It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

Expected more

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

The script writers here took the long way around in trying to tell a coherent story and weren't altogether successful. There are a whole bunch of interesting elements offered that would have been more compelling if things were thought through a bit better. For one, the fellow Hackett (Maxwell Shaw), who was made immobile by voodoo practitioner N'Galo (Harry Baird) to impersonate the presumed dead Edward Markham (Alistair Williamson), didn't really have to be thrown to his death in a river for the scheme to work. If the folks of the local village where the story took place weren't aware of what Sir Edward looked like after all these years, they probably would have overlooked Hackett popping up again in due course.Just for the heck of it, re-read the last couple of sentences. Does it sound like it makes any kind of sense at all? That's what the movie seemed like to me.Having some of the earmarks of a Hammer Film production, this one was actually put out by American International Pictures (AIP) during the same era. It's kind of interesting to read some of the other comments on this board that believe it to be a Hammer flick. That probably has to do with the portrayals of Vincent Price and Christopher Lee, neither of which is particularly scary this time around, and the occasional splatter of bright red blood, courtesy of Sir Edward's murder victims.The best thing this story did for me was as a reminder of a host of expressions that arose from the idea of people mistakenly buried alive. You may have heard it, originating from centuries past England at a time when it was thought that they were running out of room to bury people. The idea was to drill a hole in the lid of a coffin so a string could be tied to a dead person's hand, up and into a tube that emitted from the enclosure above ground. If a buried person 'woke up', their movement would conveniently signal a watchman posted in a cemetery for just that reason. Thus arose the phrases 'working the graveyard shift', saved by the bell' and a 'real dead ringer'. All those expressions have different origins, but they sound good enough to fool just about anyone. Try it on your friends.

Returning from Africa to his London home, a nobleman's quest to keep his hideously deformed brother hidden away from the public is foiled when an accidental burial results in his being loosened upon the world and sets out for revenge forcing him to stop him.For the most part this here was quite the fun and enjoyable effort. What really makes for quite a fun time here is the way this one manages to combine the rather starting late-60s style Gothic splendor with some more modernized slasher elements which is a rather strong combination. There's plenty to like here about the film's Gothic sensibilities, with the setting and era causing a lot of that to come to fruition here while also setting the stage for the numerous bouts of walking through dimly-lit corridors wielding only candle-lit light which causes this to readily feel at home in the old-school Gothic realm. That also leads rather nicely into the attitude about the grave-robbing and their feelings of the family- owned business with their reputation being called into question rather than simply being concerned with the remaining part of his revenge which doesn't turn into the kind of traditional slasher effort it really could've been as there's plenty of overall appeal to these scenes. Alongside the fact that there's the big party he throws at the house which gets crashed by the killer and frightened away as well as the central investigation scene that handles the vast majority of the second half which starts off the great slasher film aesthetic of the film. There's some rather nice stalking scenes here as he goes after the hooker in their tryst room, the grave-robbers in their flat and the doctor in his house which are more shorter set-pieces relying on the shock of actually stabbing them but still manage to get quite a lot of rather impressive and enjoyable action out of their encounters as well as setting the stage for the big finale as he goes about trying to get his final revenge as that leads into a strong chase into the forest which is quite fun with the killer coming into play and the resolution being quite brutal. Along with the fun opening voodoo ceremony that gives this a strong start, these here are more than enough to hold this up against the minor problems found here. The film's main issue is the fact that there's just no sensible action found throughout here that makes it in the slightest bit logical or coherent, which really undermines a lot of the storyline. The inability to really come to terms with the switch concerning the original burial is the biggest culprit, as that becomes quite a flimsy manner to start the main problem with the killers' actual identity along which is somewhat undone by their inability to really reveal that throughout here and really manages to make for a problematic entry. The only other big issue is the rather atrocious and appalling special effects here to provide not only the murders but also the main villains' appearance who looks so comical it's hard to imagine anyone would find him terrifying even though it's mainly the laughable kills that undo this. Alongside the unnecessary stop-over in the tavern, these are film's flaws.Rated R: Violence, Nudity and some sexual conduct.

