IMDb RATING
6.1/10
3.4K
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An anthology of four short horror stories about people who visit Dr. Diabolo's fairground haunted-house attraction show.An anthology of four short horror stories about people who visit Dr. Diabolo's fairground haunted-house attraction show.An anthology of four short horror stories about people who visit Dr. Diabolo's fairground haunted-house attraction show.
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDespite being present from the opening, and also top billed, Jack Palance (Ronald Wyatt) does not speak until one hour and fifteen minutes into this movie.
- GoofsAlthough Doctor Diabolo charges his customers five pounds to enter the Torture Garden, and the framing story ostensibly takes place in the United Kingdom, the banknotes seen on screen are clearly US currency.
- Quotes
Lancelot Canning (segment 4 "The Man Who Collected Poe"): Did you know that there are ways to raise the dead?
- Alternate versionsThe region 1 DVD from Columbia is 100 minutes long, 7 minutes longer than the previous VHS release. The additional footage consists of more scenes of Dr. Diablo introducing devices of torture, a longer electric chair scene, and more footage in the "Terror Over Hollywood" sequence.
- ConnectionsFeatured in See No Evil (1971)
Featured review
"A very old-fashioned word nowadays -- evil."
I'm a big fan of the horror anthology film in general. I'm an especially big fan of the ones made by Amicus. This is the second of their portmanteau films, following Dr. Terror's House of Horrors. This isn't their best but it's still entertaining. It's written by Robert Bloch and directed by Freddie Francis. There are four stories plus the linking/wraparound story.
The first story is "Enoch," about a no-account who causes the death of his uncle while trying to extort money from him. Later he discovers the bizarre source of his uncle's wealth: a telepathic cat named Balthazar with a peculiar appetite. A weird but unique tale. The next story, "Terror Over Hollywood," is the weakest. An ambitious (and unlikable) actress discovers the secret of how movie stars stay so youthful-looking. Lame. The third story is "Mr. Steinway," about a reporter who becomes involved with a concert pianist. Too bad his piano is the jealous type! A little silly but fun. Finally, there's "The Man Who Collected Poe," which is about two Edgar Allan Poe collectors (Jack Palance, Peter Cushing) and the extremes they go to for the sake of their obsession. This is my favorite story in the film.
The linking story has a sideshow showman named Dr. Diablo (Burgess Meredith) taking five people into a back room where they get to see their future. This leads into the other stories and finishes the movie with the expected twist about Diablo that, while amusing, will surely surprise no one. The best stories are the first and the last but the linking story is fun in its way, due to Burgess Meredith's performance. As I said, this isn't one of Amicus' better horror anthologies but it isn't bad either. The segments are interesting and feel fresh, not just rehashes of older stories. It's a good time-passer.
The first story is "Enoch," about a no-account who causes the death of his uncle while trying to extort money from him. Later he discovers the bizarre source of his uncle's wealth: a telepathic cat named Balthazar with a peculiar appetite. A weird but unique tale. The next story, "Terror Over Hollywood," is the weakest. An ambitious (and unlikable) actress discovers the secret of how movie stars stay so youthful-looking. Lame. The third story is "Mr. Steinway," about a reporter who becomes involved with a concert pianist. Too bad his piano is the jealous type! A little silly but fun. Finally, there's "The Man Who Collected Poe," which is about two Edgar Allan Poe collectors (Jack Palance, Peter Cushing) and the extremes they go to for the sake of their obsession. This is my favorite story in the film.
The linking story has a sideshow showman named Dr. Diablo (Burgess Meredith) taking five people into a back room where they get to see their future. This leads into the other stories and finishes the movie with the expected twist about Diablo that, while amusing, will surely surprise no one. The best stories are the first and the last but the linking story is fun in its way, due to Burgess Meredith's performance. As I said, this isn't one of Amicus' better horror anthologies but it isn't bad either. The segments are interesting and feel fresh, not just rehashes of older stories. It's a good time-passer.
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- utgard14
- Nov 2, 2014
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Details
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- Also known as
- Der Foltergarten des Dr. Diabolo
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- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 33 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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