Trilogy of Terror II

Last updated
Trilogy of Terror II
Trilogy of Terror II 1996 big poster.jpg
Television movie poster
GenreHorror
Thriller
Written by Dan Curtis
William F. Nolan
Directed by Dan Curtis
Starring Lysette Anthony
Music by Bob Cobert
Country of originUnited States
Canada
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducerJulian Marks
Production location Toronto
Cinematography Elemér Ragályi
Editor Bill Blunden
Running time90 minutes
Production companiesDan Curtis Productions
Wilshire Court Productions
Power Pictures
Original release
Network USA Network
ReleaseOctober 30, 1996 (1996-10-30)

Trilogy of Terror II is a 1996 American made-for-television anthology horror film and a sequel to Trilogy of Terror (1975), both directed by Dan Curtis. The film follows the formula of the original, with one female lead (Lysette Anthony) playing parts in each of three segments.

Contents

Plot

The Graveyard Rats

A millionaire named Ansford discovers his young wife Laura having an affair with her cousin. Having video proof, he orders Laura to be faithful and honest or he will turn the video over to the news stations and cut her out of his will. Her lover Ben comes up with the idea to murder Ansford and collect all his money. Ansford is pushed down the stairs and killed. Before dying, Ansford transferred all of his money into an account in Zürich and microfilmed the access codes, which were buried with him. Laura and Ben dig up his coffin to retrieve the microfilm. Laura shoots and kills Ben to claim all the money for herself. Ansford's body is dragged through a hole in the side of the coffin by large flesh-eating rats, so Laura crawls in after them through a network of underground graveyard tunnels. The advancing rats corner her in another buried coffin. Laura tries to keep the rats away by firing her gun at them, but the rats pour into the coffin and devour her.

Bobby

It has been some time since Bobby "accidentally" drowned, leaving his mother Alma depressed and guilty. While her husband is away on business, she determines to raise her son from the dead. Armed with a magic book and a "Key of Solomon" (in this case, a talisman rather than a book), she conjures up dark forces to bring her son back. Before she goes to bed, a vicious thunderstorm approaches the luxurious beach mansion. Hearing a knock, she opens the door to discover her son. After cleaning him up, she begins to make him feel at home again. However, Bobby acts completely mad and begins to terrorize his mother in the dark house with a sledgehammer and a butcher knife. The mother realizes that it is not Bobby who returned to her, but a demon, as he says "Bobby hates you, Mommy, so he sent me instead," revealing his demonic face.

He Who Kills

After finding a Zuni fetish doll at the scene of a double homicide of a woman and her mother, the police drop off the doll to Dr. Simpson. She learns that the doll comes to life when a gold chain is removed from its neck and that the doll has a desire for flesh. It also seems to regenerate; when she chips away the charred wood, the doll seems to be brand new.

After a pizza break, she discovers the doll missing. One of the officers investigates the surrounding museum, only to be shot by the doll with an arrow from one of the exhibits. Simpson finds the doll running towards her with a lab knife. After the doll attacks her, Simpson catches the doll in a briefcase, giving her time to try to reach her keys. As the doll cuts through the case, Simpson tries to grab the knife, only to get cut. The doll breaks through, and Simpson stabs it with a screwdriver-like object. Simpson opens the briefcase, only to be bitten ferociously by the doll. She regains control and tosses the doll into a large container of sulfuric acid. As the doll breaks apart, Simpson puts on some black rubber gloves and grabs tongs in an attempt to remove the doll's remains, only to be possessed by the spirit inhabiting the doll. Later on, Simpson's date arrives at the museum, and she kills him with an ax.

Cast

Production

Trilogy of Terror II was produced by Dan Curtis Productions and first aired on Showtime on October 30, 1996. The film was directed by Dan Curtis, who also directed the 1975 TV movie Trilogy of Terror which inspired this sequel.

This first segment (screenplay by William F. Nolan and Dan Curtis) is based on Henry Kuttner's short story "The Graveyard Rats", albeit considerably altered. In Kuttner's tale, the thief is a male cemetery caretaker who habitually steals valuables from the corpses in a graveyard beset by a colony of abnormally large rats. The second segment is a re-filming of a script by Richard Matheson. It was originally written by Matheson for the Dan Curtis omnibus movie Dead of Night . The third segment, about the Zuni Fetish Doll "He Who Kills," is a sequel to the third segment of the original film Trilogy of Terror, "Amelia". Its screenplay was written by Nolan and Curtis.

Home media releases

Trilogy of Terror II was released on DVD by Universal Studios Home Entertainment on September 2, 2008 and on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber on Oct 22, 2019.

Reception

Brett Gallman from Oh, the Horror! gave the film a mixed review, feeling that the film was "a quick way to cash in on a well-known property". [1] TV Guide awarded the film 1/5 stars, calling it "belated", and felt that it was essentially a rerun of the original film. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Matheson</span> American author and screenwriter (1926–2013)

Richard Burton Matheson was an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karen Black</span> American actress, screenwriter, and singer-songwriter (1939–2013)

Karen Blanche Black was an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She rose to prominence for her work in various studio and independent films in the 1970s, frequently portraying eccentric and offbeat characters, and established herself as a figure of New Hollywood. Her career spanned over 50 years and includes nearly 200 credits in both independent and mainstream films. Black received numerous accolades throughout her career, including two Golden Globe Awards, as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Curtis</span> American film director

Daniel Mayer Cherkoss, known by his pen name Dan Curtis, was an American television and film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was best known as the creator of the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows (1966–71), and for directing the epic World War II miniseries The Winds of War (1983) and War and Remembrance (1988).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Kuttner</span> American author of speculative fiction (1915–1958)

Henry Kuttner was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and horror.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror IV</span> 5th episode of the 5th season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror IV" is the fifth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons and the fourth episode in the Treehouse of Horror series of Halloween specials. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 28, 1993, and features three short stories called "The Devil and Homer Simpson", "Terror at 5+12 Feet", and "Bart Simpson's Dracula".

