The Abominable Dr. Phibes (Amazon Link)
Director Robert Fuest
Starring Vincent Price, Joseph Cotton
Brian’s Rating 5/5
Listen to the full review in Horror Bulletin Podcast #5
In 1921, Victoria Regina Phibes died on the operating table. Her husband, Anton, a famous organist, rushed from their estate in Switzerland to be by her side, but his car went over the cliff, and he burned to death. At least that’s the official story.
In reality, Phibes spent the next four years working. He survived, but could not speak; he built a device that plugs into he side of his neck to eat, drink, and speak through a huge phonograph-like device. Even more important, he’s come up with a plan to kill all nine doctors that had a hand in his wife’s death. Based on the ten Biblical plagues, he and his mysterious aide, Vulnavia, kills them with blood, locusts, frogs, and so forth. Will Scotland Yard be able to stop him?
This is easily one of my favorite movies from the early 70s. While most horror films of that period shoot for creepy, dark locales, this film goes for a colorful, musical vibe and whimsical silliness that wouldn’t feel out of place in the 1960s “Batman” series. The music and humor are just perfect.
Will Phibes succeed in killing all nine doctors? What is the ultimate point in all this? What’s up the tenth plague, darkness? It’s stylish, colorful, and has humor in all the right places; this film doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it pays off.