Trilogy of Terror

Karen Black is too frightening for mainstream cinema. You couldn't watch her in a romantic comedy without wondering whether she's going to kill and devour the male lead. But those freaky crossed eyes and that off-kilter sexuality make her a magnetic screen presence and we're all lucky that she found a handful of directors who were able to use her well without rendering her ridiculous ("Five Easy Pieces" by Rafelson) or shrewish ("Nashville" by Altman). Of all Karen Black's worthy star vehicles (an extremely short list), "Trilogy of Terror" is far and away the standout.

The first two pieces are mildly diverting -- the first, "Julie," has an entirely untelegraphed twist that feels like a cheap trick, so it's the weakest link. Still, it coasts along nicely on its creepy camera angles and Karen's dark-star power, and the last couple of scenes are just unsettling enough to whet your appetite for the delights to come. The second segment, "Millicent/Therese," is some standard mid-70s horror fare, laced with madness and hints of sexual perversity, that would be a "Flowers in the Attic"-style yawn if it weren't for the lovely Karen, who plays warring sisters: prim, evangelical Millicent and slutty, predatory Therese. As Therese, she wears a ridiculous blonde wig and sashays around the set like a drag queen, a fully intended foray into pure camp made even more bizarre by Karen's much more nuanced performance as repressed, mousy little Millie. Slowly you wonder if all of Therese's evil is a figment of . . . well, I don't want to spoil it for you.

Ol' Karen saves the best for last: "Amelia." As played by Karen Black, Amelia is a complex, very modern, very normal woman confronted with an utterly conventional dilemma: does she spend Friday night with her boyfriend or her mother? But this isn't a sitcom starring Valerie Harper, it's a horror movie starring Karen Black and something intensely weird happens -- the Zulu doll she has bought as a present for her boyfriend comes to life and starts chasing her around the apartment! (Sound familiar, "Chuckie" fans?) It sounds ridiculous, and it would be if it weren't for the magnificent Ms. Black. She believes. There is no ironic distance between actress and character, no winking acknowledgment of the absurdity of the situation, no excess of histrionics. Dammit, Karen is being menaced by a vicious, spear-wielding figurine and you are terrified for her! Maybe you could make the argument that the vignette is an attempt to juxtapose the civilized and the savage and to expose our true uncivilized nature. But no. It's an ugly doll attacking a cross-eyed actress. It's silly. It's stupid. It's pure entertainment. If you haven't seen it yet, go get it now.

In the 1970s, it was understood and accepted that some leading actors and actresses looked a little different from the box-office stars (they didn't just stand out to get attention, often they were embracing their own idiosyncrasies). Karen Black probably didn't intend to go mainstream, though her supporting performance in 1970's "Five Easy Pieces" was embraced by the counterculture and netted her an Oscar nomination. She's an offbeat actress who performs without vanity. Headlining this three-tiered TV-movie, Black plays plays four fascinating women, and her somewhat exotic cadence and her slightly-zonked overall manner gives the shuddery material an extra layer. Written by Richard Matheson and William F. Nolan, from Matheson's original stories, this "Trilogy" is well-cast and well-directed by Dan Curtis, who delivers some memorable moments--and the proof is that horror fans still refer to the film today. Curtis and Black really seemed to click, as the director quickly and efficiently zips through three creep-outs about complex ladies: "Julie", a dowdy teacher with nice legs who has naughty little minds in her classroom wondering what she's really like; "Millicent and Therese", two completely opposite sisters who live together; and "Amelia", a single woman who fights off the attack of a Zuni fetish doll in her apartment. This third chapter has incredible point-of-view camerawork as the enraged doll with sharp teeth swoops around furniture trying to get at his prey (he's at once comical and horrifying). The first two segments are psychological suspense studies of women holding power over men, while the finale turns the tables and makes woman the victim. The movie has a modest budget (it fit nicely on the tube) and might not have been considered so remarkable without the efforts of Curtis and Black. This was a scream-team made in horror heaven. **1/2 from ****

"Trilogy of Terror" is one of the best remembered made-for-t.v. movies of my generation. It deserves to be. It scared all of us to death. Watching it now, It's still pretty good. The first story is way too short. It deserves a full ninety minute treatment. The second story is pretty obvious. The third story is, hands down, the best of the bunch. The last one was the cause of many bad dreams way back when. "Trilogy of Terror" is definitely worth the watch.

Trilogy of Terror (1975)

*** (out of 4)

Dan Curtis made a number of made-for-television films but none of them has survived as long as this one as it continues to gain new fans each and every years thanks in large part to its final story. In the film, Karen Black appears in all three stories and plays four different parts and her acting certainly helps make TRILOGY OF TERROR so memorable.

The first story has Black playing a professor who pretty much stays alone in her room but she reluctantly agrees to go on a date with a student who ends up drugging her and taking some sexual photos of her. He then plans on blackmailing her but there's one thing he doesn't know. JULIE is a good film to start off on as it's certainly slow-moving but at the same time it delivers a nice little twist that actually works quite well. This segment certainly flows very well and keeps you entertained throughout.

In the second story, "Millicent and Therese" Black plays both characters. One is a oh- too-serious woman and the other her more sluty sister. They are both well aware of a doctor who has taken care of them from childhood but the wiser sister makes a plan to take care of her evil sister for good. This is the least entertaining of the three stories because it really takes a while for it to get going. The twist itself isn't as good as the first story and you should see it coming from a mile away but Black is certainly wonderful in both roles.

Finally, "Amelia" has Black playing a woman who decides to stay home alone when a Zuni doll she bought for her boyfriend comes to life and starts to stalk her. It's funny and easy to see why this story scared so many people and it's really the main reason the movie is remembered today. The impact this portion of the film had on people is quite great to read about and it's certainly the best of the three. Black is terrific as the tormented lady but the Zuni doll easily steals the picture with its screams and incredibly ugly teeth. I certainly won't ruin the final shot but it's a classic.

TRILOGY OF TERROR had all three stories written by Richard Matheson so the quality is certainly there. It's funny but the first two stories are a lot more laid back compared to the third so it almost seems like the third should have been in a different series of films but it really doesn't matter. That third story is just pure madness from start to finish and it works extremely well. Black is certainly the main key here because she plays four different types of characters and does justice to them all. Curtis certainly handles all of the material perfectly and helps makes this one of the better made-for-TV movies.

I loved reading the comments everyone has made regarding the third segment. I also remember seeing this on TV when it was originally broadcast in 75 (I was 13) and, like so many others, was absolutely terrified by the killer doll. I remember the next day at school, everyone who saw it was talking about it and those who didn't were upset they missed it. I must have drawn pictures of that doll on every notebook I had that year (the teeth were awesome). It's one of those movies that I have never and will never forget.