by Brett Hardel

Created on: July 24, 2008

It's curtains for his critics!

Over six gallons of stage blood were poured on this tale of a dejected Shakespearean actor Edward Kendall Sheridan Lionheart (Vincent Price) who vows vengeance on all the critics (played by prominent British actors Robert Morley, Dennis Price, Harry Andrews, Coral Browne, Jack Hawkins, Michael Hordern, Arthur Lowe, and Robert Coote, which was to be his final theatrical film)

that dissed his work over the years, nearly driving him to suicide. Price cleverly stages his executions with assistance from equally unbalanced daughter Edwina (Diana Rigg) after scenes in "Cymbaline", "Julius Caesar", and "The Merchant of Venice", among others. Funny, lively, not really conventionally scary, and very bloody with some startling Grand Guignol effects; those who gave Lionheart a "thumbs-down" are stabbed, impaled, decapitated, disemboweled, drowned, suffocated, electrocuted, crushed, and bludgeoned. Ironically several years later Price would claim to be "appalled" by "Friday the 13th".

Released on April 5, 1973, to a generally favorable reception (though some reviewers were squeamish about the violence) this quickly became a fan favorite - many believe it to be Price's greatest role - and Price himself loved this one as it allowed him to indulge in his dream of playing Shakespeare (and he does it very well, his horror typecasting probably kept him from doing it more). Price considered this a loose companion piece to the two "Dr. Phibes" films and also met his future wife in actress Coral Browne, divorcing his second wife to marry her. Actress Diana Rigg also considered it her favorite role, and the top-notch British cast signed-on to do the film as an homage to Price. One dissenting voice was "Psycho" author Robert Bloch who derided the violence as "just downright nasty" though he praised Price's performance. Shot solely on location in and around London, the violence was toned down by the BBFC in it's UK theatrical run but all subsequent video and DVD releases are intact. It was first released on DVD on August 28, 2001 with the only extra being the theatrical trailer (which newcomers should avoid watching first as it contains many spoilers.) It was re-released as a double feature on February 15, 2005 with the 1974 Price shocker "Madhouse", and again on September 11, 2007, as part of the Vincent Price: MGM Scream Legends Collection box set.

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