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Trilogy of Terror

Trilogy of Terror

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Trilogy of Terror
Review: Trilogy of Terror is a rather nicely done film with some creepy and disturbing bits, but I found that the first two segments were almost completely unnecessary. The third segment is obviously the best, with the strange doll chasing the beautiful Karen Black around her apartment, and could have been made into a full-length feature alone. I gave this film four stars, only because of the third segment. The first two parts were really boring and were not scary and terror-filled as we would've expected from the gothic title. I love the way this film ends with Karen Black's creepy but slightly cheesy teeth given to her from the mysterious doll.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Nothing sez lovin' like a Zuni doll in the oven...
Review: I saw this on TV in the mid-seventies when I was a kid, and while it did freak me out, I managed to recover. I still have friends to this day who will not watch this as it really messed them up when they were younger. I am refering to the third segment in this trilogy.

The first story, titled Julie, was interesting and had a nice little twist at the end but I think suffered a little due to not having enough time to flesh out the story and characters more.

The second story, titled Millicent and Therese, has Karen Black playing a duel role of two sisters, one good and one evil with an ending that most anyone could see coming a mile away.

The third story is the kicker. It is titled Amelia, and watching it now, it seemed to have lost a little of it's zing, but it still has enough to make it fun. If you have this DVD, and you know someone who hasn't seen it, show it to them at night with the lights off. And I while I remembered the part near the end, I had forgotten how this story actually ended. It was funny, because watching this now, having some idea of what happens, this story really wasn't that shocking....until the very end. I had forgotten what happened at the very end, and how creepy that last scene was.

Karen Black plays the title character in all the stories, so if you're a fan of hers, this is a pretty good movie to get. It was a made for TV movie, so don't expect a widescreen format or a lot of extras. The only extra is an interview printed on the booklet inside the case. Interesting stuff.

So, in closing, the first two stories are like appetizers for the third. Not a bad little movie, with some fun to be had.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Zuni Lives!!!
Review: Why anyone would consider Trilogy of Terror 'scary' is beyond me. If anything, the film should be looked upon as a light, hilarious comedy, especially with its final segment. It's these last thirty minutes that make the film so worthwhile.

The first two stories in the anthology are slow, but certainly interesting. The plot twists are obvious in a good way, and the wonderful Karen Black is superb as always.

However, it is the infamous Zuni doll from the segment titled "Amelia" that makes the film so special and puts it in the made-for-TV hall of fame. While most certainly intimidating and freaky, the doll is no doubt hilarious as he chases a screaming Ms. Black around her apartment with a butcher knife more than twice his size. This manages to produce chills as well as belly laughs gallore. It's a must for every horror fan, a chilling experience that manages to frighten, entertain, and make you laugh. Few made-for-TV genre films have had the same impact and none have managed to gain the cult status of "Trilogy of Terror."

