Bloodbath at the House of Death (1984) User Reviews

A bit hit and miss, like Everett's TV shows

[ogdendc · 6/10 · 3 June 2013]

Kenny Everett was a zany comic who started out as a DJ in the 1960s before fronting a prime time TV comedy show in the 1980s. This 1984 film is his only attempt at a big screen offering. Kenny died of AIDS-related illness in 1995, aged 50.

The film is a Hammer horror spoof, though many other films and genres are spoofed along the way. It is written by Barry Cryer, who appears in the title sequence. Eight scientists (including Kenny and, more plausibly, Dr Pamela Stephenson) investigate an old house where, 18 years earlier, 18 people were killed there in one night. The others are played by John Fortune, Sheila Steafel, Don (Rising Damp) Warrington, Gareth (coffee ads) Hunt, Cleo Rocos and John Stephen Hill. All were well known 80s British personalities but not entirely convincing as scientists!

The best known actor here is Vincent Price, though he only appears in a few scenes, as the 'sinister man'. Pat Ashton's appearance as the murdered barmaid marked her last appearance in a run of 20 years of British comedy shows before she disappeared, which is a shame as she was always good fun. It pretty much also marked the end of John Stephen Hill's acting career though he is better mapped as he went on to immerse himself in his Jesuit faith.

The film is a bit hit and miss, like Everett's TV shows - lots of scenes that don't really work, interspersed with occasional moments of genius. It is the only opportunity to see Everett on the big screen, and it represents a peak of sorts in early 80s British comedy. I don't want to judge it too harshly.

Bloodbath at the House of Death: Hugely hit and miss

[Platypuschow · 6/10 · 8 April 2018]

Starring horror icon Vincent Price & comedy legend Kenny Everett this camp British horror comedy is a hugely mixed bag.

It tells the story of a group of scientists and experts in their field who investigate the mysterious Blood House where 18 people were savagely murdered in one night.

When the jokes are on point the movie is really enjoyable, sadly too many jokes fall flat and leave the movie more of a bust than it should have been. With Price & Everett this should have by all rights been a cult classic.

To it's credit the film has a lot of imagination, from original death scenes to some fantastic satirical humour!

However for every laugh there are three or four poor jokes ranging from silly to cringe inducing.

A harmless effort and ahead of it's time, but comes across a bit rushed.

The Good:

Price and Everett are excellent

Very inventive kills

Some great gags

Well scored

The Bad:

Not as funny as it should have been

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Kenny Everett should have broke Hollywood

It have such sights to show you

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 19 September 2021]

Not from Hellraiser, but from many other movies from the 80s or before (this movie was made). ET and the Alien scene being the most prominent one I'd reckon. But there are other references and jokes/spoofs/stabs this takes on things you know. I mean it even uses a lightsaber at one point ... I wonder how much that would cost to have in your movie nowadays ... but back to this.

And just to be clear if you haven't figured it out yet: it mixes comedy and horror. I have friends who think that is a combination that is an absolute no go. They don't like it, if you feel the same way - well better not watch this. It's quite the curiosity though. Having Vincent Price in it, who I can only imagine had quite the fun time with this. Many jokes are silly, but if you roll with them, you can still enjoy them.

There is still enough blood and violence ... not enough to warrant the title mind you, but I would assume they used that in a funny self deprecating way! A weird little movie with surely a weird (in a good way) fan base for it.

One of the funniest spoofs of all time

[one4now4 · 24 October 2003]

I really have to say that this one grew on me. I didn't like it a lot at first, but then I started watching it over and it's definitely been one of my favorites for awhile now. What's not to like about it? I, too, am glad to see the positive feedback on this fun movie. It's not as gory as some might have you believe, but, as a comedy, it is a classic. They parody all kinds of fantastically themed movies here, not just horror films. The "E.T." parody is a riot. I guess to say much more on it (aside from the basic plot, which is information provided already) would give away a lot of surprises, so I'll just leave it at that.

