Dr. Death...For Real

November 01, 2020

Dr. Death...For Real

I have a whole bunch of horror films that I recorded over the month of October that I didn't feel I had to cram into any ridiculous viewing schedule. I dunno--I think I just wanted to give some of these gems a relaxed viewing where no pressure was expected. I still realized when thinking about October today that I got in a hell of a lot of films. But the decision to just embrace the entire year as October, as horror isn't just a brief holiday but so much more to the fans who love the genre, was right for me.

So back in 2012, the last time I believe I watched Madhouse (1974), in was in October on a Saturday late in the month. "Madhouse" was a lot like "Dracula: AD 1972" for me in that I used to love watching it in a marathon of horror films when I took some days off from work. I like that it is a film sort of exploring how an actor of considerable fame seems ensnared in a trap to destroy him through the use of his gimmick...a horror character known for killing a woman through some grisly methods (described by even Price's deliciously named Paul Toombs during a party in his honor) in a series of films is now being used by a killer to implicate him. While Price is clearly the big star of the film and Cushing was cast as a chum of his dating many years in the film industry, I always thought Robert Quarry as a slimy producer--who started out in "adult pictures", working his magic into television, hoping an actress he's fucking will replace returning Toombs, after his recovery from a nervous breakdown (upon finding his fiance beheaded) eventually led him back to his most famous part of Dr. Death (complete with black hat and cape quite as theatrical as the character)--stole the film. I won't deny it--Price really has no restraints in the film. AIP really laid it on thick for Price's final film with them by highlighting as many films of his as possible ("Pit and the Pendulum", "House of Usher", "Tales of Terror", and "The Raven") in homage to Toombs, with Cushing's Herbert feeling slighted by never getting the opportunity to be Dr. Death himself. Horror fans do get to see Cushing and Price go at it some at the end, but I'm just not sure it will be enough to truly satisfy. Price going bonkers and burning down a set with Quarry's assistant inside after Cushing killed her with a knife stuck in the neck, just totally lost in histrionics will not be for all tastes but I thought it was a hoot. The end where Toombs applies makeup to look like Herbert, attending din-din with Adrienne Corri's Faye (her face/head disfigured from a car crash, costing her the good looks and sanity, ruining her career) is purposely bizarre and quite a unique ending. The "meta" nature of the film, giving us a look at behind the scenes of British film/television industry, where egos emerge, insults are thrown around by those in the industry among themselves (Quarry's Quayle is not a fan of Toombs, at all, seeing him as a stepping stone to exploit and dispatch), and anyone and everyone look to find their way in (the sexy Linda Hayden tries to seductively find some entry through Toombs but he dismisses her repetitively, while Quayle's lover isn't much of an actress despite his preparations to make her a star). I think giving us on-the-set scenes where Toombs prepares for the return role, is met with the murders, obvious production shenanigans, memories of what he once had and seems to always be on the cusp of losing, and admits to not knowing if he's responsible for any of the deaths as Scotland Yard questions him is rather neat. And there's lots of studio drama to go with the skull-mask psycho, with the same hate and cape as Dr. Death. I think Price within the burning set is greatly photographed...I have seen this in Price and classic horror montages in the past. I wish Cushing was more of a presence in the film--that always leaves me disappointed. The costume party where Cushing is made up as a vampire (as is Quarry, parodying Count Yorga, much to my gratitude) is such a cool wink to us horror fans because he was always Van Helsing, never Dracula. I still think it is a solid 3.5/5. I like that this is so weird. I think you can definitely look at "Madhouse" as a sort of chapter close to Price's career before he started to take a lot of television parts.