Dr. Diablo (Burgess Meredith) runs a circus carnival sideshow called Torture Garden. In there he offers to tell four people their futures which we then see played out. Story 1 has a man (Michael Bryant) letting his uncle die to search for the money he thinks the old man has hidden. Instead he finds a lethal cat. Story 2 has starlet Carla Hayes (Beverly Adams) discovering why stars stay looking so young. Story 3 has a woman fall in love with a world famous pianist--until his piano gets jealous (don't ask). Story 4 has Jack Palance playing an Edgar Allan Poe fanatic who plans to rob a Poe collector (Peter Cushing) but finds more than he bargained for.
OK--story 1 and 4 are easily the best. Story 2 is pretty stupid and story 3 is just ridiculous--the good acting keeps it from completely falling apart. The acting, with the sole exception of Adams, is very good--Bryant is excellent and Meredith and Palance chew the scenery. Adams is a very beautiful woman--but no actress. Also, for some reason, story 1 has an excellent music score which is completely missing from the rest of the film. There's very little blood or violence here and the "twist" ending comes as no surprise. A real mixed bag here--this isn't as good as "The House That Dripped Blood" or "Dr. Terror's House of Horrors" but worth a look for horror fans. Robert Bloch wrote all four stories too.
OK--story 1 and 4 are easily the best. Story 2 is pretty stupid and story 3 is just ridiculous--the good acting keeps it from completely falling apart. The acting, with the sole exception of Adams, is very good--Bryant is excellent and Meredith and Palance chew the scenery. Adams is a very beautiful woman--but no actress. Also, for some reason, story 1 has an excellent music score which is completely missing from the rest of the film. There's very little blood or violence here and the "twist" ending comes as no surprise. A real mixed bag here--this isn't as good as "The House That Dripped Blood" or "Dr. Terror's House of Horrors" but worth a look for horror fans. Robert Bloch wrote all four stories too.