Tis the season for spooky kitsch and cult classics! This Wednesday Whimsy (Halloween Edition) features the 1981 horror-musical gem The Monster Club, starring the one and only Vincent Price.
Welcome to a very special Wednesday Whimsy! (Halloween Edition), where we dig up a rare and deliciously campy fright-night treat: the 1981 British anthology film The Monster Club. This cult classic is a genre-blending oddity, mixing classic horror tropes with live musical performances, all wrapped in a delightfully cheeky tone that only Vincent Price could deliver.
Directed by Roy Ward Baker and based on the stories of British horror writer R. Chetwynd-Hayes, the film stars Vincent Price as Eramus, a vampire who invites horror author R. Chetwynd-Hayes (played by John Carradine) to an exclusive nightclub for monsters. There, amid a backdrop of new wave and punk-era musical acts, Eramus regales his guest with three chilling tales:
- “The Shadmock” – A tragic story of a lonely hybrid creature whose whistle can kill.
- “The Vampires” – A satirical tale of a vampire family infiltrated by a secret government agency.
- “The Ghouls” – A terrifying account of a film director who stumbles upon a village of flesh-eating ghouls.
Between each segment, the club comes alive with live performances from bands like The Pretty Things, UB40, and B.A. Robertson, making it a time capsule of early ’80s music and horror aesthetics.
Fun fact: The Monster Club is the only film in Vincent Price’s legendary career where he actually plays a vampire. It also marked the final feature film directed by Roy Ward Baker and the last production from Milton Subotsky, co-founder of Amicus Productions.
The film may not have been a box office smash, but it’s since earned a cult following for its quirky tone, campy effects, and the sheer joy of watching horror legends like Donald Pleasence and John Carradine share the screen with Price.
Ready to dive into this monster mash of music and mayhem? Check out these clips and trailers to get a taste of the madness:
