From Beyond the Grave

From Beyond The Grave has been labeled "one of the best horror anthologies to come from Amicus." This was Kevin O'Connor's directorial debut and one of his best films. This frightening anthology of four distinct stories will make you wish for another.

In the first tale, Peter Cushing plays an antique store owner. Whether his customers steal from him or negotiate a very low price, they are doomed with their acquired supernatural merchandise. Edward (David Warner) is one of Cushing's customers who gets a great deal on an antique mirror. He later holds a seance to impress his friends. During the seance, he enters the realm of the mirror and is stabbed. When he comes out of his trance, he remembers nothing. Soon after, a sinister looking man begins beckoning him from the mirror. The mirror and apparition impart him with evil ways. The mirror says "feed me," and Edward becomes possessed by the man in it the mirror. Can Edward avid escape the horrors of the mirror or continue to be it's accomplice in murder as well as it's ultimate victim.

In the next segment, Christopher (Ian Bannen) purchases matches from a struggling street peddler, Jim (Donald Pleasence). He then returns home to his nagging wife Emily (Anglean Pleasence). She disparages him and demeans him. The next day he engages in conversation with the peddler. He then proceeds to the antique store and steals a medal. The peddler invites him to his home for dinner. He seems content with his new friends but Jim and his shy, passive daughter on not what they appear to be. She hypnotizes him and the horrific things that follow will surprise the viewer. Note: If you like voodoo dolls, you'll especially enjoy this one.

In the third story, Reginald (Ian Carmichael) enters the antique store and switches the prices on two similar silver boxes. He then proceeds to negotiate down the price of the silver box even further. On his return trip home, a seemingly crazy and eccentric gypsy warns him "there is an element on your shoulder," "a killer." She rambles on that it "sucks the very juices of the soul." To be rid of her, he accepts Madame Orloff's (Margaret Leighton) card. When he returns home, the "element" hits and he tries to strangle his wife Suzanne (Nyree Dawn Porter) who of course attributes the abuse to her husband. Desperate, the man phones the gypsy for help. Can the gypsy rid him of the spirit or will it take over his soul. Mayhem ensues as she tries to crush the evil spirit.

In the forth tale, William Seaton (Ian Ogilvy) purchases a medieval looking door for a fair price from the proprietor.  Though the cash register was left open briefly while the proprietor was absent, William does not take any money.  William places the door in his study and looks forward to further renovations on  his apartment.  Behind the door are his file and supplies.

Seaton becomes possessed with the door and often opens it to a mysterious blue room.  He finds the diary of Sir Michael St. Clair (Jack Watson), a menacing ghost who wants to take his soul so he can live forever.  William enters sporadically and admires the pictures and other attributes of the room.  He is forced to confront Sinclair when his wife Rosemary ((Leslie Anne Down) enters the room and becomes trapped by Sinclair.

The final segment takes place in Temptations Limited .  A wayward looking character (Ben Howard) hangs around the alley of the shop.  He declines to enters when others go into the shop.  When he finally enters, he silences the bell to go unobserved but is discovered by the proprietor.  When he attempts to rob the proprietor, a very nasty surprise is in store for him.

Lady Beware

Lady Beware is a 1987 psychological thriller starring Diane Lane (Unfaithful, Knight Moves). It was written by Charles Zev Cohen (Eddie and the Cruisers II) and Susan Miller (Thirtysomething). Directed By Karen Arthur (Cagney & Lacy, Hart to Hart, The Mafu Cage), this film has been marketed with the tag line "when Fantasy leads to Terror").

Katya Yarno (Diane Lane), a young aspiring window dresser, convinces Hornes Department Store to give her a corner window to display her designs after getting the run around for some time. Basically, she tells the boss "you're windows suck," "l mean they are boring." She gets her corner window and a shot at success.

Katya designs displays with provocative, sexy scenes that captivate her audience They also cause outrage among some onlookers. But her boss loves her style and extends her contract for six months. Katya is ecstatic.

Living in a loft above Pittsburgh, many of Katya's scenes come to her in her sexual dreams or while she is bathing by candlelight and listening to music. She soon is no longer alone becoming involved with a reporter, Mac Odell (Cotter Smith). Life is moving along blissfully for Katya.

Unbenownst to Katya, Jack Price (Michael Woods), a married psychopath, has become obsessed with her and her displays. He begins making obscene phone calls to her, and writing her letters and intercepting her mail. He even breaks into her apartment and revels in her belongings. As the stalking progresses, Katya's window designs become more and more macabre. The stalking reaches a frenzy when a disgusted and gutsy Katya decides to turn the tables on her stalker and bring him to justice.

This movie is captivating and eye opening. It delves into one woman's fantasies that inspire her work but turn into a nightmare when attracting the wrong man. I don't think this movie will disappoint, especially if you are a Diane Lane fan. 

 

Knight Moves

Knight Moves is a 1982 movie about a string of serial killings.  Carl Schenkel, also know for his directing of The Mighty Quinn directed this thriller.  It stars Christopher Lambert (Highlander, Fortress), as Peter Sanderson, a grand chess player thrown in the middle of a murder investigation involving a serial killer.  Tom Skerritt (Top Gun, Steel Magnolias), plays the lead cop (Capt. Frank Sedman) trying to catch the serial killer.  His partner is Daniel Baldwin (Detective Andy Wagner) and Diane Lane (Lady Beware, Unfaithful, The Perfect Storm), is Kathy Sheppard, a forensic psychologist, assisting the investigation.  I will soon review Lady Beware, one of my favorite stalking films starring Diane Lane and set in my home town of Pittsburgh.

