Dr. Phibes Really Did Not Do Much Last Week, Dolls! But This Sequence Was Pretty Creepy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                     "Dr. Phibes Rises Again," the 1972 sequel broadcast last week on "Svengoolie," at least had sound and steady picturization.  It did not have the David Lynch quality of the original, and, except for this creepy sequence, there was not much to speak of.  The premise just did not grab me.

                                 Once again, it was "Sventoonie" who upstaged the evening.  What we were told was his final show of the season--and please bring back Sventooine; as I have said, previously, he is the best show since Amy Sedaris--was a reconstruction of the 1963 Roger Corman film, "The Terror."  This film played in New Brunswick, New Jersey, just across the river from Highland Park, my hometown, on a double bill with another favorite, "Dementia-13."  At the Rivoli Theatre.  Both films were worked on, incidentally by Francis Ford Coppola.  The film's poster enticed me, with the people trapped in a gigantic spider web.  This was during a brief phase when I was interested in movie poster art and wanted to become such an artist.  But that passed.

                                   The plot seemed nonsensical to me, and it was.  Corman was originally asked to shot a Gothic horror film in two days, using leftover sets from an earlier 1963 film, "The Raven."  It could not be done, and I think it took nine months to me.  Imagine Jack Nicholson (yes!!!!!!!!) dressed in a Jean Valjean costume straight out of "Les Miz,"  (the musical had not even been thought of, back then!) but speaking throughout like "Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  Sandra Knight, his wife at the time, played the heroine, Ilsa, and from the chemistry displayed in this film, it was evident the marriage was on the rocks.  Looking at this junk, it is amazing Nicholson soared to the career heights he did!

He should thank God for "Easy Rider!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                       Boris Karloff plays a castle baron who turns out to have all kinds of secrets of his own.  The visuals are great, but the acting is SO bad it is not even bad enough to be Camp!!!!!!!!!!!

                                        Still, Sventoonie's deconstruction of "The Terror" was the highlight of the evening, surpassing 'Dr. Phibes.'

                                        Please bring back "Sventoonie," Sven!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!