A complete failure despite its potential

[TheLittleSongbird · 3/10 · 9 February 2013]

Bloodbath at the House of Death did have a lot of potential, a talented cast and writer and a great title being the starting points. But the execution undermines this, so in the end Bloodbath at the House of Death is a failure. It is not without redeeming merits though, the film is not badly made, Vincent Price while underused looks and sounds as though he is thoroughly enjoying himself and the Can Opener and toilet scenes are very effective. However, I just didn't find Bloodbath at the House of Death all that funny or horrifying. I do love comedy and I don't mind it when it is stupid and rude, but I've never liked it all that much when it's distasteful. And Bloodbath at the House of Death showed great distaste, the toilet humour is utterly infantile and the innuendos are incredibly smutty making the worst Carry On movie(the later entries had a lot of smut) seem tame. The dialogue is similarly unfunny, crude and somewhat stilted too, I even questioned whether Bary Cryer actually had anything to do with the writing at all. The story is very thin structurally and doesn't make any sense at all. I got the parodies but with two exceptions they seemed randomly strung together(and that is pretty much what the story was) and were too predictable and badly written to have any kind of impact. The ET parody was also rendered cheaply. The direction was leaden, and the entire cast were wasted. Only Price was good and even he deserved much better. Kenny Everett was very talented and evidently does try very hard but the quality of the humour here disallowed him to do anything interesting or fun with what he has. The rest of the cast don't make any kind of impression. All in all, a embarrassing failure for all involved. 3/10 Bethany Cox

18 Slain At House Of Death!

[hitchcockthelegend · 3/10 · 10 October 2013]

There was a time in my childhood when Kenny Everett was seen as the cutting edge of comedy, he pushed the boundaries and mixed zany antics with in your face attitude. Someone in the early eighties thought it might be a good idea for him to branch out into films and follow in the likes of Frankie Howerd and do a spoof movie.

A roll call of named stars from the era assembled for the gig, Pamela Stephenson, Vincent Price, Gareth Hunt, Don Warrington, Cleo Rocos and etc etc, names that certainly to Brits taking an interest in entertainment in the late 70s and early 80s were familiar with. In principal the horror spoof looked a good idea, but having been done so well by the Carry On team in 1966, all those that followed had something to live up to. And sadly filling out the movie with toilet humour was not an advancement in spoof movies.

The whole film just comes across as an excuse for mates to get together and lark about making easy money. Plot is completely irrelevant, the whole picture serves only to see how many spoofs of movies they can cram in. Everything from ET, Alien, American Werewolf In London and onwards is rolled out like some extended sketch show, usually accompanied by some lame joke involving gas, genitals or homosexuality. Stephenson tries to do some sort of plum in the mouth act that greatly annoys, Price turns up for the money and sleepwalks through his extended cameo, while Warrington and Hunt are trying to subvert their ladies men images by playing gay. And this before we get to Everett who is off the scale with his inane sense of what makes a good joke work on film.

Fans of Everett definitely will get something from this, while those who keep filing into current day theatres to watch Scary Movie 23, they also will find spoofing a thing of fine art. But when the funniest thing in the film is Vincent Price saying a swear word, then you know it's not really worth your time. 3/10

Exploding monks....

[FlashCallahan · 3/10 · 16 August 2012]

Six scientists arrive at the creepy Headstone Manor to investigate a strange phenomena which was the site of a mysterious massacre years earlier where 18 guests were killed in one night.

It turns out that the house is the place of a satanic cult lead by a minister monk who plans to kill the scientists who are inhabiting this house of Satan.....

This film sounded like such a good idea on paper. Kenny Everett, one of the funniest comedians of the eighties, joined by other well known British actors, written by Barry Cryer, and featuring Vincent Price. What on earth could go wrong? Virtually everything goes wrong, bar one joke involving a musical instrument and a toilet.

The story is poor, and the script is just one long list of unfunny innuendos that even a below average Carry on Film would be ashamed of.

The cast do their best with the material, but it doesn't work, and the whole thing falls flat.

This had so much potential too. Believe me this is one movie where the title is much better than the movie.

The "Police Squad" of horror films

[mike_cable · 7/10 · 2 April 2013]

This is a comedy in the tradition of Airport (Flying High) and Police Squad (or The Naked Gun), where a group of scientists are gathered to investigate the goings on at a haunted house in the country woods of Britain. Kenny Everett is the star of this film, pulling from characters developed from his various video shows to create his main character, with a good backup of other actors making up the rest of the group. The slapstick comedy (played seriously) comes frequently right from the start of the film but then tends to fall a little flat in the second half, but is still very enjoyable if you're a fan of Everett. Vincent Price's name might be a surprise for such a film, but he plays his role with the usual strength he carries. Pamela Stephenson has a memorable scene which re-energises the film, while subtle humour in other scenes carry it to the end. Check it out if you enjoy British humour.

