Vincent Price plays a Shakespearian actor Edward Lionheart, who re-enacts murder scenes penned by the famous bard, in order to gain revenge on the nine theatre critics who have denied him the Best Actor of the Year award. His accomplice is his devoted daughter (Diana Rigg) and together they seek revenge in a most bloody and violent way: one critic is decapitated in his bed, one is made to murder his own wife and another is forced to eat his beloved dogs.

Cord the Seeker undertakes a journey to discover the Book of Enlightenment. On his way he does battle with Monkey, Panther, Rhythm and Zetan, Keeper of the Book. His only companion is a blind man who plays a haunting flute. This combination of martial arts and spiritualism was originally written as a vehicle for Bruce Lee, although the project was abandoned long before his untimely death.