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I love this movie so much

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

After several top movie critics are viciously killed, the police discover it is the followers of a celebrated Shakespearean actor thought dead and ordering them to assist in his revenge on critics who savaged his work and race to stop him before his revenge is complete.This is one of the finest and most enjoyable efforts in his career. First and foremost, it must be said that this is Vincent Price's movie. Here, he delivers one of his finest performances to date, and it's simply a joy to see Price perform so splendidly in what was obviously a role written specifically for him. That makes his performance all the more watchable, as he's supposed to be acting ham which is due to the way the film carries itself out. The way the plot dictates matters makes it all the more watchable as it's quite fun to see how ham Price can be this involving a Shakespearean actor seeking revenge on movie critics for harmful reviews is a role Price was born to play, and in here it really works for the film. Besides the greatness of Price's role, the film is memorable for the method of murder as being one of the most creative and imaginative in horror cinema. Because of the way Price's character is written, basing the deaths on the movie the critic bashed, this is further proof of Price's genius in the role as the deaths are so much fun to watch, yet require a large amount of intelligence on the viewer to deduce what is going on with the deaths. That is quite a change and one that is quite welcomed in the film by giving this the kind of atmosphere to allow for quite an impressive time here. There are a couple of great action pieces in here that are quite entertaining going off of that, featuring a duel at a fencing school which is inventive and exhilarating going back and forth between the fighters, a stellar series of gruesome deaths as well as the opening attack in the theater which is an effective way to get the movie rolling and delivers lots of chills. The other big plus here comes from one of the best finales in a long while which includes a spectacular gathering and the overall burning-down-the-building finish that offers a rather touching finish. These make this one a blast to watch while not really offering up too many flaws. It's biggest problem is that this is a little bit more intelligent than what most of the usual horror fans are used to since the viewer is required to know Shakespeare and his works, for that drives most of the horror in here. Knowing that will increase the level of involvement in the script as well since the large amount of detail in here is not something for those that have very little experience with the works of Shakespeare to just get into. Otherwise, this is a great film.Today's Rating/R: Graphic Violence and Language.

I liked this as a movie, but what makes it special is the Shakespeare dialog around each murder. On its own, it would be a pretty decent slasher/thriller and is truly creepy at times, but Vincent Price doing Shakespeare is a treat and makes this a special experience. The sets are really cool too. I wholeheartedly recommend this.

Released in 1973 and directed by Douglas Hickox, "Theater of Blood" stars Vincent Price as a bitter Shakespearean actor in modern London who is thought to be dead due to suicide. Actually, he's alive-and-not-well and murdering his unrelenting highbrow critics. Diana Rigg plays his understanding daughter while Milo O'Shea is on hand as the inspector. The score is excellent, even moving, and the first act is quite serious. But then Price's hammy approach and the increasingly unbelievable murder scenarios thrust the movie into black comedy territory. Still, it's just serious enough to (sort of) suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride. It's another take on the basic plot of "The Abominable Dr. Phibes" (1971) and its sequel (1972). It's also reminiscent of "House of Wax" (1953), although I give that one the edge. The jaw-dropping Madeline Smith is on hand on the babe front, but she's unfortunately underused as a decidedly peripheral character. There's Rigg, of course, if you find her attractive. I don't, but she's likable enough. The movie's colorful like Hammer flicks, albeit with a slightly bigger budget and the corresponding location shooting. Fans of Vincent Price horror and, especially, the three movies noted above should eat this up while others might find it too talky, one-dimensional and overlong. The movie runs 104 minutes and was shot in London, Brentford & Windsor, England. WRITER: Anthony Greville-Bell. GRADE: B-

This ingeniously nasty film could be described as an actors' revenge taken to extremes. It has nothing but the utmost reverence for the works of William Shakespeare, and the filmmakers have great fun with their clever premise. More squeamish theatre and horror fans may find the gory violence hard to stomach, but the cast is just STACKED with top notch British thespians who make the most of the material. Written with delicious wit by Anthony Greville- Bell (based on an idea by producers Stanley Mann and John Kohn) and masterfully directed by Douglas Hickox ("Brannigan", "Zulu Dawn"), it hooks you early on and keeps you amused right through all of its outlandish sequences.Vincent Price has the role(s) of a lifetime, in what has to rank as one of his best ever vehicles (if not THE best). If "Theater of Blood" accomplishes nothing else, it serves to show what a talent the man was. He plays Edward Lionheart, an overly hammy actor who ONLY performs Shakespeare. He's been savaged by a particular circle of critics, and denied their prestigious award. Thought to be dead, he resurfaces to wreak vengeance upon them, murdering them in the style of famous death scenes from The Bards' plays.Price is extremely well supported by performers like Ian Hendry, Harry Andrews, Coral Browne, Robert Coote, Jack Hawkins, Michael Hordern, Arthur Lowe, Robert Morley, Dennis Price, Milo O'Shea, and Eric Sykes. Sexy Diana Rigg is a joy as she plays Lionhearts' very loyal daughter Edwina. It's no wonder that Price himself would have considered this a personal favorite, as he gets to do so many things. For example: donning an Afro and playing a hair stylist! He'd been accused in real life of going for theatrics too often, so he gets to have the last laugh here.Well staged (the fencing duel with Hendry is a standout), and memorably sick (Morley is force fed a little something special), "Theater of Blood" is a must for any Vincent Price fan.Eight out of 10.