House on Haunted Hill is a 1959 American horror feature film produced and directed by William Castle (Strait-Jacket; 13 Ghosts; The Tingler; et al) from a screenplay by Robb White. The movie stars Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Richard Long, Alan Marshal and Carolyn Craig.

Eccentric millionaire Frederick Loren (Vincent Price) invites five people to a party he is throwing for his fourth wife Annabelle (Carol Ohmart) in an allegedly haunted house he has rented, promising to give each $10,000 with the stipulation that they stay the entire night in the house after the doors are locked at midnight.

The guests are test pilot Lance Schroeder (Richard Long), newspaper columnist Ruth Bridges (Julie Mitchum), psychiatrist Dr. David Trent (Alan Marshal) who specialises in hysteria, Nora Manning (Carolyn Craig) who works for one of Loren’s companies, and the house’s owner Watson Pritchard (Elisha Cook). All are strangers to both the Lorens and each other, with their only commonality a desperate need for money…

Reviews [may contain spoilers]:

“House on Haunted Hill might be dumb and corny and reliant to a ludicrous degree on Price’s withering sarcasm, but it not only knows what it is, it loves being what it is, and that’s enough to make it one of the very best “boo!” movies that I have ever seen.” Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy

” …it traffics in some psychological underpinnings in the way the Corman Poe outings often do, at least with regard to the obviously tumultuous marriage between Loren and Annabelle. If the Corman films exploit images that evoke a Freudian unconscious or even Jungian archetypes, in House on Haunted Hill, the Freudian element is pure Id, a raging, almost uncontrollable fury that seems to spark the characters.” Jeffrey Kauffman, Blu-ray.com

” …Castle seems to be spread thin even at 75 minutes, forced to rely on going over the same territory repeatedly until things move into the hokey payoff that largely discounts the entire premise of the film. Yet for all the structural foibles, it is fun to watch Price hold court, even amidst the heroic blandness of Richard Long or the bug-eyed line reads of Elisha Cook.” Rich Rosell, Digitally Obsessed

“Only a few scattered moments reach for ethereal effects, provided mostly by Von Dexter’s score and a quick exterior shoot of the Ennis Wright house atop a very un-haunted old-money residential hill in Los Feliz. Robb White’s idea of staging an unexpected suicide early on undermines our ability to guess what will happen, to the extent that even some of the cornier scares are enjoyably tense.” Glenn Erickson, DVD Savant

“William Castle set out to scare, and here is where he pulls it off the best. It doesn’t have his best extended scare sequence (that honor goes to The Tingler and the nightmare of the dumb lady), but it does have the best single scare (the old lady in the cellar), and it is consistently fun even when it doesn’t make sense.” Dave Sindelar, Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings

“As far as haunted houses goes, one can do a lot worse than the one here on Haunted Hill. It’s a great B-movie fright-fest that’s both clever and spooky, full of both ghoulish sights and haunting sounds (Von Dexter’s score is a moody, b-movie complement).” Brett Gallman, Oh, the Horror!

“To me, this is the quintessential 1950s horror film, even though it comes at the end of the decade. It’s totally tame by today’s standards but has some fun, over-the-top performances, a bit of witty dialog and a large helping of cheese.” Jim Vorel, Paste magazine

“At a quick seventy-five minutes, the film is pretty lean and wastes no time at all getting right to the meat of the story. Once we’re there, a few memorable set pieces and loads of atmosphere keep us entertained throughout. The film has a bit of a reputation for being campy but there are a couple of truly creepy moments in the film that will stick with you.” Ian Jane, Rock! Shock! Pop!

” …cemented Price as the man to go to for horror villains for the rest of his career, far more than one of his previous hits, House of Wax. It was scripted by Castle’s usual writer of such entertainments, Robb White, as a chiller, but what it really turns into is a murder mystery with a tricksy ending that reveals all has not been as it seems. Not that it is not ridiculous, but that is part of the fun.” Graeme Clarke, The Spinning Image

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“Another shameless William Castle shocker, this one simply can’t be dismissed due to the fact that it’s so much fun: bloody ceilings, trick doors, steel bars on the windows, tubs of acid in the basement… this is absolutely wonderful old school horror.” The Terror Trap

“As a plotted movie, House on Haunted Hill has the feel of a rough draft with a few loose trapdoors. It’s more than adequate as a horror film, delivering a few true shocks at perfectly unexpected moments. But these definitions can’t reach the heady thrill of effects that look all the more possible for being slightly fake, underscored with the flourish of internally consistent logic.” Zachary Wyman, Unsung Films

Choice dialogue:

Frederick Loren: “Of all my wives, you are the least agreeable.”

Annabelle Loren: “Darling, the only ghoul in the house is you.”

Cast and characters:

• Vincent Price … Frederick Loren
• Carol Ohmart … Annabelle Loren – The Spectre of Edgar Allan Poe; Spider Baby; Lights Out TV series
• Richard Long … Lance Schroeder – Death Cruise; Cult of the Cobra
• Alan Marshal … Dr. David Trent – Lights Out TV series; The Hunchback of Notre Dame 
• Carolyn Craig … Nora Manning
• Elisha Cook Jr. [credited as Elisha Cook] … Watson Pritchard – Salem’s Lot; Dead of Night; Messiah of Evil; Blacula; Black Zoo; Voodoo Island; et al
• Julie Mitchum … Ruth Bridgers
• Leona Anderson … Mrs. Slydes
• Howard Hoffman … Jonas Slydes

Filming locations:

Exterior shots of the house were filmed at the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed 1924 Ennis House in Los Feliz, California. The bulk of the film was shot on sound stages, depicting the interior of the house in a combination of styles, including 1890s Victorian, with gas chandeliers and sconces.

Running time and aspect ratio:

75 minutes | 1.85: 1 widescreen

Influence:

The film was remade as the 1999 film House on Haunted Hill. A sequel titled Return to House on Haunted Hill was released in 2007. Both films received mostly negative reviews.

Trivia:

The film is in the public domain and is free to view online.

There is a clip of House on Haunted Hill in Tales from the Hood 2 (2018)

Image credits: Wrong Side of the Art!

New and future releases

HORRORPEDIA on social media: Facebook | Google+ | Pinterest | Tumblr | Twitter

The Tingler – USA, 1959

The post House on Haunted Hill – USA, 1959 appeared first on HORRORPEDIA.

