Finale of 'Dr Phibes Rises Again'

[AdamSmith]

Been looking for this on the interwebs for ages and finally found it.

[lookin]

A terrific find! Good to know that Vulnavia waits just across the River Styx.

Also a pleasure to see movie credits rolling by in less time than the film itself, with just the basic info one wants. I've made peace with learning the names of the gaffer and best boy, but draw the line at finding out who catered the second production unit. Let alone the name of the insurance underwriters. By the time the screen finally goes dark, I feel like I've long overstayed my welcome.

[MsGuy]

For this you searched for ages???

Plot

The film begins by recapping the events of the previous film, following Dr. Anton Phibes' murderous quest for vengeance against the doctors he blamed for the death of his wife, Victoria. Phibes eluded capture by placing himself in suspended animation in a sarcophagus he shares with the body of his wife, where he would lay in darkness until the moon had entered into proper alignment with the planets, which had not occurred in over two thousand years. Three years later, the conjunction occurs, and Phibes rises from his sarcophagus. Summoning his silent assistant Vulnavia (Valli Kemp, replacing Virginia North), Phibes prepares to take Victoria to Egypt; there, in a hidden tomb, flows the River of Life, promising resurrection for Victoria and eternal life for the two of them. Rising from his basement, Phibes is shocked to discover that his house has been demolished, and a safe containing a papyrus scroll, showing the way to the River of Life, is now empty.

Phibes knows of only one person who could be seeking the same goal: Darius Biederbeck (Robert Quarry), a man who has lived for centuries through the use of a special elixir. After translating the papyrus, Biederbeck prepares to travel to Egypt to find the River of Life for himself and his lover Diana (Fiona Lewis). Phibes and Vulnavia enter Biederbeck's house, kill his manservant and reclaim the papyrus, then they leave for Southampton to sail to Egypt. Biederbeck travels with Diana and his assistant Ambrose (Hugh Griffith) on the same boat; Ambrose is killed by Phibes when he finds Victoria's body in the hold, and his body is stuffed in a giant bottle and thrown overboard. Inspector Trout (Peter Jeffrey) discovers Ambrose's body when the bottle washes ashore near Southampton. He and Superintendent Waverley (John Cater) question the shipping agent for the boat; upon hearing the descriptions of the tall woman (Vulnavia) and a clockwork band being brought aboard, they realize that Phibes has returned.

Trout and Waverley pursue him. They catch up to Biederbeck's archaeological party near the mountain location of the hidden temple. Phibes, having set up residence inside the temple, hides Victoria's body in the hidden compartment of an empty sarcophagus. He also finds the silver key that opens the gates to the river. Phibes kills each of Biederbeck's men using methods inspired by Egyptian mythology: one man is killed by a hawk, another is stung to death by live scorpions. Biederbeck's team eventually breaks into the temple and takes the sarcophagus, and Biederbeck discovers the key. Phibes uses a giant fan to simulate a wind storm, while Vulnavia enters the tent with the sarcophagus and crushes the man watching over it in a giant screw press. Though the sarcophagus is retaken and Victoria's body is safe, Phibes discovers the key is gone.

Biederbeck is unmoved by the murders of his men, and insists on finding the River of Life. He sends Diana with the last remaining team member, Hackett (Gerald Sim), back to England. Hackett leaves his truck to investigate a battalion of British troops, but finds they are really more of Phibes' clockwork men. When he returns to the truck, Diana is gone. As he restarts the engine, Hackett is sand-blasted to death and his truck crashes into Biederbeck's tent. Realizing Phibes must have taken Diana, Biederbeck confronts Phibes. Phibes demands the key in exchange for Diana's life. Unable to break Diana free of Phibes' trap, Biederbeck surrenders the key. Phibes spares Diana's life. He unlocks the gates to the river, takes Victoria's coffin through, and locks the gates behind him. Biederbeck begs Phibes to take him along as he begins to age rapidly. Phibes ignores his pleas and sings "Over the Rainbow" as he fades from sight.

[AdamSmith]

For this you searched for ages???

Plot

The film begins by recapping the events of the previous film, following Dr. Anton Phibes' murderous quest for vengeance against the doctors he blamed for the death of his wife, Victoria. Phibes eluded capture by placing himself in suspended animation in a sarcophagus he shares with the body of his wife, where he would lay in darkness until the moon had entered into proper alignment with the planets, which had not occurred in over two thousand years. Three years later, the conjunction occurs, and Phibes rises from his sarcophagus. Summoning his silent assistant Vulnavia (Valli Kemp, replacing Virginia North), Phibes prepares to take Victoria to Egypt; there, in a hidden tomb, flows the River of Life, promising resurrection for Victoria and eternal life for the two of them. Rising from his basement, Phibes is shocked to discover that his house has been demolished, and a safe containing a papyrus scroll, showing the way to the River of Life, is now empty.

