The Abominable Dr Phibes (1971)

I was definitely in a 70's cult film kind of mood during my trip to Hollywood Express, so alongside my blaxploitation double feature I picked up a Vincent Price film I'd been meaning to see for years: The Abominable Dr Phibes. Catchy, ain't it? Price stars as the titular Phibes, a taciturn organist and biblical scholar on a revenge mission against the doctors who failed to save his wife's life. He murders them according to elaborate schemes inspired by the Plagues of Egypt with the help of his silent but deadly assistant Vulnavia (Virginia North). A few exaggeratedly-British police detectives try to put the piece together the killings with the help of Dr Vesalius (Joseph Cotton), who will likely be a future victim.

Director Robert Fuest imagines Phibes' world as an oversaturated and slightly surreal stage performance, highlighting the theatrical nature of his killings and closely-choreographed structure of his plan with intimidating visuals and little reliance on dialogue. The sets, props, and costumes are imaginative and exquisite, marrying minimalism with sensationalism, while the murders themselves are simultaneously fun and grisly. Everything is very overdramatic, but knowingly so, and while the camp is turned up high, I was laughing with it and not at it.

Despite never even moving his mouth (and wearing a mask of his own face for most of the film), Price delivers a wonderful performance thanks to body language and pitch-perfect line delivery (though his monologues to run a bit long). He's the best. I also enjoyed Virginia North as the mysterious and fashionable Vulnavia. The best characters are of course the police investigators, who are all so incredibly stereotypically British it's hilarious. I couldn't actually tell if they were meant to be caricatures or not but it was excellent all the same. Joseph Cotton is pretty low-key which works well because everyone else is so over the top.

Phibes is inventive and fun, memorable for its fantastic visuals, interesting murder devices, and chilling ending. For a horror film, I wasn't actually "scared" by any of it, but found the mix of camp and crime-thriller very cool.

4/5

Pair This Movie With: I'd probably make a Pricey night of it with Tales of Terror, House on Haunted Hill, House of Wax, etc. And for more great Plague-based killings, there is of course The Mummy!

PS We all know what the best part of this movie is, right?