Torture Garden (1967) User Reviews

Amicus!

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 18 February 2015]

A special sideshow torture exhibit has the power, according to showman Dr. Diablo, to warn people of evil in their futures. Ore by one, skeptical customers stand before the Fate Atropos to be shown the greed and violence they are hiding.

This has been called the worst of the Amicus anthologies. That may be true, but it is still enjoyable. Written by Robert Bloch ("Psycho"), starring Burgess Meredeth, Peter Cushing and a young Jack Palance, and directed by Freddie Francis... how can you go wrong?

Some stories are better than others. The cat story was a bit weak, whereas the Hollywood tale was pretty good and "Man Who Collected Poe" was probably the best, if for no other reason than it featured a Poe-themed house.

Interestingly, we have a being named "malfeasor" (literally "wrongdoer"), which seems to clearly be the inspiration behind the villain in "Witchboard".

Above-decent and entertaining if uneven Amicus anthology film

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 12 July 2015]

There is not very much to add here. Torture Garden is entertaining and has a good amount of atmosphere and some good performances but is also a rather uneven film, and there are stronger Amicus anthology films around (understandably as this was a reasonably early effort for them). Also agree with the general consensus that the first and last segments are the best and the second and third come up short.

The story linking the four segments is mostly very well done, it's suspenseful, it's fun, intriguingly written, ties the segments beautifully and succinctly and it has the bonus of having Burgess Meredith playing his tailor-made role with delicious relish. Some might find that the carnival setting's somewhat gaudy, but to me that was effective, it suited the atmosphere and carnivals are so in the first place anyway to an extent. It is a shame though that Diablo's real identity was a little too obvious and the ending can be smelt a mile off.

Of the four segments, The Man Who Collected Poe comes off the most successfully. It is very macabre, very intelligently written and has a good deal of suspense. It is also the best-looking segment of the four, with the Gothic atmosphere evoked wonderfully. Jack Palance is devilishly enjoyable here, he's over-the-top but also very menacing, vintage Palance really. Peter Cushing proves himself to be a great contrast, a more subtle performance but very dignified and urbane. Enoch has a very creepy ambiance and doesn't go through the motions at all with the scares. The cat didn't look too cute personally, and does bring the right amount of chills as the antagonist of the story.

Conversely, Terror over Hollywood and particularly Mr. Steinway don't fare anywhere near as strongly. Terror over Hollywood at least had a very intriguing subject, but it descend into weird silliness often and while striking Beverly Adams is rather too pretty and lightweight for the over-ambitious diva, when she does try to bring some menace or hard edge it feels very forced. Mr. Steinway is very dull from the get go and goes so overkill in the absurdity factor that it is really difficult to take seriously or be scared by it, only the piano's unsettling final attack prevents it from completely falling apart. John Standing is also rather bland here.

Visually, Torture Garden's not one of the better-looking Amicus anthology productions and it's less than beautiful-looking, but it doesn't look too cheap at all either. In fact, it's very competently made and gives off a very nice atmosphere. Some of the sets are a touch tacky, with the exception of The Man Who Collected Poe and the appropriate carnival setting and the editing occasionally may lack slickness, but it's very stylishly shot, that takes maximum Gothic effect to imaginative heights, and the lighting's not too garish, in fact the use of colour is very like watching a Mario Bava film. James Bernard's score is rousing, haunting and thrillingly booming, Robert Bloch's script is skillful and combines many horror elements with wit and creepy atmosphere without feeling too over-stuffed and Freddie Francis directs engagingly at least for the first and last segments and the linking story. And while the acting in Torture Garden is very varied, Palance, Cushing and Meredith are incredibly strong and are more than enough to make one stick with the film.

Overall, entertaining and above-decent but uneven, with one outstanding segment, one great segment and two misfires, along with a compelling story linking them together. Worth seeing also for the strong performances from Palance, Cushing and Meredith. 6.5/10 Bethany Cox

A decent quartet of terror tales.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 3 May 2012]

"Torture Garden" is, overall, a fun if unexceptional horror anthology from Amicus, a company that specialized in that sort of thing for a number of years. With a screenplay written by Robert Bloch of "Psycho" fame, and efficient direction by Freddie Francis, it's unfortunately a little uneven. It's divided into four segments, and segments two and three aren't quite as punchy, and more amusing than anything; segment one, which is rather leisurely paced, would have been better off as the third in the movie.

