Have You Been Watching...? The Hammer House of Horror - The House That Bled To Death

 

It is hopefully clear by now that, not only will I be giving my thoughts on complete serials, but also individual episodes. When I first thought about doing this blog, there was one episode I knew I had to write about. This particular episode of a well-remembered horror series haunted me for many years (my own fault, having been far too young to watch it, but telling mum I was sick so I could “sleep” on the sofa and therefore watch this…).

The Hammer House of Horror is a 13 episode anthology series, first broadcast in 1980, and produced by ITC entertainment with Cinema Arts international and broadcast on ITV. Each 50 minute episode (1hr with ads) stood alone and there was no running theme through the series or host for that matter.

Each episode opened with a “teaser” (as short scene or two that set up the episode, then the opening credits. I mention this specifically as, for me, opening credits and theme tunes are just as important as the episodes themselves, for any series. Hammer house of Horror is no exception. The opening titles are a mixture of gothic eerie imagery, shadows in windows and help set up the creepiness of the series nicely, coupled with its amazingly atmospheric theme tune. There is no doubt watching these opening credits that you are in for a spooky ride.

Having nestled nicely in the back of my mind since 1980, my first recent exposure to this episode was on a VHS release, and then most recently, it gloriously remastered Blur-ray edition. Depending on the release, the episodes were issued in different orders, on VHS, The House that Bled to Death was episode one, but not on the blu ray. It does not matter, though, as running order doesn’t change the enjoyment.

So, the House that Bled to Death tells the story of the Peters, a small family comprising of Mum, Dad and their young daughter Sophie. They excitedly move into their new home in a nice residential area in the south of England. What they are unaware of, is the bloody history of the house. You, as a viewer, will be aware of this thanks to the “teaser” opening. Yes, we are into haunted house territory in contemporary England. As the episode rolls on, the house begins telling its horrific history through a series of pretty damn scary incidents. The one that lingered in my memory and secured it’s place in my history, was the scene that takes place at a party for Sophie. {spoiler coming} Sophie and a group of children are all enjoying themselves and the party is happily ticking along, when there is a banging sound and the creaking of pipes which dampens the party atmosphere. All of a sudden, the pipes burst and the party guests are sprayed with a bright vivid red blood. Cue screams and clearly distressed children and adults. The scene is quite unlike anything I had ever seen before or since.

The scares keep coming, until the truth of the episode is eventually revealed, and it is NOT what you would think. The entire haunted house story turns out to be a hoax, concocted by Mr Peters himself, as he was indeed aware of the history of the house. Indeed, there is a lot more to the Peters’ relationship than meets the eye! Having then been able to sell it to Mr AJ Powers, who then turned the Peters’ story into a book and film (in a way satirizing the Amityville Horror story, which was released in 1979), and he now is £1 million pounds richer. Powers’ part to play in the story is also more than the viewer might think. The family relocate to America, where they are living “the dream”. However, young Sophie soon discovers her part in the hoax and decides to take a bloody vengeance on Mum and Dad, using the same machete knives from the opening teaser.

It is a very clever script for the series, which relies on his horror, both in terms of storytelling, and from its legacy using the “Hammer” name. To then spin it around that the story is in fact a hoax, is very brave. The final denouement is interesting, Is Sophie acting out of revenge for her murdered cat? (yes, that happens) or is she in fact possessed by the spirits from the house? Has the hoax in fact had a truth behind it?

Nicholas Ball (whom sci-fi fans might recall as the Simulant from the “Justice” episode of Red Dwarf) and Rachel Davies (extra kudos to you if you remember her as Camilla in the Dr Who story  State of Decay, incidentally broadcast the same year) play the main couple, William and Emma Peters, while Milton Johns (mentioned in this blog having starred in King of the Castle and Dr Who) plays Mr Powers, the man who eventually writes a book about the Peters’ experiences in the house. Emma Ridley plays young Sophie while Blakes 7 star Brian Croucher makes an appearance as “George” one of the neighbours from across the road (whose introduction to the story is rather disturbing!).

It is a great “modern” horror yarn, and the lengths the couple go to to ensure the believability of the hoax wouldn’t go amiss with today’s Youtuber/tik tok fame seekers.

Year: 1980

Series count : N/A

Episode count: 1 (of 13) - depending which programme list you're following!

Availability: DVD/Blu Ray/streaming on Britbox