Although all three segments star actress Karen Black and are based on the stories of Richard Matheson, it’s “Amelia” that captivated audiences: a quirky tale about a young woman who lives alone in a high-rise apartment, where she is menaced by an African “Zuni fetish doll” that magically comes to life wielding a spear and ludicrously large knife. Many horror anthologies, especially older ones, are known to modern audiences specifically for a single entry, and this is especially the case in Trilogy of Terror, which first aired on ABC in March of 1975. ![]() Trilogy of Terror (1975) Director: Dan Curtis The film is also odd for the fact that its most acclaimed segment, “The Accident,” is really more of a melodrama than a horror short, out of place with the rest of the film while simultaneously delivering an emotionally powerful tale. More interesting is the framing device itself, which sees a young woman lured into an abandoned theater, where a puppet (played by none other than Udo Kier) tells her stories as the two begin to metamorphosize. The likes of Tom Savini and Richard Stanley are the hooks for this grand guignol-themed take on the anthology structure, but their segments are both loosely structured and narratively inert. The Theatre Bizarre is an odd case for horror anthologies: The names you’re likely paying admission to see ultimately don’t end up being the film’s highlights. The Theatre Bizarre (2011) Directors: Douglas Buck, Buddy Giovinazzo, David Gregory, Karim Hussain, Tom Savini, Richard Stanley, Jeremy Kasten It’s the perfect film for a jovial, Halloween party atmosphere-vintage spooky, but never truly disturbing. Its tales are silly and basic, but it’s buoyed by a strong cast of familiar British faces, from the duo of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee (they’re in different stories, sadly) to Raiders of the Lost Ark’s Denholm Elliott and consummate Hammer buxom beauty Ingrid Pitt. The House That Dripped Blood is one of those vintage anthologies, centered around a cursed house continuously inherited by new tenants-which is to say, victims. Comics ( Vault of Horror or Tales From the Crypt). Terror’s House of Horrors, have a disarmingly simple quality to them-less the stately, stuffy gothic horror of Hammer, and more a continuation of the violent, ironic and comical horror stories seen in American E.C. Their anthology horror films, such as Dr. If the output of British film studio Amicus Productions usually lacked the refinement and grandeur of Hammer’s horror films, they always seemed to make up for it with cheeky, good-natured charm. The House That Dripped Blood (1971) Director: Peter Duffell These are the best horror anthology movies of all time:Ģ5. You’re guaranteed to find something that will put you in the Halloween spirit, all year round. Here, then, is a list that features some of the genre’s most inspired anthology entries, spanning a period of nearly 75 years. The holy grail is the anthology that does everything well, both in its individual stories and framing device, with each story somehow contributing to the whole. This is particularly difficult as the number of entries rises in any given anthology-three to five often seems to be the sweet spot, while anthologies with a few dozen stories (such as The ABCs of Death) tend to be frustrating just as often as they’re effective. Of course, the trick with horror anthologies is maintaining any sense of consistency. Horror anthology movies, therefore, make room within the genre for tales that could never have supported feature-length films (although particularly successful anthology segments may very well receive that treatment). Horror stories, often simplistic and straightforward by nature, can function well as bite-sized morsels of fright. Perhaps it approximates oral tradition-different stories told by different speakers, gathered around a campfire or sharing a cabin on a dark and stormy night. Griffith’s Intolerance in 1916, the storytelling device has always found a natural bedfellow with the horror genre. ![]() ![]() Although the concept of anthology movies could be said to date back as far as D.W.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |