Theater of Blood
A Shakespearean actor takes poetic revenge on the critics who denied him recognition. Edward Kendal Sheridan Lionheart (Vincent Price) is a matinèe favorite Shakespearean actor of the old school, finding difficulty coping with new theater roles, who wreaks revenge on on the theater critics who give their annual Guild's "Best Actor" award to a new and upcoming actor rather than him. Incensed by their choice, he does this in the most ingenious and disturbing ways by imitating death scenes taken from his final repertoire of his beloved Bard's tales. Vincent Price is well supported by Dame Diana Rigg, as his dutiful daughter Edwina, and a bevy of the cream of British character actors, including; Ian Hendry, Sir Michael Hordern, Dennis Price, Robert Morley, and Arthur Lowe. —Brian Carruthers Edward Lionheart is an experienced Shakespearean actor who plays to packed theaters and is very popular among theatre audiences. But he is habitually treated with scorn and ridicule by professional critics. At an awards show, a critics' committee ignores him and gives the best actor award to a novice actor. Facing despair, Lionheart apparently commits suicide and the critics are amused by his demise. Secretly, a group of homeless people rescue Lionheart from a drowning death and agree to help him as he seeks revenge. Two years following his apparent death, Lionheart sets out to destroy the critics who ruined his life. He stages a series of murders and other crimes which are specifically based on violent scenes from William Shakespeare's plays. —Dimos I Edward Kendal Sheridan Lionheart (Vincent Price) is as an actor overlooked for a critics' acting award, despite producing a season of Shakespearean plays. After confronting the Critics' Circle, an attempted suicidal dive into the Thames results in Lionheart being rescued by your typical paraffin/meths/turps swigging tramps. Lionheart then (presumed dead) exacts his grizzly, and quite amusing, revenge on the critics who denied him his finest hour. —Paul Batey A serial killer stalks London, targeting theater critics who he kills in methods inspired by Shakespearean plays. The police grow to suspect the killer is Edward Kendal Sheridan Lionheart (Vincent Price), an egotistical actor who leapt to his presumed death after being denied an important award, mainly due to his refusing to appear in any play not written by William Shakespeare. The remaining critics and the Police find themselves helpless to stop Lionheart's increasingly baroque revenge, though they contact his daughter, Edwina (Dame Diana Rigg), in a desperate attempt to find something they can use against him. Everything builds to a reenactment of King Lear in which Lionheart will succeed or die once and for all. —rmlohner
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