1975 | Color | 1 Hr 12 Min | Horror | R | ABC Circle Films
Director: Dan Curtis
Writers:
William F. Nolan (teleplay)
Richard Matheson (story)
Stars:
Stars:
Karen Black
Robert Burton
John Karlen
Synopsis:
So a few weeks ago I asked one of my Camp buddies what he has been watching lately and Jacob kind of shocked me saying to check out Trilogy of Terror and its sequel that I will happy dust off my VHS copy soon and watch that one next. What surprised me the most was that I have never seen this one yet and let's face it it's a pretty popular tile in the horror movie world. And with Dan Curtis yelling action along with William F Nolan I knew I was in for a treat.
First off Nolan is a legend in the movie world writing such great hits like The Turn of The Screw, Burnet Offerings and of course Logan's Run (along with a new book for Logan's Run that he is writing now). And when he and Curtis team up they always take us on a journey. Now if you are not familiar with Dan Curtis then shame on you! The man brought us Dark Shadows and one of the best Dracula (1974) movies around and of course Burnt Offerings. As a bonus, we share the same birth date. Plus driving this big bad bus is the lovely Karen Black (The PYX Burnt Offerings and the not so good Ooga Booga) who plays four roles just for this made for TV gem.
Julie
Our first story is about Chad a college student with a crush on his English teacher, Julie Eldridge (Black). During one class, Chad is distracted by Julie's thigh as she sits on her desk and daydreams about her. The next day, he asks Julie out on a date. She initially refuses, but later accepts the offer.And the blackmail begins so we think.
Now I do not want to give too much away but Julie was my favorite story! What a total mind F**k I did not see the end coming at all and was blown away. Even the tone and the backdrop really captured the 70's style and feel roping me in even more.
Millicent and Therese
A tale of sibling rivalry takes us down the rabbit hole in our second installment that focuses on sisters Millicent, a repressed and prudish brunette and Therese, a worldly, seductive, and free-spirited blonde. Both roles are played by Karen Black. And even tho we do not get much of anything new the storyline is ok but took me out of the trance that "Julie" had just loured me into!
Amelia
"Amelia" was filmed as a one-woman play, with Karen Black as the only actor based on the short story, "Prey". Amelia lives alone in a high-rise apartment building. She returns home after a shopping spree carrying a package containing a Zuni fetish doll, crafted in the form of a misshapen aboriginal warrior equipped with razor sharp teeth and a spear. A scroll comes with the doll, claiming the doll contains the actual spirit of a Zuni hunter named "He Who Kills", and that the gold chain adorning the doll keeps the spirit trapped within. As Amelia makes a call to her mother, the Zuni doll's golden chain has somehow fallen off oddly on its own. And of course, all hell breaks loose.
I will admit the way this segment was tossed into our laps with clever camera angles, insanely strange nose's coming from the doll and poor Karen Black screaming her head for a solid 7 minutes or so was enough to drive fear into our hearts. But nothing and I mean nothing could prepare me for the final scene that will live in my head forever! As Black bangs a knife into the ground and twists it with an evil smirk on her face with a slow pan out even this tough guy said holy Sh#t when the screen finally went black.
I can see way Trilogy of Terror is a much loved insane road trip amongst horror fans. Karen Black as always was amazing. Dan Curtis does it again and the world is a much better place because of them. Although the middle segment was a drag do not let that slow you down from checking this one out. And believe it or not, Julie was my favorite story over Amelia! So if you have not seen this Seventies gem head to your favorite video streaming rental site and let me know what you thought of Trilogy Of Terror.
For this guy, it's super groovy...
A tale of sibling rivalry takes us down the rabbit hole in our second installment that focuses on sisters Millicent, a repressed and prudish brunette and Therese, a worldly, seductive, and free-spirited blonde. Both roles are played by Karen Black. And even tho we do not get much of anything new the storyline is ok but took me out of the trance that "Julie" had just loured me into!
Millicent is determined that Therese is evil, and plants a voodoo doll to kill her. When Millicent's friend Dr. Ramsey played by George Gaynes (Commandant Lassard of Police Acadamy Fame) enters the house and reveals that Therese suffered from multiple personality disorder brought on by the fact that "Therese" slept with her father and subsequently killed her mother - and "Millicent" was an alternate personality with a repressed sexuality to cope with the horror of her actions. The recent death of the father unhinged her further and the murder was actually a form of suicide. Sadly This installment was really lame so let's move on to the one everybody talks about!
"Amelia" was filmed as a one-woman play, with Karen Black as the only actor based on the short story, "Prey". Amelia lives alone in a high-rise apartment building. She returns home after a shopping spree carrying a package containing a Zuni fetish doll, crafted in the form of a misshapen aboriginal warrior equipped with razor sharp teeth and a spear. A scroll comes with the doll, claiming the doll contains the actual spirit of a Zuni hunter named "He Who Kills", and that the gold chain adorning the doll keeps the spirit trapped within. As Amelia makes a call to her mother, the Zuni doll's golden chain has somehow fallen off oddly on its own. And of course, all hell breaks loose.
I will admit the way this segment was tossed into our laps with clever camera angles, insanely strange nose's coming from the doll and poor Karen Black screaming her head for a solid 7 minutes or so was enough to drive fear into our hearts. But nothing and I mean nothing could prepare me for the final scene that will live in my head forever! As Black bangs a knife into the ground and twists it with an evil smirk on her face with a slow pan out even this tough guy said holy Sh#t when the screen finally went black.
I can see way Trilogy of Terror is a much loved insane road trip amongst horror fans. Karen Black as always was amazing. Dan Curtis does it again and the world is a much better place because of them. Although the middle segment was a drag do not let that slow you down from checking this one out. And believe it or not, Julie was my favorite story over Amelia! So if you have not seen this Seventies gem head to your favorite video streaming rental site and let me know what you thought of Trilogy Of Terror.
For this guy, it's super groovy...
 |
| 4 Bloody Brains out of 5 |
 |
| Jacob and I are Horror Buddies at Horizon Camp! And Jake just turned 31 this week! |
Trilogy of Terror is great fun. Each segment has something to offer and they are short enough if you don't particularly enjoy one, the next will be up soon. I like the Zuni one, it is just pure mad fun. And yes, Black just gives the production her all.
ReplyDeleteI agree they are short enough that the second part did not drag to bad and we jump right back into the madness to close it out.
DeleteWho doesn't remember that scene with the Zuni doll? Especially that last shot!
ReplyDeleteThat last shot is amazing!
Delete