A wonderful cast, brooding atmosphere, and that little Zuni make it far superior in quality to almost any TV horror film. The film as a whole is good, but the Zuni storyline is what manages to stick in people's head. It's the icing on top of the cake--the best part of a larger whole. Recommended for that segment alone!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Karen Black runs from a killing African Fetish Doll.
Review: This film is only 71 minutes long with three eerie stories to tell. We all remember this tv-movie when we first saw it on the ABC Network back in 1975 or our parents would not let us see it. They told us to go to bed. But, I bet our parents watched it. All three stories star Karen Black in four different roles. The first story is titled, "Julie". This story is only 25 minutes long. A student has naughty thoughts about his teacher. He has leered at her sitting on the desk and has committed voueyerism by watching her though the window of her home. The teacher never goes out anymore. She prefers to stay home. One day, the student asks her to go to the drive-in with him. She does to watch the scary movie. He offers to get some refreshments. When he does, he spikes her drink. You'll have to watch the rest to find out what happens. Gregory Harrison has a small part. Story #2 is titled, "Millicent And Therese". This story is 20 minutes long. A spinster woman believes her sister killed mother and is guided by Satan. This is the story she tells her sister's boyfriend, played by John Karlin (original Dark Shadows, ABC serial),but he does not believe one word of it. What more will this woman say or do to get people to pay attention to what she says her sister is and does? She continues to write further in her diary. Story #3 is titled, "Amelia". This story is 17 minutes long. This is the story we all remember in the tv commercials and we were so horrified to watch it. It was suspensful. Now that we are more mature, we would probably laugh at it. This one too stars Karen Black. A woman brings home a strange African Fetish Doll holding a sharp spear. The doll has a spirit that makes it come to life. If the chain around his ribs should break, he will come to life. Well, it does. Now in her bathrobe just before she takes a bath, she notices the doll is not on the table, she finds it under the couch, but is stabbed. She hears it running around, but she can not find it again. The lights go out. Again she is attacked. The doll is fast and she can't get away from it. She tries to hide, but the doll is swift and finds her to kill her. How will this ever end? Buy the video to find out! Note: Is this the first time in a network tv-movie we actually see a bathroom with a toilet and toilet paper on the hanger? Did you notice Karen Black's underwear changes color? A TV-Movie sequel was made in 1996 which includes the return of the Male African Fetish Doll.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: not for little kids!
Review: Forget about today's violence on tv...after reading some reviews here, it's clear this movie had some impact on many twelve year olds (now 39...myself included) when it aired. It's funny...I cannot remember what I did last week, but I still have vivid images of that zuni doll running around. Probably won't scare me as much as it did then, but look forward to seeing again anyway.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A KAREN BLACK TOUR DE FORCE
Review: This 1975 ABC Movie of the Week showcases Karen Black with 4 roles in 3 stories (all written by Richard Matheson). While I'd classify the first 2 tales as suspense, the last one definitely falls into the horror genre. You may not remember the movie but if you're old enough, you'll remember the Zuni doll that co-stars here with Karen. Truely a classic from my childhood in an era before the special effects driven movies.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!
Review: I saw this movie when one of my friends said that it was one of the only things that scared her. we then proceeded to watch it three nights in a row while hissing at her and repeating the words "zuni fetish doll". it is the funniest thing in the world and i can only wonder how it gets into the horror genre. I definently recommend this movie, but as a comedy. how did he open the freakin doors?! and why didn't she just pick him up and break him? and why does she always insist on opening whatever it is that the doll is in? why is it that she can't seem to open the doors or windows in her apartment? did she really hope to drown him? i would say the only really disturbing thing would be the ending. it was the only part that wasn't really all that funny.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Trilogy of Terror - Trilogy of Stars
Review: The first two stories are complete throwaways, but the last story "Amelia" is classic TV-movie fare. The three stories are based on Richard Matheson (SOMEWHERE IN TIME - Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymore -- i.e. BID TIME RETURN) short stories. Matheson wrote a few episodes for THE TWILIGHT ZONE and to no surprise, the first two stories have the patented THE TWILIGHT ZONE-type endings. "Amelia" is probably one of the most scariest segments in television history. The confrontation of Karen Black in the title role against the attack of the miniature Zuni doll, is terrifying in its suspense, and the appearance and action of the doll itself is very terrifying. With minimal special effects for its time, its a pretty scary and 'animated' creature. (After further investigation, the story brings to to mind an episode of TWILIGHT ZONE, "The Invaders"! A backwoods woman (Agness Moorehead) is terrorized and attacked by tiny space aliens in space suits {actually they are toy robots} as they land their flying saucer on top of her home. She fights and kills them off one by one, and then destroys their spacecraft. One scene has one of the aliens poking a knife at the bottom of the space of the door {reminiscient of the Zuni doll cutting its way out of a suitcase after Amelia traps him}. The twist ending is that SHE is a giant and the place is an alien planet...the spacemen are actually Earthmen Astronauts, and the words "U.S. AIRFORCE" is printed on the spacecraft.) Richard Matheson wrote this episode of TZ and recycled/updated it for the TRILOGY OF TERROR segment.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: When this first aired.....
Review: When Trilogy of Terror first aired in 1975, I was a mere 10 years old. However I was also a young veteran of the horror, scary etc movies made up until then. My older sister took me to the movies and we always watched the weekly horror shows, Night Stalker, Chiller Theatre, Creature Feature and Fright Night. No movie up until Trilogy had really ever scared me. Anyhow when the last segment aired and the attack on her began, I was so scared, no terrified to hysterical crying in my sister's lap, then running into my parents bedroom unable to watch this in it's entirety. For at least 2 years threafter, I could not sleep unless I constantly checked underneath the bed, had all the closet's closed and a night light on. Wasn't until around 1983, until it was reaired. This time I watched it in it's entirety, sweating the entire time. Now I have this tape on VHS and still after all these years still is the most scary and terrifying movie, I have seen.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: It never left me
Review: I saw this movie on TV the first time it aired in 1975 when I was 12 years old, and the Zuni doll scared the you-know-what out of me. I think for several weeks I never got out of bed without looking under it first :-)

It's always been one of my favorite horror flicks. I saw the sequel a few years back and it was good too, but the original still rocks! I don't know anyone who has ever seen this movie that was able to forget about it.

I was a big fan of Night Stalker too in those days. A few of those scared me pretty good. You really gotta love this stuff by Dan Curtis and Richard Matheson!...


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