Dr Phibes Rises Again (1972)

Vincent Price returns as the ingenious doctor, now in Egypt searching for the elixir of life which will bring his late wife back from the dead.

Unfortunately, competing fancier of ancient secrets Darius Biederbeck (Robert Quarry) has seized some of the elements necessary to complete the process and is racing Phibes to the temple.

Chasing them both is our bumbling old friend Inspector Trout (Peter Jeffrey).

Phibes sets about destroying the members of Biederbeck’s expedition.

One is stung to death by scorpions, another is clawed raw by an eagle, and a third has his flesh ground from his bones by a sand-blasting contraption.

But the most diabolical deeds occur when Phibes and Biederbeck come face to fiendish face in the chamber containing the elixir of life.

The conclusion works because both Phibes and Biederbeck want to take the Styx-like journey to the promised new life.

While it’s not as splendid as The Abominable Dr Phibes (1971), this sequel is mounted with lavish care by Robert Fuest – director of several classic episodes of The Avengers – and still scores high in the squirm and chuckle departments, mainly thanks to Price’s perfect timing and grandiose camp relish.

Dr Anton Phibes
Vincent Price
Biederbeck
Robert Quarry
Vulnavia
Valli Kemp
Ambrose
Hugh Griffith
Shavers
John Thaw
Stuart
Keith Buckley
Baker
Lewis Fiander
Hackett
Gerald Sim
Cheng
Milton Reid
Inspector Trout
Peter Jeffrey
Superintendent Waverley
John Cater
Captain
Peter Cushing
Mrs Ambrose
Beryl Reid
Lombardo
Terry-Thomas
Diana
Fiona Lewis
Victoria
Caroline Munro

Director
Robert Fuest

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