The Dr. Phibes Companion: The Morbidly Romantic History of the Classic Vincent Price Horror Film Series is a 2018 book by Justin Humphreys, published in the USA by Bear Manor Media.

“In The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) and its sequel, Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972), horror great Vincent Price starred as vaudevillian organist and super-genius Dr. Anton Phibes, architect of incredibly ingenious murders.

Set in 1920s London and Egypt, their outstanding Art Deco production design, absurd humour, and soaring romance made them hits, beloved by generations of horror fans. The Abominable Dr. Phibes’ admirers include directors Tim Burton, Frank Darabont, and Ken Russell. Comedian Kumail Nanjiani built a scene around it in his The Big Sick (2017).

Quentin Tarantino recently programmed it five times in less than two months at Hollywood’s New Beverly Cinema. Andy Muschietti, director of IT (2017), has said that The Abominable Dr. Phibes ranks among the scariest films of his childhood.

Stephen King quipped on Facebook that the phrase “doctor recommended” on commercials makes him think of Dr. Phibes. The Telegraph ranked it among the fifty best horror films of all time and The Museum of Modern Art screened it in February, 2018.

Now, Phibesologist Justin Humphreys expands his extensive previous writings on the series to tell the full story of these unique cinematic masterpieces. The Dr. Phibes Companion includes:

• An expanded version of “The Kind of Fiend Who Wins,” the definitive history ofThe Abominable Dr. Phibes
• A new essay on the making of Dr. Phibes Rises Again
• A new foreword by Dr. Phibes’ creator, William Goldstein
• Interviews with many of the series’ creators, including director Robert Fuest, screenwriters William Goldstein and James Whiton, art director Brian Eatwell, sound designer Peter Lennard, including previously unpublished conversations with organist Nicholas Kynaston (“War March of the Priests”), composer John Gale, screenwriter Lem Dobbs, and others
• Never-Before-Seen production artwork by director Robert Fuest from Fuest’s personal shooting script
• Previously unpublished behind-the-scenes photographs
• Photographs of The Abominable Dr. Phibes’ world premiere from screenwriter James Whiton’s files
• Dozens of illustrations from the Phibes films
• A thorough history of the “unphilmed” Phibes sequels
• And much, much more. Read on, relax, and enjoy. The organ plays till midnight…”

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Related:

The Abominable Dr. Phibes

Dr. Phibes Rises Again

HORRORPEDIA is truly independent and we rely solely on the minor income generated by affiliate links and ads to stay online. Please support us by not blocking ads on this site. Thank you.

Quick links to HORRORPEDIA contents:

A | B | C | D | E  | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

The post The Dr. Phibes Companion: The Morbidly Romantic History of the Classic Vincent Price Horror Film Series – book appeared first on HORRORPEDIA.

‘Triple distilled horror… as powerful as a vat of acid!’

Scream and Scream Again is a 1969 (released January 1970) science fiction horror feature film directed by Gordon Hessler from a screenplay by Christopher Wicking (To the Devil a Daughter; Demons of the Mind; Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb; et al), adapted from Peter Saxon‘s novel The Disorientated Man. 

Rights to the novel had been bought by Milton Subotsky of Amicus Productions. He obtained  financing via Louis ‘Deke’ Heyward, head of European operations for American International Pictures (AIP). Subotsky’s script was subsequently disregarded in favour of a Christopher Wicking version. Director Gordon Hessler commented:

“That was really a pulp book, a throwaway book that you read on a train. There was nothing in it, just empty pieces of action. But it was Chris who gave it a whole new level by using it as a political process of what might happen in the future. That is what made the picture, he’s the one that came up with all those ideas, yet he still managed to keep the nuances of the sort of pulp fiction novel.”

Director Gordon Hessler had previously made The Oblong Box with horror stars Vincent Price and Christopher Lee. However, here they only share a brief scene in at the climax, however. Third-billed Peter Cushing has a cameo role as Benedek, a military official in an unidentified Eastern European country.

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com

On April 2, 2019, KL Studios is releasing Scream and Scream Again as a Blu-ray Special Edition with an audio commentary by film historian Tim Lucas, Trailer from Hell with Mick Garris, plus a slew of trailers such as Tales of Terror; Twice Told Tales; Madhouse and House of Long Shadows.

Review [contains spoilers]:

Scream and Scream Again follows three seemingly unconnected stories.

In the first — and, the most disturbing — story, an unnamed London man collapses while out jogging.  When he wakes up, he finds himself in hospital.  He is tended to by a nurse who refuses to speak to him.  Whenever he falls asleep, his limbs are surgically removed one-by-one.  While we never learn much about the man, his scenes are perhaps the most difficult to watch.  Everything from the starkness of the hospital to the nurse’s lack of concern and empathy for her patient contributes towards making these some of the most genuinely nightmarish scenes that I’ve ever seen.

While the unnamed jogger is being slowly taken apart, the police are far more interested in solving the “Vampire Killer” case. Keith (Michael Gothard) is a serial killer who picks up young women in nightclubs and then drinks their blood.  When, after an exciting and lengthy chase, the police finally do catch him, they handcuff Keith to a car bumper.  However, he responds by ripping off his own hand,  running off and jumping into a vat of acid!  The investigation eventually leads to an eminent scientist named Dr. Browning (Vincent Price).  However, Fremont (Christopher Lee), the head of the British Intelligence Service (in a role he partly reprised in Death Line, 1972), orders the police to drop the case because Browning is apparently doing very important work for the government.

Meanwhile, in an unnamed country in Eastern Europe, secret police officer Konratz (Marshall Jones) ruthlessly climbs his way to the top of the service by torturing defectors and murdering his superiors (including Peter Cushing).  When a British spy is captured in his country, Konratz contacts Fremont and offers to exchange the spy for all the information that Scotland Yard has gathered about the Vampire Killer case…

Perhaps the best way to describe Scream and Scream Again would be “joyfully chaotic.”  The film’s three separate storylines do all come together during the final ten minutes and the film’s climax does make a lot more sense than it really has any right to but, up until that moment, a lot of the pleasure from Scream and Scream Again comes from seeing just how many different plots and subplots director Gordon Hessler can juggle in one film without losing the audience.  Fortunately, the film is a wonderfully entertaining horror/sci-fi/conspiracy hybrid, one that remains compulsively watchable despite the fact that it often doesn’t make much sense.

