TRILOGY OF TERROR

US, 1975, 72 minutes, Colour.
Karen Black, Robert Burton, Gregory Harrison.
Directed by Dan Curtis.

Quite an entertaining telemovie. It has three stories - they are of mixed value. The film is definitely a showcase
e for its main star. Karen Black. She emerged during the seventies as a frequently seen actress and one with a great range of acting abilities. She could perform dramatically in such films as Day of the Locust and sing in films like Nashville. She has appeared in a mixture of popular entertainments as well as serious films.

The stories in this film are based on stories by prolific writer Richard Matheson. He has written many horror stories and adapted stories by Poe for Roger Corman and Bram Stoker for director Dan Curtis. He wrote the screen play only for the last segment, Amelia. It is definitely the most successful. Karen Black appeared in The Strange Possession of Mrs Oliver, a story by Matheson, directed by Gordon Hessler. Karen Black worked under the direction of Dan Curtis in Burnt Offerings. Curtis has made many horror movies, especially the Dark Shadows series.

1. An entertaining telemovie - the three stories? Karen Black's performances? The showcase for her? Audience enjoyment of horror stories? The placing together of these three stories?

2. The quality of the screenplay? the conventional material of the stories - how originally presented? Within a short space of time? For the one actress to communicate the themes, drama, situations, horror?

3. The special effects - colour photography, American locations? The contrast of the two women in the second story? The special effects with the doll in the third story?

4. The appeal of horror stories? The tone of the title? Victims of horror? The mysterious? Evil and its possession of people? The suspension of disbelief?

5. Karen Black's range of performances in the three stories? The qualities of her acting? Style?

6. Julie: The teacher and her prim manner, her friend and her worry? The two young students and the preoccupation with sex? The background of American literature and violence? Chad's proposal and going to the drive-in, the horror movies, the fear and the fainting on Julie’s part, his drugging her, the photography? His blackmailing her with the photos? The affair and the seeming effect on Julie? Her sudden turning against Chad? Killing him? Her scrapbook? The new student and the process starting again? How expected was the solution? How credible?

7. Millicent and Therese: The contrast of the two sisters? How evident was this a study of personality split? Millicent and her primness, her tongue lashing of Therese’s suitor, the focus on the occult, her writing the diary and the record of Therese’s behaviour, the phone call to the doctor? Millicent being locked in the room? Her later kindness to the little girl? The contrast with Therese's appearance, slatternly behaviour? The attempt at seduction of the doctor? The suitor and his being abused? The doctor and his reaction to Therese’s behaviour? The hatred of the two sisters? Millicent's plan to kill Therese? The doll and the occult? Therese's death and the discovery of Millicent? The doctor's final comments? How evident was this a story of split personality? What light did it throw on the theme? The melodramatics of the surface personality suppressing the licentious personality underneath? The American style of personality split: surface and depth?

8. Amelia: Amelia and her talking to her mother, the fact that she was the only character appearing? The first impressions of the doll? The ordinariness of the situation? The sudden coming alive of, the doll? The details of the pursuit? The equivalent humanity of the doll? The crises, the terror, the noise, the visuals, the editing and pace, the subjective shots of Amelia being afraid? Drowning the doll, putting it in the box? Burning it in the oven? The irony of the take-over and Amelia waiting for her mother an the doll? The point of personality take-over in this story?

9. How entertaining a film? The equivalent of Nightmares? Insight into the problems of personality through horror and nightmares?