Vincent Price: MGM Scream Legends Collection (The Abominable Dr. Phibes / Tales of Terror / Theater of Blood / Madhouse / Witchfinder General / Dr. Phibes Rises Again / Twice Told Tales)

Description

Disc 1 Side A: Abominable Dr. Phibes WS Disc 1 Side B: Dr. Phibes Rises Again WS

Disc 2 Side A: Tales of Terror WS Disc 2 Side B: Twice Told Tales WS

Disc 3 Side A: Theater of Blood WS Disc 3 Side B: Madhouse WS

Disc 4: Witchfinder General (aka Conqueror Worm) WS

Disc 5: Bonus Disc **"Vincent Price: Renaissance Man" - Documentary **"The Art of Fear" - Featurette **"Working with Vincent Price" - Featurette

Customer Reviews:

Only one new transfer!!.......2007-09-16

For those Price fans who already own his prior DVD film releases, note that only Witchfinder General is a new transfer to DVD. The other film transfers are from previously released editions. And as such, Twice Told Tales, Theater of Blood, and Madhouse are in letterbox format, not anamorphic. So if you already have these films, Dr. Phibes and Tales of Terror on DVD you only need to buy Witchfinder General separately, you'll get nothing else new here. Fox cleverly fails to disclose the format of its DVDs by calling everything "widescreen" whether or not the films were processed in letterbox or anamorphic formats. Its a huge difference for those of us with HDTVs. What an opportunity lost for remastering these horror classics.

This Price is Right!.......2007-09-15

Ignore the carping here about the thin-sleeve packaging of this set (an asset, anyway, to some of us with large DVD collections and limited shelf space) -- these classic British horror films at a bargain price are worth grabbing! The PHIBES pair and THEATRE OF BLOOD are models of how to camp successfully on a low budget, with Diana Rigg, Coral Browne, Robert Morley and others joining Price to chew every piece of scenery in sight. Screenplay, design, direction -- all great fun. And WITCHFINDER GENERAL has been on many a DVD wish list for years. Price never disappoints, never plays down to his material or his audience, is always full-steam-ahead, to good advantage. If you know these movies, you'll jump for this set. If you don't, check them out -- you'll be glad you did!

Films are Great but FOX Went Cheap!!!!.......2007-09-12

The cases in this box set are the SLIM LINE cases and are just not as cool as the reg sized keep cases. Slim Line cases are fine for a TV show but not for collecting movies. Films 5 Stars The oustide package cover art is fine also, just the use of SLIM LINE cases has to be stopped. Warner Bros has caught on that fans don't like being cheated. and these cases just don't make me happy at all.

A collection of Price's better horror films plus extra features.......2007-07-26

This set will contain seven of Vincent Price's better horror films of the 1960's and 1970's and even includes a bonus disc of extra features. MGM is no Warner Home Video when it comes to DVD boxed sets and extra features, but this one shows progress in that direction. The following are the details on the included films and extra features.

Abominable Dr. Phibes: Price gives a campy performance in one of the few horror films which successfully and intentionally joins comedy and horror. Joseph Cotten and Terry-Thomas are just two of the victims on whom Price seeks vengeance for his disfigurement and his wife's death. The Art Deco sets give the film a stylish look and the British deadpan delivery of many of the jokes helps immensely.

Dr. Phibes Rises Again: The disfigured madman (Price) is back as he and his deceased wife go boating down the Underground River of the Dead in this sequel to The Abominable Dr. Phibes. Once again, everybody is in it for the laughs including the set designer.

Tales of Terror - Three stories adapted very loosely from the work of Edgar Allen Poe - "Morella", "The Black Cat" and "The (Facts in the) Case of M. Valdemar", each roughly one half-hour in length.

Twice Told Tales - This is a compilation of three short films based on Nathaniel Hawthorne works - Heidegger's Experiment, Rappaccini's Daughter and The House of Seven Gables. In both this film and "Tales of Terror", the idea is not so much to be true to the original story, as it is to use the foundation of the story to the advantage of Cormen's ability to make scary movies and in Price's ability to star in them.

Theater of Blood: An entertaining horror film about a demented Shakespearean actor (Price) who takes a bloody revenge against the eight theatre critics who gave his performances bad reviews. To me this one of Price's often forgotten and most underrated films. He really hams it up and it works perfectly.

