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Edition screened: Included on Mill Creek Blu-ray Psycho Circus Triple Feature, released 2017. English language. Runtime approximately 100 minutes.
Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.
The four short horror stories told in Torture Garden are strung together by a thin unifying narrative, a format we all know and approach with a nervous wince. But Torture Garden is one of the better I’ve seen. The tales are uneven, but taken en masse are far superior to the hammy stupidity of Creepshow-style writing, feeling more like Bava’s Black Sabbath.
The first story “Enoch,” about a gypsy fortune and accompanying curse, is only so-so but features an excellent performance by a fat tortie.
The second story “Terror Over Hollywood,” is excellent, rooted in celebrity treachery and the quest for immortality. The stage set of “Danny’s Bar” is not to be missed: a fabulously-decorated swinging lounge with John Coltrane wallpaper and pretty girls in a life-size snow globe.
The third film “Mr. Steinway” stars a haunted piano. It is rather stupid but short, and there are some good interiors.
The final story “The Man Who Collected Poe” is pretty good, and pits Jack Palance against Peter Cushing as two wealthy collectors who dare to confront the supernatural.