The Vault of Horror (1973)

An anthology of five horror stories shared by five men trapped in the basement of an office building.

Director:

Roy Ward Baker

Writers:

Al Feldstein (based on the stories written by), William M. Gaines (based on the stories written by) (as Bill Gaines)

Stars:

Curd Jürgens, Terry-Thomas, Tom Baker

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Daniel Massey	...	Rogers (segment "Midnight Mess")
Anna Massey	...	Donna (segment "Midnight Mess")
Mike Pratt	...	Clive (segment "Midnight Mess") (as Michael Pratt)
Erik Chitty	...	Old Waiter (segment "Midnight Mess")
Jerold Wells	...	Waiter (segment "Midnight Mess")
Terry-Thomas	...	Critchit (segment "The Neat Job")
Glynis Johns	...	Eleanor (segment "The Neat Job")
Marianne Stone	...	Jane (segment "The Neat Job")
John Forbes-Robertson	...	Wilson (segment "The Neat Job")
Curd Jürgens	...	Sebastian (segment "This Trick'll Kill You") (as Curt Jurgens)
Dawn Addams	...	Inez (segment "This Trick'll Kill You")
Jasmina Hilton	...	Indian Girl (segment "This Trick'll Kill You")
Ishaq Bux	...	Fakir (segment "This Trick'll Kill You")
Michael Craig	...	Maitland (segment "Bargain in Death")
Edward Judd	...	Alex (segment "Bargain in Death")

Storyline

Five strangers board a descending lift, one by one, in a modern office block in London. They reach the sub-basement, though none of them have pressed for that destination. There they find a large, elaborately furnished room that appears to be a gentlemen's club. The lift door has closed; there are no buttons to bring it back, nor any other exit. Resigned to waiting for help, they settle down with drinks and talk. The conversation turns to dreams, and each man tells of a recurring nightmare. Segment 1: Midnight Mess: Harold Rodgers (Daniel Massey) tracks his sister Donna (Anna Massey) to a strange village, and kills her to claim her share of the family inheritance. After settling down to a post-murder meal at the local restaurant, he discovers the town is home to a nest of vampires: Donna is not as dead as he thinks, and he becomes the dish of the night when his jugular vein is tapped out as a beverage dispenser. Segment 2 The Neat Job: The obsessively neat Arthur Critchit (...

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Plot Keywords:

anthology | elevator | portmanteau | greed | buried alive | 

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Taglines:

Below the Crypt lies Death's waiting-room - The . . . Vault of Horror

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 March 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Further Tales from the Crypt

Filming Locations:

Twickenham Studios, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metromedia Producers Corporation (MPC),Amicus Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was Dawn Addams's final film before her death on May 7, 1985 at the age of 54.

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Goofs

(at around 57 mins) The first thing seen in the voodoo hut is a mask obviously meant to be of Haitian origin, though it's actually of Pacific Northwestern Native American origin.

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Quotes

Waiter (segment 1 "Midnight Mess"): Good evening. The table d'hôte is rather nice, sir. Juice, soup, roast, sweet, coffee.
Rogers (segment 1 "Midnight Mess"): That'll be fine!

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Connections

References Bambai Raat Ki Bahon Mein (1968)

User Reviews

Four great horror stories!

The problem with these horror omnibuses is that while they often feature one or two good tales, they're often spoilt by a couple of bad ones. I went into 'The Vault of Horror' expecting at least three of the five tales to be dismal; but to my surprise, this actually turned out to be one of the rare omnibuses - every tale is good! Roy Ward Baker, the man behind the excellent omnibus 'Asylum' (among other excellent films, such as Quatermass and the Pit and The Vampire Lovers) helms this project, and does an even better job than he did with Asylum. The film features a diverse range of stories, all of which are well told and very imaginative. The movie kicks off with it's weakest tale; one of vampirism, but even that one certainly isn't bad and offers up some camp fun. We then move on to an excellent tale about a neatness-obsessed man who comes a cropper when he continually criticises his new wife's lack of enthusiasm for his obsession. The third, and best of the first part of the quintet, features a rope charmer and a magician, and makes for compelling viewing because there aren't many tales of this nature within the horror genre.

The final two tales take influence from some of the true classics of horror and make for interesting viewing to say the least. The fourth tale in the film sees a man trying to trick an insurance company by slowing his heart down and being buried alive. While this tale is predictable, it is kept alive by the horror of premature burial and while it doesn't truly echo the brilliance of Edgar Allen Poe; it's a nice entry into the film. The Vault of Horror saves the best story until the end. The final tale is a great mix of voodoo and vengeance, and works thanks to a constant sense of intrigue and some horrific sequences. The film on the whole is very camp; and while the acting and script are rather trite, it's low budget styling pulls it through and ensures that the film is an enjoyable ride throughout. The wraparound story hinges a little too much on coincidence at first, and seems a little silly; but this is resolved at the end, and when we finally realise why these stories are being told - the film falls into place. On the whole, this is one of the best horror omnibuses that I've seen and I give it a firm two thumbs up!