Madhouse: Price stars as an actor who returns to the screen to reprise his role as a killer a few years after his wife-to-be was decapitated by a killer nobody caught. Price is good as always, but it just seems a little tired and more like a tribute to his past and better films.

Witchfinder General (aka Conqueror Worm): In 17th-century England during the struggle between Cromwell and the Crown, Matthew Hopkins (Vincent Price) and his associates seek out and persecute those thought to practice sorcery as well as anyone else who incurs their wrath. When Hopkins executes the priest of a small town for being a warlock, he and his partner find themselves the target of a young soldier who leaves his post in Cromwell's army to hunt down and kill the pair. The movie captures this period in English history very well for a low-budget production. Price is at his menacing, sadistic best without the intentional camp that he injects in so many of his other horror films.

An extras disc will contain a documentary ("Vincent Price: Renaissance Man") and two featurettes ("The Art of Fear" and "Working with Vincent Price"). The set will be available on September 11th.

The Abominable Dr. Phibes/Dr. Phibes Rises Again!

Average customer rating:

The PRICE is Right!
Price is Nice in a Twisted and Stylish Horrorshow
An "OK" flim
100% Pure Cult Classic Horror Entertainment
Ghoulish Fun with a Price

The Abominable Dr. Phibes/Dr. Phibes Rises Again!
Starring: Vincent Price , Joseph Cotten , Virginia North , Terry-Thomas , and Sean Bury
Director: Robert Fuest
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0007R4SZY
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Description

THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES: Original Theatrical Trailer DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN!:

Customer Reviews:

The PRICE is Right!.......2007-09-14

This one is a bargain-buster -- you get the very BEST of Vincent Price in both Dr. Phibes movies. I cannot say enough good things about these two films. I watch them over and over. Egyptology, murder, creepy places, creepy people, perfectly buffoonish English cops, on and on.... what more could anyone ask for?!? These films were WELL-MADE, the cinematography being spectacular in both. If you enjoyed the Hammer Horror Films feel, then you'll REALLY love these. You won't ever regret buying this super DVD.

Price is Nice in a Twisted and Stylish Horrorshow.......2007-09-04

The young men who wrote the horror film "Saw" blatantly tore a page from this tale. It's obvious.

"Phibes" (the first one) is fun and creepy. The bats, the rats, the bugs. The dvd will sit comfortably near your AIP/Corman/Poe, Hammer, and Amicus movies.
The silent Vulnavia (pronounced Vul-NAHV-ya), Phibes' henchwoman, is a dishy young thing. And I love the Doctor's clockwork band.

If you are a Vincent Price admirer, this is for you. A macabre, stylish thriller with a 1920s vibe.

An "OK" flim.......2007-08-16

Not one of Prices best movies, however, truly insane thats for sure. Price is such a great actor and it would be hard to say anything about the film..however, both films are truly strange.

100% Pure Cult Classic Horror Entertainment.......2007-05-21

This movie is great entertainment. It's an absolute wonderful cult classic horror flick that's able to keep the kid's eyes glued to the screen as well as the rest of the family crew also...or at least I think so anyway.

Ghoulish Fun with a Price .......2007-04-21

Vincent Price was known for the horror genre . As in my horror favorites, this set of Phibes films, Theater of Blood, The Raven, House of Wax and the Fall of the House of Usher are the ones i enjoy most.

Both these films directed by Robert Fuest, who kept the camp on these productions. But did not make this cutey. It was done light, with a horrorable edge and a witty black comedy, which Price was known for in the later 1960s-1970s. It is too bad, Fuest did not do any director's audio commentary, that would be amazing if it happened

In the first film The Abominable Dr. Phibes, Price is in rare form as Doctor Phibes, an antihero who is seeking revenge of the medical team who killed his dead wife. His methods of death is following the ten plagues. Joseph Cotton plays the surgeon who headed the team and Phibes's foil in this movie.

The second film, Phibes heads to Egypt to try to awaken his dead wife with a magician incantation. Robery Quarry (Count Yorga) plays Price's foil in this sequal. The film , like Godfather two, seems better than the first film

Now in the double feature you can enjoy both film of Phibes and watch the masterful Price at work

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

Average customer rating:

Finally on DVD
"Oh, it's Phibes alright sir, and he always comes back."
The Camp is High
Back from The Grave...
Not the original ending.

