Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever

Sammy-Jo Cervantes There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Scott LeBrun Edward Markham (Alister Williamson) is disfigured in Africa by vengeful natives; when he and his brother Julian (Vincent Price) return to London, Julian keeps Edward locked up. Edward escapes by faking his death, but in a twisted turn of events, his "dead" body is unearthed and taken to unscrupulous doctor Newhartt (Sir Christopher Lee). Donning a crimson mask to hide his visage, Edward goes about seeking his own revenge, occasionally slitting some unfortunate persons' throat, while demanding that Newhartt keep him hidden.Based on a story by Edgar Allan Poe, this is certainly a decent horror flick, but it doesn't carry as much weight as one might like. The screenplay (credited to Lawrence Huntington, with additional dialogue written by Christopher Wicking and an uncredited Michael Reeves) is entertaining, but the film feels rather familiar overall. It's nicely made, with some fine period recreation. The opening is very striking, and there are restrained doses of blood, and provocative costumes on some of the ladies.Price is solid as usual, but it's the Sir Christopher Lee portions of the story that worked more strongly for this viewer, with an interesting relationship developing between the crazed Edward and the "good" doctor. The supporting cast does some very fine work. Rupert Davies is a delight as an artist, as is Peter Arne as the sleazy lawyer Trench. Maxwell Shaw, Carl Rigg, Harry Baird, Godfrey James, and Ivor Dean likewise impress. Uta Levka, Sally Geeson, and Hilary Heath are all absolutely lovely.Producer / director Gordon Hessler and company are wise to keep Edwards' supposedly hideous face hidden until the very end, but when we do finally see it, the makeup effects are underwhelming and the result is disappointment.Fans of Price and Sir Christopher will want to see it for sure; they reunited the same year for "Scream and Scream Again", but after that, wouldn't work together again until "House of Long Shadows" in 1983.Six out of 10.

Claudio Carvalho In the end of the Nineteenth Century, the aristocrat Edward Markham (Alister Williamson) is disfigured by sorcery in Africa by the natives. His brother Julian Markham (Vincent Price) brings him back to the Markham Manor in England and keeps him prisoner in the attic. The mad Edward asks his lawyer Trench (Peter Arne) and his partner to bring the African sorcerer N'Galo (Harry Baird) in secret to heal him but Julian does not allow any contact with his brother. Trench and N'Galo simulate the death of Edward to remove him from the attic in a coffin. However, body snatchers bring his body to the unscrupulous Dr. Newhartt (Christopher Lee) for his research. Edward offers a large amount to Dr. Newhartt to stay hidden in his house and wears a crimson hood to hide his face. When Edward goes to the town, his mask brings problem to him and he begins a series of murders. When he finally meets N'Galo, he finds why the natives have deformed him and he seeks revenge."The Oblong Box" is a dark horror movie based on a story by Edgar Allan Poe. The screenplay keeps the story interesting until the end and the cast has two icons of the genre - Vincent Price and Christopher Lee. The sets and the atmosphere are stylish and adequate for the story. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): Not Available

Zbigniew_Krycsiwiki Disfigured in an African ritual, Edward is kept, "protected", by his brother Julian by being kept chained up in attic. He fakes his death to escape from Julian and another man is killed to take Edward's place in the "oblong box". Film looks like a low-key, photographed stageplay, a well-dressed period piece having little to do with Poe's short story, besides the title box. This is one of those films to watch primarily to enjoy the cast, lush settings and photography, hooded killers, throat-slicings, and a couple of good scares along the way, even if it has little if anything to do with Poe, just don't get one's hopes too high up. It does have a good unmasking scene, and genuinely creepy twist-ending, which still stood out in my mind years after I had last seen this film. Favourite line: "I'll only do my prowling at night."

t_atzmueller For whatever reasons the producer had for firing Michael Reeves, hiring director Gordon Hessler must have seem like a good idea. After all, not only did both men have a similar style and method but both directors could produce much in very little time with very few resources. However, directing "The Oblong Box" seemed clumsy, uninspired, the story obstructed by needless subplots and awkwardly put together – all evidence of a director too young who has bit off more than he could chew.Let's talk about the good things first: we get classic Hammer-atmosphere, camera-work and colour and an interesting story – for the first half of the movie, that is. The acting is a good as expected by the cast It's always a joy to see beautiful Hilary Dwyer (and a shame that she quit acting in the mid-70ies) and Sir Christopher and Lee Vincent Price together in one film is always an event. But in "The Oblong Box" it seems as if both actors didn't even get to meet on the set. Through the second part of the film, Lee and Price are degraded to nothing more than overpaid extras, the story shifts attention to Alister Williamson, the cursed Sir Edward Markham. Originally portrayed as a disfigured Hannibal Lector, Markham soon comes across as a mix between the "Elephant Man" and Hammer's "Phantom of the Opera". And here goes the spoiler, the warning and the let-down of the film: at the end, we finally get to see Markham without his mask. Behold … a horrible, potato-sized nose, looking about as frightening as one of the peasants in "Monty Phyton and the Holy Grail". Viewers nowadays will probably laugh, then reflect and ask themselves: "why did I sit through this in the first place"? Sure, if you've seen all other Hammer- / Amicus-styled films, you might well watch this one too – but it remains one of the weaker efforts and should only be watched by completists and true fans. It makes one wonder what Michael Reeves would have made of this otherwise intriguing tale.I'd give it 6 from 10 points.