The Dr. Phibes Companion
Published by BearManor Media, 2018. 274 pages
By Justin Humphreys

One of the first movies I rented when I bought my very own VCR was one of my all time favorite films, The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971), starring the amazing Vincent Price, and it still remains the same to this day. How could you not love this movie about this evil genius who sets out to get revenge of those who he believes caused the death of his wife, each one in a very creative way? It’s one of my favorite character’s that Price brought to life and is always a treat to watch. So when I first read about the news that there was going to a book dedicated to the Phibes films, I was more than a little excited.

With contributions by Mark Ferelli, Sam Irvin, and David Taylor, and a forward by Phibes co-screenwriter William Goldstein, author Humphreys has compiled so much information about the first Phibes movie, its sequel Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972), as well as the many proposed sequels that never got off the ground. Humphreys has done an amazing job compiling information about these titles from the original screenplays, letting us know the differences between them and the final product, finding and hiring the director, the art direction, casting, makeup, the score, and just about everything you could want to know about them! As a Phibes Phan, you’ll learn more here than you thought you could.

Since Humphreys had interviewed many of the people involved, we get to hear first hand stories. Granted, some of them contradict each other, but such is life when people are recollecting about a movie that was made close to 50 years ago! But we still get a feel of what was going on during the filming, especially the stories from and about the wonderful cast these two films had.

The book also has a ton of photos, from on-the-set shots to publicity photos, many I’ve never even seen before, it they were a lot of fun to see.

I know sounds cliché, but if you are fan of Vincent Price, this is obviously a must. But I’m sure that these films are probably dear to your heart, as they are mine, so it is an easy decision to add this one to your library.