News

The pomp and circumstance of Felix Mendelssohn’s “War March of the Priests,” as played on a grand pipe organ by a hooded figure seated in an opulent ballroom during the opening credits of The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971), perfectly sets the tone and timbre of director Robert Fuest’s film, both with playful irreverence and an eloquently ominous aural shroud of dread. The events we’re about to see play out in the film will hardly be a righteous procession of missionary or military zeal, as Mendelssohn’s music was originally intended to evoke. Instead, as it rings and bellows forth from the ornate instrument in this eerie chamber, one which feels at once haunted and strangely festive, Mendelssohn’s fervor is immediately cast with the unmistakable sense of having been drawn forth from someplace much darker than one of heavenly inspiration.

The organ itself rises from the bowels of...

When I was a kid, I used to love a scary movie. I remember catching the original The Haunting (1963) one night on Channel 9’s Million Dollar Movie when I was home alone. Before it was over, I had every light in the house on. When my mother got home she was screaming she’d been able to see the house glowing from two blocks away. The only thing screaming louder than her was the electricity meter.

That was something of an accomplishment, scaring me like that. Oh, it’s not that I was hard to scare (I still don’t like going down into a dark cellar). But, in those days, the movies didn’t have much to scare you with. Back as far as the 50s, you might find your odd dismemberment and impaling, even an occasional decapitation, but, generally, the rule of the day was restraint. Even those rare dismemberments,...

The first Vincent Price collection from Scream Factory was a pure treasure. When October rolls around, almost nothing puts me in the Halloween mood like a constant stream of Vincent Price films on my TV. Never did I think that Scream could improve upon their original price collection, but when the films that would be included in this new set were announced, I was shocked. The first Vincent Price Collection has some really solid Price films, mostly of a Poe nature, and it was one of the most exciting releases of the year for fans of classic horror. The second set, drops the Poe theme(mostly), and includes some of Price’s most famous, well-regarded films, including a couple of my favorites. The list of films is impressive, and there are extras on most of the films. The packaging is consistent, and equally pleasing to the eyes. Scream Factory’s...

The first Vincent Price collection that was released by Scream Factory is a thing of beauty. It was announced recently that they would bringing us a second collection of Vincent Price films on Blu-ray, and I couldn’t be any more excited about it than I already am. Well, maybe I can be, because Scream Factory just released the full details of the set, and it’s going to be a good one. Check out the press release below, and please click here to pre-order your own copy of this collection, which streets on October 21. Man, October is really upon us, isn’t it?

The Vincent Price Collection II

Featuring The First-ever Blu-ray™ Presentation Of

The House On Haunted Hill (1959), The Return Of The Fly (1959),

The Comedy Of Terrors (1963), The Raven (1963),

The Last Man On Earth (1964), The Tomb Of Ligeia (1964),

And Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)

In Stores Everywhere On October...

Had they saved her, they would have been safe. But they failed, and their patient, Victoria Regina Phibes, died. Now the late Victoria’s husband, Dr. Phibes, is out for vengeance on the medical team that allowed his wife to perish. He plans to make them join his beloved in death through a series of murders based on painful Old Testament plagues.

Starring horror legend Vincent Price, the 1971 horror film The Abominable Dr. Phibes, along with its sequel, 1972′s Dr. Phibes Rises Again, is coming to Blu-ray in the UK.

Available for pre-order now via Arrow Films, The Complete Dr. Phibes will be released on June 9th. Along with a sharp high definition presentation of both Dr. Phibes films, this release has an extensive list of bonus features that includes several audio commentaries and, for those who buy the limited edition boxed-set, a 100-page collector’s booklet.

“Nine killed her,...

When I was a kid, I used to love a scary movie. I remember catching the original The Haunting (1963) one night on Channel 9’s Million Dollar Movie when I was home alone. Before it was over, I had every light in the house on. When my mother got home she was screaming she’d been able to see the house glowing from two blocks away. The only thing screaming louder than her was the electricity meter.

That was something of an accomplishment, scaring me like that. Oh, it’s not that I was hard to scare (I still don’t like going down into a dark cellar). But, in those days, the movies didn’t have much to scare you with. Back as far as the 50s, you might find your odd dismemberment and impaling, even an occasional decapitation, but, generally, the rule of the day was restraint. Even those rare dismemberments,...

If you're looking for ways to continue your celebration of the Vincentennial, and you live in or near, Los Angeles, then you might want to check out tonight's screening of Dr. Phibes Rises Again at 10 Pm at the city's Bigfoot Crest Theater. Dr. Phibes creator William Goldstein himself will be in attendence. More after the jump. Goldstein will introduce the film, and discuss his newest Dr. Phibes novel, the just released Dr. Phibes: In the Beginning. For more, check out the official Dr. Phibes Facebook page. The good doctor still has good vibes!

A few weeks back, I spoke with writer William Goldstein, creator of the notorious Dr. Anton Phibes, who was so memorably portrayed by Vincent Price in the film classics The Abominable Dr. Phibes and Dr. Phibes Rises Again. Now today, continuing our month-long celebration of Price's one-hundredth birthday (or Vincentennial), we have for you an exclusive excerpt from Goldstein's long-awaited and just-released prequel novel, Dr. Phibes: In the Beginning, which reveals the origins of the good doctor. Check it out after the jump. Dr. Phibes – In The Beginning Copyright © 2010 William I. Goldstein All Rights Reserved Sea Eagle This equilibrium was...

Just a couple of weeks ago I interviewed William Goldstein, writer of the 1971 film classic The Abominable Dr. Phibes, about his new Phibes prequel novel. Now it turns out that a theater in St. Louis, Missouri is launching a stage version of the film, in honor of this month's Vincent Price Centennial (or Vincentennial). More after the jump. Here are the details we just received on the play... The Abominable Dr. Phibes in 3-D Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre Date: May 13, 14 & 19, 20 Time: 8pm & 10:30pm each night Location: Regional Arts Commission in University City; 6128 Delmar Boulevard, 63112 More: Celebrate Vincentennial , the...