The Abominable Dr Phibes

1 9 7 1 (UK/USA)

The Abominable Dr Phibes stars Vincent Price as a living corpse, seeking revenge on the nine medics who were in attendance when his wife died in surgery. He concocts his revenge based on the ten biblical plagues of ancient Egypt (from the Old Testament). Terry Thomas is one of the victims, all of whom die from some bizarre use of rats, bees, bats, boils etc.

So we see a nurse having her head covered in liquefied Brussels sprouts, and killer locusts set upon her; a doctor attacked by rabid rats in his aeroplane, another doctor attacked by vampire bats, and Dr. Whitcombe (Maurice Kaufman) speared to a door by the brass horn of a unicorn. Assisting Price in his endeavours is the silent Vulnavia (Virginia North). Scotland Yard’s long suffering Inspector Trout (Peter Jeffrey), and his eager assistant Crow (Derek Godfrey) investigate the puzzling murders.

The Dr Phibes makeup (by Trevor Crole-Ress) is outstanding in depicting without revulsion the look of a living corpse covered in scars (who also speaks through a cord extended from his throat and eats through a tube!).

Loaded with comedic gore, The Abominable Dr Phibes has been described as an "anachronistic period horror musical camp fantasy". Due to the films success, a sequel, Dr. Phibes Rises Again was released the following year.