Trilogy of Terror is a decent (but commonly overrated) anthology horror film directed by Dan Curtis (creator and producer of "Dark Shadows") and starring the great Karen Black. Although I have always enjoyed Karen Black's work, rarely have I seen her as impressive as in this film, which is primarily a showcase for her talents as an actress.
The first story of the film, "Julie", is by far the weakest entry. While well acted and directed, its dull plot of a black-mailed teacher goes no where and there isn't a chill or surprise to be found. Robert Burton gives a solid performance as the black-mailing student, but the unimpressive script gives the actors little to work with. Even Karen Black fails to impress on any level.
We move into much interesting territory in the second story, "Millicent and Therese". Even though I saw the twist coming a mile away, it was a good concept and an amazing set of performances by Karen Black. Watching her tightly move around the screen as Millicent in one scene and then seeing her seductively question George Gaynes as Dr. Ramesy in the next is a true testament to her charisma and skill as an actress. A mediocre tale is made very watch able by her performance.
The third story, "Amelia", is without a doubt the strongest of the three and the only frightening tale. Karen Black firmly places her self in the ranks as one of the strongest scream-queens of the 70s/80s with this role and it's a damn shame there aren't a few slashers in those eras with her playing the lead role. She frantically runs and screams around her apartment after an effective build up. While merely a "killer doll" story, it is a very well done one with a creepy looking (but funny sounding) doll. Despite a small amount of unintentional humor, there are some very solid chills to be found in this section.
While a little bit of a let-down for me, I did enjoy tales of terror and there are far worse ways to spend an evening. The first tale is boring, but the second picks up and the third is an excellent closing piece. Not the best anthology horror film, as some would have you believe, but definitely worth seeing of Karen Black's performance.
** / *****
The first story of the film, "Julie", is by far the weakest entry. While well acted and directed, its dull plot of a black-mailed teacher goes no where and there isn't a chill or surprise to be found. Robert Burton gives a solid performance as the black-mailing student, but the unimpressive script gives the actors little to work with. Even Karen Black fails to impress on any level.
We move into much interesting territory in the second story, "Millicent and Therese". Even though I saw the twist coming a mile away, it was a good concept and an amazing set of performances by Karen Black. Watching her tightly move around the screen as Millicent in one scene and then seeing her seductively question George Gaynes as Dr. Ramesy in the next is a true testament to her charisma and skill as an actress. A mediocre tale is made very watch able by her performance.
The third story, "Amelia", is without a doubt the strongest of the three and the only frightening tale. Karen Black firmly places her self in the ranks as one of the strongest scream-queens of the 70s/80s with this role and it's a damn shame there aren't a few slashers in those eras with her playing the lead role. She frantically runs and screams around her apartment after an effective build up. While merely a "killer doll" story, it is a very well done one with a creepy looking (but funny sounding) doll. Despite a small amount of unintentional humor, there are some very solid chills to be found in this section.
While a little bit of a let-down for me, I did enjoy tales of terror and there are far worse ways to spend an evening. The first tale is boring, but the second picks up and the third is an excellent closing piece. Not the best anthology horror film, as some would have you believe, but definitely worth seeing of Karen Black's performance.
** / *****