creepy gothic mansion whose occupants find their true natures tested and
exposed with fatal consequences. The somewhat tenuous and clunky framing device
grinds into gear when a Scotland Yard Inspector (John Bennett) investigates the
disappearance of famous horror film star Paul Henderson (Jon Pertwee) who was
the latest resident at the house, and uncovers a sinister history of tragic
events befalling all the previous tenants...
The first story, METHOD FOR MURDER features Denholm Elliott as Charles, a
horror author suffering from writers block until he moves into the
inspirationally atmospheric house with his wife Alice (Joanna Dunham).
Initially impressed with the library of classic horror books on the dusty
shelves, his writing comes along leaps and bounds as he types up his latest
horror novel about an escaped homicidal mental patient called Dominic whose
modus operandi is strangulation. There’s only one problem, Charles starts
seeing his fictional character popping up around the house and gardens. Will a
visit to the psychiatrist help him delineate fact from fiction...?
Peter Cushing is the main protagonists in the second story, WAXWORKS,
where he plays Philip a recent retiree still longing after his unattainable
deceased true love. A trip to the local wax museum sets in motion a sinister
train of events when one of the exhibits seems to be the spitting image of his
lost love...
SWEETS TO THE SWEET stars Christopher Lee as a single father to a young
girl (Chloe Franks). Insisting his daughter must be home tutored, he employs
private teacher (Nyree Dawn
Porter) who is initially perturbed by Lee forbidding the child to have any
toys, especially dolls, and missing candles seem to send him into a state of
irrational panic. But what exactly is his daughter researching in the
encyclopaedia in the ‘W’ section...?
And then, rounding things off with a hilariously show-stealing turn is
John Pertwee, an aging prolific horror film actor on the set of his latest
picture, a low-budget vampire flick entitled: ‘Curse of the Bloodsuckers’.
Disgruntled with the wardrobe department’s offering, he purchases a second-hand
cloak from a unique theatrical costumer by the name of Theo von Hartmann
(Geoffrey Bayldon). The garment is quite authentic, perhaps too authentic in
fact...
Director Duffell originally wanted to call the film ‘Death and the
Maiden’ after the classical piece by Schubert Peter Cushing is listening to in
the WAXWORKS segment), but was over ruled in favour of a more luridly
commercial title. The producer’s even insisted on an ‘X’ rating for the film,
despite its entirely anaemic content!
There are
some cheeky in-jokes and genre references scattered throughout the film which
alert one to the fact that Duffell, whilst treating the stories with care and
attention, wasn’t above winking to the audience at times. The classic genre
books on the shelves that Denholm Elliott browses through are carefully chosen,
and the placing of ‘The Haunted Screen’ (an analysis of Expressionism in German
cinema) against the director’s opening credit hints at Duffell’s loftier
ideals. The waxworks Cushing attends features a tableau which is clearly
Christopher Lee’s DRACULA (ironically the best rendition in the whole set), and
poor Mr Lee is also the brunt of an aside by Jon Pertwee’s character when he
reminisces about the classic old horror films such as DRACULA: “The one with
Bela Lugosi of course, not this new fellow...”
The opening
story METHOD FOR MURDER is the most effective and delivers some genuinely
creepy moments, even if Dominic the strangler looks like a cross between Boris
Karloff in THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1932), perhaps intentionally, and ‘Oddbod’ from
CARRY ON SCREAMING! – certainly not.
Peter Cushing
is always a consummate professional, and he certainly gives it his all in the
otherwise largely underwhelming WAXWORKS segment, particularly during an axe
fight. (The actual waxworks are this story’s major hindrance). It’s always nice
to see Christopher Lee cast against type in SWEETS TO THE SWEET – even if he is
upstaged by little Chloe Franks. And the scene between ‘Doctor Who’ and future
‘Worzel Gummidge (Jon Pertwee) and ‘Catweazle’ and Worzel’s future ‘Crowman’ (Geoffrey
Bayldon) – giving his best impression of Ernest Thesiger - is a TV trivia joy to behold. (Quick side note:
Geoffrey Bayldon turned down the part of ‘Doctor Who’ when it was offered to
him as he was reticent about committing to a TV series – and then the script
for ‘Catweazle’ came along).
Whilst THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED
BLOOD doesn't, it does positively ooze with a comforting nostalgic atmosphere. And in these
dark times, when you fancy a little lighter genre offering, why not snuggle up
and pay this house of Amicus a visit?
***(out of 5*)
Paul Worts
This review was originally published by FrightFest.
