Theatre Of Blood (1973)

Starring Vincent Price, Diana Rigg, Ian Hendry, Harry Andrews, Coral Browne
Directed by Douglas Hickox
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A Shakespearean actor, after surviving his apparent suicide, plots revenge on the critics who denied him his chance at a prestigious award.

One of Price's most praised films of the 1970s, it follows a similar plot line to the actor's Dr. Phibes movies, with Price again masterminding a series of murders of those he blames for a tragic event, but this time affords the actor the opportunity to play many of the great scenes from Shakespeare's plays, while enacting his revenge.  I wouldn't put it ahead of The Abominable Dr. Phibes on my list, but it's certainly well-acted and staged, with some of the more grotesque murders in any Price film.  The supporting cast is one of Price's finest, with the elegant Rigg playing his daughter, Robert Morley adding welcome comedy, and Ian Hendry, Coral Browne, Dennis Price, Jack Hawkins, and others rounding out the list of victims.  Highlights include a rousing fencing duel between Price and Hendry, Morley's disgusting but apropos demise, and the grisly death trap staged in an abandoned theatre at the climax.  

The Giant Behemoth (1959)

Starring Gene Evans, Andre Morell, John Turner, Leigh Madison, Jack MacGowran
Directed by Douglas Hickox & Eugene Lourie
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

The discovery of countless dead fish and a gruesome murder near a British port is investigated by atomic scientists, who discover a giant radioactive sea monster is to blame.

This British piece of sci-fi, very similar in form to Lourie's earlier picture, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, which showcased the stop-motion animation of Ray Harryhausen, is probably of most interest for effects work by Harryhausen's mentor, Willis O'Brien.  However, the creature in this film doesn't actually show up in animated form until about an hour into the picture, with earlier shots of the monster apparently accomplished via a puppet that is not animated.  Nevertheless, it's a more than effective film, with stalwart leads in Evans and Morell, inventive sound effects, and plenty of satisfying monster action.