Of course, one of the main reasons to see Scream and Scream Again is because it features three icons of horror cinema.  Unfortunately, Cushing isn’t on-screen long enough to make much of an impression while Lee basically just has an extended cameo.  Vincent Price doesn’t show up much until fairly late into the film but once he does, he wastes no time in making an impression.  Even by the standard of Vincent Price, his performance in this film is a bit over-the-top.

But you know what?

It’s exactly the performance that this film needs.  The film itself is so joyfully chaotic and disjointed that Price fits right in.  The triumph of Scream and Scream Again is that it creates (and makes us believe in) a world where it only makes sense that the final solution would lie with Vincent Price.

Finally, Scream and Scream Again serves as a wonderful time capsule for those of us who may be fascinated by the swinging 60s and 70s but, as a result of being born a few decades too late, will never get a chance to experience them firsthand.  For us, Scream and Scream Again will always be worth it for the scenes of Keith getting his mod on at a London nightclub.  

Scream and Scream Again is a film that everyone should see at least once in their life.  Just don’t go jogging afterwards…

Lisa Marie Bowman, HORROREPEDIA – guest reviewer via Through the Shattered Lens

Other reviews:

“The naïvely paranoid politics of the script are made irrelevant by the fragmentation of the narrative threads, which break the film up into some effectively staged but isolated fantasy sequences, anticipating the shock sequences later adopted by splatter movies.” Phil Hardy (editor), The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

“If you want a slightly mad, fast-paced mystery with outbursts of violent horror and a screeching car chase, here it is. You’ll even see that most cliched of sexual symbolism, the suggestive fondling of the sports car gearstick…” Mark Hodgson, Black Hole DVD Reviews

“There is no central character, and viewers are expected to be satisfied by 1) the various mysteries, and 2) the style, including groovy 1960s visuals, soundtrack and accoutrements including a hot red convertible. The stylistic elements resemble those of The Prisoner or The Avengers […] it is unique and worth the watch.” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com | Amazon.ca

“Stomach-churning thrill piece…” John Stanley, Creature Features

“Michael Gothard is also well cast (looking somewhat like the Mick Jagger of Altamont ) as the humanoid “vampire killer” Keith, stalking and mutilating women in fashionable mod England. Best of all is Alfred Marks as Superintendent Bellaver in a scene-stealing performance full of choice dialog.” George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

” …Wicking’s final, Quatermass 2-style revelation – that of a high-powered British civil servant is a member of the super-race – does little to resolve the numerous enigmas that have gone before. As a result, Hessler has to rely on set-pieces to get him through, and fortunately they’re of a very high standard indeed.” Jonathan Rigby, English Gothic: A Century of Horror Cinema

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca

“It’s really rather ambitious in structure, juggling several story threads before winding them all together in the end. I just don’t think it does it very well. For the most part, the movie comes across as a confusing mess. One of the problems is that it becomes difficult to figure out who the main characters are.” Dave Sindelar, Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings

“Even though the central story is fairly straightforward, Christopher Wicking’s screenplay can grow quite confusing. Gordon Hessler’s direction … doesn’t hold up that well either. Everything features too many complications and needless detail.” John Soltes, Hollywood Soap Box

“With its ambitious structure, intriguing premise and prevailing sense of paranoia, Scream and Scream Again is a fascinating but frustratingly flawed film […] Although the complicated plot is mysterious enough to retain interest, by the time the narrative strands dovetail, the climax seems rather perfunctory and a bit disappointing.” James J. Mulay (editor), The Horror Film, Cinebooks, 1989

“It works neither as mystery nor as a horror film, despite sturdy playing by the principals who are left stranded by the script.” Alan Frank, The Horror Film Handbook, Batsford, 1982

” …neither difficult to follow, nor compulsively culty. The plot is certainly all over the place and there is a clear desire to find out what is going on that keeps one glued to it for the most part. Once all the clues fall into place, the film becomes rather straightforward and by no means incomprehensible […] Gordon Hessler’s direction is at best workmanlike…” Richard Scheib, Moria

‘ … it doesn’t really matter that much of it is nonsense, since it moves at a brisk pace and there are all those grand performances. The music is rather interesting, from the funky opening theme to the generic chase music, to the Amen Corner’s extended jams in the Busted Pot … If stoned plot development and structure are not an impediment , the Scream and Scream Again is worthy of the highest accolades.’ Wendell McKay, The Shrieking Sixties: British Horror Films 1960 – 1969

Buy The Shrieking Sixties: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“It may not make much sense until the very end (and even then…), but Scream and Scream Again holds your attention because of its barmy plotting, unexpected twists and deep suspicion of the authorities, which feeds the general air of paranoia. Listen for the weird dialogue such as “What can we do in five minutes?” Graeme Clark, The Spinning Image

“For awhile, the film feels like an anthology movie where all of the stories are intersected.  It’s sorta frustrating and pointless at first, but all the various plot threads do get wrapped up in the end.  Although some people might be turned off by this, I thought the movie was pretty amusing.” Mitch Lovell, The Video Vacuum

Choice dialogue:

Dr. Browning (Vincent Price): “God is dying all over the world. Man invented him, but man doesn’t need him anymore. Man is God now – as a matter of fact he always was.”

Cast and characters:

• Vincent Price … Dr. Browning
• Christopher Lee … Fremont
• Peter Cushing … Major Heinrich Benedek
• Judy Huxtable … Sylvia
• Alfred Marks … Detective Superintendent Bellaver
• Michael Gothard … Keith
• Anthony Newlands … Ludwig
• Peter Sallis … Schweitz
• Uta Levka … Jane
• Christopher Matthews … Dr. David Sorel – Scars of Dracula
• Judy Bloom … Helen Bradford
• Clifford Earl … Detective Sergeant Jimmy Joyce
• Kenneth Benda … Professor Kingsmill
• Marshall Jones … Konratz
• Amen Corner … themselves (rock band)
• Yutte Stensgaard … Erika – Lust for a Vampire; Burke & Hare
• Julian Holloway … Detective Constable Griffin
• Nigel Lambert … Ken Sparten

Other home viewing releases:

The Twilight Time Blu-ray release is limited to 3,000 units and  includes:

Isolated Score Track / Audio Commentary with Film Historians David Del Valle and Tim Sullivan / Gentleman Gothic: Gordon Hessler at AIP / An Interview with Uta Levka / Still Gallery / Radio Spot / Original Theatrical Trailer

Buy with The Oblong Box on DVD : Amazon.co.uk

Image credits: Jonny Sambuca from the Amicus, Tyburn, Tigon Film Lovers Facebook group | Museu do VHS | OriginalPosters.co.uk

HORRORPEDIA is wholly independent and we rely solely on the very minor income generated by affiliate links and internet ads to stay online. Please support us by buying via Amazon links and not blocking ads on our site. Thank you.

