Search - Dr. Phibes Rises Again on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG Content Advisory: Violence, Not For Children Movie Release: 1972 DVD Release: 02/20/2001 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English, French, Spanish Subtitles: French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 29 mins Studio: MGM Members Wishing: 6 Genres: Horror, Master Criminal Films, Costume Horror

This sequel to the stylish 1971 melodrama The Abominable Dr. Phibes once more stars Vincent Price in the title role. Long believed dead, Phibes arises from a state of suspended animation, in search of the means to bring his deceased wife back to the land of the living. Phibes also wears a rubber mask to disguise his own horribly disfigured countenance. (The giveaway: he never moves his mouth when speaking, and eats by applying his fork to his neck!) With the aid of the enigmatic, never-speaking Vulnavia (Valli Kemp), Phibes follows an Egyptian expedition, seeking out an ancient elixir of life and killing everyone who gets in his way. In the original film, all of the doctor's grisly but ingenious murders were motivated, and all were linked by a Seven Deadly Plagues throughline. In the sequel, Phibes kills whenever he feels like it, and utilizes an impressive array of death-dealing contraptions (one victim literally has his skin blown off his body by a high-powered electric fan). This marks one of the only films ever made to wrap with Vincent Price singing "Somewhere, Over the Rainbow." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Vincent Price - Dr. Anton Phibes
Robert Quarry - Biederbeck
Valli Kemp - Vulnavia
Hugh Griffith - Ambrose
John Thaw - Shavers

Vincent Price returns to the role of Dr. Phibes: madman, killer, and gifted organ player. MGM has released =Dr. Phibes Rises Again as part of their "Midnite Movies" collection, and the result is just slightly above average. =Dr. Phibes Rises Again is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and sports much grain and dirt throughout the film. The colors and black levels are all very even, though some scenes show a small amount of fading and edge enhancement. The audio is presented in Dolby Digital Mono and supports the film well, though fidelity and depth are sorely lacking. Since Dr. Phibes Rises Again was a relatively low-budget film from the early '70s, it is not surprising to see many of the imperfections spotted on this disc. Unfortunately, fans of this sequel are forced to live with only a theatrical trailer for extra features, as MGM has decided not to include any other substantial supplements on this disc. Someday down the road fans may see a special edition of the Dr. Phibes films, though they shouldn't hold their breath. ~ Patrick Naugle, All Movie Guide