The House That Dripped Blood (1971) #1FromTheVaults

The House That Dripped Blood (1971) is a horror anthology revolving around a rental house. Real estate agent, Stoker, tells Inspector Holloway about the four previous tenants. The interludes in between embellish the stories nicely. Be sure to pay attention to the small details; some of them are just divine.

The first story is about writer, Charles Hillyer, who has lost his muse and rents the house with his wife to work on his writing. As he starts writing, he begins to see the character, Dominic. The hyper-dramatic acting reminds me of AIP films, even the setting is reminiscent of them, but they had no hand in this one. This story tripped me out because, from time to time, I’ve seen the characters I’ve created too. The twist in this one is fun and unexpected.

Philip Grayson, a retired stockbroker and bachelor, is the next to rent the House That Dripped Blood. Peter Cushing is always great in his roles, and this is no exception. When her tours a horror-themed wax museum, he finds a waxwork that resembles a woman he has a picture of. Ascots galore in this one, early 70s fashion is still the bomb. The bizarro aspects of this segment are spine-tingling.

Next comes widower John Reid to reside within the walls of the House That Dripped Blood, played by Christopher Lee, who is another actor from the era that is always a good pick. His daughter, Jane, is pyrophobic. He hires a tutor because he doesn’t want her around other kids, which I’m sure the reason will come soon enough; Jane also doesn’t have any toys. The reason is beyond what I expected, and l loved it.

Paul Henderson is the disappearance Inspector Holloway is investigating and the final story in this anthology. He’s a pretentious actor in the horror genre and thinks himself as the know-it-all of everything paranormal. The fun begins when he buys a “Vampire’s Cloak” at a dark arts store, well it’s really a costume shop; this town has all the best shops. The strange explanation of Vampire powers is nothing I’ve heard on the topic before, but an interesting take. Being the cheesiest, I understand why they saved it for last.

If you get the chanced to see The House That Dripped Blood, you won’t be disappointed. I give it 3.5 out of 5 Stars.

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