Quick links to contents:

A | B | C | D | E  | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

The post Scream and Scream Again – UK, 1969 appeared first on HORRORPEDIA.

‘Absolutely!!! The most sensational thrills you have seen in’ The Mad Magician is a 1954 American 3-D horror film directed by John Brahm (The Undying Monster; The Lodger; Hangover Square) from a screenplay by Crane Wilbur (The Amazing Mr. X; The Bat; House of Wax). Main cast: Vincent Price, Mary Murphy (The Outer Limits; Ghost Story aka Circle of Fear), Eva Gabor (Tales of Tomorrow)...

Source

Return of the Fly is the first sequel to the 1958 horror film The Fly. It was released in 1959, and directed by Edward Bernds. Unlike the preceding film, Return of the Fly was shot in black and white. It was followed by a further sequel in 1965, Curse of the Fly. Plot: Phillipe Delambre is determined to vindicate his father by successfully completing the experiment. His uncle Francois (Vincent...

Source

A Graveyard of Ghost Tales – Told by Vincent Price is a 1974 American spoken word vinyl album released by Caedmon Records (TC 1429), an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. It was one of a number of album-based tales that Vincent Price narrated in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The release was edited and mastered by Daniel A. Wolfert. Leo And Diane Dillon designed the cover image. Contents:

Source

‘When it flies… someone dies!’ The Bat is a 1959 American murder mystery film written and directed by playwright Crane Wilbur (screenplay for Mysterious Island; The Mad Magician; House of Wax; storyline for The Amazing Mr. X). It stars Vincent Price, Agnes Moorehead and Gavin Gordon. It is the fourth film adaptation of the story, which began as a 1908 novel The Circular Staircase...

Source

‘Room for every nightmare… A nightmare in every room’ House of the Long Shadows is a 1982 [released 1983] British comedic horror film directed by Pete Walker (House of Mortal Sin; Frightmare; House of Whipcord) and produced by Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus for their Cannon Group. The film is notable because four iconic horror film stars, Vincent Price, Christopher Lee...

Source

Tower of London is a 1939 American historical and quasi-horror film produced and directed by Rowland V. Lee (Son of Frankenstein) from a screenplay by his brother Robert N. Lee for Universal Pictures. It stars Basil Rathbone as the future King Richard III of England, and Boris Karloff as his fictitious club-footed executioner Mord. Vincent Price, in only his third film, appears as George...

Source

Bloodbath at the House of Death is a 1983 British comedy science fiction horror feature film produced and directed by Ray Cameron from a screenplay co-written with Barry Cryer. It stars comedian Kenny Everett and featuring Vincent Price. The film is an over-the-top spoof loosely inspired by The Amityville Horror and other horror films from the same period. Plot: 1975: Headstone Manor is being used...

Source

House on Haunted Hill is a 1959 American horror feature film produced and directed by William Castle (Strait-Jacket; 13 Ghosts; The Tingler; et al) from a screenplay by Robb White. The movie stars Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Richard Long, Alan Marshal and Carolyn Craig. Eccentric millionaire Frederick Loren (Vincent Price) invites five people to a party he is throwing for his fourth wife...

Source

The Dr. Phibes Companion: The Morbidly Romantic History of the Classic Vincent Price Horror Film Series is a 2018 book by Justin Humphreys, published in the USA by Bear Manor Media. “In The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) and its sequel, Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972), horror great Vincent Price starred as vaudevillian organist and super-genius Dr. Anton Phibes, architect of incredibly ingenious...

Source

‘Triple distilled horror… as powerful as a vat of acid!’ Scream and Scream Again is a 1969 science fiction horror feature film directed by Gordon Hessler from a screenplay by Christopher Wicking (To the Devil a Daughter; Demons of the Mind; Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb; et al), adapted from Peter Saxon‘s novel The Disorientated Man. Rights to the novel had been bought...

Source

The Fly Collection will be released by Scream Factory on December 10th, 2019. The Blu-ray box set includes The Fly, Return of the Fly, Curse of the Fly, The Fly remake, and The Fly II. Extras will be announced nearer the release date but there will apparently be hours of additions. “Experience the ultimate in horror with The Fly Collection, featuring the chilling original trilogy...

Source

Universal Horror Collection: Volume 3 will be released by Scream Factory on December 17th 2019. The Blu-ray box set includes Tower of London; Man Made Monster; The Black Cat and Horror Island. “Volume 3 of the Universal Horror Collection includes four tales of terror from the archives of Universal Pictures, the true home of classic horror. This collection includes such horror stars as Boris...

Source

The Fly Collection will be released by Scream Factory on December 10th, 2019. Extras have been announced (see below).

The Blu-ray box set includes The Fly, Return of the Fly, Curse of the Fly, The Fly remake, and The Fly II.

“Experience the ultimate in horror with The Fly Collection, featuring the chilling original trilogy, the eye-popping ‘80s remake and its terrifying sequel.

Packed with hours of fascinating special features, this 5-disc set includes 1958’s The Fly starring Vincent Price; The Return of the Fly, in which the son of the original scientist continues his father’s work; and The Curse of the Fly, in which a woman finds she’s married into the wrong family.

David Cronenberg’s 1986 remake of The Fly electrified audiences with its ground-breaking, gooey effects and the riveting performance by Jeff Goldblum as Seth Brundle, a scientist whose teleporting experiment takes a tragic toll.

The hair-raising sequel to the remake, The Fly II, stars Eric Stoltz as Seth Brundle’s son, who is beginning to show the effects of his father’s experiment.

