The Abominable Dr. Phibes
Directed by Robert Fuest
Written by James Whitten and William Goldstein
1971/US
IMDb page
First viewing/YouTube
They Shoot Zombies, Don’t They?
Sgt. Schenley: Well, they have one thing in common.
Inspector Trout: If you say they all died mysteriously, I’ll bloody kill you.
What better could you ask for than a good old-fashioned horror film with plenty of Vincent Price?
The setting is mid-1920s England. The wife of Dr. Anton Phibes (Price) died in a surgery that went spectacularly wrong. Phibes was involved in a horribly disfiguring accident on his way to her side. Phibes blames all nine doctors involved in her care for her death. He spends the next few years inventing fiendishly elaborate ways to take out his men, each based on one of the Pharaonic curses.
We watch Phibes execute his revenge, accompanied by a automoton-like woman who is his companion.
This is a high-class prouction with a sharp script and Price acting his heart out. It’s time period is at some kind of intersection between 1924 and 1971 oddly enough. It’s a good time and I would recommend watching with popcorn and maybe a beer.