The ever wonderful Burgess Meredith is a sort of host for the proceedings, playing a sideshow personality named Dr. Diabolo, who takes various customers into his "torture garden" and places them in front of an exhibit that can foretell their futures, and see the darkness buried within each of them.

"Enoch" stars Michael Bryant as Colin, a man in need of money who thinks he'll get it from his dying uncle (Maurice Denham). After accidentally causing the old man's death, he discovers what kinds of secrets his uncle had been keeping, and they revolve around a spooky "cat" that will develop a powerful hold on him. This is interesting and atmospheric stuff, with a great denouement and enjoyable shock moments.

In "Terror Over Hollywood", cunning and ambitious young actress Carla (Beverly Adams) manages to make the acquaintance of some power players in the business, including veteran star & producer Bruce Benton (Robert Hutton). She soon finds out that there's a reason why Benton and company are able to maintain a facade of youth. This leads to a real hoot of a revelation, which gives this episode its element of "horror".

"Mr. Steinway" is definitely something different: the only story this viewer has seen that can claim to be a love triangle between a journalist, Dorothy (Barbara Ewing), a star pianist, Leo (John Standing), and Leo's piano. Yup, a musical instrument. This is rather cheesy stuff, and entertaining, but hardly scary.

Peter Cushing and Jack Palance star in "The Man Who Collected Poe", about two men obsessed with the legendary author. Ronald Wyatt (Palance) is determined to find out everything that he can about just what kinds of things Lancelot Canning (Cushing) is hoarding. As it turns out, Lancelot truly has the treasure to beat them all. At least we can say that this movie ends with the best story of the bunch.

Taken as a whole, the movie is enjoyable for horror fans, although it is somewhat plodding and has its ups and downs. The top notch cast makes it a worthy viewing; John Phillips, Michael Ripper, Bernard Kay, David Bauer, Niall MacGinnis, Hedger Wallace, Clytie Jessop, and Timothy Bateson also appear. It's also noteworthy for having American stars (Palance and Meredith) be top billed. It's not the best of the Amicus anthologies, but it's not bad at all either.

Seven out of 10.

Likeable if uneven batch of tales in the familiar Amicus style!

[The Welsh Raging Bull · 11 December 2001]

Amicus always managed to get great casts for their anthological films especially, and the fact that one or two decent American actors/actresses are present here merely, emphasises the point.

Burgess Meredith plays Dr. Diablo with marvellous relish in the linking story about a fairground charlatan who presides over "the sheers of fate" (held by an actress who can't keep still!).

Predictably, the stories are of variable quality and, like Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, some of the execution is stagey, mainly because the sets are so cheap-looking.

Story 1 about a dead witch who possesses a cat and causes a inheritor to rue his greediness is satisfactorily macabre and entertaining; Story 2 is more mysterious than horrific but the story about androids is, at least, relatively original; Story 3 is a distinctly silly episode about a piano "with a mind of it's own", who kills it's player's lover; Story 4, however, is the "piece de resistance" about the resurrection of Edgar Allan Poe (wonderful idea by Robert Bloch!). The performances in this story are also worthy of mention - Jack Palance almost puts Peter Cushing in the shade with his eccentric hamminess as a Poe fanatic, but both of them really do bring the best out of the script.

Overall, this compendium has it's faults but some of it's excellent acting and inventive script-writing push it to my second favourite Amicus film (behind The House That Dripped Blood).

Pretty Uneven

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 17 September 2001]

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.

Some Hits - Some Misses

[bensonmum2 · 6/10 · 5 February 2005]

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.

OK horror anthology

[preppy-3 · 6/10 · 6 July 2007]

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.

"A very old-fashioned word nowadays -- evil."

