Review of Torture Garden (1967) by Robert P — 06 Dec 2014
Uneven horror anthology boasts a strong cast (Jack Palance, Burgess Meredith, Peter Cushing), a veteran horror director (Freddie Francis), a smart writer (Robert Bloch) and a better than average wraparound story.
That story involves a circus sideshow named the Torture Garden, where Dr. Diablo, Meredith, invites patrons to witness his funhouse horrors, but for one group, he invites them to see something truly terrifying; a glimpse into their own doomed futures, which then leads to the four tales of terror.
Like most anthology films, the quality of the episodes varies and subsequently the overall film suffers. The one about a possessed piano is the worst and the best is the Jack Palance/Peter Cushing one about two Edgar Allen Poe obsessed men and Cushing's private collection.
Slickly made and less gothic than most of Hammer and Amicus productions of this period, but like most anthology films, it's a bit hit or miss.
This review of Torture Garden (1967) was written by Robert P on 06 Dec 2014.
Torture Garden has generally received mixed reviews.
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