The House That Dripped Blood
Blu-Ray
Director: Peter Duffell
Screenwriters: Robert Bloch, Russ Jones
Cast: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Ingrid Pitt, Denholm Elliot, Jon Pertwee, Nyree Dawn Porter
Distributor: Scream Factory
Rated PG | 102 Minutes
Release Date: May 8, 2018

“Vampires! Voodoo! Vixens! Victims!”

The 1971 horror anthology film, The House That Dripped Blood, promises more than just alliteration. In addition to the vixens and vampires, there’s a lot to appreciate about this portmanteau production, namely Hammer horror icons Peter Cushing (The Curse of Frankenstein), Christopher Lee (The Satanic Rites of Dracula), and Ingrid Pitt (The Vampire Lovers). And if that isn’t enough, it also features Denholm Elliott (Raiders of the Lost Ark) and Jon Pertwee (Doctor Who).

Written by Russ Jones and Robert Bloch, the author of Psycho, The House That Dripped Blood comes to us from Amicus Productions, the purveyor of horror anthologies like Tales from the Crypt (1972), Asylum (1972), and Vault of Horror (1973).

This particular anthology, now available on Blu-ray from Scream Factory, begins with the mysterious disappearance of movie star Paul Henderson (Pertwee). Scotland Yard Inspector Holloway (John Bennett) is called to investigate and discovers that the old country home the actor was renting has been the site of many horrific happenings over the years.

Holloway questions the estate agent (John Bryans) managing the property, who elaborates further by telling the inspector all about its previous tenants. This framing device, or wraparound, sets the stage for some spooky shenanigans. In “Method For Murder,” a horror novelist (Elliott) moves into the house with his wife (Joanna Dunham) and is haunted by visions of Dominic (Tom Adams), the psychotic murderer at the center of his latest work. In “Waxworks,” a retired stockbroker (Cushing) and his friend (Joss Ackland) are caught in the tractor beam of a macabre wax museum that is home a statue of a woman they once knew.

“Sweets to the Sweet” stars Nyree Dawn Porter as a private tutor hired by a widower (Lee) to teach his daughter (Chloe Franks), but the little girl is not what that she seems. And finally, peeling back the mystery posited by the wraparound, “The Cloak” tells the story of a movie star (Pertwee) who moves into the house while starring in a vampire movie being shot nearby. He buys a cloak from a peculiar shopkeeper (Geoffrey Bayldon) for his character’s costume but his co-star (Pitt) soon discovers that the cloak instills the wearer with strange, supernatural abilities.

When it comes to horror anthologies, no one does it better than Amicus. That’s not to say there aren’t better anthologies out there – Creepshow and Trick ‘r Treat come to mind – but in terms of consistency, the catalog of horror hokum Amicus has established is second-to-none. The House That Dripped Blood is a colorful, campy spookshow that feels a lot like the horror equivalent of the ’60s Batman television series, starring Adam West. It’s just fun, with a great cast and a clever script. If you’re a fan of Scream Factory’s previous Amicus release, the Tales from the Crypt / Vault of Horror double feature, then you’ll definitely want to seek this one out.

The House That Dripped Blood is sophisticated schlock, handsomely crafted and well-acted. Scream Factory’s Blu-ray release is beautifully remastered, with a 1080p high-definition presentation (1.85:1 aspect ratio) and DTS-HD Master Audio Mono. It also has a solid selection of special features, including an informative audio commentary by film historian and author Troy Howarth. His books So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films, The Haunted World of Mario Bava, and Splintered Visions: Lucio Fulci and His Films are must-reads for any self-respecting horrorhound. There’s also a commentary with director Peter Duffell And Jonathan Rigby, an actor and film historian best known for his books, English Gothic: A Century of Horror Cinema and Christopher Lee: The Authorised Screen History.

There’s also a new interview with second assistant director Mike Higgins, as well as a vintage featurette, “A-Rated Horror Film,” featuring interviews with the cast and crew. You can also expect your standard assortment of theatrical trailers, radio spots, and still galleries.

Scream Factory’s The House That Dripped Blood is now available at Amazon. Check out a trailer, clips from the film, and the Blu-ray release’s kick-ass cover art below!

Trailer

Clip: Crackerjack Psychiatry

Clip: Slow Motion Dreams

Cover Art

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