Fairly spooky 70s thriller anthology starts off lukewarm and then ups the ante considerably in the infamous final segment, where a terrified Karen Black is pursued by a small African hunting fetish doll that has come to life, intent on killing her.
The early two segments are mainly of interest to fans of Karen Black, who really makes the most of things. The twist endings are a little predictable, although in 1975 perhaps they weren't as overdone as they seem today. The final segment, "Amelia", was adapted by Richard Matheson from his own short story "Prey". It's still worth a look today.
Amelia is a slightly neurotic woman with some mother issues who buys a weird African hunting fetish for her boyfriend, an anthropology professor. The small wooden doll comes with a scroll that informs her that it contains the spirit of a genuine hunter named "He Who Kills", and that if the golden chain around its waist ever comes off, the doll will come to life. Of course the chain immediately falls off when she's not looking and pretty soon the doll is after her.
The puppet effects for the doll are dated but somehow it doesn't stop the delirious tone of the segment. After some daytime-style drama involving Amelia's mother complex and her boyfriend, the thing immediately becomes a survival situation after the ferocious doll steals a kitchen knife and really goes after her. Any child of the 70s will tell you about how this movie gave them nightmares. As I said, it's tame by modern standards, but...there was a unique synergy going on here that had a lot to do with the era in which this film was made. In 1975 this was just a movie-of-the-week on television, and I don't think anybody expected anything this shocking to happen in a TV movie. Some of the scenes really do pack a jolt. It's got some great camera-work too, with the lens swooping smoothly around furniture in pursuit of the terrified Karen Black. The winner for my favorite shot is a toss-up between the doll sawing its way out of a closed suitcase, or the doll climbing out of Amelia's bathtub with the knife clenched between its teeth. The final image of Karen Black crouching in the shadows is iconic and truly unforgettable.
The first two segments aren't really that bad, just not memorable enough to stand up to the killer doll segment. They do show off Karen's acting range, and fans of Ms. Black will be entertained by all three stories.
The early two segments are mainly of interest to fans of Karen Black, who really makes the most of things. The twist endings are a little predictable, although in 1975 perhaps they weren't as overdone as they seem today. The final segment, "Amelia", was adapted by Richard Matheson from his own short story "Prey". It's still worth a look today.
Amelia is a slightly neurotic woman with some mother issues who buys a weird African hunting fetish for her boyfriend, an anthropology professor. The small wooden doll comes with a scroll that informs her that it contains the spirit of a genuine hunter named "He Who Kills", and that if the golden chain around its waist ever comes off, the doll will come to life. Of course the chain immediately falls off when she's not looking and pretty soon the doll is after her.
The puppet effects for the doll are dated but somehow it doesn't stop the delirious tone of the segment. After some daytime-style drama involving Amelia's mother complex and her boyfriend, the thing immediately becomes a survival situation after the ferocious doll steals a kitchen knife and really goes after her. Any child of the 70s will tell you about how this movie gave them nightmares. As I said, it's tame by modern standards, but...there was a unique synergy going on here that had a lot to do with the era in which this film was made. In 1975 this was just a movie-of-the-week on television, and I don't think anybody expected anything this shocking to happen in a TV movie. Some of the scenes really do pack a jolt. It's got some great camera-work too, with the lens swooping smoothly around furniture in pursuit of the terrified Karen Black. The winner for my favorite shot is a toss-up between the doll sawing its way out of a closed suitcase, or the doll climbing out of Amelia's bathtub with the knife clenched between its teeth. The final image of Karen Black crouching in the shadows is iconic and truly unforgettable.
The first two segments aren't really that bad, just not memorable enough to stand up to the killer doll segment. They do show off Karen's acting range, and fans of Ms. Black will be entertained by all three stories.