Torture Garden

source: Torture Garden

A collection of short horror episodes where freak show proprietor Burgess Meredith invites a group of patrons to experience their own futures. The best, in my opinion, is the one with Jack Palance, who is a great admirer of Poe. He visits the private collection of the world's foremost collector of Poe memorabilia, only to find the true source of the collection. Another character has his comeuppance, tortured by a cat--payment for his greed, irresponsibility, and impatience. In another, a greedy, ambitious young woman plays her cards too well, but overlooks something which proves here undoing. In the silliest, a young blonde gets between a man and his love for his "killer" piano. As a matter of fact, as killer piano movies go, it's one of the best. The stories are uneven in quality, but are well produced and interesting. I would give this a marginal recommendation. It has a very good cast and reasonably good script.

Amicus is legendary for producing a variety of Horror omnibuses in the 60s and 70s, such as "Dr. Terror's House of Horror" (1965), "The House That Dripped Blood" (1970), "Asylum" (1972), "From Beyond The Grave" (1973) or "The Vault of Horror" (1973). After "Dr Terror's House of Horrors", "Torture Garden" of 1967 was the second Horror anthology produced by Amicus, but, besides the very lame "Monster Club" (1980) which was barely saved by the great Vincent Price, it is also the least recommendable one. This is not to say that "Torture Garden" is a bad film though - on the contrary, it is vastly entertaining if one is looking for cheesy spooky fun, it just isn't scary, and I would recommend all the other Amicus anthologies I've seen (except for "Monster Club") over this one. "Torture Garden" begins in an amusement park, where Dr. Diablo (Burgess Meredith) performs a macabre show. After seeing such spectacles as wax puppets executed on the electric chair, the visitors of Dr. Diablo's show (one of them played by Jack Palance!) are invited to experience 'real' terror - a foresight in their possible futures... Overall, the film has a nice atmosphere, but too little suspense. The first three stories are pretty forgettable, especially the second is extremely silly and not even remotely scary. It is merely the fourth story, Jack Palance's segment which also stars icon Peter Cushing, which saves the film. The first story takes place in an old mansion, where a man who is keen on his uncle's wealth encounters a sinister cat. The story is completely unoriginal, but at least it is macabre and has some atmosphere. The second story, which revolves around a girl who wants to become famous in the film business, and the third story, which is about an 'eerie' piano, are really, REALLY silly, even though I won't deny that the third one has some atmosphere too. It is merely the very moody, creepy and macabre fourth tale which makes this film worth watching. The last and best segment should be interesting to all Horror fans as it is a great little tale about the writings of the almighty Edgar Allen Poe, starring Jack Palance, and the great Peter Cushing, both of whom play fanatic Poe-collectors... The last segment is creepy and great and would easily deserve a rating of 8 out of 10, but, overall, one good segment does not quite make up for three cheesy and amusing, but mediocre ones. "Torture Garden" is entertaining enough for fans of Horror omnibuses, but I'd recommend most other Amicus anthologies (especially the excellent "House That Dripped Blood") over this one. Positive points are a nice atmosphere and look, but overall "Torture Garden" is just OK.

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.

The British anthology horror film dates from the classic Dead Of Night to its last gasp, thirty-five years later, with The Monster Club. From around 1965 to 1975 Amicus was the most productive studio within this subgenera. Torture Garden was one of its earlier and lesser efforts, even though it was directed by (cinematographer turned director turned cinematographer) Freddie Francis and written by Robert Bloch (who also wrote Psycho). Better entries include Dr. Terror's House Of Horror, Vault Of Horror and From Beyond The Grave. The titular Torture Garden is a fairground sideshow hosted by the flamboyant Dr. Diablo (subtlety not his strong point). It seemingly consists of a waxworks display, but for an extra 'cost' patrons are allowed into the backroom, the 'torture garden' proper. Here a statue of a Greek mythological figure, Atropos, holding shears (!) and strands of thread, has the ability to predict the future of the hapless punter. Diablo coaxes five customers into this chamber to be scryed, each premonition being one of the stories in the film. The first notable aspect of the film is its trans-Atlantic cast. Most are British, including the ubiquitous Peter Cushing, but Burgess Meredith stars as Diablo (it's actually the best horror I've seen in him) and one of the patrons is played by Jack Palance (not someone you'd readily associate with horror films). Secondly, only the final story and the linking story (thanks to Meredith's camp performance) really succeed. The first three stories, albeit reasonable, are too predictable and as a result lack any real surprises or menace. Admittedly, the final story can also be sussed out early on, its raison d'être is hinted at, but its secret is so outlandish that the overall effect is not spoilt. Cushing and the obsessive Palance help contribute to this section, building up a palpable sense of doom. At first I thought the story would be another retelling of Poe's The Cask Of Amontillado but happily it was different and strikingly original. *spoilers to end* The first two patrons readily deserve their fate; viewer sympathy is not at a premium. The third patron could be considered innocent; a rarity for such a film, but it is hinted at that she is a 'gold-digger'. Finally, Palance's fanatical collector invokes little sympathy, his sins surmounting to that of the initial patron. Perhaps a more likeable set of customers would have engaged the viewer more. The film has numerous daft moments. These include the vivid red 'paint' used for blood; the fact that two characters who had no intention of eating at a restaurant still ordered food and drink for themselves anyway; and the actress who played the statue who could hardly keep still, she was twitching and breathing continually. Finally, the 'smooth' bit of editing at the end for the final 'scare' is just priceless. To finish, any film that pokes fun at the 'Masonic' like inner world of filmmaking and has a moving, killer piano (!) is alright in my book.

