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Why you Should Watch ‘Trilogy of Terror’

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Today is the birthday of actress and bombshell Karen Black.  She passed in 2013 but would have been 78 today.  She was surely a beauty of the seventies and eighties, and a scream queen of her time as many of the roles she chose were in the horror genre.  However, she didn’t always play the victim which was a new concept in the genre at the time.  An example of this is in the TV movie Trilogy of Terror.


In 1975 ABC Movie of the Week Black starred as each of the stories protagonist.  While the term “Movie of the Week” sounds cheesy to today’s standards, this anthology of horror films still mostly stand up today, especially if you can suspend your disbelief due to the lack of special effects which only one of the stories relies upon.  Two of the three stories rely upon story and acting ability, both of which are executed extremely well.  All three are written by Richard Matheson and directed by Dan Curtis.

Each story in Trilogy of Terror is titled after Black’s character, Julie, Millicent and Therese in which she plays twin sisters, and finally Amelia.  Known for her long legs and beauty she was not afraid to play ugly or mousy in these films.  This is especially true in Julie where she plays a homely college teacher cloaked in layers of clothing with no makeup, her long hair up in a messy bun, and thick rimmed glasses.  It’s hard to make a bombshell like Karen Black not attractive, but their attempt made her look “normal” at best.  It’s hard to see past this woman’s beauty.  In this story she is the object of one of her student’s sudden affections.  His affections turn into a pursuit as the plot continues, and the cat and mouse game begins.

In the latter two segments Black is mainly playing off of herself with very few co-stars and even none at all.  This truly portrays her talent to dominate the screen and keep the audience captivated.

In Millicent and Therese Black portrays twin sisters who couldn’t be more different from one another.  One is modest and responsible while the other is more wild and irrational as well as with an interest in the occult.  Millicent is tired of her sister’s actions and irresponsible ways and decides to take matters into her own hands when no one will help her, not even the family physician.  Using her sister’s interest in the occult she gets her revenge.

Twin sisters Millicent and Therese in ‘Trilogy of Terror’

Lastly the third installment, Amelia, is the most horrific in nature, but probably holds up the least to today’s standards.  In this installment of the Amelia buys a Zuni fetish doll for her boyfriend.  The doll reportedly contains the soul of a Zuni hunter named ‘He Who Kills.’  The chain around the Zuni fetish doll keeps the soul inside of the figure, but if it’s broken it is released.  You can assume what happens next.


Each of the three story lines in Trilogy of Terror have a twist which I’m sure seemed shocking at the time for TV audiences, but are still entertaining today.  Each are well written, the characters are all very different from one another despite all of them being played by Black, and she is fully committed to each of the roles.  She doesn’t phone it in for a minute.  I highly recommend you check out this little known gem of a movie.

 

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Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

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The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.

Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.

The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.

Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”

Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.

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Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

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lizzie borden house

Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.

“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.

Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.

Inside the Lizzie Borden House

The prize also includes:

An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings

A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear

A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room

A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course

The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II

Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two

“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”

Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.

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’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power

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28 years later

Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.

Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes

Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.

Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.

There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.

28 Days Later

The original film followed Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes from a coma to find that London is currently dealing with a zombie outbreak.

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