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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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Watch ‘The Burning’ At The Location Where It Was Filmed

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Fangoria is reporting that fans of the 1981 slasher The Burning will be able to have a screening of the film at the location where it was filmed. The movie is set at Camp Blackfoot which is actually the Stonehaven Nature Preserve in Ransomville, New York.

This ticketed event will take place on August 3. Guests will be able to take a tour of the grounds as well as enjoy some campfire snacks along with the screening of The Burning.

The Burning

The film came out in the early ’80s when teen slashers were being churned out in magnum force. Thanks to Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th, filmmakers wanted to get in on the low-budget, high-profit movie market and a casket load of these types of films were produced, some better than others.

The Burning is one of the good ones, mostly because of the special effects from Tom Savini who had just come off of his groundbreaking work on Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th. He declined to do the sequel because of its illogical premise and instead signed on to do this movie. Also, a young Jason Alexander who would later go on to play George in Seinfeld is a featured player.

Because of its practical gore, The Burning had to be heavily edited before it received an R-rating. The MPAA was under the thumb of protest groups and political bigwigs to censor violent films at the time because slashers were just so graphic and detailed in their gore.

Tickets are $50, and if you want a special t-shirt, that will cost you another $25, You can get all the information by visiting the On Set Cinema webpage.

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‘Longlegs’ Creepy “Part 2” Teaser Appears on Instagram

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Longlegs

Neon Films released an Insta-teaser for their horror film Longlegs today. Titled Dirty: Part 2, the clip only furthers the mystery of what we are in for when this movie is finally released on July 12.

The official logline is: FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

Directed by former actor Oz Perkins who also gave us The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, Longlegs is already creating buzz with its moody images and cryptic hints. The film is rated R for bloody violence, and disturbing images.

Longlegs stars Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, and Alicia Witt.

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Exclusive Sneak Peek: Eli Roth and Crypt TV’s VR Series ‘The Faceless Lady’ Episode Five

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Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) and Crypt TV are knocking it out of the park with their new VR show, The Faceless Lady. For those unaware, this is the first fully scripted VR horror show on the market.

Even for masters of horror like Eli Roth and Crypt TV, this is a monumental undertaking. However, if I trust anyone to change the way that we experience horror, it would be these two legends.

The Faceless Lady

Ripped from the pages of Irish folklore, The Faceless Lady tells the story of a tragic spirit cursed to wander the halls of her castle for all of eternity. However, when three young couples are invited to the castle for a series of games, their fates may soon change.

So far, the story has provided horror fans with a gripping game of life or death that doesn’t look as if it will slow down in episode five. Luckily, we have an exclusive clip that may be able to satiate your appetites until the new premiere.

Airing on 4/25 at 5pmPT/8pmET, episode five follows our final three contestants in this wicked game. As the stakes are raised ever higher, will Ella be able to fully awaken her connection with Lady Margaret?

The faceless lady

The newest episode can be found on Meta Quest TV. If you haven’t already, follow this link to subscribe to the series. Make sure to check out the new clip below.

Eli Roth Present’s THE FACELESS LADY S1E5 Clip: THE DUEL – YouTube

To view in the highest resolution, adjust the quality settings in the bottom right corner of the clip.

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