Madhouse (1974)

Paul Toombes is a famous horror star, loved for his character of Dr. Death. As he throws an engagement party one night, his bride-to-be is found murdered, and he has a psychotic break, believed to be responsible. Years later, Paul has been in and out of institutions, and is finally in the outside world again when old friend Herbert Flay gives him a new job offer. He will star in a new Dr. Death series for TV. But it's not long before new murders occur, and Paul grows increasingly unnerved. He fears the Dr. Death persona is very real, and breaking free...

Madhouse is a late AIP/Amicus offering, giving horror great Vincent Price one of his final leading roles (though certainly not his swansong in cinema overall!). It's an enjoyably spooky time, giving us a nice amount of blood, murder, and intrigue. Madhouse is based on the novel Devilday, and diverges somewhat from the text (perhaps for the better).

While hearkening back to older fims, Madhouse has a slight psychological side, and feels like an early slasher, or a giallo, considering certain similarities. Lapses in logic, and a black gloved killer, as well as an unexplained touch of the supernatural.

The story is quite good, and Paul is an immediately sympathetic character, but one we're unsure about. Is he really the killer? It soon becomes clear that someone else is the true culprit, if only because there wouldn't be much of a mystery otherwise. There's a decent pool of suspects, and the reveal of the killer's identity makes sense, although their motivation is a bit weak! You mean they really killed half a dozen people over the course of a decade for that? Petty bastard!

Their identity isn't exactly obvious, but it's also not the most difficult to guess. While the who makes sense, the how's don't really hold up to scrutiny, when we see the killer elsewhere at the time a murder is taking place. I'm also not sure how they were gonna explain Paul ending up murdered, since that'd ruin his whole plan.

Madhouse is a love letter to classic horror. Not only does it have two (and a half) horror stars headlining, but the Hollywood setting is a nice touch. There are many callbacks, using real footage of past Vincent Price films (with posthumous 'guest appearances' from Boris Karloff and Basil Rathbone). These moments are fun, even if it's a bit unconvincing trying to make out like Pit and the Pendulum or Tales of Terror are actually Dr. Death vehicles. The TV interview was funny too, with how much time is taken up by clip shows! Paul has only just escaped a murder attempt and is clearly exhausted, so the host just cuts straight to clips, and no sooner than he says a few words, they're right back!

Paul is a likeable lead, as evidenced by his gracious behaviour in the prologue, and you feel bad for the guy! His genuinely loving bride is murdered and his whole world completely collapses, with the fun horror films of past becoming a source of anguish. This is only compounded when the murders begin again, and not only does the wider world think he's guilty (albeit getting a sick thrill from watching a real murderer), even he isn't sure, and considers ending it all.

Paul's friend and colleague Herbert Flay is a jolly fellow, with his own motives. And then there's his ex-wife and old flame to Paul, who's become a demented spider lady after a car crash led to her disfigurement. Paul's PR chief Julia is a nice girl, who gets close to figuring out the truth. Her fate disappointed me though. I felt she was the one character who should've made it out ok! Although at least her death does play an important role for the climax, whether you like it or not.

Then there's scummy producer Oliver Quayle, ex porn king, now media mogul. He has a good presence throughout, then all but disappears in the final act. He makes it out alive too! I like that it's not obvious, and some might say it's more realistic and less convenient that he isn't slashed. But it's still disappointing for a major character to come to nothing, especially when he's such an asshole! Who wouldn't wanna see him get a pitchfork through the neck!

The police are good, and I liked how smart they are. While not totally convinced of Paul's innocence, they're at least understanding that he's a sick man, not a malicious killer, and they also suspect it may not even be him at all, but a frame-up. And the victims range from regular innocents, to catty divas, stalkers who get more than they bargained for, and would-be blackmailers.

The death scenes in Madhouse aren't numerous, but there's a decent amount, and they're fun. One is a traditional stalk-and-kill, while another has what must be the dumbest characters, leading to a great double kill. But my favourite death in the movie has to be the bed crush. It's hilarious that the crew of this series even made this prop lethal, with so little safety in mind that a single dud switch means instant death. Then, come the next shooting scene, the bed's still there! They cleaned the squished body of the effects guy off, sure, but the offending device is still there, and hasn't even been switched off! Talk about a dedicated crew. And laundrymen!

There are more tense encounters and chases throughout, making for a pretty entertaining time. There are times when the movie lags a little, but not too badly. The final act is fun, with an unhinged Paul really getting to dramatise amid a fiery set. This leads to a smaller scale but good climax, with a final fight with the real killer, and an enigmatic supernatural moment. The only moment of its kind in the movie it makes you wonder, and has a nice sense of ambiguity.

The acting here is good. Vincent Price is a great lead, getting across both the humanity and fragility of Paul, as well as his more theatrical moments. He makes some bizarre faces too! Campy, but you can't deny their power! Peter Cushing is his usual affable self, but really gets to cut loose in the last act. Robert Quarry is alright, though you'd never guess he was a minor horror star in his own right from his pretty standard Hollywood producer role. Natasha Pyne is nice enough as Julia, while Adrienne Corri is totally froot loops as Faye, which I don't know to praise or criticise. The rest of the cast do well, with a high or low point being the crazy parents, who are determined to say every line in odd frenzied unison! And lastly, who else would show up but Parky himself, Michael Parkinson!

The effects in Madhouse are neat! We've got some good impalements and stabbings, an implied crushing, and a hilarious head rolling. The make-up Paul wears as Dr. Death is great, as is the mask and outfit worn by the killer. The use of spiders is impressive too! Either they used very convincing fakes, or these actors got really comfortable with spiders crawling all over them!

The direction here is good, with some effectively filmed murder sequences, and some great imagery, perfectly suited for a horror movie. The score is likewise good, with a few tense tracks, and some funky ones, in a very 70s way.

Madhouse has its flaws, but it's a pretty neat 70s horror, and one of the last of the old classics, before the genre began to shift into its modern era...