Dr. Diablo (Burgess Meredith) entices while Atropos slices.
Carnival barker Dr. Diablo (Burgess Meredith) lures several onlookers into his "torture garden" for a special show, an attraction in which his guests' fates are foretold by an animatronic figure of Atropos — one of the Three Fates from Greek mythology, specifically "the inflexible one" — who can cut the skeins of those destinies short with a pair of shears. The guests are given the option of heeding the warnings set forth by the visions, or... Said visions include:
- an unscrupulous deadbeat who visits his dying uncle in search of a handout, only to instead unearth an eldritch evil
- a conniving American would-be starlet manipulates her way into the world of Hollywood bigwigs, a group who "never seem to grow old or to slow down"
- a music journalist who falls in love with a celebrated concert pianist, only to discover that her rival for his affections is his jealous grand piano
- an obsessed fan (Jack Palance) of Edgar Allan Poe who encounters a fellow enthusiast (Peter Cushing) whose comprehensive collection contains impossible rarities...and then some
Operating in territory similar to the the studio's previous DR. TERROR'S HOUSE OF HORRORS, TORTURE GARDEN's anthology shockers are even more effective than their predecessor, with the upped ante of darkness feeling a good deal more grown-up and less like mere campfire tales. Burgess Meredith is superb as Dr. Diablo, even though it's pretty damned obvious who he is from the get-go, and the rest of the cast each essay their parts with considerable verve. Peter Cushing is a welcome and fun presence as always, and Jack Palance totally chews the scenery, as was often his wont.
Like DR. TERROR'S HOUSE OF HORRORS, TORTURE GARDEN is a solid entry-level anthology that offers something for everyone without overstaying its welcome. For some reason, this is a portmanteau horror that seems to often be overlooked in discussion, which is a gross oversight.
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