7. The Abominable Dr Phibes (1971)
Anton Phibes is a badly disfigured genius who was in a car crash. He is convinced that incompetent doctors caused his wife's death and he is out to get revenge on them in elaborate fashion. Inspector Trout believes that Phibes is behind the killings, but he gets no help from Scotland Yard. Phibes kills the doctors according to the Plagues from the Old Testament. He kills seven doctors and a nurse, aided with his silent female companion Vulnavia. In a final punishment for Dr Vesalius, he kidnaps the doctor's son and places a vat of acid beside him. Phibes has implanted a key near the boy's heart and Vesalius has to operate on his son and retrieve the key within six minutes or else the acid will engulf his son. Vesalius competently achieves this and the vat of acid brings down Vulnavia instead. Phibes is convinced his killing has been successfully retreated and he embalms himself and enters his wife's sarcophagus. Trout and Vesalius muse that the final curse of the Egyptians was darkness and they speculate whether they will see Phibes again. Boasting Vincent Price as Dr Phibes and Joseph Cotten as Dr Vesalius, The Abominable Dr Phibes has a similar story to Theatre of Blood (aggrieved person brings about the flamboyant, themed deaths of their persecutors) but it is one of the most fondly regarded British horror films by critics and viewers alike. Set in 1925, the film (aided by a stellar soundtrack) really brings the period alive. There is just something about the film that lifts it out of horror film banality. It could be the ingenious deaths, the collective performance of the cast, the art deco surroundings, but I reckon it is mainly down to the film not taking itself seriously. This leads to an amusing script and one of the best British horror films ever, that is held in very high esteem.