Dreadful horror spoof. Even Vincent Price couldn't save it!

[braniki · 1/10 · 22 May 2010]

Terrible picture from any angle you could take it! I felt curious to see Vincent Price in that seldom shown British horror comedy which nothing could prevent to be hilarious... except the total lack of talent from the authors. No gag what-so-ever is a tiny bit funny in there! Often vulgar, not a bit clever, it seems as if the writers deliberately collected in one script the grossest pile of jokes they could imagine. I can hardly understand how Price excepted to deliver the terrible lines he was given. It made me quite sad to see him involved in that shameful piece of cr*p.

Try to avoid this waste of Kodak film at all cost, if you want to save 90 minutes of your life. I mean it. Honnestly!

1 out of 10 is the lowest I could put. It deserves at least 5 below zero.

Beware of ... Sinister Man!

[Coventry · 6/10 · 15 December 2009]

"Bloodbath at the House of Death" – every horror fan will undeniably fall in love with the title alone already – is a slapstick horror comedy/spoof starring the BBC radio presenter Kenny Everett and the legendary horror acting legend Vincent Price. Now, I'm not really familiar with the works of Kenny Everett, but I am a self-proclaimed expert when it comes to Vincent and the name of his character here pretty much summarizes his entire rich and highly respectable career. He is the "Sinister Man" and appears in the film, albeit less extendedly as I hoped, as some sort of deranged cult leader. The rest of the story is relatively simple: a random group of international scientists and paranormal investigators gather together at Headstone Manor, also known as the House of Death, to research the truth behind the legend of allegedly 18 people being slain at the place. "Bloodbath at the House of Death" is far from brilliant, sometimes hardly even funny, but I would definitely say this is an underrated attempt that understandably got overlooked in the massive horror/comedy offer of the early 80's. The script, co-written by director Ray Cameron, makes fun of great and obvious classics such as "Alien", "E.T.", "Poltergeist", Carrie" and "The Shining", but also holds more subtle jokes and references in store to reward the attentive horror freaks. Something I couldn't help noticing, though, is that quite a few jokes in the more recent "Scary Movie 2" were directly lifted from this film. Okay, admittedly, both film were basically influenced by the same haunted house classics (like "The Legend of Hell House", "The Entity" and "House on Haunted Hill") but still it's quite suspicious that the Wayans Brothers supposedly thought up the exact same jokes, like for example the ghost rape turning into a kinky sex game. Other than the movie-related jokes and situations, there certainly also isn't a shortage of textbook slapstick stuff like a blind character constantly running into trees and a crippled guy repeatedly falling flat on his face. It may not be politically correct, but it sure as hell is funny. Perhaps the main reason why I – and surely many genre fanatics with me – appreciate the film so much is the gore. In spite of the comical and non-horror friendly atmosphere, there are quite a few gross killings on display. The devilish house always repeats the same macabre methods of elimination, namely stabbing, hanging, struck by lightening, drowning, slit throats, etc. Some of the illustrations of murder here are a lot nastier than the case in many contemporary slasher flicks.

It's all done in the worst possible way.

[BA_Harrison · 1/10 · 3 November 2011]

Until now, I had 2009's Lesbian Vampire Killers down as the worst British comedy/horror film to feature home-grown TV 'talent', but I'd forgotten all about this absolute travesty from '84. Starring ex-Radio One disc-jockey turned TV superstar Kenny Everett in his one-and-only feature film role, plus a host of other familiar faces from British TV during the 70s and 80s, the film is a laugh-free zone from start to finish, the puerile script by seasoned TV gag-writer Barry Cryer featuring lame jokes that make even his worst material for Russ Abbot and Jim Davidson look like comedy genius by comparison, and the performances ranging from the perfunctory (Vincent Price) to the downright abysmal (Everett's TV co-star Cleo Rocos).

Given star Everett's trademark zaniness, Bloodbath at the House of Death could (and should) have been a hilarious exercise in excess, the move to the big screen allowing the star to be crazier, bawdier and more outrageous than ever before, and yet there is a frustratingly restrained feel about the whole film; true, there are a few surprisingly graphic deaths involving some cartoonish gore (which even earned the film an 18 certificate!), but the majority of the gags are tired, dumb, predictable and irritatingly scatter-shot, desperately parodying everything from Jaws and the Exorcist to ET and Star Wars in the fruitless search for laughs.

