Novel proof reader Ernie is reading horror novels late one night when he has interrupted by a mysterious man claiming to be the lawyer representing Ernie's late uncle who has recently passed on. Ernie and his friend Sid travel up to his uncle's creepy mansion in Yorkshire to attend the reading of the will with the rest of the unhinged family. However a murder occurs within the group and anyone could be the suspect. Ernie and Sid try to avoid joining the body count while working out who is behind the killings.
The leads here made me think this would be a Carry On style film a la `Carry on screaming'. However it is more of a gentle spoof than a festival of innuendo and excess. The plot is the story `The Ghoul' rewritten for laughs, and it contains every horror cliché that exists! From the thunderstorm, the power cut right down to the inclusion of Donald Pleasance in the cast! Of course it's never going to be a great film, rather it's clichéd and played for gentle laughs without completely making fun of the material. Instead the story is the same but the characters are made fun of and exaggerated for humour.
The two leads are also given reign to make fun and operate outside of the clichés in the story. In fact Sid draws attention to them well and it helped me laugh along with him basically giving a nudge and a wink. James is always strong in the type of role where he gets to play himself and Kenneth Connor does well as the timid jumpy side of the duo.
Overall it isn't hilarious rather gently amusing. The plot is all cliché but then that's the point. Sid James and Kenneth Connor deliver convincingly and do well where other performers may have struggled to be relaxed and enjoyable.
