The House in Nightmare Park

The House in Nightmare Park

1977 "Ladies and Gentlemen - For Your Horrification - Don't See It Alone - Bring The Children"
The House in Nightmare Park
The House in Nightmare Park

The House in Nightmare Park

5.7 | 1h32m | PG | en | Horror

Comedy legend Frankie Howerd stars as the victim of sinister shenanigans in this hilarious spoof of British horror films of the early ‘70s. Starring Hugh Burden and Oscar winner Ray Milland, and written by Terry Nation. Foster Twelvetrees, a struggling tragedian who scrapes a living by giving hammy performances from the classics, can hardly believe his luck when he’s invited to give a dramatic reading at the country home of a well-off family. Joy soon turns to outraged horror when he discovers dead bodies, foul intentions, lots of snakes and a madwoman in the attic. Can he uncover the hidden family secret before he comes to a sticky end..?

View More
AD

WATCH FREEFOR 30 DAYS

All Prime Video
Cancel anytime

Watch Now
5.7 | 1h32m | PG | en | Horror , Comedy | More Info
Released: September. 01,1977 | Released Producted By: Associated London Films , Country: United Kingdom Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website:
Synopsis

Comedy legend Frankie Howerd stars as the victim of sinister shenanigans in this hilarious spoof of British horror films of the early ‘70s. Starring Hugh Burden and Oscar winner Ray Milland, and written by Terry Nation. Foster Twelvetrees, a struggling tragedian who scrapes a living by giving hammy performances from the classics, can hardly believe his luck when he’s invited to give a dramatic reading at the country home of a well-off family. Joy soon turns to outraged horror when he discovers dead bodies, foul intentions, lots of snakes and a madwoman in the attic. Can he uncover the hidden family secret before he comes to a sticky end..?

...... View More
Stream Online

The movie is currently not available onine

Cast

Frankie Howerd , Ray Milland , Hugh Burden

Director

Maurice Carter

Producted By

Associated London Films ,

AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime.

