In John Baxter's worthless, rambling, hunk of garbage book 'Science Fiction in the Cinema'(which calls 'The Thing' a rip-off of 'Frankenstein'(????), bashes 'Metropolis' and refers to any movie featuring monsters as juvenile pap unless he likes it or Jack Arnold directed it) he manages to occasionally make an important point. In his dissection of mad scientist films, he states "Each decade has it's stock menace, an expert in fantasy and grim humor who becomes Hollywood's resident monster and mad scientist. In the 20's it was Lon Chaney, in the 50's Vincent Price". He is very true. Often the horror actors were tapped as villains in non-genre offerings and added a flavor of black comedy to serious films; often with actor collaborations being laugh riots. But if this is true for horror stars, it is also true in the opposite way for non-genre stars like John Carradine, Claude Rains and Herbert Lom; who often found themselves booted up to 'honorary horror star' status when cast in a genre offering not typical of their output.
Well, to that list, you can add Burgess Meredith and Jack Palance. Who both made for great villains in non-genre offerings, and as either heroes or villains in horror sub-genres like sci-fi and costumed heroes. And best of all, both actors are at their best here.
Five carnival attendees(including Palance and British horror mainstay Michael Ripper)enter the chamber of the snide showman Dr. Diablo (Meredith, having the time of his life)who reveals to them their future by having them gaze into the pruning shears('Torture GARDEN' get it?) of a statue of the goddess Atropos. What follows are four stories written by Robert Bloch.
The first story, based off Bloch's 'Enoch', features a scoundrel who tricks his wealthy uncle(an amusing cameo by Maurice Denham)into having a heart attack, only to end up discovering the source of his uncle's wealth in the form of a demon cat. This story is rather boring on first viewing, but on second viewing the creepy menace builds and one ends up taking in all the little moments of foreshadowing. It's excellent, even if the cat is too cute to be menacing. Once hated this story, now it's a fave.
The second story features a b*tchy wannabe actress(Beverly Adams)who ends up discovering the secret of the Hollywood Ten while trying to seduce a handsome, but aging Clark Gable type. Often criticized for it's pacing, this segment has a satiric quality that in today's world of plastic surgery for celebrities, isn't far off. Ends with a typical Bloch pun.
The third(and worst) story features another b*tchy seductress who tries to seduce a piano player only to run afoul of his piano(???)possessed by his mother. The ending seems to suggest that it was a real murder committed by the insane, hallucinating pianist, or is that what they want the onlookers in the story to think? The whole 'posession/impersonation/hallucination' thing combined with the dead, nagging mother reminds me of 'Psycho'. Bloch must have really hated his mom. I salute him for that. But this story just sucks. Thankfully it ends soon.
The fourth, final, and best story, while a poor adaption of Bloch's story 'Man who collected Poe', is still excellent. Good enough to warrant it's own film. Jack Palance plays Roland Wyatt, an obnoxious collector who befriends a necromancer(Peter Cushing) who collects Poe memorabilia. The references to 'Fall of the House of Usher'and 'Cask of Amontillado' are fun to spot. Palance and Cushing are outstanding, as usual. I won't spoil any more of it.
'Torture Garden' is no masterpiece, but it has many amusing moments, great performances from as I said; two 'honorary horror stars', a great cameo by Peter Cushing, eerie carnival music and lots to enjoy on repeat viewings. It's arguably the worst of Amicus's anthologies, but it's still essential viewing for any true-blooded horror fan.
Well, to that list, you can add Burgess Meredith and Jack Palance. Who both made for great villains in non-genre offerings, and as either heroes or villains in horror sub-genres like sci-fi and costumed heroes. And best of all, both actors are at their best here.
Five carnival attendees(including Palance and British horror mainstay Michael Ripper)enter the chamber of the snide showman Dr. Diablo (Meredith, having the time of his life)who reveals to them their future by having them gaze into the pruning shears('Torture GARDEN' get it?) of a statue of the goddess Atropos. What follows are four stories written by Robert Bloch.
The first story, based off Bloch's 'Enoch', features a scoundrel who tricks his wealthy uncle(an amusing cameo by Maurice Denham)into having a heart attack, only to end up discovering the source of his uncle's wealth in the form of a demon cat. This story is rather boring on first viewing, but on second viewing the creepy menace builds and one ends up taking in all the little moments of foreshadowing. It's excellent, even if the cat is too cute to be menacing. Once hated this story, now it's a fave.
The second story features a b*tchy wannabe actress(Beverly Adams)who ends up discovering the secret of the Hollywood Ten while trying to seduce a handsome, but aging Clark Gable type. Often criticized for it's pacing, this segment has a satiric quality that in today's world of plastic surgery for celebrities, isn't far off. Ends with a typical Bloch pun.
The third(and worst) story features another b*tchy seductress who tries to seduce a piano player only to run afoul of his piano(???)possessed by his mother. The ending seems to suggest that it was a real murder committed by the insane, hallucinating pianist, or is that what they want the onlookers in the story to think? The whole 'posession/impersonation/hallucination' thing combined with the dead, nagging mother reminds me of 'Psycho'. Bloch must have really hated his mom. I salute him for that. But this story just sucks. Thankfully it ends soon.
The fourth, final, and best story, while a poor adaption of Bloch's story 'Man who collected Poe', is still excellent. Good enough to warrant it's own film. Jack Palance plays Roland Wyatt, an obnoxious collector who befriends a necromancer(Peter Cushing) who collects Poe memorabilia. The references to 'Fall of the House of Usher'and 'Cask of Amontillado' are fun to spot. Palance and Cushing are outstanding, as usual. I won't spoil any more of it.
'Torture Garden' is no masterpiece, but it has many amusing moments, great performances from as I said; two 'honorary horror stars', a great cameo by Peter Cushing, eerie carnival music and lots to enjoy on repeat viewings. It's arguably the worst of Amicus's anthologies, but it's still essential viewing for any true-blooded horror fan.