Get ready for hours of skin-crawling terror as you witness a transformation like no other – from man to fly”

Disc 1: The Fly (1958)

• New Audio Commentary with author/film historian Steve Haberman and filmmaker/film historian Constantine Nasr
• Audio Commentary with actor David Hedison and film historian David Del Valle
• Biography: Vincent Price
• Fly Trap: Catching a Classic
• Fox Movietone News
• Theatrical Trailer

Disc 2: Return of the Fly

• New Audio Commentary with actor David Frankham
• New Audio Commentary with author/film historian Tom Weaver
• Audio Commentary with actor Brett Halsey and film historian David Del Valle
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spot
• Still Gallery

Disc 3: The Curse of the Fly

• New Audio Commentary with author/film historian Steve Haberman and filmmaker/film historian Constantine Nasr
• New interview with actress Mary Manson
• New interview with continuity Renee Glynee
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spot
• Still Gallery

Disc 4: THE Fly (1986)

• New Audio Commentary with author/film historian William Beard
• New The Meshuggener Scientist – an interview with executive producer Mel Brooks
• New Beauty and the Beast – an interview with producer Stuart Cornfeld
• New A Tragic Opera – an interview with composer Howard Shore
• New David’s Eyes – an interview with cinematographer Mark Irwin
• New interview with casting director Deirdre Bowen
• Audio Commentary with director David Cronenberg
• Fear of the Flesh: The Making of The Fly – covering all 3 stages of the production – Larva, Pupa and Metamorphosis
• The Brundle Museum of Natural History with Chris Walas and Bob Burns
• Deleted Scenes with Storyboard and Script versions
• Extended Scenes
• Alternate Ending
• Test Footage (Main Titles, Lighting and Makeup Effects)
• Vintage featurette/Profile on David Cronenberg
• Still Galleries (Publicity, Behind-The-Scenes, Concept Art and Visual Effects)
• Theatrical Trailers
• TV Spots
• George Langelaan’s short story
• Charles Edward Pouge’s Original Screenplay
• David Cronenberg’s Screenplay Rewrite
• Magazine articles with photos and video
• Trivia Track
• Two Easter Eggs

Disc 5: The Fly II (1989)

• New Fly in the Ointment – an interview with producer Stuart Cornfeld
• New Original Visions – an interview with screenwriter Mick Garris
• New Version 2.0 – an interview with screenwriter Ken Wheat
• New Big and Gothic – an interview with composer Christopher Young
• New Pretty Fly for A Fly Guy – an interview with special effects artist Tom Sullivan
• New interview with cinematographer Robin Vidgeon
• Interview with director Chris Walas
• Interview with producer Steven-Charles Jaffe
• Audio Commentary with director Chris Walas and film historian Bob Burns
• Transformations: Looking Back at The Fly II
• The Fly Papers: The Buzz on Hollywood’s Scariest Insect
• Video Production Journal – a behind-the-scenes look at the special effects
• Composer’s Master Class: Christopher Young
• Storyboard to Film Comparisons with optional commentary by director Chris Walas
• Vintage Featurette
• Extended Press Kit Interviews with Eric Stoltz, Daphne Zuniga and Chris Walas
• Alternate Ending
• Deleted Scene
• Teaser Trailer
• Theatrical Trailer
• Still Gallery
• Storyboard Gallery

The post The Fly Collection is buzzing its way onto Blu-ray: Extras announced! appeared first on MOVIES & MANIA.

We have recently discovered the following classic – and some not quite so classic – horror and sci-fi movies legitimately available to watch free online in high-definition 1080p courtesy of Flick Vault. Most are British and some star icons such as Peter Cushing, Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee and Vincent Price!

Just click the links below for more info, reviews, trailers and to enjoy each movie itself!

Behemoth the Sea Monster aka The Giant Behemoth

The Blood Beast Terror

Bloodsuckers aka Incense for the Damned

Burke & Hare

The Cat and the Canary (1978)

Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things

The Comeback

Devils of Darkness

The Flesh and Blood Show

Dr Terror’s House of Horrors

The Hills Have Eyes II

I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle

Inseminoid

Jack’s Back

Night of the Big Heat

Repulsion

The Sorcerers

A Study in Terror

Witchfinder General

Zombie High

Plus, there are many, many more horror and sci-fi movies available to watch online for free via our constantly growing listing

The post Watch classic horror and sci-fi films in HD free online appeared first on MOVIES & MANIA.

‘When it flies… someone dies!’

The Bat is a 1959 American murder mystery film written and directed by playwright Crane Wilbur (screenplay for Mysterious Island; The Mad Magician; House of Wax; storyline for The Amazing Mr. X). It stars Vincent Price, Agnes Moorehead and Gavin Gordon.

It is the fourth film adaptation of the story, which began as a 1908 novel The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart, which she later adapted (with Avery Hopwood) into the 1920 play The Bat.

In the US, The Bat was distributed by Allied Artists on a double-bill with the British Hammer film The Mummy.

Cornelia Van Gorder (Agnes Moorehead) is a mystery author who lives in a town terrorised by a mysterious murderer known only as “The Bat” who is said to be a man with no face.

The Bat enters Van Gorder’s rented house, The Oaks, and releases a bat, which bites van Gorder’s maid Lizzy (Lenita Lane). With Lizzy in a panic, fearing she may now have contracted “the rabies”, an outbreak of which local papers have reported, Van Gorder calls her doctor, Dr Malcolm Wells (Vincent Price), who is conducting research on bats…

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Reviews [click links to read more]:

” …the cast virtually drips with greasepaint conjuring up the atmosphere of an intimate stage with a killer lurking just beyond the curtain. Such an approach proved mild in a decade filled with an increasing reliance on rampaging aliens and sinister ghouls, but time has been kind to the film… Nathaniel Thompson, Turner Classic Movies

“House of Wax‘s Crane Wilbur, directing his own script, had again chosen to revive a creaky old melodrama which, on this occasion, remained every bit as creaky and melodramatic as the original […] After seven reels of wearisome comings and goings, Wilbur disposes of more to-ings and fro-ings by a last minute change in construction, switching from real time to flashback mode…” Denis Meikle, Merchant of Menace: The Life and Films of Vincent Price

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com | Amazon.ca

“Crane Wilbur’s direction is fairly static, although he does make effective visual use of the deep dark shadows that are part and parcel of these “old dark house” stories. He also gives his cast free rein, allowing Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead to take the performing ball and run away with it. They’re frequently over-the-top and occasionally campy…” Craig Butler, AllMovie

” …The Bat isn’t really scary as much as it’s “charming” […] The Bat is a great time waster, a film that will put a smile on the face of those who may remember it from days gone by…” Don Sumner, Horrorfreak News

” …Crane Wilbur, the scenarist-director, keeps the plot perking and the bodies falling (seven), with some amusing touches along the way. Finally, and fortunately, there is Agnes Moorehead’s good, snappy performance.” Howard Thompson, The New York Times, December 17, 1958

“Worth watching for fans of Morehead, Price, or The Bat Whispers. But I felt the whole thing should have been freakier and jazzier, and not so stately and professional.” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com | Amazon.ca

Choice dialogue:

Lizzie Allen: “All the victims died the same way, like their throats had been ripped open by steel claws.”

