Trilogy of Terror (1975) Review

Tagline: An electrifying experience - you won't believe your eyes!

Trilogy of Terror (1975) Review

 

In the horror section of the video store I went to as a kid, there were a few VHS covers that creeped me out so much I avoided looking at them. To name a few, there was Monkey Shines, Dead Alive, Gacy, and Trilogy of Terror, the last of which didn’t look that creepy at first glance, but upon closer inspection, there was a horrific little monster with a spear and a woman screaming in terror. I was always curious about renting it, but couldn’t bring myself to do it. It looked somehow too scary yet also too silly and old. Now, it’s time for me to talk about this horror relic from the past.

Trilogy of Terror is a made-for-TV film that aired as the movie of the week on ABC in 1975. There are three parts, making it an anthology film, with the first two parts based on short stories by Richard Matheson (probably most well-known for I Am Legend) and the third part written by Matheson himself. All three parts star Karen Black in the lead roles. The first one, “Julie”, is about a college English professor who is fancied by one of her students, named Chad—and is he ever a Chad. They go on a date and this Chad drugs her, takes incriminating pictures of her, and blackmails her into having a relationship with him. The story is alright, but it has a twist at the end. You can tell a twist is coming, but it’s fairly unexpected, if a bit odd. The second part, “Millicent and Therese”, also has a twist ending, but it’s a little more obvious earlier on. This part is weaker than the first, but Karen Black still does a good job, and in dual roles no less. Finally, there’s “Amelia”, and this is the one that makes the whole thing worth watching.

Even though I didn’t rent Trilogy of Terror in my youth, my mom (having seen it on TV when it originally aired) summarized the third part for me, and even hearing the premise freaked me out. I am so glad I didn’t see it as a kid, because I just know it would have traumatized me. The third part features only Karen Black, no other actors. She is in her apartment, and just bought a creepy Zuni fetish doll for her anthropology professor boyfriend. But, the little gold chain around its neck to keep the alleged evil spirit within the doll trapped inside falls off. The doll disappears from the living room table, and a decent amount of suspense is built up before the doll attacks her and she has to fight for her life. It’s a very creepy design for the doll—probably the first truly scary killer doll in a horror film, rivaling even Chucky—and the effects, while obvious how they were achieved, work pretty well to make it scary, and Karen Black’s performance sells it.

I actually think Trilogy of Terror is a fun little movie, but I wouldn’t recommend watching it from beginning to end unless you’re definitely a fan of cheesy 1970’s-era horror. The whole thing is aggressively 70’s, and even though you can tell it was made for TV, it’s still not bad. In fact, it has a cult following, and there was even a sequel made over twenty years later. If anything, I’d recommend the third part, “Amelia”, to everyone. You just have to see the killer Zuni fetish doll going nuts trying to stab Karen Black.