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 2 November 2014]

I'm a big fan of the horror anthology film in general. I'm an especially big fan of the ones made by Amicus. This is the second of their portmanteau films, following Dr. Terror's House of Horrors. This isn't their best but it's still entertaining. It's written by Robert Bloch and directed by Freddie Francis. There are four stories plus the linking/wraparound story.

The first story is "Enoch," about a no-account who causes the death of his uncle while trying to extort money from him. Later he discovers the bizarre source of his uncle's wealth: a telepathic cat named Balthazar with a peculiar appetite. A weird but unique tale. The next story, "Terror Over Hollywood," is the weakest. An ambitious (and unlikable) actress discovers the secret of how movie stars stay so youthful-looking. Lame. The third story is "Mr. Steinway," about a reporter who becomes involved with a concert pianist. Too bad his piano is the jealous type! A little silly but fun. Finally, there's "The Man Who Collected Poe," which is about two Edgar Allan Poe collectors (Jack Palance, Peter Cushing) and the extremes they go to for the sake of their obsession. This is my favorite story in the film.

The linking story has a sideshow showman named Dr. Diablo (Burgess Meredith) taking five people into a back room where they get to see their future. This leads into the other stories and finishes the movie with the expected twist about Diablo that, while amusing, will surely surprise no one. The best stories are the first and the last but the linking story is fun in its way, due to Burgess Meredith's performance. As I said, this isn't one of Amicus' better horror anthologies but it isn't bad either. The segments are interesting and feel fresh, not just rehashes of older stories. It's a good time-passer.

Disappointing horror anthology from Amicus.

[poolandrews · 5/10 · 9 July 2005]

Torture Garden starts with the opening credits running over various shots of a funfair where we finally settle on one of the attractions called the 'Torture Garden'. Inside Dr. Diabolo (Burgess Meredith) shows his paying customers various phony horrors like execution by decapitation & electric chair, for £5 (that's expensive even now!) he also allows anyone brave enough to witness 'real horror'. Five people take him up on his offer, Dr. Diabolo takes them backstage where a dummy named Atrobus is claimed to be the 'Goddess of destiny' & holds the 'shears of fate' in her hand which have the ability to cut people's life threads short or something like that. Dr. Diabolo invites everyone to look at Atrobus (Clytie Jessop sitting as still as she can) & retrieve a memory of the future. First up is Colin Williams (Micheal Bryant) in a story called Enoch...

Collin's uncle Roger (Maurice Denham) is dying. Collin's uncle Roger is rich & Collin wants the money. Collin's uncle dies before he can extract the required information about where the money is hidden out of him. Collin searches the cottage & discovers a coffin with a skeleton & black cat inside buried in the cellar. This particular black cat has certain tastes & uses a stash of gold as leverage to get what it wants...

Then it's Carla Hayes (Beverly Adams) turn in Terror Over Hollywood...

Carla is an ambitious would be actress in Hollywood. While on a date with a producer named Mike Charles (David Bauer) she is introduced to leading man Bruce Benton (Robert Hutton, why does the IMDb list his character name as Paul?) whom she falls in love with, especially after he gets her the leading role opposite him in his latest film. Carla quickly discovers that not everything is as it seems & Bruce has a dark secret connected with the mysterious Dr. Heim (Bernard Kay)...

Next up is Dorothy Endicott (Barbara Ewing) in a tale called Mr. Steinway...

Dorothy is a journalist who has just finished interviewing the world famous pianist Leo Winston (John Standing) whom both quickly fall in love with each other. However when she tries to separate him form his Grand Piano named Utopie the 'Goddess of music' it becomes jealous of Dorothy...

Finally it's Ronald Wyatt (Jack Palance) in The Man Who Collected Poe...

Ronald Wyatt visits fanatical Edgar Allan Poe collector Lancelot Canning (Peter Cushing) who when drunk shows Wyatt his collection of unpublished Poe. But the date 1966 on the paper makes Wyatt suspicious who ends up making a shocking discovery...

Then we're back to the funfair as the fifth person Gordon Roberts (Micheal Ripper) provides one last twist of his own, or does he...?