With its great cast (which includes Jack Palance, Burgess Meredith and Peter Cushing), a script by Robert 'Psycho' Bloch, and direction from Freddie Francis, one would expect this horror anthology from Amicus to be something really special. Unfortunately, the film completely fails to capitalise on the talent involved, and ends up as one of the company's lesser efforts. Meredith plays the owner of a carnival sideshow, who promises to reveal to a handful of customers brief glimpses of their future, warning, however, that what they discover may not be to their liking. Customer number one is the sponging work-shy nephew of a rich old man who discovers the terrible secret behind his uncle's wealth. Next up is beautiful aspiring actress Carla Hayes (Beverly Adams) who gets to see exactly what lengths she will go to in order to achieve success. Third to take a look at what the future holds is a young woman who becomes romantically involved with a pianist, only to find that his piano objects to their relationship. The final tale has Palance as a fanatical admirer of Edgar Allen Poe who turns to murder when he is introduced to a kindred spirit, Lancelot Canning (Peter Cushing), who owns the ultimate Poe collection. A silly finalé wraps up proceedings by revealing that Meredith's character is none other than the devil himself (which really comes as no surprise, given that his stage name is Dr. Diablo!). Torture Garden is a rather unimpressive collection of macabre tales that, at best, will just about hold the attention of fans of the genre, but is most likely to illicit laughter (the jealous killer piano certainly had me giggling) or just bore. Amicus would attempt the horror anthology format several times later during their existence with varying degrees of success, the best of the bunch being 1972's Tales from the Crypt which saw Cushing as a vengeful zombie and Joan Collins being attacked by an escaped lunatic dressed as Santa Claus.

Amicus' second of eight horror anthology features, following the box office success of DR. TERROR'S HOUSE OF HORRORS (1965), is the weakest of the bunch. And that's rather unfortunate since this one boasts portmanteau specialist Freddie Francis at the helm, Robert (PSYCHO) Bloch in charge of adapting his own short stories and such big names as Burgess Meredith, Jack Palance and Peter Cushing rounding out the cast. At a carnival, feisty Dr. Diablo (Meredith) shows off his "Torture Garden" horror exhibit to paying customers and as a special treat allows five patrons to come into a back room to have their futures predicted by a statue of the goddess Atropos (Clytie Jessup - seemingly having a difficult time staying still!), who holds "the shears of fate." We then get four terror tales, two that are decent (though really nothing spectacular) and two that are rather weak. In "Enoch," greedy Colin Williams (Michael Bryant) discovers he's the sole heir of his terminally ill Uncle Roger's (Maurice Denham) estate. Before Colin can discover where his estranged relative's never-ending surplus of gold coins is coming from, his uncle passes on. Colin then searches the mansion, finds a secret hatch under a bed leading to an underground crypt and digs up a coffin. Inside are a skeleton and still-living cat. The cat turns out to be an evil witch's familiar who can provide wealth in exchange for being fed human flesh! Next up in "Terror Over Hollywood," unscrupulous, fame-hungry starlet Carla Hayes (Beverly Adams) will do anything to make it in the movies. She ends up getting her big break (or so she thinks) after being cast in a lead role opposite timeless superstar Bruce Benton (Robert Hutton) but then discovers top Hollywood players are being replaced by synthetic doubles. I suppose that explains this segment's robotic acting. Tale #3 (the silliest of the bunch) is called "Mr. Steinway" and finds Dorothy Endicott (Barbara Ewing) falling in love with pianist Leo (John Standing), only to discover his prized piano is haunted by the spirit of his domineering late mother. The final segment - "The Man Who Collected Poe" - will probably provide the most interest to horror fans. It stars Jack Palance as abrasive and obsessive Edgar Allan Poe enthusiast Ronald Wyatt, who meets his match when he comes across wealthy Poe collector Lancelot Canning (Peter Cushing). Canning reluctantly allows Wyatt to accompany him back to his home to show him part of his extensive collection of Poe memorabilia, including some unpublished manuscripts. Wyatt gets a little pushy and violent; eventually finding out that one particular piece of the collection sets it part from any other. This tale, along with the first one, make this uneven anthology worth a look. The wraparound segments (also featuring Michael Ripper as a customer who doesn't seem to want his future foretold) and production values are adequate.

