Story: Paul is a popular horror-movie icon in the Doctor Death franchise.  According to fellow actress Faye, “Paul has everything; success, friendship, love.”  That can’t last long in a horror movie kiddies.  Paul’s love Ellen had a past as an adult movie star that Paul can’t seem get over. So he killed her…or did he?  Paul gets committed to an asylum…and years later when he’s released, the killings start again.  Man you’ve gotta hate when that happens.

Scares: Don’t expect this to be set in a madhouse; the title is just to grab attention.  Madhouse serves up cozy “scary stuff” you’ve seen a hundred times if you’re a Hammer/AIP horror fan.  You can see all the clichés later 70s & 80s slasher films stole, like the killer POV, the victim scream shot to a freeze frame, and the killer’s final chase.

Splat Factor: Minimal, even with the slasher-esque killings. Think of this as Slasher Lite.  Oh, and Faye ends up looking like Helena Bonham Carter with leprosy. “burns”? No. Bad FX.  But this is AIP, so you know what you’re getting y’all.

Closing Scene “Shocker”?:  A fun ending that evens the playing field nicely.  THAT”S how you do a final twist, filmmakers.

Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: Altogether original, even though you know the stars and the “Dr. Death” movie footage seems familiar.

Trick or Treat?: Like Tootsie Pops, Madhouse is definitely a classic treat, even though it’s not exactly the coolest thing around nowadays.  Vincent Price, Peter Cushing. Robert Quarry.  American International Pictures. Sam Arkoff. Horror movie inside jokes. Hello!  You even get a costume party scene where Cushing dresses as Dracula and Robert Quarry is wearing his outfit from Count Yorga, Vampire.  Bonus: we get to hear Vincent Price sing!  (Yep, that’s his voice at the beginning and end of the film when a record is playing in the background.)

Madhouse is an interesting in- between film; not quite a slasher, not quite old school horror.  But any film that shows snippets of The Pit and Pendulum, The Haunted Palace (though lines are re-dubbed to fit “Dr. Death”), Tales of Terror, House of Usher and The Raven is a-okay in my book.  A definite must for all horror-movie-history lovers out there, but this is also a great Halloween movie for folks who usually don’t “do” horror.  With To The Cheap Seats acting and the usual groovy AIP pizazz, it’s more flair than fright.  But with these stars, that’s just fine.

Score: out of 5 pumpkins.