Phibes knows of only one person who could be seeking the same goal: Darius Biederbeck (Robert Quarry), a man who has lived for centuries through the use of a special elixir. After translating the papyrus, Biederbeck prepares to travel to Egypt to find the River of Life for himself and his lover Diana (Fiona Lewis). Phibes and Vulnavia enter Biederbeck's house, kill his manservant and reclaim the papyrus, then they leave for Southampton to sail to Egypt. Biederbeck travels with Diana and his assistant Ambrose (Hugh Griffith) on the same boat; Ambrose is killed by Phibes when he finds Victoria's body in the hold, and his body is stuffed in a giant bottle and thrown overboard. Inspector Trout (Peter Jeffrey) discovers Ambrose's body when the bottle washes ashore near Southampton. He and Superintendent Waverley (John Cater) question the shipping agent for the boat; upon hearing the descriptions of the tall woman (Vulnavia) and a clockwork band being brought aboard, they realize that Phibes has returned.

Trout and Waverley pursue him. They catch up to Biederbeck's archaeological party near the mountain location of the hidden temple. Phibes, having set up residence inside the temple, hides Victoria's body in the hidden compartment of an empty sarcophagus. He also finds the silver key that opens the gates to the river. Phibes kills each of Biederbeck's men using methods inspired by Egyptian mythology: one man is killed by a hawk, another is stung to death by live scorpions. Biederbeck's team eventually breaks into the temple and takes the sarcophagus, and Biederbeck discovers the key. Phibes uses a giant fan to simulate a wind storm, while Vulnavia enters the tent with the sarcophagus and crushes the man watching over it in a giant screw press. Though the sarcophagus is retaken and Victoria's body is safe, Phibes discovers the key is gone.

Biederbeck is unmoved by the murders of his men, and insists on finding the River of Life. He sends Diana with the last remaining team member, Hackett (Gerald Sim), back to England. Hackett leaves his truck to investigate a battalion of British troops, but finds they are really more of Phibes' clockwork men. When he returns to the truck, Diana is gone. As he restarts the engine, Hackett is sand-blasted to death and his truck crashes into Biederbeck's tent. Realizing Phibes must have taken Diana, Biederbeck confronts Phibes. Phibes demands the key in exchange for Diana's life. Unable to break Diana free of Phibes' trap, Biederbeck surrenders the key. Phibes spares Diana's life. He unlocks the gates to the river, takes Victoria's coffin through, and locks the gates behind him. Biederbeck begs Phibes to take him along as he begins to age rapidly. Phibes ignores his pleas and sings "Over the Rainbow" as he fades from sight.

Thank you too much. (As my Japanese friends say. )

One has of course seen the film several times. The whole shebang is readily available for streaming online. But this delicious final scene alone I had not been able to find an online clip of until now.

[TownsendPLocke]

I always thought that there were two more films in that series that were never released. I really enjoyed both of these campfests. I bet Vincent Price had a lot of fun doing these films.

[TownsendPLocke]

A terrific find! Good to know that Vulnavia waits just across the River Styx.

Also a pleasure to see movie credits rolling by in less time than the film itself, with just the basic info one wants. I've made peace with learning the names of the gaffer and best boy, but draw the line at finding out who catered the second production unit. Let alone the name of the insurance underwriters. By the time the screen finally goes dark, I feel like I've long overstayed my welcome.

My Boss insist on staying untill the very end of a film-when the house lights come up. TORTURE!!!

[AdamSmith]

I always thought that there were two more films in that series that were never released.

Were there?! I never heard that! Fascinating.

[lookin]

Thank you too much, AdamSmith! Never imagined the whole shebang would be mine for the streaming. I’ve got my weekend planned! I saw the first one, The Abominable Dr. Phibes twice, but the second one, Dr. Phibes Rises Again, only once and had forgot it was the River of Life he and his late, soon to be not-so-late, wife were sailing down.

MsGuy, not sure how to convince you the Phibes films are worth seeing, but TownsendPLocke hits the nail on the head when he says they were campfests. I guess it’s possible that camp is not to everyone’s taste but, when I see snippets from Wikipedia’s definition that include banality, artifice, mediocrity, ostentation, and naive middle-class pretentiousness, I know I’m in the right place.

I’d also heard somewhere that additional sequels had been planned, as Vincent Price so enjoyed playing the character. Found this article, which gives them names: Dr. Phibes In The Holy Land, The Son Of Dr. Phibes and Phibes Resurrectus. Price always had a knack for hamming it up and, with the Phibes character, he does it with immobile face prosthetics and a voice synthesizer that cuts off frequencies even Edison’s wax drum let through.

The murders sound so pedestrian as listed, but each one is horrible yet funny and quite creative at the same time. The snake under the pool table is my favorite, and all the more enjoyable because it’s imagined, planned, and implemented by a man with limited mobility and a mute assistant named Vulnavia.

Vulnavia!

[AdamSmith]

Delighted to be of service, lookin!

...and -- her name!

I fairly often fall into talking to myself when out in public. After falling under the spell of the first Phibes film, it took me some time to notice the odd effect it has on people to overhear a stranger muttering, "Vulnavia!"

[RA1]

Well, don't be a stranger. Then, they will understand.

I talk to everyone and find that I learn so much more that way, even things I didn't know I wanted to know.

Best regards,

RA1

[RA1]

PS. I once met VP. It was in an airport lounge, where else? I did not bring my trusty yardstick but for sure I would not have had to extend it twice.

Best regards,

RA1

[AdamSmith]