Trilogy of Terror
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| Trilogy of Terror | |
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| Directed by | Dan Curtis |
| Produced by | Robert Singer |
| Written by | Richard Matheson , William F. Nolan |
| Starring | Karen Black, Robert Burton, John Karlen, George Gaynes |
| Music by | Robert Cobert |
| Distributed by | ABC MPI Home Video (DVD) |
| Release date(s) | March 4, 1975 (USA) |
| Running time | 72 mins |
| Language | English |
| Followed by | Trilogy of Terror II |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Trilogy of Terror (also known in the United States as Tales of Terror and Terror of the Doll ) is a three part television horror thriller film, first aired on ABC on March 4, 1975. The film, directed by Dan Curtis and starring Karen Black in the four lead roles of each chapter, including roles as twin sisters, was originally a failed pilot for a horror anthology television series [1].
All three segments are based on unrelated short stories written by Richard Matheson, with film titles being the names for the film's protagonists, played by Black. Black initially refused the role however accepted once her then husband, Robert Burton, was chosen for the role of Chad [1].
A television film sequel, Trilogy of Terror II, written and also directed by Dan Curtis was released in 1996.
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[edit] Julie
[edit] Synopsis
Chad (Robert Burton) and Eddie (James Storm) are university students who admire their English teacher, Julie Eldrich (Karen Black). During one class, Chad is distracted by Julie's low cut skirt and begins to daydream about her. After revealing his fantasies to his friend Eddie, Eddie responds by describing Julie as "ugly" and discourages Chad against becoming romantically involved with teachers.
At home, Julie and her housemate are discussing Julie's single status, and is encouraged to get out and meet more people. Later that evening, when undressing alone in her room, Chad is seen watching through a window. The next day at university, Chad asks Julie out on a date, and after initially refusing, accepts Chad's offer.
During the date at the drive-in, Chad spikes Julie's drink, rendering her unconscious. Chad drives to a motel where he checks in with Julie as husband and wife, where he photographs Julie in a variety of sexually provocative positions. Noticing Julie beginning to regain consciousness, he then takes her home, explaining that she fell asleep.
After delevoping the photographs in his darkoom, Chad shows the pictures to Julie, who is furious and threatens to call the police. Chad blackmails Julie and she agrees to see Chad whenever he demands. After several weeks of Chad and Julie becoming romantically involved due to Chad's threats of revealing the photographs, Julie announces "The game is over".
Julie asks Chad, "Did you really think that dull, little mind of yours could possibly have conceived any of the rather dramatic experiences we've shared? Why do you think you suddenly had the overwhelming desire to see what I looked like under 'all those clothes?' Don't feel bad...I always get bored after awhile." [2] Chad realises his own drink has been poisoned. Chad dies, and Julie drags his body into the darkroom where she sets fire to the offending photographs.
Chad's death is later reported in local media as a house fire. Julie adds the newspaper story to a scrapbook containing students of similar fate. Suddenly, there is a knock at the door, and another student in need of a tutor enters.
[edit] Millicent and Therese
[edit] Synopsis
A tale of two sisters, one being the prudish Millicent with curley brown hair and large glasses, and the easy going Therese with long blonde hair. Millicent is determined that Therese is evil, and plots a voodoo device to kill her. When Millicent's friend Dr. Ramsey enters the house, he finds Therese dead on her bedroom floor with the doll next to her. After speaking with the family doctor, Dr. Ramsey reveals that it was Millicent acting in a blonde wig and make-up in a dual personality manner.
[edit] Amelia
Called the most famous and remembered of the three films [1] [3], Amelia was filmed using a human cast of one, Karen Black. It was also the only film of three to be adapted from the short story to the screen by its author Richard Matheson, who based Amelia on his short story, Prey [4].
[edit] Synopsis
Amelia is living on her own in a high-rise apartment building. She arrives home after a shopping trip and unwraps her prize: a Zuni hunting fetish, equipped with razor sharp teeth and a spear. She's purchased the doll as a gift for her boyfriend, Arthur, an anthropologist. As Amelia makes a phone call to her mother, we learn that she is slightly neurotic, suffering from her mother's overbearing behavior. We only hear Amelia's side of the conversation, but it is clear that her mother does not approve of Amelia living in the apartment, which she reveals is only a temporary sublease. Amelia argues with her about the fact that she wants to be independent and, specifically, how she wants to cancel their plans for the evening because she has a date with Arthur. The argument begins to die down, but Amelia is clearly upset as she describes the doll she has purchased for Arthur, revealing that a scroll accompanies the fetish. The scroll claims that the doll contains the actual spirit of a Zuni hunter known as "He Who Kills", and that if the gold chain that adorns the doll should ever be removed, the spirit would bring the doll to life.
Amelia's mother hangs up on her in mid conversation, and Amelia is despondent. She resolves to herself to not let her mother upset her, but slams the doll down on the coffee table in frustration. As she walks away, the gold chain around the doll clatters to the table.
Shortly later, in the now-dark apartment, Amelia is preparing to take a bath and is now dressed only in a large white robe. She calls Arthur and awkwardly cancels their date, feeling guilty about putting off her mother. She then prepares dinner for herself, using a carving knife to prepare a piece of meat for the broiler. As Amelia enters the darkened living room, she realizes the doll is not on the coffee table. Searching for it, she hears a clattering in the kitchen and investigates. The steak knife she was using is now missing. Lured back into the living room, she is suddenly attacked by the doll, which stabs at her ankles, now brandishing the knife instead of the small wooden spear it came with.
