Upon a recent viewing of Master of the World, we remarked upon the great Vincent Price’s love of a good literary adaptation. Whether it was a more adventurous tale such as this one or something more spine-tingling for which he was best known, the man knew how to make an impression. Even with all of his success, one of the great acting challenges Price always wanted to face was acting in Shakespeare, but the thespian found himself typecast more in the horror realm. It makes a certain kind of sense then that Price found one of his favorite roles by combining his two passions in the oddball 1973 dark comedy Theater of Blood from director Douglas Hickox. With a plot surrounding an actor literally taking down his fiercest critics, it is refreshing to note that most critics at the time of its release were thick-skinned enough to see the humor in the absurdly dark situation. While not one of his best known works, it is a film that seems primed for a resurgence thanks to an unrelentingly invested performance from Prince.
Price headlines as Edward Lionheart, a Shakespearean actor who lives and breathes his craft while rarely getting the respect he feels he deserves. He is so dedicated to the stage that he often neglects all other aspects of his life including his daughter Edwina (Diana Rigg, Game of Thrones). This singular focus makes it all the more gutting when he fails to gain the respect he so desperately wants from London’s inner-circle of critics. The final straw of his sanity comes when members of the Theatre Critics Guild humiliate him and deny him the award he feels he rightly deserves. Edward jumps out of a window to his supposed death into the Thames, but unfortunately for these critics this is not the last time they will hear from him. After a two-year respite Edward emerges from underground with a group of vagrants at his back to enact some good old-fashioned revenge in a grand theatrical fashion. The first murder that occurs seems like a strange anomaly, but as bodies continue to accumulate the authorities soon begin to piece together the motive behind the deaths.
This is a plot that could go wildly off course in record time, but thanks to the talents of Vincent Price the story is anchored in some sort of heightened reality. You cackle along with glee as Edward gets to dig into these famous Shakespearean passages knowing that Price is having just as much of a ball as Edward. It speaks to the humor of the film that each murder is tied into the plot of one of Shakespeare’s plays, and part of the fun is trying to unravel the mystery behind which avenue he might take to bring his vengeance to life. This is a film that has no time to care if you believe these traps are realistic. Much like the slasher craze that would really kick into gear the following decade, you cheer Edward along as he sticks it to these mostly detestable critical figures. As someone who is in the business of evaluating art, the irony is not lost on me that I am cheering for Edward to succeed in his efforts. Each death has a wonderfully dramatic flair to it, with some even giving off a bit of a Saw vibe as a figure has to choose his own fate. This is an over-the-top premise and the death contraptions match that ambition.
Price is not the only one making an impression in this picture; Diana Rigg offers up a decent amount of camp in a strong performance where you are meant to question if she approves of what her father is doing or if she is really trying to help take him down. The script turns many of the critics into caricatures that are easy to identify, and that feels as if by design rather than any shortcomings in storytelling. This is a film that embraces absurdity and randomness; characters make ridiculous decisions regarding their own safety at every turn, and no one can apparently see through the numerous disguises that are adorned throughout the narrative. Theater of Blood admittedly will have you laughing more than it will be sending your pulse racing, but those who go in expecting this to be an outrageous dark comedy will be more fully equipped for the experience. It is not technically the best Vincent Price film on the market, but it is one of the ones that feels most underappreciated for the delightful lunacy of the whole thing. Vincent Price is having so much fun, so why shouldn’t we?
Video Quality
Theater of Blood gets a Blu-Ray courtesy of Kino Classics after previously being available through Twilight Time, but that disc has long been out of print. While I do not have that release to compare, it is with almost certainty I can say that this 1080p presentation is derived from the same master as that disc. While not perfect, this disc looks fairly strong throughout most of the runtime. The presentation rarely lacks the fine detail that you would hope for from a Blu-Ray upgrade. There are still an abundance of nicks and scratches, but for the most part the damage does not make this one unwatchable in the slightest. This disc does not digitally manipulate the pleasing natural film grain that is present without being overly clumpy. There are some nuanced, vibrant colors that make the film pop in a visually exciting way that ranks among the more impressive aspects of the disc. The skin tones look natural, but the presentation could stand to have some deeper blacks. The shadow detail sometimes falters with blacks presenting with a bit of a milky appearance. This film has not been the most widely available feature, so it is nice to see this one get another standalone Blu-Ray. The fact that the quality is mostly high is all the better.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a lively DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio lossless soundtrack that sonically represents the film well enough. The activity is primarily contained to the center channel with not much of an opening up with various elements. The menacing music that is key to certain moments sounds good, but it feels as if it is lacking a bit of power. It never overpowers the dialogue or other important information in any significant way. The dialogue lacks a bit of crispness and the track can sound a little hollow at points. The track also showcases a minor bit of age related wear and hiss. This track is good, but never quite reaches the level of greatness.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary #1: Screenwriter/Producer Alan Spencer provides his typically wonderfully entertaining and enlightening commentary track in which he provides ample background details about the story, the production, the performers and much more. Spencer is always a personal favorite to listen to on these Kino Classics releases.
- Audio Commentary #2: Film Historians David Del Valle and Nick Redman likewise provide a great amount of information about the film that surprisingly offers up plenty of information not covered in the first track. Both of these tracks are well worth a listen.
- Trailers From Hell with Alan Spencer: A three-and-a-half minute piece in which the great Spencer takes you through the history of the film and some of the plot points.
- TV Spots: A minute-and-a-half collection of TV spots are provided here.
- Radio Spots: Three minutes of radio spots are provided here.
- Trailers: The two-and-a-half minute trailer for Theater of Blood is provided here. There are also trailers provided for The Raven, The Comedy of Terrors, Master of the World, The Last Man On Earth, The Tomb of Ligeia, Scream And Scream Again and House of the Long Shadows.
Final Thoughts
Theater of Blood is a deliriously fun time thanks to the master Vincent Price establishing a tone early on and sticking with it throughout. The plot is patently ridiculous, but that is part of its charm. If the idea of Vincent Price reciting Shakespeare and killing people in inventive ways sounds like fun to you, this should not disappoint. Kino Classics has brought this one back to Blu-Ray with a fairly solid A/V presentation and a nice array of special features. Vincent Price fans will appreciate having access to this one if they missed out on it previously. Recommended
Theater of Blood (Special Edition) will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on September 7, 2021.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
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