A doctor (Peter Cushing) will go to great lengths for his lover. When her face is scarred, he develops a new treatment to cure skin blemishes by using the endocrine glands of the dead. But fresh dead bodies are in short supply, so when he discovers the treatment may take a few doses, he has to resort to extreme measures.
What bothers me about this review is that I know I've seen multiple films that feature doctors who have to kill again and again to help treat the woman they love, but I can't think of any examples just now. I am a failure in the horror historian department right now. (Edit: Obvious examples include "Eyes Without a Face" and "The Ape".)
But as this film was made in the 1960s, one would suspect that a great many films owe a debt to Cushing and the creators of this film. (At the time of this review, the movie is not available on VHS or DVD, so good luck tracking it down.) I really enjoyed this movie, as it captures the 1960s feel and has a dirtiness to it without being gory or disgusting. Sure, there's some stabbing and a severed head. But it's pretty tame by modern standards. Hippies and beatniks have a role in here and there's a gang of thugs that seem to be heavily influenced by Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Two things really sell this film beyond the fact it is just a simple but great plot. First, Peter Cushing. Between Cushing and Christopher Lee, Cushing was always my preferred of the two. I think Vincent Price will always be the master of the era, but Cushing is capable of roles that Price would never be considered for. (It is amazing how often either of them get to play evil doctors, really.) The other thing is a twist towards the end that evokes "A Clockwork Orange" in some respects (though, again, this film came first). I will not give it away, because once I was restfully in position to see a third act about a doctor screwing up and getting caught, I was thrown into a whirlwind and given something almost completely random.
If you can find a copy of this one, see it. Peter Cushing does not disappoint, and the supporting cast is also excellent. I especially enjoyed the actress who played the hitchhiker Terry (Wendy Varnals). The video quality on my original copy was pretty shot, but given the manner I watched it in, that was not surprising. Since then, Grindhouse Releasing has put out a beautiful 2K scan with audio commentary, liner notes and interviews. They have taken this forgotten gem and made it a cult classic.
What bothers me about this review is that I know I've seen multiple films that feature doctors who have to kill again and again to help treat the woman they love, but I can't think of any examples just now. I am a failure in the horror historian department right now. (Edit: Obvious examples include "Eyes Without a Face" and "The Ape".)
But as this film was made in the 1960s, one would suspect that a great many films owe a debt to Cushing and the creators of this film. (At the time of this review, the movie is not available on VHS or DVD, so good luck tracking it down.) I really enjoyed this movie, as it captures the 1960s feel and has a dirtiness to it without being gory or disgusting. Sure, there's some stabbing and a severed head. But it's pretty tame by modern standards. Hippies and beatniks have a role in here and there's a gang of thugs that seem to be heavily influenced by Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Two things really sell this film beyond the fact it is just a simple but great plot. First, Peter Cushing. Between Cushing and Christopher Lee, Cushing was always my preferred of the two. I think Vincent Price will always be the master of the era, but Cushing is capable of roles that Price would never be considered for. (It is amazing how often either of them get to play evil doctors, really.) The other thing is a twist towards the end that evokes "A Clockwork Orange" in some respects (though, again, this film came first). I will not give it away, because once I was restfully in position to see a third act about a doctor screwing up and getting caught, I was thrown into a whirlwind and given something almost completely random.
If you can find a copy of this one, see it. Peter Cushing does not disappoint, and the supporting cast is also excellent. I especially enjoyed the actress who played the hitchhiker Terry (Wendy Varnals). The video quality on my original copy was pretty shot, but given the manner I watched it in, that was not surprising. Since then, Grindhouse Releasing has put out a beautiful 2K scan with audio commentary, liner notes and interviews. They have taken this forgotten gem and made it a cult classic.