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Dr. Phibes Rises Again!

Dr. Phibes Rises Again!

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: More Frightful Fun With Phibes
Review: A very worthy sequel to the brilliant "Abomidable Dr. Phibes." The plot is very similar to the original. Dr. Phibes takes his obsession over his dead wife to new heights, carrying her off to Egypt, where he seeks eternal life for her. However, a wealthy playboy, Biederbeck (Robert Quarry), is also seeking the prize of Egypt's tomb. Phibes takes his clever and elaborate murdering habits to new sadistic levels, playing with Biederbeck and his men with the most diabolical of manners.

A few changes from the original. "The Dr. Phibes Clockwork Wizards" went through a name change, called the "Alexandrian Quartet." They even participate in one of the sillier killings. Vulnavia, Phibes's mysterious accomplice, is unfortunately not played by Virginia North, who played the role so well in the original. The police detectives, an integral role in the original, are resigned to a position of comic relief (which is actually appreciated).

Watch out for a guest cameo by Peter Cushing. Sadly, it isn't a very large one. It seems like Price and the Cushing/Lee team had an unfortunate habit of not starring in each other's films, but instead playing a game of spot-the-cameo. The chemistry between the masters horror would have been explosive, I'm sure.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: More Frightful Fun With Phibes
Review: A very worthy sequel to the brilliant "Abomidable Dr. Phibes." The plot is very similar to the original. Dr. Phibes takes his obsession over his dead wife to new heights, carrying her off to Egypt, where he seeks eternal life for her. However, a wealthy playboy, Biederbeck (Robert Quarry), is also seeking the prize of Egypt's tomb. Phibes takes his clever and elaborate murdering habits to new sadistic levels, playing with Biederbeck and his men with the most diabolical of manners.

A few changes from the original. "The Dr. Phibes Clockwork Wizards" went through a name change, called the "Alexandrian Quartet." They even participate in one of the sillier killings. Vulnavia, Phibes's mysterious accomplice, is unfortunately not played by Virginia North, who played the role so well in the original. The police detectives, an integral role in the original, are resigned to a position of comic relief (which is actually appreciated).

Watch out for a guest cameo by Peter Cushing. Sadly, it isn't a very large one. It seems like Price and the Cushing/Lee team had an unfortunate habit of not starring in each other's films, but instead playing a game of spot-the-cameo. The chemistry between the masters horror would have been explosive, I'm sure.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Finally, Phibes lives on DVD
Review: Ad features go, this is bare bones. The only extra is the trailer - grainy but cool. There wasn't even a guide or as much as an insert in the case - just the DVD. But what a DVD - great quality, good sound (although mono, so center chan. only.) No horror or Price fan should be without this DVD. Same goes for The Abon, er, Abomim, er Abomomomm, you know, the first part!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Long Time Love for Dr Phibes
Review: I first saw the Dr Phibes two picture series years ago and taped the "Dr Phibes rises again" sequel as the best of the two. I recently bought the DVD from Amazon and was amazed at the improved resolution and clarity over my treasured tape version. So if you have a tape version of either movie, get the DVD as it is a great improvement. As for the movie, what can I say. Vincent Price is a master of satire and plays it to the fullest in this movie. In spite of the horror you will laugh your head off at the way he lampoons the more serious horror movies. It's all preposterous but a great show, will keep teenagers glued to the screen for hours as well as me and I'm in my 80's.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not as good as the original, but still entertaining
Review: If you saw "The Abominable Dr. Phibes" then you were probably wondering why Phibes has "risen again" after all that talk of the great beyond. The first twenty minutes or so doesn't make much sense, as the producers didn't bother to write the film so that it fit with the events of the first. But afterwards you have got a very entertaining film on your hands. The scene where Phibes chokes on the fish bone is a classic. The showdown between Phibes and Biederbeck at the end is a little bit too reminiscent of the showdown between Phibes and Versalius in the original, but it is still an interesting piece. Unfortunately the VHS doesn't have Price's singing of "Over the Rainbow", although the DVD does. Definitely a must-see. But see "The Abominable Dr. Phibes" first.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Chilling and creepy
Review: Not quite as good as the original, but this movie should be re-released

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Dr.Phibes sequel
Review: Quite possibly the best Vincent Price camp horror classic ever made, complete with Price's oleaginous tragicomic expressions, highly inventive and fitting revenges/fates meted out to unsuspecting adversaries, and, best of all, the incomparable "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" scene crowning it all. Do not miss it!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Morbidly Amusing with a PRICEless Performance
Review: Reason to buy: Price singing "Over the Rainbow" at the movie's end.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A Horror Movie Taken to the Absurd
Review: The 1st Phibes was enjoyable enough as Vincent Price punished those Drs. whom killed his wife, each being done away with in a manner appropriate to their profession. Price seems to enjoy this type of movie, Theatre of Blood being a terrific example. The ending leaves open the possibility of a sequel, and here it is. Unfortunately.
Phibes has risen from his double coffin where he slept with his dead wife until a certain time. Upon awaking, he discovers his house destroed and a papyrus, detailing the river of life in Egypt, missing. He traces it to Robery Quarry's house and begins a series of murders to recover the papyrus. It turns out that Quarry also knows about the River of Life and is, in fact, several thousand years old and must return to the River to renew his supply of aqua vitae.
After a few more murders, Phibes and his wife journey down the river, leaving Quarry to perish beside his wife, who recoils in horror as he ages, dies, disintergrates and floats away as dust. there is probably some message there but I don't care.
Several characters reappear in the sequel, even the ones killed in the 1st movie but it's ok. The bumbling detectives add some slapstick humor and everything seems to be tongue-in-cheek.
The murders are why you watch Phibes to see what diabolical manner he thinks up to kill. The needle in the phone is okay but uninspired.
The bottle murder is good but I still don't know how he got the body in the bottle. The Scorpion is predictiable, since they're in the desert and the hawk is just stupid.
Price is his usual excellent self but doesn't seem to enjoy himself as much as he did in the 1st one.
You have to get it to see the end of Phibes and fortunately, it is the end.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Lacks the sparkle of its predecessor
Review: The Abominable Dr Phibes, for all its gruesomeness and unpleasantness, was witty and sharp, but the sequel is just pedestrian and flat. As the doctor, Vincent Price doesn't seem to enjoy himself as much, and the film is absent the irony that made the original so memorable. Brian Eatwell's sets aren't half as impressive as his earlier creations, and Basil Kirchin's musical direction is sorely missed.

Only the ending manages to capture something of the same spirit, but it is hardly worth waiting an hour and twenty minutes for.


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