Watch Now

Trailers & Images

Reviews

Andy Howlett We were stuck for something to watch last night and we chose this 'hilarious comedy' to pass a couple of hours. We usually delight in watching bad films, but this one took us to our limits really. Frankie Howerd can be very funny left to his own devices, but here he is stuck with a script with weak jokes and a very thin story. Ray Milland has never been our cup of tea, but here he puts on a good show, seemingly resigned to the fact that his career was over anyway. Several notches less entertaining than 'Up Pompei!', it ground its way through our evening and we were quite relieved when it finished.
Leofwine_draca How much you enjoy this film depends on how much you like Frankie Howerd, the silly comedian famous for his roles in UP POMPEII and the CARRY ON series. If you hate him, then deduct a star from the rating. If you're a great fan of his, then add on a star. Although most of the film largely hinges around Howerd's character, there is also much more to savour. The plot is essentially that of a haunted house mystery, and digs up all the old clichés of moving statues of armour and the like. The bickering family, murderous over a will, is also an old chestnut and it's safe to say that there aren't many chills (apart from the mad old woman at the end taking her veil off) or surprises to be had when watching this contrived film.However the costumes and scenery, including the authentic Victorian house, are very nice to look at, and there is also a good ensemble cast, the acting honours going to Hugh Burden as Reginald, whose trademark catchphrase "swine" manages to be repeatedly funny, and Ray Milland as a seemingly polite but inherently psychotic host. With a good, spooky score to keep things moving along, a lively screenplay by Terry Nation (DR WHO) and above-average direction by Peter Sykes (TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER), THE HOUSE IN NIGHTMARE PARK is an atmospheric piece which sufficiently retains the viewer's interest to the very end. However, comedy also plays a main part in the film, and while being variable at times (including some sniggering humour about breasts), it's rather good, but I may be biased in saying this.There are two scenes which stand out in sheer hilarity terms, the first being the dinner table scene where Howerd is unable to get any breakfast, and the second being the 'dance of the dolls', where three respected actors dress up in white makeup and pretend to be mannequins. It's certainly something you won't see anywhere else. Frankie Howerd is immensely likable in the central role, but whether you find his jokes funny or not, well that's up to you. Let's just say they're of the usual variety and he essentially plays himself. I found that while there weren't many laugh-out-loud moments there were certainly lots of smiling, knowing humour, including a blatant reference to PSYCHO. THE HOUSE IN NIGHTMARE PARK, hampered by a clichéd, average plot, nevertheless turns out to be a fairly enjoyable hour and a half of thrills and chills.
andrew jones There is nothing new about the old dark house routine...the family members gathering on a stormy night and some hidden treasure in the mix...The House in Nightmare Park, however, manages to escape the cliché and turns out to be perfect...I wouldn't change anything about the film.Struggling ham actor and general vain coward Foster Twelvetrees is invited to give some of his "inimitable renditions" (as he calls them) at a remote Gothic country mansion by head of the family Stewart Henderson (Ray Milland)After being dumped some distance from the house and his bags thrown at him Foster makes his way to the sinister looking mansion. We are shown how well Foster copes with scares when he hears a scream and takes off like a scalded cat. Also note some very good lighting and close ups with the lightning effects as Foster firsts sees the house. Very well done. Ray Milland is faultless in his portrayal of Stuart Henderson. Some of his looks of disbelief at Foster's acting are priceless.What ensues for the rest of the film is an amazing blend of comedy (sometimes subtle sometimes blatant) superb camera work and lighting and of course first class acting from all concerned. Another star of the film that must be acknowledged is the interior set used. The imposing Oakley court was used for the exterior shots so the interior had to be equally intriguing. The film is set in 1907 and the interior of the Henderson home captures the faded charm of the recently ended Victorian era. The wall paper, carpets, fire places all pay tribute to this era as well as conveying it in a slightly run down format. The well worn look has been very well dealt with. Finishing touches such as damp running down the wall near Foster's bedroom at to the effect. The Henderson family having spent a number of years in India have converted to the Hindu faith and brought back statues of the goddess Kali. This aspect worked very well and added a new dimension.Things don't get any easier for our cowardly hero Foster as more of the Henderson family turn up in the middle of the night under mysterious circumstances, a bed ridden Henderson is discovered..Or is he? , and to top it all a deranged old lady hidden in the attic offers him tea and then tries to end his ham acting career with a meat clever. Some excellent comic moments are shown between Hugh Burden as Reggie Henderson and Howard. Reggie takes an instant dislike to Foster and a series of mini stand offs come and go. These range from a battle over the last egg at breakfast (complete with antique silver in true mansion style) to Foster being called a swine endlessly. Another attempt on Foster's life comes in the form of a third Henderson brother named Ernest. Ernest and his wife Agnes are more switched on than Reggie and I dare say a lot more murderous. After quickly working out Foster is the key to finding a missing fortune in diamonds they try to bump him off with an injection of poison to the gums! Ernest is posing as a dentist while actually a vet! Kenneth Griffith turns in a top notch performance as Ernest if a bit short on air time.The Henderson family and their "dance of the dolls" routine is a mix of the bizarre with hilarity and sinister over tones added. The camera work is again top notch and you get the effect like looking in the back of the spoon.I first taped this film many years ago on VHS late one night. It never seems to be shown on TV so I had a long wait until it was realised on DVD. The wait was worthwhile. The quality is excellent; visually it looks like it was made yesterday. Director Peter Sykes had already directed a hammer horror film prior to The House In Nightmare Park so you get his amazing use of odd camera angles and creepy lighting shown off to the max. I don't believe the horror element would have worked as well if a director with no horror film experience had been hired. Sykes also does another brilliant thing... He keeps Frankie Howard's performance from getting to over the top and too full of ooooo aaaaa's the balance is great. I once read that Howard thought this was his best film. I certainly believe it is.I hope you enjoy this film as much as I do; it seems to have a timeless charm. Ps, spare a thought for poor Foster Twelvetrees as he's left alone on his newly acquired bleak estate digging for diamonds. I wonder if he ever found them.
Spikeopath The House in Nightmare Park is directed by peter Sykes and written by Clive Exton and Terry Nation. It stars Frankie Howerd, Ray Milland, Hugh Burden, Kenneth Griffith, John Bennett, Rosalie Crutchley, Ruth Dunning and Elizabeth MacLennan. Music is by Harry Robinson and cinematography by Ian Wilson.Tragerian actor Foster Twelvetrees (Howerd) is invited out to the remote Henderson Mansion to perform a dramatic reading for the residents. But there are ulterior motives at work and Foster will do well to survive the experience...RAJA!In reality it is what it is, a British Old Dark House comedy fronted by a comedy legend in Frankie Howerd. Thus if you like the formula and have a penchant for Howerd's type of humour? Then there's enough here to entertain you. Plot deals in standard "inheritance" treasure map conventions, with Twelvetrees forced to deal with attempts on his life as he dodges the batty old bat in the attic and snakes in the basement.The Henderson Klan are a mixed bunch of eccentrics and nefarious loons, led by a delightfully off-kilter Milland, and some sequences carry a real Guignol weirdness to them; with a marionette play standing out as gloriously weird. Bonus here is the Technicolor photography and Robinson's musical score.Filmed at Oakley Court, a mansion that has been used for a number of Hammer Horrors and detective mysteries, the design and vivid realisation of the colour scheme is most impressive. Robinson's score is a cracker and deserves a better movie, beautiful orchestrations blend with sinister strains, the Musical Suite option on Network's DVD release runs at 30 minutes and comes highly recommended as an extra of note.The joke is stretched a bit too thin come the second half of the play, and this is hardly in the same league as other horror spoofs like Cary On Screaming, but there's rewards to be had here. Though maybe it's best watched with a prescription of liquor to really get the most out of it? 6.5/10