Priceless Price & Everett comedy

[jvframe · 10/10 · 17 August 2003]

A group of psychics and ghosthunters return to remote Headstone Manor on the anniversary of a ritualistic mass murder by mysterious monks.

I'm pleased to see only good comments registered on Bloodbath At The House Of Death, because it's one of my favourites. Favoured not for it's technical merit, but for the absolute dedication to Kenny's unique style of comedy - where no joke was either too obvious or too tasteless to be included.

Some of these jokes are supremely tasteless, for example the young woman who offers her bared breasts to the mad monk as he threatens her with a knife: "You want these, don't you?" and then she screams "Oh my god, did you say "To take away?!".

Vincent Price has a very good time as the very Sinister Man.

I was lucky to see this on the big screen here in Australia and I also considered myself lucky to have bought an ex-rental VHS years ago. However there are quite a few dark scenes which VHS tape simply cannot reproduce with adequate definition.

2011 update: In July 2008 a DVD was officially release in the UK and I am very impressed. The video and audio quality are first class (the video transferred from the original negative).

Now we get to enjoy Bloodbath in its original theatrical aspect 1.85:1 - with none of the limitations mentioned for the VHS version. The extra features are valuable - including a pdf file of the script, the UK and USA trailers, and a wonderful, highly informative 22 minute retrospective documentary. I loved seeing snippets of Kenny in Australia promoting the film - and enjoyed learning the background story of how this magnificent purposefully B grade film sadly missed getting the exposure and wide success which it truly deserved.

Twenty five years after the limited cinematic release the world has a second chance to embrace "Bloodbath At The House Of Death" as one of the all-time great kitsch cult classics.

Not quite a bloodbath or a laugh-fest; but fun enough

[The_Void · 7/10 · 17 July 2006]

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.

Pointless & unfunny camp spoof horror comedy. Makes Scary Movie look like a classic!

[poolandrews · 3/10 · 13 November 2011]

Bloodbath at the House of Death is set in rural Endland where a team of scientists arrive at Headstone House to investigate strange radioactive paranormal activity. In charge is Dr. Lukas Mandeville (Kenny Everett) aided by his young assistant Dr. Barbara Coyle (Pamela Stephenson), after an awkward encounter with the locals in a nearby village Mandeville & Coyle arrive at Headstone House & find the rest of the team waiting there. As the night passes the scientists start to experience strange phenomenon, eventually they are killed off one by one & replaced by replica Devil worshipping aliens.

This British production was co-written, co-produced & directed by Ray Cameron & is generally disliked as an unfunny horror comedy spoof with zero plot & who am I to disagree with such an accurate appraisal? Made at the time when both horror & leading man Kenny Ecerett were popular it probably seemed like a good idea at the time to combine the two, quite why Everett agreed to be in this crap is a mystery to be honest. With virtually no story to speak of it's left to the loosely connected little comedy sketches that try to spoof & mock various horror films including The Haunting (1963), Carrie (1976), Alien (1979), The Shining (1980), An Emerican Werewolf in London (1981), The Entity (1982), E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), all the teen slashers that were big business back then & even references Star Wars (1977) with little success is has to be said. The main problem for me was that Bloodbath at the House of Death is just painfully unfunny, sure it comes down to personal preference but I thought the humour, jokes & gags were just lame. At just under 90 minutes long there is very little story here & none of it makes sense one bit as things happening for no apparent reason with no apparent consequence. Why is Everett given a false leg? Why not kill the scientists rather than try to scare them away?Bloodbath at the House of Death really does feel like a five minute comedy show sketch drawn out to feature film length, not one of British horror's finest moments.

The film is reasonably well made & spoofs various scenes in films like the pub scene in An American Werewolf in London, the chest-burster scene in Alien, the rape scene in The Entity & even has a character decapitated by a Stars Wars style Light Saber. The special effects are variable, the E.T. spoof at the end looks awful for instance. There's some blood splatter & a couple of decapitations but not much gore.

Filmed in Hertfordshire here in the UK I suspect this had a fairly low budget & again I don't really understand why TV comedian & radio DJ Kenny Everett agreed to do it, surely he didn't think it would be his big break in films? The acting is all over the place with some terrible performances & other's who just go for it. Horror legend Vincent Price is wasted in what turned out to be his last British horror film.

