The House in Nightmare Park
The House in Nightmare Park
PG | 01 September 1977 (USA)
The House in Nightmare Park Trailers

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..?

Reviews
Micransix Crappy film
StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.
Yash Wade Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.
Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.
kathriley-203-948026 This has become a bit of a cult film for our family. Two branches meet and we have to watch house on nightmare park. Yes the humour is crass, but we love it. We know the one liners and get a kick out of being the first to say them, ' I was only showing her my little Nell', ' you filthy swine' etc. Excellent British non pic humour.
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.
iwan_williams I have seen this film, or movie if you prefer, on a couple of occasions and found it very entertaining.Critics of the film have over the years said it would have been so much better with Bob Hope in the lead role, but this is surely the kind of role that Hope, albeit very effectively, played to excess through his career? so its nice to see another actor have a stab at a 'Hope-esque' role.Howerd breezes through the film delivering his lines with a 'poker' face, as only he could, and seems to be rather enjoying the experience. I would say that this is one of his more engaging performances.Some scenes are superbly weird, especially the family's 'living marionette' act, at the end of which Howerd asks in his memorable diction "I wonder what they do for an encore?" Watching this film is a very passable way of spending a couple of hours!