Do you ever have low expectations of a film only to thoroughly enjoy it? This was the case with this film for me. Wherever I've looked, all I've seen are bad reviews about THE OBLONG BOX, but I'm happy to say that this is a nice little shocker in Hammer's finest tradition. Ignore the critics and go watch it, that's what I say; you definitely won't be disappointed.Many people have complained that this film is overlong and dull. This is simply not the case. How can a film be dull when a masked murderer goes about all the time, cutting people's throats? There's a overly-complex plot to get your teeth into and keep you concentrating plus a nicely Gothic atmosphere as characters wander through dark squalid streets and menace lurks in the bushes. There's a really nice evocation of the period here, with real attention being paid to the period details: the sets and scenery, while not lavish like in some of Corman's Poe films, are authentic-looking.The killer himself, in his red velvet mask, looks very sinister and brings to mind the climax of MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH. Unfortunately a flaw in this film is the disappointing make-up job done on the murderer. Throughout we see people screaming at his face, building up our expectations of seeing something really, really horrific. But in the end he just looks like a guy with a twisted nose and some nasty pockmarks on his cheeks. Very disappointing. Still, at least we have an obvious but classic twist ending; plus other fun elements like grave-robbing and prostitution to keep things moving merrily along. And watch out for that racist subplot about the voodoo curse. Frightening, not likely, in fact it reminded me of the Roy Castle segment from DR. TERROR'S HOUSE OF HORRORS.The major flaw with this film is that a good cast is wasted and given little to do, little opportunity to act in fact. Once the characters are set up, nothing is done with them (apart from the main psychotic guy, that is) which is pretty disappointing considering the pedigree of some of the stars. Vincent Price is on hand to lend heavyweight support, giving another subdued and indeed subtle performance as a guilt-stricken landowner. He's as good as ever but shamefully underused. Also appearing is a grey-haired (!) Christopher Lee as a sinister doctor. The trouble is, we know he's involved with grave-robbers but we never know what his experiments are about. This is really frustrating! Price and Lee only get to share one brief scene together, pretty dramatic but a waste of a good opportunity. Also appearing are Hilary Dwyer as Price's love interest, Sally Geeson (the spit of her sister, Judy) as a maid whose role is pivotal to the film's climax, and Rupert Davies who lent his distinguished features to many a film of this period.Of course, this being the late '60s, much more gore and sex are involved than was ever allowed before. Throughout the film we have a series of bloody throat-slashings, obviously done with a low budget and with one of those knives which sprayed blood when a button was pressed. Still, these are far grislier than earlier Hammer films would allow. A whole bevy of women in low-cut dresses are forever parading around, especially in an explicit tavern scene which is wilder (even raunchy in places) and probably truer to life than in many other films of the time. All in all, this is surprisingly good entertainment in that endearingly British fashion, and very enjoyable.

Gordon Hessler's "The Oblong Box" of 1969 starring the great Vincent Price is a creepy, and excellent Horror tale with a great atmosphere. The movie, whose cast also includes another great horror icon, Christopher Lee, is only loosely based on Edgar Allan Poe's short story of the same name, a fact that, in my opinion, does not downsize the quality of this eerie and obscure film. "The Oblong Box" combines all kinds of elements a fan of Gothic Horror cinema could desire: Voodoo, disfigurement, premature burial, and of course a constant eerie atmosphere and a bunch of bloody murders.In 18th century England, Sir Julian Markham (Vincent Price) keeps his brother Edward (Aliester Williamson) locked in a chamber in the tower of his mansion. Edward had been disfigured during a voodoo ceremony in Africa, and since gone completely insane. With some help, however, Edward manages to fake his own death in order to flee his prison, using methods which include a premature burial...Vincent Price is my favorite actor of all-time and his performance is, as always, superb, and no other actor would have fit in his role as Price does. Christopher Lee also delivers a great performance as a body-snatching doctor, a role in which he once again proves that his reputation as a horror icon is more than justified. The cast furthermore includes the beautiful Hillary Dwyer, who had already starred besides Price in Michael Reeves' masterpiece "Witchfinder General" in 1968, and who would play besides Price again in 1970, in "Cry Of The Banshee", also directed by Gordon Hessler, in the female lead.An excellently written and directed and superbly acted movie, "The Oblong Box" is a film which fans of Gothic Horror can't afford to miss. "Witchfinder General" director Michael Reeves was originally considered to direct the film, but died before the shooting began, and although I have utmost respect for this promising director, who sadly passed away at such a young age, I must say that I cannot imagine anyone to do a better job directing "The Oblong Box" than Hessler did. An excellent little tale of terror, "The Oblong Box" is a must-see for every Horror-fan. 9/10