“‘The Abominable Dr. Phibes’ At 50”

God, this movie is so, so good.

I wish this of every kind of movie released today, but especially horror: Please, please have a sense of style. If you need a reference point, go back 50 years to the proto-Saw, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, a movie that’s all style with a foundation of substance to make all of its deranged mis-en-scene into meaningful, enduring cinema. Have a sense of imagination. Have a creative, curious spirit. Christ, just use color. Anything. I’m begging you. You can’t cast Vincent Price because he’s dead, but you can have a palette and you can go nuts with aesthetics. Have a ball. If you’re not, then what’s the point?

The Abominable Dr. Phibes is an impeachable classic for all these reasons. You should watch it. You should also read my retrospective and appreciation for this film over at Fangoria.

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