An anthology of four short horror stories about people who visit Dr. Diabolo's fairground haunted-house attraction show.
Where Nothing Grows But Fear!
Torture Garden is a very misleading title for this movie because there is no torture and no fucking garden. It's written by Robert Bloch and directed by Freddie Francis. There are four stories plus the linking/wraparound story. Every story was written by Bloch who was also the author of Psycho. There's nothing here as good as Psycho but a few of the stories aren't bad at all.
Story 1 is about a dead witch who possesses a cat and causes an inheritor to rue his greediness. It's entertaining. That's what the dude gets for fucking around and opening up a coffin. If you happen to find a coffin in the basement don't open the damn thing. Also if a live car jumps out of the coffin leave the fucking house.
Story 2 is more mysterious than horrific but the story about androids is, at least, relatively original. Beverly Adams is the star and she's incredibly beautiful. She also starred in "How To Stuff A Wild Bikini" and believe me she can stuff that bikini.
I Bet You Can Stuff A Wild Bikini
Story 3 is a distinctly silly episode about a piano "with a mind of it's own", who kills it's player's lover. It's not just silly but fucking stupid. The girl should have been dating a guitarist anyway. Eveybody knows the guitarist and lead singer get all the chicks.
Story 4, is about the resurrection of Edgar Allan Poe. This is easily the best story here and Jack Palance and Peter Cushing are awesome. I love Peter Cushing in just about every film he's been in.
This has been called the worst of the Amicus anthologies. That may be true, but it is still enjoyable. "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.
Do You Dare See What Dr. Diabolo Sees?
Trivia:
When this movie was shown in 1967, one of the promos was a pack of torture garden seeds given to patrons as they entered the theater. The seeds were actually grass seeds.
Despite being present from the opening, and also top billed, Jack Palance (Ronald Wyatt) does not speak until one hour and fifteen minutes into this movie.
"Columbia Pictures" financed this movie and insisted that two American actors be cast. Therefore, the initial casting of Peter Cushing (Lancelot Canning) and Sir Christopher Lee was changed to that of Jack Palance (Ronald Wyatt) and Burgess Meredith (Dr. Diabolo).
A scene featuring Burgess Meredith is used at the beginning of the film "See No Evil" (1971) on a TV set in a shop window.
This movie was released in the U.S. as the top half of a double feature with "Trog (1970)," which was Joan Crawford's final movie. Both movies were directed by Freddie Francis.
Barbara Ewing (Dorothy Endicott) received an "introducing" credit.
Robert Hutton (Bruce Benton) and Peter Cushing (Lancelot Canning) died only four days apart: Hutton on August 7, 1994 and Cushing on August 11, 1994.
After The Twilight Zone: Printer's Devil (1963), this was the second time that Burgess Meredith played the Devil.
