The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

December 23, 2024 1:39 PM

[TRAILER] In a desperate attempt to reach his ill wife, organist Anton Phibes (Vincent Price) is horrifically disfigured in a car accident and presumed dead. When he learns that his wife died during an operation, Phibes blames her surgeons and plots an elaborate revenge to punish them for their incompetence. With the help of a mute assistant (Virginia North), Phibes creates a mask resembling his own face and murders the surgeons one by one using bizarre methods inspired by the biblical plagues.

Also starring Joseph Cotten, Hugh Griffith, Terry-Thomas, Peter Jeffrey, Susan Travers, Caroline Munro.

Directed by Robert Fuest. Written by James Whiton, William Goldstein. Produced by Louis M. Heyward, Ronald S. Dunas for American International Pictures. Cinematography by Norman Warwick. Edited by Tristam Cones. Music by Basil Kirchin.

88% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Available in high quality on the Internet Archive. JustWatch listing.

posted by DirtyOldTown (9 comments total)

I hadn't seen this in years until I got a copy of the Arrow edition during some sale or other.

This time, I found myself thinking it's really Saw minus grimdark, plus camp and that really tickled me. Or Saw is this minus camp plus grimdark. You get the picture.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:45 PM on December 23 [3 favorites]

I absolutely love this movie, and the sequel. The perverse pleasure Phibes derives from his creative killings, especially the one with the frog mask, provides storyline enough, but the overall atmosphere is just about perfect for this kind of movie. And, is it just me, or was V for Vendetta somewhat of a rehash of Phibes?
posted by abraxasaxarba at 5:18 PM on December 23 [3 favorites]

I am not sure I see the parallels, but would be interested to hear your theory.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 5:38 PM on December 23 [1 favorite]

9-yr-old me was OBSESSED with this movie when it showed up on the schedule at the Hollywood Theater in Cambridge but shockingly my parents wouldn't take me! OH THE INDIGNITY! I was pretty upset about it as I recall.

I finally watched it at 60 or so and I guess they were right. Good fun, though.
posted by chazlarson at 6:03 PM on December 23 [2 favorites]

I liked the plug-in organ voice box thing. Or was that the sequel?
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:07 PM on December 23

The bit where Vincent Price picks up his cocktail and then drinks it through the side of his neck is absolutely perfect. This is just a joyous movie and thank you for bringing it back to my attention.
posted by phooky at 7:16 PM on December 23 [3 favorites]

V and Phibes share a similar profile: an eloquent masked & disfigured renaissance man in an underground lair of curiosities pursuing a series of revenge killings, with a flair for poetic justice. Both are quasi-resurrected but obscure themselves. It has been a while since I took a look at either, but these similarities came to mind when I saw your post. Thanks for sharing it!
posted by abraxasaxarba at 11:20 PM on December 23 [1 favorite]

V and Phibes share a similar profile: an eloquent masked & disfigured renaissance man in an underground lair of curiosities pursuing a series of revenge killings, with a flair for poetic justice. Both are quasi-resurrected but obscure themselves. I

Those are interesting parallels! I guess you could also argue both men also have a female accomplice and a secret lair and that their end plan involves their own coffin. The political/anti-fascist overtones of V for Vendetta are pretty significant layer to add on top, but considering Alan Moore's age and tastes, he may indeed have have Phibes in mind as an inspiration.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:05 AM on December 24 [4 favorites]

They're both kind of the Phantom of the Opera, right? Man, do I love this movie. That's really all I have to say about it, other than I feel like the world was cheated out of the lengthy Phibes series it needed but did not deserve (see also Blacula).
posted by kittens for breakfast at 11:17 AM on December 24 [3 favorites]