THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES - A flashback movie review

by Heather the Jane

I love old movies. Well, not all old movies. The mysteries, the sci-fi, and the scary ones. Oh, and anything with the late Vincent Price in it (which of course, will probably fall under the category of creepy and scary anyway). Last night Brandon (my oldest son) and I popped the 1971 classic The Abominable Dr. Phibes into the DVD player.

I was groaning right off the bat. No, seriously, within the first minute I was reading the back of the case to see how long this was going to last. A black-clad (and shiny, black-clad at that) Vincent Price playing an ominous-sounding organ against a red backdrop. His arms waving wildly; head tossing from side to side as he slams down on the keys. Noooooo, that's not scary. That's just well ... too creepy. And not in the good way.
 
But hey, a few minutes later, my eyes are riveted to the screen. Okay, despite the lackluster title, head-scratching opening, and the fact that Somewhere Over the Rainbow (which Brandon thought fit) plays over the closing credits, this movie is really, really well done. There are some genuinely scary scenes here. Price plays a character with a diabolical mind and an unwavering desire for revenge. And he does it like no-one else can! I mean, just looking at the guy's tormented eyes before he utters a word (and wait to you see how he utters his words) raises the tension. Ups the stakes, for you KNOW this brilliant man will stop at nothing.
 
Yes, there were some scenes that as I watched them, 29 years after the movie's release, have of course lost their punch. But the movie, overall hasn't lost a thing. It's not shocking scary. Not in your face blood-guts-gore scary (though there is a little of that). But it absolutely is edge-of-the-seat, what's-gonna-happen-next, good.
 
There are a couple of loose ends in The Abominable Dr. Phibes. Very minor and excusable. (Especially since there is a sequel – Dr. Phibes Rises Again!)