Cornelia van Gorder: “That I suppose is the cat dropping its dentures!”

Cast and characters:

• Vincent Price as Dr. Malcolm Wells
• Agnes Moorehead as Cornelia van Gorder (Bewitched, Dear Dead Delilah; Frankenstein: The True Story)
• Gavin Gordon as Lt. Andy Anderson (Bride of Frankenstein; Mystery of the Wax Museum)
• John Sutton as Warner
• Lenita Lane as Lizzie Allen
• Elaine Edwards as Dale Bailey
• Darla Hood as Judy Hollander
• John Bryant as Mark Fleming
• Harvey Stephens as John Fleming

Running time and aspect ratio:

80 minutes | 1.85: 1

View The Bat pressbook at Zombo’s Closet

Image credits: Dr. Macro’s High Quality Movie Scans | OriginalPoster.co.uk | Wrong Side of the Art!

MOVIES & MANIA provides an independent aggregated range of previews, opinions and reviews from a wide variety of credited sources, plus our own reviews, in one handy web location. We rely solely on the very minor income generated by affiliate links and internet ads to stay online and expand. Please support us by not blocking ads on our site. Thank you.

The post The Bat – USA, 1959 – reviews appeared first on MOVIES & MANIA.

‘They haven’t built the coffin that can hold him!’

Doctor Phibes Rises Again is a 1972 British horror feature film directed by Robert Fuest (The Devil’s Rain; And Soon the Darkness) from a screenplay co-written with Robert Blees. The Louis M. Heyward  production is a sequel to The Abominable Doctor Phibes and was promoted with the addition of an exclamation mark in its title.

The AIP production stars Vincent Price, Robert Quarry, Peter Cushing, Beryl Reid, Terry-Thomas and Peter Jeffrey.

Review:

Three years on from being abominable, the conjunction of the planets cause Phibes to rise from his stasis. Finding the house above his lair has been demolished and ransacked of the ancient papyrus scroll detailing the location of the River of Life, he vows to take back what is rightfully his and finally grant himself and his beloved (dead) wife Victoria eternal life. A trip to Egypt is called for and no-one, the thief Darius Biederbeck, who is as desperate as Phibes to find the source, nor Inspector Trout, back again with his superb one-liners and comic misunderstandings, can stop him.

Biederbeck: “What kind of fiend are you?”

Phibes: “The kind that wins, my friend!”

After the success of the first outing, the studio wasted no time in bringing Dr Anton Phibes out of his self-induced hibernation just a year later. The film is enormous fun but it would be remiss of me to insist it’s as stunning as the first; however, there is still much to admire and the film is never anything less than terrific entertainment.

If the Phibes sequel is lacking one element present in the first that sets it down a rung on the ladder, it’s the cohesion the biblical plagues gave it; though the titular villain is still killing with ever more devious traps, it’s rather more indiscriminate and less joyously fiendish. The 1920s setting still allows Fuest’s skill at direction to flourish but the set-up is a little clumsy. Biederbeck provides the opportunity for the always reliable Robert Quarry (Count Yorga, Madhouse) to flex his diabolical muscle but the relationship between himself and his aide, Ambrose (played by Hugh Griffith, who was cast as the rabbi in the first outing) is rather muddy and if anything gets in the way of the plot. An even bigger pinch of salt is required to accept that both Victoria and Phibes’ orchestra, The Clockwork Wizards, are able to be shipped across to Egypt undetected.

• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of The Abominable Dr Phibes and Dr Phibes Rises Again, transferred from original film elements by MGM, and both presented in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, region B/2.
• Audio commentary on The Abominable Dr Phibes by director Robert Fuest.
• Audio commentary on The Abominable Dr Phibes by author William Goldstein.
• Audio commentary on Dr Phibes Rises Again by Video Watchdog‘s Tim Lucas.
• Dr Phibes and the Gentlemen: Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton, Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson recall the horror classics.
• Daughter of Phibes: Victoria Price discusses her father’s career.
• The Doctor Will See You Now: Interview with David Del Valle.
• Trailers
•100-page booklet featuring new writing on the films by Julian Upton, Martin Jones, Little Shoppe of Horrors’ Justin Humphreys and Trunk Records’ Jonny Trunk, the on-set recollections of Caroline Munro, plus interviews with Tim Burton and American International Picture’s publicist Milton Moritz, illustrated with original archive stills

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

What these factors take away are certainly made up for in additions to the cast. Replacing the pregnant Virginia North in the role as Vulnavia is the tremendous Valli Kemp, who was due to remain as Phibes’ assistant for the proposed sequels, which sadly never appeared.

Also featuring are the instantly recognisable brute, Milton Reid (The Blood on Satan’s Claw, an alarming amount of British sex comedies of the 70s), paying the price for being Biederbeck’s servant by having his brain bisected by a booby-trapped phone, Peter Cushing as the ship’s captain, Beryl Reid as, well, Beryl Reid (see also the return of Terry-Thomas in a different yet equally memorable role) and John Thaw, pecked to death by an eagle. Frankie Howerd (The House in Nightmare Park) was also earmarked to star but, alas, we were denied this comedic pleasure.

Buy the Vincent Price Collection II from Amazon.com

Though some of the desert scenes were set on location (in Spain), the set design is still sumptuous and Egypt is the 1920s looks as radiant as London, the detail of Phibes’ pyramid hideaway being everything you could hope it to be. Allegedly, relations between Price and Quarry were not perfect, animosity largely due to AIP positioning Quarry as the new star of horror, much to Vincent’s chagrin, whilst Quarry felt Price something of a ham. It is said that after giving Price a burst of opera, Quarry announced “I bet you didn’t know I could sing?” to which Price responded “Well, I knew you couldn’t f*cking act”.