Bloodied and terrified, Amelia runs back to the door, but falls. The doll pounces on her. Amelia screams. She manages to get in her bedroom and calls the police, but the doll enters the room and Amelia dashes for the bathroom and shuts the door. She tries to realize that this is not happening, but it is. Sitting in the bathroom, the doorknob begins to turn and the doll runs in quickly. Amelia grabs a towel and grabs the doll inside it, and tries to drown it in the bath tub. This does not work, and Amelia makes a dash for the living room. The doll is already behind her. Amelia again makes it to a closet and tries to hold the door shut, but this doll is very strong. Amelia grabs a suitcase and lets the door open. The Zuni doll runs right into the suitcase and Amelia closes it shut. She runs to the kitchen for a screwdriver and tries to pry the broken lock on the door, but doesn't have time because the doll is already using the knife to cut through the suitcase. Amelia realizes she is trapped and uses the screwdriver to stab the doll in the head. Amelia opens the suitcase only to be attacked again, the doll biting into her arm. She slams it into a lamp and breaks it. It falls as Amelia run to the kitchen and shuts the door. She sees that she has caught the arm of the doll in the door and kicks the knife away from its hand. It opens the door and dashes for the knife, which Amelia tries to grab again, but the doll leaps onto her shoulder and digs its teeth into her neck. Amelia screams in both pain and horror. She hurls it into the oven and listens as it catches fire, howling and screaming. As she listens, the screams die down and eventually stop. Wondering if her ordeal is over, she opens the oven and is suddenly overcome by a rushing wind and screams.
She then goes into her bedroom and places another phone call to her mother, mysteriously apologizing for "the way she acted" and inviting her over as planned. She then rips the bolt from her front door and crouches down low in an animalistic manner, hiding in the corner with a much larger butcher knife. She stabs in feral anticipation at the floor with the weapon, grinning to herself to reveal the bizarre, jagged teeth of the doll.
[edit] Cast
- Karen Black plays the protagonist in all three short films. Black stars as Julie, sisters Millicent and Therese Larimore and Amelia.
- Robert Burton, real life husband of Karen Black, stars as Chad Foster in Julie.
- John Karlen as Thomas Amman
- George Gaynes, later known for his role as Cmdt. Eric Lassard from the Police Academy series, stars as Dr. Chester Ramsey in Julie.
- Jim Storm as Eddie Nells in Julie.
- Gregory Harrison as Arthur Moore in Amelia.
- Kathryn Reynolds as Anne Richards
- Tracy Curtis as Tracy
- Orin Cannon as the Motel Clerk in Julie.
- Walker Edmiston as the voice of the Zuni doll (uncredited)
 Black as Julie |
 Black as Therese |
 Black as Millicent |
 Black as Amelia |
[edit] Reception
Trilogy of Terror first aired on ABC on March 4, 1975 to positive reviews and has since reached cult status [1]. Jon Niccum, Lawrence Journal-World wrote, "The third segment in this trilogy is arguably the scariest piece ever crafted under the made-for-TV label". Rotten Tomatoes readers give the film a 100% fresh rating.
Black felt the film typecast her into accepting many roles in B grade horror films following the films release, saying "I think this little movie took my life and put it on a path that it didn't even belong in". [2].
- The star of the third film, the Zuni Doll, became so popular that reproductions and kit models were offered for sale by toy manufacturers. The doll was named the 4th in a poll of the Top 10 Deadly Dolls at About.com [5]. The film is listed 49th in a list of the 100 Scariest Movie Moments by RetroCRUSH [6].
- The Simpsons episode 64, Treehouse of Horror III is, in part, a parody of Trilogy of Terror and the Zuni doll. Homer purchases a talking Krusty the Klown doll which attempts to kill him. It was revealed that the reason it attempted to kill Homer was because a switch in the toy's back was set to "evil."
- The film is said to be an inspiration for the 1984 Blaxploitation film, Black Devil Doll from Hell [1] and later the Child's Play series of films starring the evil doll, Chucky (Charles Lee Ray).
[edit] DVD release
A Special Edition DVD was released on August 29, 2006 by MPI Home Video and distributed by Dark Sky Films, containing the original film plus additional material.
- Audio Commentary: Karen Black, William F. Nolan (Writer)
- Featurette:
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- "Richard Matheson: Terror Scribe"
- "Three Colors Black"
[edit] Production credits
- Dan Curtis - Producer, Director
- William F. Nolan - Screenwriter
- Paul Lohmann - Cinematographer
- Barbara Siebert-Boticoff - Costume Designer
- Richard Matheson - Book Author, Screenwriter
- Robert Singer - Associate Producer
- Michael Westmore - Makeup
- Les Green - Editor
- Kathryn Blondell - Hair Styles
- Robert J. Koster - Production Manager
- Jan Scott - Production Designer, Art Director
- James Pilcher - Production Sound Mixer
- Richard Albain - Special Effects
- Leonard A. Mazzola - Set Decorator
- John S. Perry - Costumes Supervisor
- Gail Melnick - Casting
- Robert Cobert - Composer (Music Score)
- Art Levinson - First Assistant Director