Dr. Phibes Rises Again!
Starring: Vincent Price , Robert Quarry , Peter Jeffrey , Fiona Lewis , and Hugh Griffith
Director: Robert Fuest
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

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General | Cult Movies | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0000542CM
Release Date: 2001-02-20

Amazon.com

The title says it all--the abominable Dr. Phibes is back and as ruthless as ever. No longer content with merely avenging his wife's death, Phibes is now bent on her resurrection. Phibes and his mute assistant, Vulnavia, set off for Egypt, meting out bizarrely elaborate deaths--everything from clockwork snakes to a particularly severe exfoliation treatment--to all who stand in their way. This time Phibes has two competitors to race against, the trusty Inspector Trout and the renowned archaeologist Biederbeck, who has his own reasons for chasing Phibes. Like its predecessor, Dr. Phibes Rises Again adds dark wit and imaginative art direction to the mix. Vincent Price is once again in high form, playing his organ with swooping arms and adding dry comic touches with a delicately cocked eyebrow. A worthy successor to the classic original. --Ali Davis

Customer Reviews:

Finally on DVD.......2007-05-31

My Phibes collection is now completed with the second and final installment of the movie series.

Phibes is back with his bag full of curses in search of the river of Styx to hopefully revive his wife who has been embalmed for years. But now Phibes has an arch rival who is also in search of the river of Styx for his own use.

But thanks to the bag full of curses, Phibes has means of protecting what he finds.

We are not so treated with the wonderful score of music as with the first movie, but this features the removed "Over The Rainbow" track sung by Phibes (Vincent Price) at the end. This track was original removed from all US VHS releases due to copyright issues, but has been placed back into this DVD release (and its a creepy sung version at that!).

Great movie for a great... ahem...Price...;)

"Oh, it's Phibes alright sir, and he always comes back.".......2006-07-06

Based on the popularity of the original film titled The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971), American International had little choice but to churn out this sequel called Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972), which was quite a feat given how the first film ended, specifically with regards to the main character...co-written and directed by Robert Fuest (The Abominable Dr. Phibes, The Final Programme, The Devil's Rain), the film stars Vincent Price (The Haunted Palace, The Tomb of Ligeia) reprising his earlier role as the title character, and Robert Quarry, probably best known for his earlier features Count Yorga, Vampire (1970) and The Return of Count Yorga (1971), both of which are available on DVD. Also appearing is Peter Jeffrey (The Abominable Dr. Phibes, The Return of the Pink Panther), Fiona Lewis (Tintorera, Innerspace), John Cater (The Abominable Dr. Phibes), Hugh Griffith (The Final Programme), Valli Kemp (The Great Muppet Caper), Milton Reid (The Spy Who Loved Me), Terry-Thomas (The Vault of Horror), and Peter Cushing (The Revenge of Frankenstein, The Hound of the Baskervilles).

The film begins by relating some highlights from the first film (amazing how they can sum up a movie in the space of three minutes) to which we learn it's now three years later, and as the planets align themselves, Phibes (Price), who has since been in a state of suspended animation, rises like the phoenix from the ashes as he has a new quest, one that involves resurrecting his long dead wife Victoria along with ensuring eternal life for both him and his beloved...good luck with all that...also returning is Phibes faithful and fashionable mute assistant Vulnavia (Kemp), which is a pretty neat trick given that whole acid incident from the last film. Turns out Phibes has a line on an underground river in Egypt, one supposedly used by the pharaohs back in the day that has some kind of special spiritual properties, and has been making plans to one day take his deceased wife to a special underground mountain lair he's constructed so that he may achieve his ultimate goal of returning her to life, or something along those lines...only problem is there's another, named Darius Biederbeck (Quarry), who's interested in the restorative properties of the waters for himself and his girlfriend Diana (Lewis), and has since mounted an archeological expedition at the very mountain wherein Phibes has set up his elaborate operation. As Biederbeck and his crew crash the party, the flamboyant and theatrical Phibes sets out to eliminate all those he sees as a threat through a series of diabolical and highly lethal traps, each more insidious than the last...