1972: A high strung and tormented young boy, loses a chess match and attacks his opponent.  He is hospitalized and upon returning home, his father abandons him and his mother.  He awakens that evening to find blood dripping from the ceiling and discovers mother has attempted suicide.  Despite her plea, "help me," he merely retrieves his hidden locked up chessboard and pieces as she lay dying.

Switch to Present Day:  Peter Sanderson (Christopher Lambert) wins a chess match in a grand master's tournament and is in line to play for the world title if he wins the Round Robin Competition.  But women start turning up dead and he becomes a main suspect in the murder investigation.

When the killer strikes, he leaves his victim drained of blood and a message written with that blood.  Peter has slept with one of the victims and  his initial denial of the fact especially makes him a suspect in the killing.  It appears that the killer begins contacting Peter and sending him letters regarding the killings as Peter tries to cooperate with the the police; all the while remaining a chief suspect.  Is Peter the tormented young boy now become a vengeful serial killer or is someone trying to frame him.  Knight Moves is suspenseful and keep your guessing until the very end.  

Burnt Offerings

The Rolf family consisting of Marian (Karen Black), Ben (Oliver Reed), Davey  (L.H. Montgomery)  and Aunt Elizabeth (Bette Davis), decide to rent a  house in the country for the summer.  The house is a massive Victorian and the rent is unbelievably cheap.  Ben (Oliver Reed) tries to dissuade his wife Marian from taking the house due to it’s size and the necessary maintenance and upkeep. But Marianne is immediately entranced with the house after their initial visit and speaking with the two siblings renting the house. 

Roy Alllardcye is played by Burgess Meredith and Meredith Allardyce is played by Eileen Heckart.  They assure the Rolf's that “the house takes care of itself,” as they quote them the $900 price for the entire season.  Their only unusual request is that the Rolf's take care of their aging mother by bringing her food to her room  every day.  The movie allows the fact that Mrs. Allardyce’s adjoining room holds many photographs and an unusual jewelry box.

The family celebrates their get-away with good food, champagne, and cigarettes.  But at the same time Marian appears to have and odd attachment to the house and blocks of Mrs. Allardyce’s room to anyone else at the house.  She begins to refer the woman as “her responsibility.”
As the family settles in, creepy things almost immediately begin to happen.  Mrs. Allardyce does not respond to Marian when she brings her her trays.  Ben dreams of a chauffeur in a hearse who was present at his own mother’s funeral.  The chauffeur.,a dark and macabre image, clearly represents death itself and is frightening and foreboding.  His smile frightened me the most in this film.  Nothing goes right for the Rolf's in their summer refuge.

Maryanne becomes more and more preoccupied with  Mrs. Allardyce’s belongings, Ben attacks and almost drowns. Davey in the pool while Marian listens to the beloved music box and grins, Ben begins slowly coming apart at the seams, and a heater is suspiciously left off in Davey’s room and almost kills him.

This film is not about blood and gore.  It is an intense psychological thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat.  And one wonders if the Rolf's will leave the house in time to save themselves - despite Marian’s perverse attachment to it’s lure.  Watch this play out and beware.

Trilogy of Terror

Trilogy of Terror is an anthology of three separate tales of horror directed by  Dan Curtis (Dark Shadows, The Night Stalker).  The film is based on stories written by Richard Matheson ( I am Legend, The Twilight Zone) and William F. Nolan (Logan’s Run, Burnt Offerings).  While it is referred to as a cult classic, my fiancee introduced it to me and I had never seen it despite being a scary movie buff.  If you are one too, I would strongly recommend this film which has also been referred to as Tales of Terror and Terror of the Doll. 

 
Karen Black plays the protagonist in four very different roles.  She has also played in House of 1,000 Corpses, Easy Rider and Burnt Offerings.  I will be reviewing Burnt Offerings next, another good scare. Karen Black is compelling and believable in all of the roles In Trilogy of Terror.
In “Julie”, Karen Black pays a shy and reclusive teacher who is seduced by Chad (Robert Burns), one of her students.  It all begins with Chad confiding to his friend “I wonder what she looks like under all of those clothes.”  Chad proceeds to pursue Julie and she ultimately agrees to go on a date with him to a drive-in movie.  Chad drugs Julie’s drink when they are together and then blackmails her with revealing and compromising photos.  But things are not as they appear to be.  Watch and enjoy.

In “Millicent and Therese”, Karen Black plays the roles of twin sisters.  Millicent is puritanical and stern while Therese is sexually open and wild.  Millicent journals and according to her Therese was cavorting with young men while their father was nearly laying in his casket.  She also informs us that her parents never recognized the darkness and malevolence in Therese.  Millicent, convinced of her sister’s malevolence, puts a curse on her sister and the outcome could be considered somewhat expected by viewers.  If you were a Dark Shadows fan, John Karlan who plays the role of Willie Loomis  in Dark Shadows has a cameo in this episode as Therese’s boyfriend.

In Amelia, Karen Black purchases a Zuni fetish doll for her boyfriend’s birthday and brings it home in preparation for their date that night.  The doll has a menacing appearance including razor sharp teeth but Amelia still knows her anthropologist boyfriend will love the doll.  Amelia’s overbearing mother guilt ips her into spending the evening with her instead.  As Amelia gets ready for the evening, the doll takes on a life of it’s own and attacks her.  The entire segment consists of the battle between Amelia and the demonic, sinister doll and what follows.