"Treehouse of Horror III" is the fifth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on October 29, 1992. The third annual Treehouse of Horror episode, it features segments in which Homer buys Bart an evil talking doll, Homer is a giant ape which is captured by Mr. Burns in a parody of the 1933 version of King Kong, and Bart and Lisa inadvertently cause zombies to attack Springfield.

<i>Motel Hell</i> 1980 US comedy horror film by Kevin Connor

Motel Hell is a 1980 American comedy horror film directed by Kevin Connor and starring Rory Calhoun, Nancy Parsons, and Nina Axelrod. The plot follows farmer, butcher, motel manager, and meat entrepreneur Vincent Smith, who traps travelers and harvests them for his human sausages.

<i>Trilogy of Terror</i> 1975 television film by Dan Curtis

Trilogy of Terror is a 1975 American made-for-television anthology horror film directed by Dan Curtis and starring Karen Black. It features three segments, each based on unrelated short stories by Richard Matheson. The first follows a college professor who seeks excitement with her students; the second is about twin sisters who have a bizarre relationship. These two segments were adapted by William F. Nolan. The third, adapted by Matheson himself, focuses on a woman terrorized by a Zuni fetish doll in her apartment. Black stars in all three segments, and plays dual roles in the second.

<i>Alone in the Dark</i> (1982 film) 1982 American slasher film by Jack Sholder

Alone in the Dark is a 1982 American slasher film co-written and directed by Jack Sholder in his directorial debut, and starring Jack Palance, Martin Landau, Donald Pleasence, Dwight Schultz, and Erland Van Lidth. The plot follows a psychiatrist's family who are besieged by four escaped mental patients during a power blackout. Following Stunts and Polyester, it was one of the first films produced by New Line Cinema.

<i>Doll Graveyard</i> 2005 film

Doll Graveyard is a 2005 horror film released by Full Moon Features and directed by Charles Band. It involves four haunted dolls that are possessed by the spirit of a young girl and come to life with murderous intentions.

<i>This Night Ill Possess Your Corpse</i> 1967 film directed by José Mojica Marins

This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse is a 1967 Brazilian horror film directed by José Mojica Marins. Marins is also known by his alter ego Coffin Joe. It is the second installment of Marins' "Coffin Joe trilogy", being preceded by At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul (1963), and followed by Embodiment of Evil (2008).

<i>Elves</i> (film) 1989 American horror film

Elves is a 1989 American horror film directed by Jeffrey Mandel and starring Dan Haggerty, Deanna Lund, and Ken Carpenter.

<i>Home for the Holidays</i> (1972 film) 1972 television slasher film from the United States directed by John Llewellyn Moxey

Home for the Holidays is a 1972 American made-for-television slasher film directed by John Llewellyn Moxey, produced by Aaron Spelling and starring Sally Field, Eleanor Parker, Julie Harris, Jessica Walter, and Walter Brennan which premiered on ABC on November 28, 1972. The plot focuses on a wealthy father on his deathbed who invites his four daughters home for Christmas and tells them he suspects his second wife of poisoning him. Shortly after, the girls learn that their stepmother was accused of killing her first husband, and they begin to fall prey to a killer dressed in a yellow rain slicker.

<i>The Theatre Bizarre</i> 2011 American film

The Theatre Bizarre is a 2011 American horror anthology film. The six segments are directed by Douglas Buck, Buddy Giovinazzo, David Gregory, Karim Hussain, Tom Savini and Richard Stanley. The wraparound segments featuring Udo Kier were directed by Jeremy Kasten.

<i>Hell High</i> 1989 American film

Hell High is a 1989 American slasher film written, produced, and directed by Douglas Grossman. The film centers on a school teacher who suffers a mental breakdown after being harassed and attacked by a group of her students, driving her into a homicidal rage.

<i>The Premonition</i> (1976 film) 1976 film by Robert Allen Schnitzer

The Premonition is a 1976 American psychological horror film produced and directed by Robert Allen Schnitzer, and starring Richard Lynch, Sharon Farrell, Danielle Brisebois, and Jeff Corey. Its plot follows a foster mother who enlists the help of a parapsychologist after her foster daughter is stalked by her mentally-unhinged biological mother and her circus clown boyfriend.

<i>A Christmas Horror Story</i> 2015 Canadian film

A Christmas Horror Story is a 2015 Canadian anthology horror film directed by Grant Harvey, Steven Hoban, and Brett Sullivan. It premiered on July 20, 2015, at the Fantasia International Film Festival and had a limited theatrical release on October 2, 2015, along with a VOD release. The film is a series of interwoven stories tied together by a framework story featuring William Shatner as a radio DJ.

Dead of Night is a 1977 American made-for-television anthology horror film starring Ed Begley Jr., Anjanette Comer, Patrick Macnee, Horst Buchholz and Joan Hackett. Directed by Dan Curtis, the film consists of three stories written by Richard Matheson much like the earlier Trilogy of Terror. The film originally premiered on NBC on March 29, 1977.

"The Graveyard Rats" is a horror short story by American writer Henry Kuttner, first published in the magazine Weird Tales in March 1936.

References

  1. Gallman, Brett. "Horror Reviews - Trilogy of Terror II (1996)". Oh the Horror.com. Brett Gallman. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  2. "Trilogy Of Terror II - Movie Reviews and Movie Ratings". TV Guide.com. TV Guide. Retrieved 9 July 2018.