Buy Vincent Price: The Art of Fear – Amazon.co.uk

Music is again of critical importance in the film, duties on this occasion taken by John Gale, who surprisingly went on to very little else.  The score is decidedly more orchestral, veering away from Basil Kirchin’s jazz stylings, although the Clockwork Wizards still play a key role. The film does at least provide us with the dizzying wonder of Vincent Price actually singing ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ over the end credits, a fitting end to a series which was sadly curtailed so quickly.

The great haste in which the sequel was made, as well as the noticeable budget cuts, certainly stifle what is still a great film. As a pair, both The Abominable Doctor Phibes and Doctor Phibes Rises Again bring to the screen one of the great villains of horror cinema, a particularly British creation, doused in tragedy as much as pure evil.

In-house wrangling at AIP deprived us of the planned sequels; Bride of Phibes has a well-fleshed out plot, seeing Phibes attempting to rescue Victoria from the hands of a satanic cult; vengeance coming in many forms from being sucked to death by leeches to being smothered in butter and eaten by lobsters (!).

Further sequels are scant on detail but were mentioned by both Fuest and Price in interviews; the last mention of the character being attached to George A. Romero‘s Laurel Production company, with David Carradine scheduled to play the lead…

Daz Lawrence, MOVIES & MANIA

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Read more

The post Dr. Phibes Rises Again – UK, 1972 – reviews [updated] appeared first on MOVIES & MANIA.

‘Love means never having to say you’re ugly’

The Abominable Doctor Phibes is a 1971 British horror feature film directed by Robert Fuest (The Devil’s Rain; And Soon the Darkness) from a screenplay by James Whiton and William Goldstein, with additional uncredited scripting by Fuest.

The movie stars Vincent Price, Joseph Cotten (Lady Frankenstein; Baron Blood; The Hearse), Terry-Thomas (Munster, Go Home!; The Vault of Horror) and Hugh Griffith (Cry of the Banshee; Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?; Craze).

With Art Deco sets, dark yet camp humour and knowing performances by Price, this film and its sequel Doctor Phibes Rises Again have become cult classics. The character of Doctor Phibes is inspired by the Biblical ten plagues of Ancient Egypt from the Old Testament for the methodology of his murderous spree.

One of the most stylish and poetic horror films ever made, The Abominable Doctor Phibes sees Vincent Price appearing as Doctor Anton Phibes, presumed to have died in a car crash with his wife, Victoria (played, uncredited, by Caroline Munro), some four years previously. It appears Phibes has somehow survived and he returns, eager to avenge his beloved Victoria, whom he believes to have died at the hands of incompetent doctors on the operating table.

• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of The Abominable Dr Phibes and Dr Phibes Rises Again, transferred from original film elements by MGM, and both presented in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, region B/2.
• Audio commentary on The Abominable Dr Phibes by director Robert Fuest.
• Audio commentary on The Abominable Dr Phibes by author William Goldstein.
• Audio commentary on Dr Phibes Rises Again by Video Watchdog‘s Tim Lucas.
• Dr Phibes and the Gentlemen: Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton, Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson recall the horror classics.
• Daughter of Phibes: Victoria Price discusses her father’s career.
• The Doctor Will See You Now: Interview with David Del Valle.
• Trailers
•100-page booklet featuring new writing on the films by Julian Upton, Martin Jones, Little Shoppe of Horrors’ Justin Humphreys and Trunk Records’ Jonny Trunk, the on-set recollections of Caroline Munro, plus interviews with Tim Burton and American International Picture’s publicist Milton Moritz, illustrated with original archive stills

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

New High Definition digital transfer – Newly created exclusive content – Deluxe Edition Collector’s box featuring original artwork – 100-page Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film, archive content and more! More to be announced closer to the release date

Plot:

England, 1925: A disfigured Phibes sets about killing the doctors he holds responsible by visiting upon them the ten biblical plagues of ancient Egypt. As Phibes’ victims rack up, it becomes a race against time for Inspector Trout and Scotland Yard to stop him before the final doctor and his young son meet their fate.

Review:

In this towering achievement of British horror, Vincent Price was at the very height of his powers, in what the film’s producers claimed to be his one-hundredth film.

The success of the film can certainly be in part attributed to Price, despite the fact that due to his disfigurement, his lines are largely post-dubbed by himself as he can only speak in the film with the aid of an uncomfortable-looking contraption attached to his neck, his familiar, strangled vowels seeming even more otherworldly crawling from the amplification device.

The darkly humorous, yet genuinely affecting plot and script are perfectly suited to Price who had long since perfected the art of delivering barbed bon mots whilst giving a sideways glance at the camera.

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Assisted by his silent female companion, Vulnavia (Virginia North), the updated plagues unleashed by Phibes are:

Boils

A tricky one to translate to the screen (indeed it isn’t, it takes place before the film starts), unlucky Professor Thornton stung to death by bees.

Gnats

Gnats proving too difficult to present onscreen, Phibes lowers deadly vampire bats into Dr Dunwoody’s bedroom via the skylight. The ferocious winged beasts are cute vegetarian fruit bats, but shh, no-one noticed.

Frogs

Stuck-up Doctor Hargreaves has his head crushed by Dr Phibes’s constricting frog head-piece at a masked ball. A funny and disturbing scene ensues as assorted horses and birds peer over to view his corpse.

Blood

Stag film-loving, brandy-quaffing Dr Longstreet (Terry-Thomas) has his late-night viewing interrupted by Anton and Vulnavia as they carry out an unwanted complete blood donation. So delightful is Thomas, he returned as a different character in the film’s sequel.

Hail

Dr Hedgepath is frozen to death in his car, a fiendish ice machine attached to the engine.

Rats

Again, flies too difficult and expensive to convey, rats are secreted into Dr Kitaj’s biplane, despite their fluffy appearance, enough to cause him to spin to the ground (in a hurry, and without applying the brakes). Originally, the rats were to kill the doctor on a boat but it was quickly realised that escape would’ve been relatively simple.