Bloodbath at the House of Death make the Scary Movie series seem like classics, I'm sorry but I just didn't find any of it funny & it ended up disappointing as both a horror film & a comedy. A waste of some good talent & a waste of potential.

Why is this film so good and so few people know the toilet scene. .

[rtooley · 30 July 2006]

This movie is a classic - it must be, I have been living in Russia and seen 2 copies for sale (legal of course) on DVD (converted from VHS). I still laugh just thinking about it!!! It is so corny but clever. I VAS ZE VORLDS GREATEST!!!! The music to jaws on the bass and the toilet / Hall scene. Making love with a ghost .. . then "I guess I will never see you again" The scene in the pub. The two gay men in the car.. . The song. . . . . Its just great. the thing I notice the most is there is no swearing!!! its just clever This movie is one you can watch many times and as you see it more often, you start to pick up more and more subtle things.

Disastrous horror parody, painfully unfunny and thoroughly tiresome throughout.

[barnabyrudge · 1/10 · 25 January 2013]

Holy Mary Mother Of God, horror parodies can be really bad when not handled properly (see Transylvania 6,500, Saturday The 14th and Haunted Honeymoon for further reference)… and this obscure little British entry is one of the worst of the lot. Tiresome beyond belief, the makers somehow managed to persuade some talented stars to lend their faces to this garbage. Vincent Price, for example, as a 700 year old cult leader who swears a lot; Kenny Everett as a paranormal investigator who was formerly a brilliant surgeon in Germany until he accidentally dropped his monocle into a patient's insides during an operation; Pamela Stephenson as a lisping scientist who ends up getting the best sex of her life from a randy poltergeist; and Graham Stark as a blind man who inadvertently destroys everything in his path wherever he goes. On paper it sounds almost funny, but in reality sadly it never gets that far… in fact, this pitiful film is buried irretrievably several feet below rock bottom.

Following the massacre of 18 people at a creepy country manor, a number of scientists visit the house in question several years later to investigate high levels of radioactivity at the site. Here they experience numerous supernatural goings-on as they try to find out what's going on. Meanwhile, a number of local villagers led by a700 year old cultist (Vincent Price) march upon the house and attempt to 'cleanse' it of the unwelcome outsiders.

The plot itself doesn't hang together for a second and there's little point wasting another word trying to describe it. Instead, the film unfolds like a series of randomly connected comedy skits, sometimes poking fun at other horror films as they go. Everett hacks down a door with an axe, a la Jack Nicholson, in order to tell the girl inside that it's dinner time. Whilst walking through a dingy tunnel, one woman looks up and screams "Bat!" – a moment later a cricket bat falls down and clonks someone on the head. At one point Everett stops midway through a meal, clutches at his stomach while an alien life-form rises up inside him, then burps and excuses himself. That's the general level of humour throughout, with lots of infantile toilet humour thrown in for good measure. The film is extremely tedious and barely raises a single smile during its entire running time. Most depressing of all is the absolute waste of horror icon Price, in a role that simply has to be seen to be disbelieved. The kindest summary I can come up with is that Bloodbath At The House Of Death is about as funny as a serial rapist. Avoid.

The Sinister Man

[parkerr86302 · 3/10 · 25 March 2020]

When made, the producers of this film stated they hoped it would do for horror films what AIRPLANE did for disaster movies. No such luck----this is a wholly unsuccessful spoof. The jokes are crude and unfunny, and there is enough sex and gore to rival a genuine horror film. In fact, since so many horror films are unintentionally funny, it is possible any viewers unaware of its intent might not even realize this is supposed to be a comedy.

The plot has a group of paranormal investigators descending on a reputedly haunted house, not realizing it is being used by a group of bumbling devil-worshipers. Vincent Price is their leader, only called The Sinister Man. He is genuinely funny and the best thing about the movie. Regrettably, his role is small and not enough to redeem the film.

Recommended only to Price fans who want to see anything he ever touched.

Kenny Everett is let down by a lazy script, cheap gags and poor execution

[Colbridge · 4/10 · 19 January 2022]

This silly, stupid, crass and juvenile British comedy was the star vehicle for the much loved comedian and former DJ Kenny Everett but away from the confines of his television shows and the sketch format he has difficulty in sustaining a feature length movie and is largely let down by long time collaborators writer Barry Cryer and director Ray Cameron with a weak, lazy and unimaginative script and at times poor execution. It's a shame Everett didn't have a hand in the writing because despite the potential what we have here is a disappointment and a mess of a movie.

