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

Stink_Face First off this is the only review I've ever posted for a film, so that must say something about how strongly I feel for this one in particular, it really is a good film and I assure you is most enjoyable, you will not regret watching it.Secondly I would like to Pooh-Pooh The_Void from Beverley Hills, England's review (see above or below or wherever it is located) what utter tosh! this film is remarkable, a great cast, great atmosphere, engaging story of horror and in-family skulduggery, I don't know what film you were watching mate but to be honest you say that the jokes fell flat and blah, blah, blah but you then put your very own handle as "The_Void from Beverley Hills, England" is that supposed to be some sort of "funny" joke? Well, if that's the extent of your humour, no wonder you didn't enjoy this flick.This is a very rare film and if you get the chance to catch it I'd seriously recommend it.

BaronBl00d Frankie Howard got few chances on film to showcase his comedic talents. Nightmare Park(AKA House of the Laughing Dead) is probably his best effort to do so on film. Like Benny Hill, only not quite as blatant, Howard is walking innuendo. We see through his eyes and speech an almost endless stream of one-liners, albeit rather tame by today's comparisons. Howard is funny in the main role of a third-rate entertainer who loves himself that has been invited to a mysterious mansion in the English countryside. The rest of the cast is comprised of the inhabitants of the house, a strange lot indeed with Ray Milland as the head of the family. The story is whimsical, and utterly absurd, but through the efforts of Howard, Milland, et all, and the fairly atmospheric direction of Peter Sykes, the film comes off quite well as a somewhat gothic comedy.

smithers-5 This would be a fairly ordinary British seventies film but for its two main stars. This is a rare opportunity to see Frankie Howard in a starring role, and he does not disappoint. Ray Milland, too, is at his best, as a less camp (and in my view superior) version of Vincent Price. Direction is good, and tension and atmosphere are maintained well throughout the film. A must for Frankie Howard fans.