Horror Anthology From Psycho Creator Is ’70s Best Kept Secret, Stream Without Netflix

The House That Dripped Blood wraps a police investigation of a missing film star around its four stories. As Inspector Holloway arrives at the old country house to begin to gather information, he is given the home’s bloody history by local police officers that each unfold into individual vignettes.

The first tale, “Method for Murder,” stars Denholm Elliott as Charles Hillyer, a horror novelist who is busy writing a book about a murderous psychopath. When he begins to see the character he has created leap from the pages and into his life, audiences are unsure if the fevered writer is suffering from a split personality or if there is something supernaturally sinister at play.

The House That Dripped Blood begins its second segment, “Waxworks,” with retired stockbroker Philip Grayson (Peter Cushing) taking a tour of a local wax museum. When he sees a figure that strongly resembles a former love interest, an old rivalry is soon revealed that may expose the proprietor of using real people in his displays.

The third story, “Sweets to the Sweet,” follows a widower named John Reid (Christopher Lee) who hires a tutor for his young daughter. As the story unfolds, it’s discovered that John’s late wife was a practicing witch, whose abilities have transferred to the young girl. John’s daughter also has a malevolent streak that comes into play as she begins to recognize her powers and uses them to punish her strict father.

The final installment brings a vampire into the folds of a film production. Actor Paul Henderson (Jon Pertwee) is dissatisfied with the low level of realism in the vampire movie he stars in and winds up getting his own costume to add flair to his on-screen character. Among the articles he wears during filming is an ancient cloak, which makes the actor take on the characteristics of a real-life vampire.

“The Cloak” is the perfect final vignette for The House That Dripped Blood. Co-starring in this tale is Ingrid Pitt, who horror fans remember as portraying the seductive Carmilla in the 1970 classic The Vampire Lovers.

While not having quite the same masterful touches as Hammer Studios, Amicus Productions succeeds in giving audiences horrifying sequences within each vignette that get high marks on both the gore and thrill scale, all the while presenting the film with great touches that are aesthetically pleasing. Every set and every costume catches the eye and almost detracts from the buildup of terror.

The House That Dripped Blood also succeeds with Bloch’s efforts to write horror tales that are as frightening as they are interesting. As with most anthology films, there’s not much time wasted in how these stories unfold, making them perfect mini movies.

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Familiar faces from the British film world appear throughout The House That Dripped Blood, including a handful that are horror icons. Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing (who also lent their talents to the Amicus Productions film Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors) both give their best in their respective vignettes, as do Ingrid Pitt, Denholm Elliott, and John Bennett.

You can stream Robert Bloch’s The House That Dripped Blood for free on Tubi.