Theater of Blood

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Theater of Blood

R

1973

1h 44m

Horror

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

40 Reviews

81%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Edward Lionheart (Vincent Price) is incensed that his last season of performances in Shakespearean plays did not win him a prestigious acting award from critics. After an unsuccessful attempt at suicide, Lionheart is rescued by a group of drug-addicted bums. He then sets out to murder all of his critics, each with a different style of death taken from a Shakespeare play. When Lionheart faces head critic Peregrine Devlin (Ian Hendry), he offers Devlin a second chance to bestow the award.

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Critics Consensus

Deliciously campy and wonderfully funny, Theater of Blood features Vincent Price at his melodramatic best.

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Colin Bennett

The Age (Australia)

A lot of fun, if you don't mind the gallons of ketchup.

Sep 28, 2022

Full Review

Derek Malcolm

Guardian

Isn't too bad at all.

Sep 27, 2022

Full Review

Eric Shorter

Daily Telegraph (UK)

A jokey horror film.

Sep 27, 2022

Full Review

Kristin Battestella

InSession Film

We enjoy seeing the pompous critics get their predictable comeuppance in these uninhibited seventies does Shakespeare deaths thanks to the sinful humor and wild thespian mayhem.

Apr 19, 2024

Full Review

R.H. Gardner

Baltimore Sun

All it really does is waste a lot of good talent.

Sep 27, 2022

Full Review

Joe Baltake

Philadelphia Daily News

It's modish, hip, and cleverly gruesome.

Sep 27, 2022

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Steven M

Jolly good murderous fun.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/27/25

Full Review

Madoka A

Fantastic. Spooky. Funny. Great product! Really good!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/23/25

Full Review

Kalissa H

Vincent Price’s performance is great! Campy and very 70s, but entertaining.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/03/25

Full Review

S R

Too campy to be good. Maybe a little too heavy on the drugs. Price got away with a lot in this one. It was on the "Time Out for Best British Films" list. Saw on Tubi.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

12/27/24

Full Review

Will G

Magnificent! Well acted and tremendous fun.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/26/24

Full Review

Alec B

Immense fun and a movie about an actor getting revenge on the critics who wronged him is an undeniably great idea. Easily the best of Vincent Price's horror performances as it has the right balance of camp/menace/pathos.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/10/24

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Douglas Hickox

Director

Vincent Price

Edward Kendal Sheridan Lionheart

Diana Rigg

Edwina Lionheart

Robert Morley

Meredith Merridew

Ian Hendry

Peregrine Devlin

Harry Andrews

Trevor Dickman

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Synopsis

Edward Lionheart (Vincent Price) is incensed that his last season of performances in Shakespearean plays did not win him a prestigious acting award from critics. After an unsuccessful attempt at suicide, Lionheart is rescued by a group of drug-addicted bums. He then sets out to murder all of his critics, each with a different style of death taken from a Shakespeare play. When Lionheart faces head critic Peregrine Devlin (Ian Hendry), he offers Devlin a second chance to bestow the award.

Director: Douglas Hickox
Producer: John Kohn, Stanley Mann
Screenwriter: Anthony Greville-Bell
Production Co: United Artists, CineMan Productions, Harbour Productions Limited
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Comedy
Original Language: British English
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 19, 2017
Runtime: 1h 44m

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