Review of The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) by Art S — 27 Apr 2015

Is this the film wherein Vincent Price crosses the line from horror to camp? At first, proceedings are rather dull, with a series of creative murders taking place in a low budget bare bones looking 1920's Britain.

Scotland Yard are called in and muddle through until rubber-masked Vincent Price drops them a clue. He's using the Biblical plagues of Egypt as a theme to kill the surgical team involved in the death of his wife, although everyone believes he died in an automobile accident years earlier.

At a certain point, the movie starts to smirk and perhaps wants us to laugh at Price/Phibes' diabolical schemes. But the murders are more gross than interesting and our brief glimpse at Price's real visage isn't enough to evoke either horror or amusement.

Somehow this spawned a sequel. I haven't seen it in a while but I suspect Theatre of Blood, wherein Price silences his critics with theatrical murders might be more gruesomely funny.