Beasts

Particularly ingeniously, Dr Whitcombe is impaled on the brass horn of an ornamental unicorn, fired from a catapult. Not a real unicorn, that would be silly.

Locusts

Perhaps the most well-known plague, poor Nurse Allen gets a really rough deal, after drilling a hole into her bedroom ceiling, he pours green slime over her sleeping body, a rare treat for the locusts who ravenously follow the liquid, gnawing her face off in the process

Death of the First-Born

Slip-shod policing assumes this to be the already dead elder brother of the doctor, not the actually kidnapped teenage son of lead surgeon, Doctor Vesalius. Years before Saw, a devilish trap is constructed, the youngster facing death by acid lest his father is able to perform a perilously quick operation to find the key to undo his bindings, hidden as it is within his body, close to his heart. Phibes finally comes undone, a daring, high-octane rescue being successful. This just leaves the final plague…

Darkness

Unaware of his failure, Phibes embalms himself, finally joining his darling wife in the greatest darkness.

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

The genius of Phibes’ traps and his hideous visage, mostly covered throughout the film by a self-crafted mask and wig, have made the villain one of the most iconic movie monsters outside of the Universal canon.

Price is ably assisted by a cast who by turns, play the film completely straight and conversely with an eyebrow permanently raised, in particular, Inspector Trout, played by Peter Jeffrey (Deadly Strangers; Countess Dracula; Doctor Phibes Rises Again), who gets most of the juiciest lines. Also worthy of mention are Trout’s assistant, Crow (Derek Godfrey from Hands of the Ripper), the jeweller played by Aubrey Woods and why not, a second mention for the incomparable Terry-Thomas (also in the Phibes sequel, and Vault of Horror).

Director, Fuest, had cut his teeth directing many episodes of classic 60s TV show, The Avengers, only slightly suggesting the visual feast and engaging plot he delivers in the film. He also directed the sequel and the enjoyable Shatner/Borgnine romp The Devil’s Rain. 

The Elstree-filmed sensational ‘thirties era’ set design came from the hands of Brian Eatwell, who later worked on Sam Fuller’s White Dog and the David Bowie-starring The Man Who Fell to Earth. The vibrant colours simply boil on the screen. The eerie cemetery scenes were shot in then partly derelict Highgate Cemetery, North London.

The sound of the film is one of its greatest stars. The music-loving Phibes doesn’t speak until half an hour into the film, indeed there is no dialogue at all for the first ten minutes. Instead, we are treated to one of Basil Kirchin’s masterpieces, his score a combination of ominous, thundering organ work and boozy, swooning jazz, enticing and suffocating. Watching Phibes conduct his creepy clockwork orchestra, The Clockwork Wizards, is one of the great cinematic treats of 1970s British film. The drunken trumpet playing ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ over the closing credits absolutely nails the genius of the film; Phibes has indeed been wronged, driven to madness by love and grief – we can’t help but slightly feel for the ‘monster’ just as we had for Frankenstein’s creation, forty years previously.

Buy: Amazon.com

How ironic the plaudits were for films such as the original Saw and Se7en, their traps and conceits being hailed as revolutionary. What a shame this film beat them to it with more style and panache they could ever dream of, decades before.

As the end credits roll (the cast splendidly split into  ‘The Protagonists’, ‘The Girl’, ‘The Victims’, ‘The Law’ and ‘Interested Parties’) we hear the unmistakable laugh of Price, indicating his inevitable return.

Although there was a sequel, Doctor Phibes Rises Again, this was the only one of many earmarked, said to have been Doctor Phibes in the Holy Land, The Brides of Phibes, Phibes Resurrectus and The Seven Fates of Doctor Phibes. Alas, we can only dream.

Daz Lawrence, MOVIES & MANIA

Second review:

Of course, the film belongs to Vincent Price. While some have complained that the role doesn’t allow him to use his distinctive voice (not true, incidentally; Phibes still has a fair amount of dialogue), they are missing the point, as this is Price at his campest, a wild theatrical performance that allows him to be fearsome, tragic, comedic and ludicrous by turn, never taking things too seriously and yet able to give the part more intensity that you suspect many actors could. It’s hard to think of anyone else playing this role – Price’s willingness to go over the top is perfect for a film so utterly extravagant and kitsch.

David Flint, MOVIES & MANIA

Other reviews:

“Price fans have long held this film and its sequel close to their hearts thanks to its deft blend of nasty wit and gimmicky shocks. The potentially sick and morbid subject matter is kept in check by the script’s dashes of silly humor, ranging from Trout’s hilarious discussions with his superiors to Phibes’ bizarre methods of communicating via gramophone and consuming champagne through…” Mondo Digital

” …flat, unimaginative visual style […] contriving to be coy and tongue-in-cheek without ever being witty.” David Pirie, Monthly Film Bulletin, 1971

” …its intriguing mixture of suspense, parody and camp black comedy elevated it more or less immediately to the status of a cult.” Graham McCann, Bounder! The Biography of Terry-Thomas

“The plot, buried under all the iron tinsel, isn’t bad. But the tone of steamroller camp flattens the fun.” The New York Times, August 5, 1971

Cast and characters:

• Vincent Price … Doctor Anton Phibes
• Joseph Cotten … Doctor Vesalius
• Peter Jeffrey … Inspector Harry Trout
• Virginia North … Vulnavia
• Hugh Griffith … Rabbi
• Terry-Thomas … Doctor Longstreet
• Derek Godfrey … Crow
• Norman Jones … Sgt. Tom Schenley
• John Cater … Waverley
• Aubrey Woods … Goldsmith
• John Laurie … Darrow
• Maurice Kaufmann … Doctor Whitcombe
• Sean Bury … Lem Vesalius
• Susan Travers … Nurse Allen
• David Hutcheson … Doctor Hedgepath
• Edward Burnham … Doctor Dunwoody
• Alex Scott … Doctor Hargreaves
• Peter Gilmore … Doctor Kitaj
• Caroline Munro … Phibes’s wife, Victoria Regina Phibes

Filming locations:

Elstree Studios, Hertfordshire, England
Highgate Cemetery, North London, England
Caldecote Towers at Immanuel College on Elstree Road, Bushey, Hertfordshire, England – The exterior of Phibes’ mansion

The post The Abominable Dr. Phibes – UK, 1971 – reviews appeared first on MOVIES & MANIA.