Directed by Freddie Francis I thought Torture Garden is easily the weakest of the Amicus horror anthologies out of Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1964), The House that Dripped Blood (1970), Tales From the Crypt (1972), Asylum (1972), From Beyond the Grave (1973) & The Vault of Horror (1973) all of which are far superior to Torture Garden. The script by Robert Bloch presents four very poor stories. None of them can be described as horror particularly, they are too slow & have little in the way of a pay-off at they're ends. Each story is far too predictable & provide little in the way of 'twist' endings which anthology stories need to make them work. The stories just aren't effective, I mean a story with a killer piano? Hardly scary is it? In fact I was trying hard not to laugh as director Francis tried to make a Grand piano seem frightening & menacing. Mr. Steinway is perhaps the poorest story I've seen in any Amicus horror anthology, I thought Enoch was the best of a bad bunch here as it had more in the way of horror than the rest although a policeman's reaction to a headless body is somewhat puzzling. On a positive note at least none of the stories last that long so it's not overly boring. There is no real blood or gore to speak of. The film was obviously shot in sets which vary from looking very fake to others which are quite nicely decorated. Director Francis doesn't do much with the limited material & Torture Garden is a bland & forgettable film which has little in the way of style even if some of the colour schemes are very late 60's, you may want to put on a pair of sunglasses at certain points. Torture Garden has not dated well at all, check the clothes out I mean Peter Cushing in a purple cardigan? The acting is OK but Meredith hams it up like you wouldn't believe & is quite fun to watch, a special mention goes to Cushing who really does deserve better than films such as this. Overall I was extremely disappointed with Torture Garden as I usually love anthologies especially the Amicus ones. Average at best & for Amicus anthology completest's (like myself) only.

"Do You Dare See What Dr. Diabolo Sees?"

[ferbs54 · 7/10 · 9 November 2010]

"Torture Garden" (1967) is one of seven horror anthology pictures released by Hammer rival Amicus over an eight-year period. It had been preceded by "Dr. Terror's House of Horrors" and would soon be followed by "The House That Dripped Blood," "Asylum," "Tales From the Crypt," "Vault of Horror" and "From Beyond the Grave." Here, a carnival attraction, the eponymous Torture Garden, is run by the leering, taunting Dr. Diabolo, played with Penguin-like juiciness by Burgess Meredith. With the assistance of his waxworks dummy Atropos, the goddess of destiny, Diabolo shows four customers their possible futures, changeable only if they have the requisite strength of inner character (which is doubtful with this lot). In "Enoch," a bounder of a nephew kills his wealthy uncle and comes under the demonic possession of the house's resident black cat. This is a sinister, suspenseful tale, woefully underlit, that concludes with an appropriately grisly finish. In "Terror Over Hollywood," a young starlet (Beverly Adams) discovers the secret behind the success of so many of Tinseltown's most enduring talents. More sci-fi than horror, this section fails to scare but is fun nonetheless. In the film's weakest tale, "Mr. Steinway," a jealous piano takes vengeance on its composer's new lover. A tad silly, this segment still manages to elicit some shivers, when Euterpe the piano commences to play that funeral march. In "The Man Who Collected Poe," easily the best of the bunch here, Jack Palance eliminates Peter Cushing to possess himself of an incredible assortment of Poe memorabilia, and gets a lot more than he bargained for. Palance's over-the-top performance contrasts nicely here with Cushing's customary urbanity, and the segment is filled with all kinds of neat directorial touches from Freddie Francis. In all, four fun tales from the pen of Robert "Psycho" Bloch, if a touch off the mark as compared to some of those other Amicus anthology titles. The film's final moments will be a surprise to only the slowest of viewers, but still provide good devilish fun. "Do You Dare See What Dr. Diabolo Sees?" the film's poster asked back in 1967. My advice would be to go see....

Worth seeing only for Palance and Cushing's segment

[tomgillespie2002 · 4/10 · 16 August 2018]

Just like their main rival Hammer Films, British production company Amicus Productions was attempting to conquer the lucrative horror market in the 1960s and 70s. While Hammer found success with their literary properties such as Dracula, Frankenstein and the Wolf Man, Amicus found a niche in portmanteau films; anthology tales containing multiple stories, with each featuring one of the hapless chumps gathered together for the opening scenes. The first was Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, directed by Freddie Francis and starring Peter Cushing, and Terror's moderate success led to Torture Garden, with both director and star returning. We open at a fairground sideshow, where showman Dr. Diablo (Burgess Meredith) is inviting customers into his tent for some cheap thrills. When the group fail to be impressed by Diablo's shtick, he dares them behind the curtain where more terrifying revelations await them. It will cost them an extra five bob though.