A group of scientists led by Everett come together to investigate supernatural goings on at Headstone Manor where 18 people were previously murdered. There are occasional moments of laugh out loud humour amongst the blood spattering and severed limbs but these are few and far between. Everett is a likeable personality but the script often resorts to cheap gags involving bodily functions and takes side swipes at some genre movies of the day like Alien, Carrie, The Shining, The Entity and E. T. One of the best gags though derives from the playing of the Jaws theme.

Kenny is surrounded by familiar faces from British television such as Pamela Stephenson, Sheila Steafel, Gareth Hunt, John Fortune and regular sidekick Cleo Rocos. The major coup here was getting legendary horror icon Vincent Price on board who does a nice comedic turn but is otherwise underused.

If you are a fan of Kenny Everett this is a nice companion piece to his much loved TV shows with this being his only foray into feature films from a talented and influential comedian who left us way too soon.

Not Britains finest hour and half.

[leavymusic-2 · 6/10 · 4 November 2021]

Ok, it's got a lot well known actors and stars however the script they were handed appears to be penned by a very untalented writer, as is it's just not funny.

The only reason I gave it a 6 is for the superb appearances of Vincent' Price, who unfortunately by this late time in his career took what was available, the market place for veteran horror movie superstars as him had long dried up, Price was still making his mark writing, appearing in theatre, travelling, interviewing and unfortunately wasted in this non 0 tosh of a film.

Forget this rotten tomato and look for V Price movies directed by Roger Corman, and enjoy a proper slice of horror based on the Edgar Allen Poe story's. You want be disappointed like you will with this.

Puerile horror-comedy that desires to embody it's own bad-taste

[nbutcher-69458 · 3/10 · 10 November 2018]

I first saw this film back when I was eight years old and revisited it again thirty years later. It obviously it left it's mark as I clearly remember many of the scenes from when I first watched it! I found it funny and a bit horrific as a child, but as an adult I was left to wonder what the heck I saw in it all that time ago.

The plot seems to go out of it's way to attempt to spoof your typical also-ran horror movie. Eight scientists go to your typical haunted mansion, and they are cut down one-by-one until the last one survives. In amongst the plot, there are plenty of subtle references to films of the time, such as Alien, Star Wars, and E.T. etc. The problem is that the film is not really sure what it's trying to do. Is it horror? comedy? A thriller? Frankly, it does all three very poorly. It's not even trying to be intelligent and make any social commentary.

I have to come to the conclusion that the film just enjoys itself being a BAD film. It's attempt to spoof the B-grade horror movie results in this film turning itself into an even *worse* horror film - at which Bloodbath at the House of Death largely succeeds. In an attempt to take the mickey out of similar films, the dialogue is almost deliberately wooden, full of useless lines and blithe exposition. The jokes are often hit-and-miss, mostly tasteless, and many falling flat. The horror scenes largely just look weird and stupid. This whole disaster wraps up in a completely awkward manner. Even Vincent Price - in some of the best performances of the film - cannot salvage this shambolic, thrown-together mess.

This film is definitely one for "bad film" connoisseur - who will relish in it's deliberate transgressive abuse of the medium of film. Everyone else should heed the warnings that the scientists received - and stay away from the House of Death!

Vincent Price plays the Sinister Man in this Totally Bizarre British Spoof

[Witchfinder-General-666 · 6/10 · 20 February 2010]

Horror deity Vincent Price is my favorite actor, and the credited name of his character in "Bloodbath at the House of Death" - 'Sinister Man' - more or less describes the roles this great man played with brilliance throughout his fantastic career. "Bloodbath at the House of Death" (1984) is a title that is impossible not to love for a fan of Horror and Cult-cinema, and while the film is neither a particular highlight nor exactly a bloodbath, it is an enjoyably bizarre spoof that Price-fans should give a try, even though the master's role is regrettably small. The film stars British Comedian Kanny Everett; I don't really know the man's other work, but as it seems, he was a funny guy.

In 1975, Headstone Manor was the site of the grisly murders of 18 people. Some years later, a couple of Scientists including Dr. Lukas Manderville (Kenny Everett) and Dr. Barbara Coyle (Pamela Stephenson) gather at the the rural mansion, which is now known as the 'House of Death' in order to investigate strange phenomena...