Dr. Phibes Rises Again, in my opinion, does exactly what a sequel should do in remaining faithful to the original while upping the ante suitably. One of the aspects I really liked about the film was here Phibes didn't constrict himself in terms of the methods in which he brought about the deaths of those he saw interfering with his machinations. In the first film the means of death were tied to the ten curses wrought upon the pharaohs as spelled out in the Old Testament, which was fine for the first, but no sense in revisiting that which we've already seen...subsequently, the sky is the limit here (most do involve a desert theme, but that's not surprising given the locale in which they occur). I won't go into specific details about the methods Phibes employs, but I will say they're just as maniacal and convoluted as in the first. There's The Scorpion's Embrace, The Eagle's Caress, and my favorite The Sausage Machine, just to name a few. The actual body count may not be as high as in the first, but the methods utilized are just as imaginative and entertaining to watch if you're into that sort of thing. Price, looking a lot like pallid Pagliacci through much of the movie given his garish garb, really comes into his own here, presenting an even more flamboyant (if possible) character than before, taking it to the theatrical hilt. While this is Price's film, Robert Quarry gives a most excellent and entertaining turn as Biederbeck, Phibes' cold and calculating would be nemesis. The story does take an interesting turn from the first as in the original Phibes motives were strictly that of revenge, but here the character does not seek out to kill out of retribution, but more so only to do away with those who would interfere with his carefully laid plans (vengeance does come into play once his deceased wife is unwittingly stolen). It's sort of like two super villains battling each other, except here Biederbeck is way out of his league as Phibes will not be denied of his prize (Biederbeck does supply a healthy reservoir of potential victims). Peter Jeffrey and John Cater return from the first film as the hapless Scotland Yard detectives Trout and Waverly (Waverly is Trout's supervisor) on the trail of a fiend they thought long since gone, providing some comical moments, especially when coming across some of Phibes' handiwork. Seemed to me once they were in Egypt they were out of their jurisdiction, but given Phibes previous crimes they may have gotten some leeway given their past experience with the mastermind criminal. The oddest aspect to me as far as the casting was Peter Cushing in a bit part as a ship's captain, as he was only had a minute or two of screen time...strange seeing such a recognizable performer in such an inconsequential role, but, as they say, there are no small roles, only small actors. The story itself does possess some loose threads (the movie was rushed to capitalize on the popularity of the first), but you're better off going with the flow and enjoying the ride rather than getting hung up on some of these minor elements. I thought the production values were solid (something not always present in American International features), especially in regards to Phibes underground mountain dwelling. I was curious how Phibes kept his wife's corpse, played by Caroline Munro, so well preserved. Given how long she'd been deceased I would have thought some signs of rot would have settled in by now but I guess if she was kept in hermetically sealed containers, she could retain her appearance indefinitely. All in all if you enjoyed the first film, then you'll most likely dig on this gruesome follow up.

The picture quality, presented in widescreen (1.85:1), enhanced for 16 X 9 TVs, looks very clean and clear, and the Dolby Digital mono audio, available in English, Spanish, and French, comes through very well. The only extra included is an original theatrical trailer.

Cookieman108

A note for those interesting in picking up this film up on DVD...both The Abominable Dr. Phibes and Dr. Phibes Rises Again were originally released onto DVD individually, but then later re-released paired together as a DVD double feature, so if you're interested in owning both, try to locate the dual release, as it might be a better value (depending on availability, or course).

The Camp is High.......2006-02-14

Despite the return of the director Robert Fuest and star Vincent Price, plus a handful of supporting players from "The Abominable Dr. Phibes" (including Hugh Griffith and Terry-Thomas in different roles), this Phibes go-around threatens to spin out of control at every turn. In the first one, the camp had a kind of magnificence to it -- Phibes' graceful dance with Vulnavia, for instance -- while here it comes perilously close to descending to the level of a "Carry On" film. That is not to say it isn't fun to watch, you just have to overlook the indulgences, not to mention a fair amount of absurdity.

Price, in modified makeup and wig, actually cuts a rather handsome, dashing figure here, though his character is weakened somewhat by his murdering people in ghastly ways chiefly for the sake of killing them, and not out of revenge, as in the first film. Some of the death traps are wonderful (Hugh Griffith washing ashore in an enormous bottle, for instance), while others are so ridiculous as to make the cliffhangers in "Batman" look subtle by comparison. Granted, in this sort of movie it is usually best not to worry about logic, but even so, some of the bits are so over-the-top that they negate the effect. Another problem is that Price's voice over narration (Phibes can only speak artifically)tends to be repetitious and banal exposition, as though nobody could think of anything for him to say except constant recaps of the plot.

