Chamber of Horrors (1966)

Director: Hy Averback

Writers: Stephen Kandel, Ray Russell

Composer: William Lava

Starring: Patrick O'Neal, Cesare Danova, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Laura Devon, Patrice Wymore, Suzy Parker, Jose Rene Ruiz, Philip Bourneuf, Jeanette Nolan, Marie Windsor, Wayne Rogers, William Conrad, Tony Curtis

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The year's most startling entertainment

Plot: A one-handed madman (he lost the hand while escaping a hanging) uses various detachable devices as murder weapons to gain revenge on those he believes have wronged him.

My rating: 7/10

Will I watch it again? Yes.

At first this feels like a remake of HOUSE OF WAX (1953) but soon the similarities start to fade.  When Jason (O'Neal) cuts off his own hand to escape a date with the hangman, shit gets real.  He goes to New Orleans for a while to plot his revenge.  The cool thing is, he fucking gets it and each victim loses a body part with the final one expected to lose his head.  This is a pretty damn good horror/thriller and I'm surprised that he got as far as he did.  I'm really impressed.  I like the 19th century look and feel of the picture and the performances are just fine.  There's no reason, really, not to watch it for fans of 60s horror.  The Warner Bros. DVD I have doesn't include the 'Fear Flasher and Horror Horn' that's advertised in that ridiculous trailer above, thankfully.