Torture Garden (1967) is a series of four short horror stories made by Amicus (the company made several of these anthologies). The stories are held together by Dr. Diabolo (Burgess Meredith) - the owner of a circus sideshow. For an extra charge, he'll show you something really frightening. Each patron is presented with a vision of what may or may not happen in the future. The first vision deals with a man who has "inherited" a cat that turns out to be a witch's familiar. The cat can make the man rich and asks only to be fed in return. The problem is that the cat has developed a taste for humans. Very effective story with several thrills along the way. 7/10 The second story concerns a woman who will do anything to succeed in Hollywood. Well, almost anything. When she discovers that many of Hollywood's elite are androids, she balks at the thought of voluntarily becoming one of them. Not overly effective with little or no moments of horror. The saving grace of this story is the beautiful Beverly Adams - who will always be Lovey Kravezit in Dean Martin's Matt Helm movies. 4/10 The third vision is the worst. A girl is killed by a piano for coming between it and its owner. I think this is the only killer piano movie I've ever seen. Very silly premise. 2/10 The fourth vision is by far the most entertaining. Peter Cushing and Jack Palance star as Poe fanatics. In fact, Cushing is such a fanatic that he has Poe himself as part of his collection. The acting in this story is (as expected) excellent. Palance holds his own with the horror legend Cushing. The sets are extremely well done for a film of this type. This story could have been fleshed out to make a good full length film. 9/10 Overall, some hits and some misses.

I'm a fan of the Amicus horror anthologies, but Torture Garden, despite a promising title, was pretty weak. Most of the stories, despite being written by Psycho scribe Robert Bloch, are on the level of really lame episodes of The Twilight Zone. The only stand-out is the Poe story, and Jack Palance's hammy creepy performance; this is one of my most favorite things the character actor has ever done, and it completely goes against "type," creating a hysterical, utterly nutty character of the stripe Vincent Price usually plays. Cushing is also good in this story, but he's playing straight man to Palance so he doesn't have a whole lot to do other than be foreboding and "Cushingly." The Poe segment was really on the level of the AIP Poe anthologies, and would have fit right in. Mention should also be made of Burgess Meredith as "Dr. Diablo," who gleefully exudes evil and chews the scenery while wearing a top-hat and smoking from a long cigarette-holder (not unlike the Penguin character he was playing at the same time on the Batman TV series). However, Meredith's cackling ham isn't enough to recommend this film for anything other than the Poe segment. And as far as the Amicus end-of-movie twists go, the one in this movie is pretty lame. My advice is to fast-forward to Poe, then fast-forward towards the end framing-sequence which briefly picks up the Poe thread once again.

TORTURE GARDEN is a Amicus horror anthology that seems rather forgotten . It rarely turns up on television but even so it's slightly puzzling why it's not fondly remembered . After seeing it I've come to the logical conclusion that whilst it isn't dreadfully camp like the rather dire THE MONSTER CLUB it lacks a morbid fun factor like VAULT OF HORROR has in abundance . There's also the feeling that the movie s marketed towards an American audience thereby making the TORTURE GARDEN lose much of its British charm the Amicus anthologies had in their favour The stories themselves are rather hit and miss which leads to the train of thought that if you dislike one story then they'll be one along in a minute that you might prefer . And in these type of stories the old warning that be careful what you wish for because you might just get it are at the centre of the tale . The first and fourth stories are the best but none of them are outstanding - they're merely okay