"Bloodbath at the House of Death" parodies Gothic Horror and Occult Horror films as well as Slashers. Primarily, however, the film is full of extremely bizarre slapstick humor. This is great fun at the beginning, but I must say that the non-stop slapstick and fart-jokes gets a bit monotonous towards the end. Fans of weirdness and bizarre humor should still like this, however, as it doesn't get a lot more grotesque than "Bloodbath at the House of Death". Vincent Price is, as always, magnificent in his role here. Price is hilarious as a warlock and leader of a Satanic coven who is aptly credited 'Sinister Man'. His screen time is regrettably short though. Kenny Everett is also very funny in his role, as are the other cast members. Pamela Stephenson is particularly funny, and very sexy even though she plays a nerdy scientist. The murders in the film are amusingly bizarre and the gore-effects are hilarious. "Bloodbath at the House of Death" isn't a particular highlight and certainly no Comedy masterpiece, but overall, it is a fun flick for my fellow Vincent Price fans and lovers of bizarre humor. Recommended.

Mediocre Bad Tasted Attempt at Absurdity

[AnalyticalFilmCritic · 4/10 · 14 December 2022]

The movie by Kenny Everett starts out catching the interest of the audience with an interesting well directed mysterious murder scene at a country mansion. But from there the movie goes downhill. The scientists who are going to investigate 18 years later are not interesting characters and not well worked out. All the other jokes at bad tasted attempts at absurdity but are all to standard and don't have any intelligence behind them. Trying to shock the audience with sex jokes is very cowardly and demonstrating a lack of intelligence. An exception is increasingly fast cello playing turning out to be Everett playing the cello behind a door.

A brilliant portrayal of comedy unseen nowadays.

[camieabz · 10/10 · 5 January 2003]

This film had me re-winding and watching again and again years ago. Been a few years since I've seen it, and I still look for my chance!

Kenny Everett (sadly missed) brought his own brand of humour to the screen and it is seen best in this film. Supported well (by Vincent Price to name but one), he pulls a somewhat limited script out of the satanical ashes and keeps you laughing, not to mention groaning.

A comedy of the time, this film is more of a cult "do you remember?" than a film for anyone, but it's worth a look.

Nowhere near as funny as it could have been but Kenny Everett will always be one of TV's funniest comedians ever.

[Stevieboy666 · 5/10 · 4 April 2021]

British horror comedy about a team of scientists who assemble at a large, creepy country house and research 18 grisly deaths that occurred there to see if there was a paranormal explanation. Kenny Everett leads the team, this man was pure TV comedy genius, I can still watch repeats of his old shows and be reduced to tears of laughter. Sadly though his brilliance doesn't work on the big screen, the same can be send for fellow comedian Pamela Stephenson, she was great in the TV series "Not the Nine O'Clock News" but again her comical performance doesn't really work here. The other big name here is horror legend Vincent Price who plays a character simply called Sinister Man and is the head of a Satanic coven. He tries to ham it up as usual but this has to be one of the worst films that he's appeared in, listening to him swearing just sounded wrong too. The somewhat silly plot combines horror and science fiction, the ending is a let down. However, all is not lost. Bloodbath successfully parodies classic horror and science fiction films sixteen years before Scary Movie, these include An American Werewolf in London (the pub scene), Jaws, The Shining, The Invisible Man, even Star Wars! My favourites were Carrie, which featured a brilliant decapitation by tin opener, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the latter being rather creepy. It also stars Everett's side-kick Cleo Rocos, a beautiful woman and always a delight to behold. English Comedian Michael McIntyre has an uncredited role as ET, in fact his father Ray Cameron was the director. I'm not a fan of McIntyre but I found this bit of trivia mildly interesting.

Considering the comedy talent involved, both in front of and behind the camera, this is something of a disappointment, however it's not the dire mess that some claim, and I prefer it to Scary Movie (2000) any day of the week.

Delicious spoof of satanic-house-teenager-evil-dead--who-will-survive movies.

[NightOwl-4 · 29 September 1998]

Play "spot-the-movie" in this comedy which features allusions to Carrie, Close Encounters, The Invisible man, Jaws, Rocky Horror Picture Show and many more. Sing the inventory of killings at the "House of Death" to "The 12 Days of Christmas". Don't expect a great plot or serious social commentary because this spoof isn't that kind of film. If you just want to veg out and relax you can try to guess who will die next -- and how.