Summary
Five strangers enter an elevator in a London office block and are
surprised when they end up being trapped in a plush room in the
basement. To pass the time, the five men each recounts a vision
that has haunted him for longer than he can remember. Harold
Rogers tells of a recurring dream in which he tracked down his long
lost sister and murdered her to profit from her inheritance. He
then enters a restaurant where a host of vampires promptly make a meal
of him. The next man, Gritchit, is a compulsively tidy man
and in his dream he marries a woman who cannot help making a
mess. In the end, the browbeaten wife decides to tidy away
Gritchit, into a nice assortment of glass jars. In his
fantasy, Sebastian sees himself as a magician touring India for new
tricks. He is fascinated by a girl who can charm a rope out of a
basket, but when he tries to discover the secret he becomes very highly
strung. Maitland reveals that he imagines himself pulling
off an insurance scam with his friend Alex. Injecting himself with
a drug, Maitland feigns death, not realising that his friend has no
intention of digging him up after he has been buried alive. Two
young medical students in search of a body to practice on bribe a
gravedigger to exhume Maitland, and get more than they bargained for
when they lift the coffin lid. Finally, Moore, tells his
story, in which he is a struggling artist in Haiti. When he
learns that three men have profited from his work whilst giving him
nothing in return, he visits a Voodoo priest in search of
revenge. Whatever Moore paints becomes a Voodoo doll – if the
painting is damaged, so is its real-life subject. Unfortunately,
the artist has painted a portrait of himself. What is the purpose
of these strange dreams, and why have the five men been brought
together to tell their stories...?
Review
The last of Amicus’ horror anthology films, The Vault of Horror has acquired
something of a cult following, in spite of the fact that it was badly
mauled by cuts imposed by the censor for its first release.
Less well regarded than Amicus’ previous anthology films, Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors
(1964) and The House That Dripped
Blood (1970), this one still manages to chill and entertain,
mainly on the strength of the performances from a very talented cast,
which includes Tom Baker, who, the following year, was given the lead
part in the long-running BBC TV sci-fi series Doctor Who.
The Vault of Horror has its grisly moments but it is much more a black comedy than a traditional horror film. Admittedly, some of the humour is pretty sick - Terry-Thomas being pickled by his wife and Daniel Massey ending up as a drinks dispenser for his vampiric sister Anna – but the horror is mild by today’s standards and it is clear that director Roy Ward Baker and his cast are playing this one for laughs rather than thrills. With most of the excised material now carefully restored, it is possible to enjoy this deliciously tongue-in-cheek little shop of horrors in all its macabre glory.
The Vault of Horror has its grisly moments but it is much more a black comedy than a traditional horror film. Admittedly, some of the humour is pretty sick - Terry-Thomas being pickled by his wife and Daniel Massey ending up as a drinks dispenser for his vampiric sister Anna – but the horror is mild by today’s standards and it is clear that director Roy Ward Baker and his cast are playing this one for laughs rather than thrills. With most of the excised material now carefully restored, it is possible to enjoy this deliciously tongue-in-cheek little shop of horrors in all its macabre glory.
© filmsdefrance.com 2009
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Related links
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To buy this film
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Credits
- Director: Roy Ward Baker
- Script: Al Feldstein, William M. Gaines, Milton Subotsky
- Photo: Denys N. Coop
- Music: Douglas Gamley
- Cast: Dawn Addams (Inez), Tom Baker (Moore), Michael Craig (Maitland), Denholm Elliott (Diltant), Glynis Johns (Eleanor Critchit), Edward Judd (Alex), Curd Jürgens (Sebastian), Anna Massey (Donna), Daniel Massey (Harold Rogers), Terry-Thomas (Arthur Critchit), Robin Nedwell (Tom), Geoffrey Davies (Jerry), Terence Alexander (Fenton Breedley), Ishaq Bux (Fakir), John Forbes-Robertson (Wilson), Jasmina Hilton (Indian Girl), Maurice Kaufmann (Bob Dixon), Sylvia Marriott (Mrs. Breedley), Arthur Mullard (Gravedigger), Mike Pratt (Clive), Marianne Stone (Jane), John Witty (Arthur Gaskill), Erik Chitty (Old Waiter)
- Country: UK / USA
- Language: English
- Runtime: 83 min
- Aka: Further Tales from the Crypt; Tales from the Crypt, Part II
Similar films
If you like this film you may also like the following:- Dance of the Vampires (1967)
- Don’t Look Now (1973)
- Dr. Strangelove (1964)
- Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors (1965)
- I’m All Right Jack (1959)
- Kiss Me, Stupid (1964)
- Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
- The Raven (1963)
- School for Scoundrels (1960)
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
- The Trouble with Harry (1955)
- Twins of Evil (1971)
- Witchfinder General (1968)
- Young Frankenstein (1974)
To buy The Vault of Horror:

Horror / Comedy






