Tuesday 11 July 2017

Dr. Phibes Rises Again (4 Stars)


Vincent Price was the undisputed King of Camp. Why act when you can overact? Of all the films he made, his two films as Dr. Phibes were probably the most extreme. It's like he's caricaturing himself.

I wrote most of what I needed to say in my last review. Click here to read it. Today I'll just add a few thoughts.

Which of the two films is better, "The Abominable Dr. Phibes" or "Dr. Phibes Rises Again"?

It's difficult to give a simple answer. It depends on what you're looking for in a film. The first film is better structured. It has a series of murders based on the ten plagues that Moses brought down on Egypt. The victims were chosen in advance by Dr. Phibes. In the second film the methods of killing are random, and the victims are also random, simply anyone who gets in Dr. Phibes' way.

However, the second film is more of a horror film. It has scary scenes that have haunted me ever since I first saw it. I would rate it as one of the scariest films I've ever seen. There's less to laugh at in "Dr. Phibes Rises Again". At most I smiled at the ridiculous eccentricities.


The clockwork musicians return from the first film. They're one of the most eccentric features. Their jazz melodies are upgraded this time round. The music is better to dance to.


The beautiful actress Caroline Munro doesn't rise again. She sleeps through the whole film.

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