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Film: Dr. Phibes Rises Again
Year: 1972
Director: Robert Fuest
Writer: Robert Fuest and Robert Blees
Starring: Vincent Price, Robert Quarry and Valli Kemp
Review:
This film begins a few years after the original. The title character of this film is played by Vincent Price. He wakes up from his hibernated sleep. His wife is still in her suspended animation and there was a lock set on his case that would open when things lined up perfectly. He awakes and his assistant, played by Valli Kemp, is there. He goes upstairs to find that his home has been destroyed. He looks for his safe that has a map to the River of Life, which will bring his wife back and give them both eternal life, but its been stolen.
We then see that is was purchased by another man, played by Robert Quarry. He puts it into safe while talking to another man, played by Hugh Griffith. Quarry’s wife comes in, she is played by Fiona Lewis, and they all leave for dinner. Quarry has a man come in to watch the room.
This won’t stop Price and Kemp as they use some mechanical snakes and a fake phone to do him in. Price gets back his map.
Without knowing it, all of these people get on a ship for Egypt as they search for the same tomb. More deaths occur along the way and the police follow them while in search of Price. The two cops that are going are played by John Carter and Peter Jeffrey, both from the first film.
Who will get to the tomb first? Who will open it and get the immortal life? Quarry actually has a secret which deals with a vial and this elixir he searches out.
This film is another solid horror film, but it isn’t as good as the original. The story isn’t as good and the deaths, which are still interesting, are not as good either. I liked the original, since Price was following the plagues, this one he just comes up with some interesting ways to kill people and though they are pretty farfetched, they are fun to see, in a morbid way.
The acting is still good since many of the same components are back; I just think this one being a sequel had a lot to live up to. With that said, Price is good in the same role, Jeffrey brings some comedy and you kind of find yourself rooting for him to stop Price, while wanting him to succeed. I think that is what makes this one and the original great as well. You want Price punished for what he is doing, because it is illegal. Yet, it is hard not to want to see how he will get away with everything.
If you like not overly gory horror films from the 70s, then I would say give this one a viewing. If you liked the original, then I’d say this one deserves to be watched as well. Also if you’re a fan of Price, then again watch this one. A pretty solid horror film that uses more on story and less on gory, which I really enjoyed about it, I’d say give this one a viewing.
My Rating: 6 out of 10