The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

This is a stylish and clever movie. It's very colorful and the elaborate murder sequences are a lot of fun to watch. Dr. Phibes as a character is very cool. He could easily make for a Batman villain. The final reveal of his true appearance reiterates this point. Of course this character is brought to life by the legendary Vincent Price. This is also a period movie, set in England of the early 1900s. The set-pieces are colorful, and I always enjoy seeing the beautiful classic cars and planes. The greatest set-piece is Dr. Phibes lair, which again (and awesomely), makes him seem like something out of a comic book.

Stylish horror. Those scenes in front of the altar to the pipe organ are weirdly elegant in composition and effect. The hooded figure contorting beneath the fiery red pipes is a real eye-catcher. Lunatic genius Phibes (Price) blames doctors attending to his wife for her death. Now he's patterning their demise, one by one, after a biblical version of deadly plagues, and tidy they ain't. But isn't Phibes dead from the same accident that killed his wife. At least that's what the English cops think. Phibes certainly looks deceased, like he's been on a 6-week bender with his face stuck in a freezer. But at least actor Price doesn't have to memorize any lines. And whose great idea was high priestess Vulnavia (North). In her flowing gowns and cape, she makes it all seem high class. Then too, dig that band of mechanical musicians, perfect for the Phibes nutcase. Their selections certainly aren't expected, but then this is supposed to be the 1920's. But pity poor Cotten as the 9th intended victim. He's got to play everything straight amidst all the madness. Still, he was an alumnus of that other weird genius of movie- making, Orson Welles. Anyhow, I guess budget minded AIP had to go to England to get the bang for their buck that they needed. Happily, however, the bang shows up and in elegant Technicolor along with a highly imaginative screenplay. One of Price's best.

A very fun dramedy tongue-in-cheek horror. Quite a bit of comedy to keep you entertained and enough horror keep you interested. Classic Vincent Price fun.Dr. Phibes is out for revenge. Nine doctors that Phibes blames for his wife's death and ruined his life. Dr. Phibes is a doctor, scientist, organist, and biblical scholar -- all of which will play a part in helping him get his revenge biblical plague style.Extremely colourful film visually... quite elaborate sets and costuming. Great casting and an enjoyable story. Mad fun.Great afternoon cinema that would be great as a double feature with the follow-up film Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972).8/10

*Spoiler/plot- The Abomidable Mr. Phibes, 1971. A modern time (1927) Renaissance Man, Doctor Phibes loses his beloved wife during a surgical operation. He decides to get vengeance on each member of the surgical team in the most horrific biblical way.*Special Stars- Vincent Price, Joseph Cotton, Peter Jeffrey, Virginia North, Terry-Thomas, Hugh Griffith, Caroline Munro.*Theme- Vengeance is a strong emotion.*Trivia/location/goofs- There is a film sequel to this film called, "Dr. Phibes Rises Again". Enjoy the 1925 Art Deco styling of the sets. In order for Joseph Cotten to know his cues, Phibes' dialog was read aloud by a crew-member. Vincent Price said Joseph Cotten was very uncomfortable doing his scenes, so he intentionally made a lot of funny faces to make him laugh. The name "Vesalius" is a reference to Andreas Vesalius, a Flemish scientist who cut up corpses to learn about the workings of the body. The "Vampire Bats" were really flying foxes, very docile fruit-loving bats. A very young Joanna Lumley appeared as a laboratory assistant, but her scenes were cut. Virgina North appeared in a play in London called "Council of Love," in which she was silent throughout her performance. "I played the daughter of the devil," she told the Associated Press in 1971. "I'd go around and do terrible things. The people who made the movie saw me in the play and decided I was what they wanted. You might say I was ready made for the movie part." For the many scenes in which Vincent Price was required to speak without moving his mouth, he was painted with a substance called 'collodion' which literally immobilized his face. GOOFS- The film is set in 1925. The automobiles, airplane, and film projector seem to be from the 1920s, but the house interiors, including the lights around Dr. Phibes' organ, and clothing appear to be early 1970s "mod" style. At the end Dr. Phibes plays "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" which was written in 1935. You can clearly see wire attached to the flying bat. After Vulnavia dances with Phibes, he lowers the cage of bats into the cellar. Vulnavia runs up the stairs, then appears downstairs seconds later, in different clothes. It is established that Phibes is murdering the surgeons he hold responsible for the death of his wife; but at the masked party, Dr. Hargreaves introduces himself as 'a psychiatrist'.*Emotion- A visibly rich and 'campy' stylistic film with many film 'exploitation' elements added for good measure. This melodrama is enjoyable and has genuine elements of horror. Clever and memorable as one of Vincent Prices best films. It's a must see film.*Based On- Popular news articles from the horror and crime pages.