Horror Hospital (1973) Michael Gough, Robin Askwith, Vanessa Shaw, Ellen Pollock, Dennis Price Movie Review

Horror Hospital (1973)   2/52/52/52/52/5


Michael Gough in Horror Hospital (1973)

The Mad Scientist

After another bust up with a singer, rocker Jason (Robin Askwith) decides he needs a break and after spotting an advert for country retreats jumps on a train and heads there. It is on the train he meets Judy (Vanessa Shaw) the niece of the husband and wife who run this health retreats. But no sooner have they got there and started to hook up they are trying to find a way to escape as it seems her uncle, Dr. Storm (Michael Gough) is using guests for his scientific experiments and having those who try to escape killed.

I guess you had to be over 18 in 1973 to appreciate "Horror Hospital" as having been born in 1972 and now watching it for the first time at the age of 43 I am sort of bemused by it. On one hand you have Robin Askwith delivering what for me is pretty much a typical Robin Askwith cheeky chappy style performance, which is entertaining but nothing special. And accompanying this is some gratuitous nudity which in fairness I would have probably enjoyed if I had seen this when I was 18 but now think so what.

Alongside all this are the various experiments which have gone on with Dr. Storm having his creatures who maintain control for him which whilst quirky also are not that special, well neither frightening or funny. About the only thing which for me is entertaining is to see Michael Gough delivering sinister as a mad scientist and it is sinister which is amusing rather that scary. And that sadly it which really does little for me and I guess is a case of you had to be watching this back in 1973 to appreciate.

What this all boils down to is that "Horror Hospital" did nothing for me other than waste almost 90 minutes of my day although it is the sort of movie which I could understand why some might have cherished memories of if they saw it back in 1973.


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