Naturally, the group's curiosity gets the better of them, and they proceed behind the curtain. Awaiting them is a motionless fortune teller (Clytie Jessop) holding a pair of shears. Stare into the shears, Diablo tells them, and their destiny will appear before them. First up is Colin (Michael Bryant), who holds back his rich uncle's (Maurice Denham) medicine as he lays dying in the hope of finding out where his dough is hidden. The uncle dies however, so Colin searches for the loot. What he stumbles upon is a demonic cat who demands murder in exchange for gold coins. Next is Carla (Beverly Adams), a Hollywood up-and-comer who steals her best friend's date for the night, and winds up at the table of big time producer Eddie Storm (John Phillips) and heartthrob actor Bruce Benton (Robert Hutton). Benton has been around for years but hasn't seemed to have aged a day. She soon discovers his secret and the reason why stars of the silver screen maintain their youthful beauty. The third story, seen through the eyes of Dorothy (Barbara Ewing), tells of her doomed romance with concert pianist Leo (John Standing), and how their relationship comes under threat when Leo's piano becomes jealous with murderous rage.

Torture Garden saves the best story for last, and features two screen heavyweights in Jack Palance and Peter Cushing. In The Man Who Collected Poe, Palance plays Poe enthusiast Ronald, who visits renowned Poe collector and the possessor of the greatest screen name ever, Lancelot Canning. Canning has collected everything from the great writer's possessions to his actual manuscripts, but Ronald notices that some of these unpublished writings have been scribbled on 1966 paper. Like all anthology films, some stories work better than others. The first three segments range from passable to downright terrible, with the third part, Mr. Steinway, proving the most ridiculous and forgettable. Amicus would go on to make more, such as The House That Dripped Blood, Tales from the Crypt and The Vault of Horror, and Torture Garden may just be the most disposable of the bunch. It's worth seeing for Palance and Cushing trying to out-ham each other in what is the only truly engrossing story of the bunch, and Burgess Meredith has fun in what is essentially a re-hash of his Penguin character from the Adam West Batman television series. As a complete film, it's both too camp to be scary and not camp enough to be charming.

An underrated Amicus horror anthology!

[manchester_england2004 · 8/10 · 31 July 2009]

TORTURE GARDEN is the second in a series of seven Amicus horror anthologies. If THE MONSTER CLUB is included as part of the series, this would make eight movies. Although, that movie is very different from the others.

I look upon the Amicus anthologies with great memories as I used to love them when I was in my teens. My feelings for them today are just as strong.

TORTURE GARDEN is a very misleading title for this movie because there is no torture and no garden.

The movie has been unfairly maligned by IMDb users. I will put up an argument in its defence.

The linking story in this movie is easily one of the best found in Amicus anthologies. It provides a long but highly interesting introduction that had me hooked from the first moment. Burgess Meredith gives a truly magnificent performance as the sinister showman, Dr. Diabolo. He persuades a group of fairground visitors that he can show them real horror. Four of the visitors have their futures predicted and this constitutes the framework for the stories.

The first story sees Michael Bryant as a somewhat opportunistic young man who allows his uncle to die just so he can get his hands on his money. The uncle has a mysterious cat that leaves coins behind every time someone is killed. Bryant ends up going on a mini killing spree to get the money. In the end, he goes crazy and is locked up. He thinks he's free of the cat, but is he? Watch and see. This story provides a solid start to the movie. Michael Bryant gives a great performance as a greedy man who is driven to insanity.

The second story takes a very different course to the first. In this quirky tale, Beverly Adams plays an actress determined to find out why other actors manage to stay young. This story is very much maligned. I admit that one really has to suspend disbelief when viewing this story but I found it entertaining and Miss Adams looked very glamorous in her part.

