Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
1960's Horror Double Feature, December 21, 2008
"Chamber of Horrors" (1966) is reminiscent of the gimmick flicks of William Castle. Directed by Hy Averback (a TV director more at home helming such shows as "The Real McCoys" and "Burke's Law"), "Chamber of Horrors" features the in-film devices called the Fear Flasher and the Horror Horn to cue viewers to the terror to come. Despite these tricks, the film is an atmospheric thriller, lushly photographed in color. A condemned man (Patrick O'Neal) chops off his manacled hand to escape, then affixes assorted devices to his stump to chop, rip, and impale, and goes on a death spree. O'Neal makes a pretty good psychopathic killer.
"The Brides of Fu Manchu" (1966) stars Christopher Lee as the Asian villain who kidnaps the daughters of the world's leading scientists. The ransom he demands is that they build for him a death ray, a weapon he will use to achieve his goal of world domination. Lee joins the ranks of the many non-Asian actors who have portrayed Asians on screen, as diverse a group as Boris Karloff, Fred Astaire, Cedric Hardwicke, Peter Lorre, and Warner Oland. Douglas Wilmer as Sir Dennis Nayland Smith, Fu Manchu's nemesis, doesn't make much of an impression with Lee's deadpan delivery and aura of evil taking center stage.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Long awaited arrival, December 12, 2007
After years of waiting, this cult favorite is finally (semi) available. Too bad it's not on DVD yet, but I'm hoping.
In brief the movie is about a man sentenced to hang for the murder of his fiancee`. After the murder, he marries the corpse holding the clergyman at gunpoint.
Demented? I'll say. After the trial, he is being transported by train to the prison. The guard handcuffs him to a brakewheel while he goes back for luggage. During this time the convict loosens the bolt holding the brakewheel, takes a fireax and jumps the train into the river ... where he escapes by cutting off his own hand with the ax. From there, the story centers around his revenge on those who sent him to prison vs the amatuer detective who tries to find out who is behind the latest seriel killings.
This is a semi-gothic horror show and is well done in spite of the melodrama. Some of the most interesting footage is of the wax museam, the chamber of horrors, at which Anthony Draco (the amatuer detective) works. It's a true mystery, although we as the audience know who the killer is. The sidelights of famous murderers of the past is as interesting as the psycotic man they are currently after. All in all a well done film themed in turn of the century Baltimore.
One of the unique features of this flick are the "horror horn" and the "fear flasher", which display and sound each time a grusome killing is about to take place. They are really superflueous though as no gore and little blood is shown in the picture. The most frightening thing about it is the soft-spoken killer who seems to strike out of nowhere and keeps eluding the police.
This film may not keep you glued to your seat in suspense, though I'll wager that you'll find it very entertaining and worth watching at least once.
Suitable for viewers age 8 and up (yes, I suppose a 7-year-old would be ok), this is a good cult classic which has been unavailable for much too long. Hopefully it will be on DVD soon.
Recommended.
~P~
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Dual Dose Of Diabolical Death And Doom..., September 26, 2009
CHAMBER OF HORRORS has Patrick O'Neal (Silent Night Bloody Night) as a psychotic murderer, equipped w/ a hook-hand. He has several lethal attachments for his deadly stump, including a spike and cleaver! COH is wonderfully demented for its time, w/ many colorful characters (watch for the super short Tony Curtis cameo!). BRIDES OF FU MANCHU- The eeevil Fu has returned, this time kidnapping the beautiful daughters of world-famous scientists in order to force them to create a radio-controlled doomsday device. Horror god, Christopher Lee (Horror Hotel, The Wicker Man) plays the maniacal Fu w/ his usual elegant ease. This double bill is well worth owning...
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Video On Demand ~ Michael Murphy
Video On Demand ~ William Phipps
Video On Demand ~ Gordon Hessler
Video On Demand ~ Andre Morell
Video On Demand ~ Warrene Ott
Video On Demand ~ Ryan O'Neal
Video On Demand ~ Jack Palance
Video On Demand ~ Jeremy Summers
Video On Demand ~ Peter Sellers
Video On Demand ~ Peter Cushing
