So much average

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

The Horror genre is the one I like the least. Main reason, the movies are stupid, untrue, ridiculous, based on unfounded mischievous scripts. But I saw the name of Jack Palance in the cast, another actor I admire and love. Plus, the name of Robert Bloch, who wrote also "Psycho". And when I was little, I've seen, many times, so much I liked it, another movie made by Freddie Francis, "Dr. Terror's House of Horrors," with the same Peter Cushing in the cast. Well, this "Torture Garden" is not bad either. Also made up of several episodes as "Dr. Terror's House of Horrors". Burgess Meredith, who introduces us to stories, makes a very good part. The last episode, the one with Cushing and Palance, is the best.

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".

When this was playing at the cinemas, they'd give you seed packets that you might one day start your own little Torture Garden - fun? The Shears, look deeply into the shears, deep deep deep... Oh god that was so lame, could they have come up with a less bland instrument than that? Why not throw in an egg-beater of contrition while we're at it! Okay, I thought Burgess Meredith as the customary macabre host was alright, but I definitely didn't find him nearly as impressive as Ralph Richardson or Peter Cushing. He was a bit too hammy and theatrical for me, and when it's his turn to speak to the audience at the end I thought it was done the wrong way and came off as laughable more than owt else. Something that I've noticed before in other Amicus anthologies is that you can tell when they put a lot more effort into a specific story or stories that they need to be extra atmospheric or a good closer for the movie, and although in this instance none of the stories are awful to me, some are less elaborate and it stands out. That said, I really like this movie because I like the classic grim twist in the tale style, and this is one of the big three by Amicus that I can comfortably stand to watch on repeated viewings! Something that I think brings down the quality of this a bit is the weak wraparound story, which feels very cobbled together at points. And for another thing, there's no real twist ending, the only thing that comes close is the mystery of whether or not Doc Diablo was telling the people possible futures to help them, or if was just a twisted game and they can never really do anything to change their fates... Anyway I thought it was a good start to the tales, the actor's performance made a bit of a silly situation more plausible, as a man who after cruelly allowing his elderly uncle to die, wanders into the dank(Evil Dead!) cellar in search of his inheritance and unleashes the awesomely-named Balthazar, a demon cat who'll give him gold in exchange for people's heads! It was so laughable whenever they'd show the cute little kitty's face up close and it's supposed to be all evil and whatnot, but it was just a cat! If Colin had just gotten hold of some catnip or a laser-light there wouldn't have been any problem! Taste the wrath of Balthazar filthy drunken hobo!!! It was shot really well, there's some eerie scenes in the cellar and the house, which I swear is the same one that was later used in The House that Dripped Blood. Verging on the ridiculous, but I liked it. ::: I also enjoy the outlandish second story, it's a bit long-winded and dull, but I find the mystery compelling and when the payoff finally comes, it's effectively sinister. "No cause for alarm" my foot! I liked the spare makeup effect used when the girl scratches the man's face and you see the metal beneath the skin. The tale really could have used a scene with a complete robot man on the rampage, but it works. And yeah, so there's a little sci-fi in there but so what, horror and sci-fi have long gone great together. The punchline at the end is really well done, I like the way it all ties up. It's kind of a creepy line, even if the way the bubbly girl delivers it is the epitome of camp! There's really not much to talk about, it's just a solid enough yarn about a status-seeking wannabe starlet who gets in way over her head, and although she does indeed get the fame and admiration she desperately craves, it comes at a helluva price. Kinda weak, but good. ::: I've read quite a bit of guff, but I love the elegant yet gently sinister tone of the third story, and I love the classy black and white style of the location. The actor who played the musician was a really handsome guy, I thought he was the spitting image of the actor Kevin Vanhentenryck from the 1982 classic Basket Case. I loved the painting of his character's eternally watchful and presumably by the looks of it, evil mother. Her patricial facade looked so coldly fierce, like a wicked tigress, ready to leap out of the painting and devour the interloping little tramp any minute! I really can't say I felt sorry for what happens to the Barbara Ewing character at all, she was a selfish gold-digger who didn't even care if she ended up ruining his artistic gifts! And I have to admit that even if you're a big fan of the story the spectacle of a piano shuffling across the floor to bump the girl out the window is ridiculously silly! The notion of a haunted piano is strange and romantic, but it was probably something best left on paper than on the screen. It sure would have been a great darkly poetic touch if the frozen image of mother dear had been smiling at the end. I suppose it is an odd story, but I have no problems with it. Just one question though: How much does a, Stein-Weigh?(!) ::: And of the superb final story is the most visually stirring and Gothic, as well as the one that I reckon captures the imagination the most. I love how it touches upon the rich lore of old stories and of being a collector of rarities. Jack Palance sold his squirmy edgy character brilliantly, and I thought he actually outshined Peter Cushing. A truly great terror tale is like fine wine, it only gets better with age... Wish I could say the same for this movie which is not perfect, but I'd still recommend, thank you!

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!