The third story sees Barbara Ewing as a journalist falling in love with a pianist, played by John Standing. This strange piano with a mind of its own becomes jealous of their affair and decides to do something about it. This is easily the weakest story in the movie. It not only requires suspension of disbelief but is mostly boring to sit through. The end is unintentionally funny but not really entertaining enough to endure the rest of the story for. John Standing is very bland in his role and his performance is flat and lifeless. However, he can't really be blamed for that given the absurd story he has to work with. Barbara Ewing fares better, giving everything she's got, but even she can't save this story.

The final story and easily the best puts the movie back on track. Jack Palance is a fanatic of Edgar Allan Poe's work. He meets a fellow fanatic, played by the late great Peter Cushing. Cushing lets him into a secret - Poe has come back from the dead and is writing new stories. The finale of this story is very confusing but interesting to watch. Jack Palance does little more than stand around smoking a pipe in this and the linking story. Another IMDb user has stated on the comments page that Christopher Lee would have been a better choice for the role. I certainly agree with that analogy.

Freddie Francis directs the material he is given very well, adding a particularly unique effect at the end of each story. When the transition is made from a story back to the linking story, a pair of scissors is seen and heard cutting a ribbon. This creates the effect of snapping both the character and the audience out of what is presented as a kind of nightmare. Some excellent camera angles in the first story help to make it seem more macabre than it really is. Some intelligent editing is employed in the third story to try covering up its absurdity.

Overall, TORTURE GARDEN has its flaws but is a must-see for fans of the Amicus anthologies, fans of other Amicus movies or fans of portmanteau horror movies. If my summary provides the movie with enough appeal in your eyes, check it out. You'll enjoy it!

Mildly amusing horror anthology that improves on repeat viewings:

[TheFinalAlias · 6/10 · 24 May 2009]

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.

Only Worth it For Jack Palance As A Batty Poe Fanatic

[winkies · 5/10 · 11 March 2005]

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.

Decent; but not one of the best Amicus anthologies

[AmicusVP · 28 November 2002]

After seeing "The Torture Garden" I have now seen every Amicus anthology. The wrap around story is particularly interesting; especially since I am a big fan of circus sideshows/midway attractions. Anyways; Burgess Merideth plays the evil carnival barker; ushering in 5 un suspecting people; and telling them to look into the shears of a wax figure. In the shears each person see's a sin that will be committed in their future; giving them an opportunity to stop it.

The problem with Torture Garden is that it's like a bad sandwich; the meat is so awful; it makes you want to throw it away and eat the bread. The first story and the last story are very good; but the two in the middle are very stale and boring.

Overall; this is definetly worth buying; especially for a fan of classic horror and while the second and third stories are infact "Torture"; the first and last make up for it. The wrap around story is superb and the ending is quite surprising.

Rating: 7.7/10

Aww, I thought this was the "Olive Garden".

[JoeB131 · 7/10 · 28 March 2008]

Okay, this was a decent picture of anthology horror. Four stories here, possible futures .

The first is one where a greedy nephew kills his uncle, only to unleash an ancient horror.

The second, a young starlet does anything to get ahead, to her tragic demise.

The third, a grasping girlfriend confronts her boyfriend's haunted piano. This is the silliest of the four, really.

The fifth involves a Poe fanatic who discovers a fellow Poe fanatic has resurrected the writer, with horrific results. Probably the best story, but Jack Palance looks silly trying to affect an effete British accent.

Mysterious and intriguing portmanteau horror entertainment with chills , thrills and great cast

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 10 February 2022]

An anthology of four short horror stories dealing with a group of patrons (Michael Bryant, Beverly Adams, Jack Palance..) at a carnival sideshow has their possible futures exposed to them by a screwball barker (Burguess Meredith) who exclaims : I've promised you horror... and I intend to keep that promise¨, as he does more than this in this horrifying movie . Do You Dare See the 100 Horrors of Dr. Diablo? Enter his "Torture Garden" and the screen's most astounding journey into the unknown! See the amazing "hundred horrors" that are nothing ever seen before!.From the shock-author of "PSYCHO!".Where Nothing Grows But Fear!.Do You Dare See What Dr. Diabolo Sees?

