Trilogy of Terror is quite short — clocking in at barely over an hour — so sitting through the first two segments to get to the excellent finale isn’t too much of a chore.
Watching anthology films, especially those in the horror genre, can be an uneven experience if the included short films aren’t ordered a certain way. Trilogy of Terror, a 1975 made-for-TV horror anthology, is an example of an anthology that certainly saves the best for last.
As one might be able to ascertain from the title, Trilogy of Terror features three short films. All of them feature Karen Black (Five Easy Pieces) in the lead role or, in the case of the second film, roles. The first story, titled “Julie,” tells the story of a young college professor (Black) who is drugged and blackmailed by a student (Robert Burton.) The second story, “Millicent and Therese,” is a psychological thriller about two sisters with wildly different personalities (both played by Black). The third short is “Amelia,” which tells the tale of a woman being terrorized in her apartment by a possessed doll.
All of the stories were originally written by Richard Matheson, the prolific writer responsible for many an episode of The Twilight Zone and a myriad of screenplays. However, only the third story was also scripted by Matheson. The other two were scripted by William Nolan. I’m not sure if it’s a coincidence but the third story is far superior to the first two.
Being that this is a made-for-TV movie, there is little here that’s actually terrifying. The first two stories are more psychological drama than horror. The third film has a manic pace that’s markedly different from the other two. All of the segments give Karen Black a showcase to display a wide-range of personas. Her four performances are by far the highlight of the movie.
Trilogy of Terror is quite short — clocking in at barely over an hour — so sitting through the first two segments to get to the excellent finale isn’t too much of a chore. And, honestly, it’s worth it.
3.5 out of 5.0 stars
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