Robert Quarry, then enjoying a brief starring career as a road-company Christopher Lee, is effective as the antagonist and appears to be the only one taking things seriously, the down side of which is that he comes off as the only one not in on the joke. Fiona Lewis is decorative as the nondescript heroine, and the bungling policemen played by Peter Jeffrey and John Cater are amusing. John Thaw -- later TV's "Morse" -- shows up mid-way through for the sole purpose of meeting a particularly nasty end. However, Valli Kemp as Vulnavia looks like a plump young deer caught in the headlights. Her only stab at expression comes in trying desperately not to laugh out loud at Price, who is playing in broad comedy mode. Meanwhile, Peter Cushing has never been more wasted.

All in all, it's amusing, but it can't touch the first "Phibes." And for the record, Price's rendition of "Over the Rainbow" at the end WAS in the original theatrical version, but removed from the film when it went to video.

Back from The Grave..........2005-08-07

After three years in necromantic hibernation, Dr, Anton Phibes resurrects to the next step with a passion to actually revive his belovedVictoria, and with the aid of the silently enchantingVulnavia, sets off for Egypt to bring her to life by using the mysteries of the ancient pharaohs, and finding the fabled river of eternal life. He awakes to discover his total environment demolished and a crucial piece of papyrus stolen by one "Darius Biederbeck", who also seeks immortality, yet Phibes' incisive ingenuity always regains what is his, removing all obstacles unfortunate enough to stand in the way of his plans, always in delighfful and amusingly poetic, creative methods.

He takes the most important elements of his Lair with him - his precious organ and musical articifial human companions, through which he works the Greater Magic of the-is-to-be, which are briefly found by a snooping passenger, who is dealt with in an expedient and rather 'artistic' manner... placed in a bottle and set afloat!

Phibes had previously prepared a place within a mountain to conduct his occultic endeavors, and begins unlocking the secrets of this hidden chambre, complete with sarchophagus and an ingeniously conceled key. Serpents seem to play a consistent role in the film, from a mechanical snake, which was a mere distraction for a real one to be rid of a brute and regain the papyrus, to the actual handle on the sarcophagus, to cleverly snake-shaped spikes with bident tongues. Reminds this writer of Set the whole way through - the archeypal manifestation of Satan in Egyptian culture.

Biederbeck's obsessions lead him to Phibes, as well as the impressively calculated abduction of his own beloved Diana - for it seems he was preserving himself with an immortality potion, yet fails in his goal as Phibes gleefully rows into the eternal Grotto singing quite a memorably recognizable tune...

Dr, Phibes Rises Again is a most worthy subsequent chapter to The Abominable Dr. Phibes, who displays consistently de-facto Satanic inclinations, to those who know.

Not the original ending........2005-08-02

This DVD does not have the original music that ended the film. They removed it and put a track of Price singing "Over the Rainbow".(The song used at the end of the first film.)It even says on the back of the DVD(in the trivia section)how Price recorded OTR for the end of the film but the filmmakers decided not to use it. Well it seems that the distributors of this DVD decided to put it into the movie. That's a shame because the music that was originally used really fit the ending of the film. The 4 star rating is for the original film, not this flawed version.

Average customer rating:

Finally on DVD
"Oh, it's Phibes alright sir, and he always comes back."
The Camp is High
Back from The Grave...
Not the original ending.

Dr Phibes Rises Again
Starring: Vincent Price , Robert Quarry , Peter Jeffrey , Fiona Lewis , and Hugh Griffith
Director: Robert Fuest
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Cushing, Peter | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Griffith, Hugh | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Jeffrey, Peter | ( J ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Lewis, Fiona | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Owens, Gary | ( O ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Price, Vincent | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Quarry, Robert | ( Q ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Reid, Beryl | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Thaw, John | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Thomas, Terry | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Fuest, Robert | ( F ) | Directors | VHS | Video

General | Horror | Genres | VHS | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | VHS | Video

General | Cult Movies | Genres | VHS | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

ASIN: 0792845560
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Finally on DVD.......2007-05-31

"Oh, it's Phibes alright sir, and he always comes back.".......2006-07-06

The Camp is High.......2006-02-14

Back from The Grave..........2005-08-07

Not the original ending........2005-08-02

DVD:

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