Terrifying and eerie movie laced with plenty of thrills , shocks , chills and intense situations , dealing wiith some people visit Dr. Diabolo's fairground haunted-house attraction show to warn the group of evil in their future , resulting in fateful consequences . The segments in which some skeptical customers , one by one , stand before the Fate Atropos to be shown the greed and violence they're hiding behind their respectable façades ; they're the following ones : "Enoch" with Michael Bryant , Maurice Denham , Niall MacGinnis , "Terror Over Hollywood" with Beverly Adams , Robert Hutton , "Mr. Steinway" with John Standing , Barbara Ewing and "The Man Who Collected Poe" with Jack Palance , Peter Cushing . Here stands out Burgues Meredith as a sinister man who presides over an unusual sideshow where people can see what is in store if they allow the evil side of their personalities to take over . Well written by Robert Bloch (Psycho) and based on four of his short stories . But the tales are uneven , suffering from some weak incidents and of varying quality , packing nice as well as fleeble moments. Taking its cue from the popular portmanteau style of the classic "Dead of Night" made some years before , this "Torture Garden" produced by Amicus -from producers Milton Subotsky, Max J Rosenberg- belongs to big hit series of terror story compendiums , being the first : Dr. Terror . This horror film results to be acceptable and there's no doubting the real creepiness of the opening and closing sequences.

It contains an evocative and colorful cimematography by expert cameraman Norman Warwick . As well as frightening and suspenseful score from Don Banks and James Bernard . This ghastly and scary terror movie was professionally directed by Freddie Francis , though inferior than other flicks he made in similar style . He was a professional cameran who photographed a lot of important and succesful films . At the same time he was a craftsman director who made several horror fims , such as : Dark tower, The Doctor and the devil, The Ghoul, Craze, Legend of the werewolf, Tales that witness madness, The creeping flesh, Tales from the crypt, The vampire happening, Dracula has rising from the grave, They came from beyond space, Torture garden, The skull, Hysteria, The evil of Frankenstein, Day of the triffids , Nightmare, Brain, Paranoic, among others . Rating : 5.5/10.

Likable and charming anthology...

[The_Movie_Cat · 6/10 · 31 May 2010]

One of eight horror portmanteau films that Amicus made over a fifteen year period. None of them are anywhere near the class or quality of Ealing's Dead Of Night, but they all manage to charm greatly.

The truth of the matter is that they're all a little campy nowadays, often in ways that wasn't originally intended. Sure, 1973's Vault Of Horror with its voodoo artists and vampire cafés was bordering on spoof, but the perversely-named Torture Garden is quite a serious work at heart.

The question is, over forty years later, how seriously can you take telepathic psychotic cats, haunted killer pianos, android actors and "the shears of fate"? The best elements of the film are Burgess Meredith's musings on the nature of time and the final segment with Palance and Cushing as obsessive Poe collectors. In all, not something you'd watch to be genuinely scared, but something you'd watch with a friend and a glass of wine to enjoy in an affectionate way... a film very much of its time.

A Haunted Piano???

[Prichards12345 · 7/10 · 3 November 2016]

The second of the Amicus Anthologies brings us 4 stories unfolded for a distinguished cast who wish to have their fortune told: by Atropos and her Shears of Fate, no less. Master of Ceremonies this time is Burgess Meredith in a side-show waxworks, and for a fiver he'll do you a treat!

The opener may be a bit silly, featuring a cat-demon that devours the heads of those who displease it (it's just a moggy, really!), but it's also atmospherically told and reasonably engaging. Michael Bryant is pretty good at almost convincing me the cat's (mentally) clawing inside his head. He makes a daft plot work quite well.

The second tale is about a would-be Hollywood starlet who finds out just WHY the top ten stars have kept their longevity. It's very cheapo looking, though, and does nothing to convince me it's set in America by having Humpty Dumpty from the BBC's PLAYSCHOOL pop up as set decoration! Not bad, but not exactly convincing.

Ah, the haunted piano. This would have been better as an out and out humorous story, as it's very unintentionally funny. When the piano starts moving around the room it's hard not to laugh. This one is very silly indeed and doesn't work at all.

