This completely bizarre horror-comedy is notable for a few reasons; mostly due to the fact that it features a late performance from the great Vincent Price and because it stars British comedian Kenny Everett. The humour is something of a mixed bag, as the film attempts to get laughs from a range of places; and doesn't always succeed. Some of the humour is absolutely pitch black to the point where I wasn't sure if I was supposed to laugh or not, while other areas of the movie are really stupid and overall, not much of it fits together nicely. The film does manage a few moments of hilarity, however, most notably the discussions about the deaths at the central location in a local pub and a great scene that sees Kenny Everett's doctor operating on a patient. The plot follows a group of scientists that travel to a house known as 'Headstone Manor', which is infamous for the savage murders that took place there some years earlier. The house is also inhabited by a group of satanic monks that won't sleep until they have purged the house of its unwelcome guests.
As you would expect; the film is at it's strongest during the scenes that include the great Vincent Price, but this is also one of the problems as there aren't enough of them. I don't know if director Ray Cameron simply couldn't afford to have Price in the film more, but Bloodbath at the House of Death would have been a better film if he could. Kenny Everett manages to keep things ticking over when Price isn't around, however, and the comedian does well in providing the film with most of its laughs. I'm not sure how into horror the director and lead star are as the film is mostly played out for laughs; but there is time to include some delicious horror elements. The central location is a nice play on the common 'haunted house' theme, and the house itself is dark, ominous and features numerous rooms. For a film with the word 'Bloodbath' in the title, there isn't a lot of gore; and this is slightly disappointing after the first sequence, which features a fair amount of it. Overall, this is undoubtedly a disjointed effort and not everything works, but it's a fun film and things such as the nods to classic films like Star Wars and The Evil Dead are nice.
As you would expect; the film is at it's strongest during the scenes that include the great Vincent Price, but this is also one of the problems as there aren't enough of them. I don't know if director Ray Cameron simply couldn't afford to have Price in the film more, but Bloodbath at the House of Death would have been a better film if he could. Kenny Everett manages to keep things ticking over when Price isn't around, however, and the comedian does well in providing the film with most of its laughs. I'm not sure how into horror the director and lead star are as the film is mostly played out for laughs; but there is time to include some delicious horror elements. The central location is a nice play on the common 'haunted house' theme, and the house itself is dark, ominous and features numerous rooms. For a film with the word 'Bloodbath' in the title, there isn't a lot of gore; and this is slightly disappointing after the first sequence, which features a fair amount of it. Overall, this is undoubtedly a disjointed effort and not everything works, but it's a fun film and things such as the nods to classic films like Star Wars and The Evil Dead are nice.