The Abominable Doctor Phibes

    Directed by Robert Fuest.
    Starring Vincent Price, Joseph Cotton, Virginia North.
    American International, 1971.
    Availability
    Rating:  * * *

This movie, featuring a classic opening scene with Vincent Price playing the organ, can be counted as one of the best and most horrifying works of the seventies.  Price starrs as Doctor Anton Phibes, a deranged surgeon that seeks revenge for the accidental death of his beautiful wife.  Blaming the doctors that last operated on his wife, Phibes targets the nine scientists for death using the same plagues that afflicted the Pharaoh in the Bible.  He uses, sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly, the curses of bees, rats, bats, beasts, blood, hail, frogs, locusts, death, and darkness to eliminate his adversaries.

Joseph Cotton starrs as Doctor Vesalius, the head surgeon of the team that Phibes holds responsible for his wife's death.  Vesalius of course is saved for last, bringing this eerie, surreal movie to a gripping climax.

The only part of this picture that I thought took away from the wonderfully surrealistic atmosphere was the producer's attempts at comic relief using the investigating police men.  Besides not being funny their behaviour is too much slap stick for a serious horror movie.

Nevertheless I still think this movie is a good pick for horror movie afficionados, and especially Vincent Price fans.