But the best is for last, with Peter Cushing and Jack Palance squaring off in The Man Who Collected Poe. This concerns two almost frenzied enthusiasts of Edgar Allan, and we're given a sumptuous tour of Mr. Cushing's Poe collection, Palance almost foaming at the mouth in rhapsody. Both actors are superb, and old Jack discovers he should perhaps take the title of the story quite literally. For Peter Cush really HAS collected POE! This may sound absurd but it actually works, and builds up some fine frissons.

At least there are no stories about mutant plants....

Disappointing Amicus anthology.

[capkronos · 5/10 · 23 May 2009]

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.

Not the best Amicus anthology

[The_Void · 7/10 · 15 October 2006]

Amicus studios are well known for producing a lot of the very best horror anthologies throughout the sixties and seventies; films like Vault of Horror, The House that Dripped Blood and Asylum are often well revered among horror fans, and rightly so; but this earlier effort doesn't live up to the studio's good name. I actually had really high hopes going into this one as I was initially attracted to the obscure title, and once I found out that the film is an omnibus made by Amicus; I was sold. More pleasing elements include the fact that the cast features names such as Jack Palance, Michael Ripper and, of course Peter Cushing made the film seem like more of a possible overlooked classic, and I was finally sold on the fact that it was directed by the experienced Freddie Francis, who directed a number of the best films that Hammer had to offer in the sixties. However, the stories on display here mostly lack tension and any real scares; and despite the fact that none of them are particularly brilliant, they also vary a lot in quality and the film just doesn't come together very well.

The wraparound story here revolves around a circus, the star attraction at which is a show in which the proprietor, a Dr. Diabolo, tells his customers that he can show them 'real horror'. Cue four tales in which a dummy at the show shows four people their fates. Omnibus films often don't start with the best tale, and so I was unfazed when the first story - which revolves around a man who wants his inheritance from uncle, but actually ends up inheriting his uncle's cat, didn't really deliver the goods. The next story is the strangest and least fitting of the four, and takes in Sci-Fi themes. It has something to do with Hollywood performers being preserved in order to achieve fame. Despite not being very good, it's slightly better than the first story. The third tale is the weakest and revolves around a piano; while the film saves the best until last, and we follow someone who discovers a collector of Poe's works, and his source... I really liked the style of this film, but the atmosphere isn't matched by any tension - and I have to admit that I was more than a little bored by the end. The conclusion to the wraparound doesn't offer much in the way of interest either - and I will say that if you're looking for an Amicus omnibus, this one isn't the best of them.

Weak horror anthology from Amicus.

[BA_Harrison · 4/10 · 22 August 2008]

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.

I love this movie

[pumaye · 8/10 · 17 May 2003]

A very good anthology of tales, written by Robert Bloch and directed by Freddie FRancis, for Amicus, an icon of this kind of movie. The tales are uneven, sure, but they are all at least good, till the perfect final one, the Man who collected Poe, with Jack Palance and Peter Cushing, a great idea, and a marvelous tale to watch. Very good Burgess Meredith as Diabolo the Great, the host for these tales. Unfortunataly for us all, this kind of movies are a thing from the past and today we don't get any more gems like this. A must see

Modest Amicus Omnibus

[Witchfinder-General-666 · 6/10 · 9 July 2009]

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.

The Side Show

[AaronCapenBanner · 5/10 · 25 November 2013]

Freddie Francis directed this four-part horror anthology told by carnival sideshow barker Dr. Diablo(played by Burgess Meredith) to his eager patrons wanting to know about their futures. Tales are: 'Enoch' - An heir discovers evil sorcery at work in his new cottage. 'Terror Over Hollywood' - A young woman discovers why some celebrities don't appear to age, much to her regret. 'Mr. Steinway' - A woman finds that her romantic rival is a piano. 'The Man Who Collected Poe' - Starring Peter Cushing & Jack Palance as Poe enthusiasts who discover that one of them has taken things too far. Mediocre film has three weak first tales before a memorable final one; it's quite good, but the film as a whole is not.