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Anthologies in the horror genre have averaged around ten per decade since the 1960s. The format enjoyed its first burst during those years after the moderately entertaining DR. TERRORS HOUSE OF HORRORS (1965) made an impact at the box office. From there, omnibus horror exploded in the 70s and beyond. Many of the cinematic compendiums that followed varied wildly in quality. The following are my picks for the Best Anthology horror films. There are others that are good, but you can't go wrong with this sampler of a dozen fang-tastic fear features of multi-tiered terror tales.
1. DEAD OF NIGHT (1945)
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The five tales (not counting the framing device) deal with a race car driver's encounter with a hearse after a serious accident; a woman who discovers a cherubic specter in a haunted house; a wife buys her husband a supernatural mirror previously owned by a murderer; a love triangle involving a ghostly game of golf; and a sincerely creepy tale of a ventriloquist and his dummy who may or may not have a life of his own.
The wraparound concerns a man stopping over at a country house where the revelers all detail their macabre dreams. The finale could be deemed derivative, but considering this was 1945, it's totally fresh, surreal, and definitely disturbing.
Creepiest Tale: Britain's premiere portmanteau picture saves the best for last. The story revolving around the ventriloquist and his devilish dummy usurps the others in sheer grim atmosphere.
Throwaway Tale: Easily the comedic entry with the spectral golfer and his rivalry with a living friend is the weakest link of this antiquated, and visually striking horror movie from across the pond.
2. BLACK SABBATH (1963)
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In its original form, Bava's trifecta of terror contained tales of a revenge seeking husband on former lesbian lovers, a family terrorized by a vampiric patriarch and a night nurse whose theft of a dead mediums ring proves costly. There's no framing device outside of an intro and outro by Boris Karloff. In contrast, the fascinating, deliriously compiled US cut features intros to each segment by Karloff.
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Creepiest Tale: 'A Drop of Water' is no flash in the pan. Truly one of the most terrifying pieces of horror cinema ever constructed and still packs a wallop today. Dialog is minimal and confined to the beginning and last few moments leaving sights and sounds to relay the pure horror Mario Bava created in this marvelous goosebumper.
Throwaway Tale: The inaugural item here, 'The Telephone' is moderately at odds with the more supernatural elements of the proceeding two entries. Taken into context with the original Italian title (THE THREE FACES OF FEAR), it fits, but nonetheless, it's the least horror inducing of the three.
3. KWAIDAN (1965)
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The stories are: A destitute samurai abandons his loyal wife to marry a wealthy lords daughter. Years later, he realizes the wrong he's done, and returns home to find his seemingly ageless wife still waiting for him; a woodcutter near death in a snowstorm is pitied by a lady specter who promises to spare him so long as he never reveals what he's seen; a blind musician's instrumental abilities attracts the ghosts of dead samurai; and finally, a swordsman finds the reflection of a dead samurai staring back at him in his cup of tea. There is no framing device.
CreepiestTale: While the first two entries are inherently spooky, the third, 'Hoichi, the Earless' is the longest, and ghastly of the quartet. The segment is so memorable, its main shock proponent turned up as a plot device in Kuei Chi Hung's HEX (1980).
Throwaway Tale: 'In a Cup of Tea' has a few moments of distinct hauntedness, but never quite wraps things up in a sufficiently satisfying way. The ambiguous ending is appreciated by some, but I was hoping for a more direct instance of closure.
4. THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD (1970)
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The segments are built around a house of death and the fates of those who live there. The four stories detail a horror novelist whose newest creation has seemingly come to life; a waxworks museum hides a gruesome secret discovered by two friends who loved the same woman; the husband of a witch learns his daughter has taken up her dead mother's activities; and a horror film actor seeks an authentic cloak for use in his new vampire picture. The framing device concerns an inspector investigating the house and the deaths of its occupants. At the end, he finds what he's looking for.
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Creepiest Tale: Picking just one in my favorite of Amicus' anthologies is a difficult task, but I'll go with 'The Cloak'. Not only is it occasionally eerie, it also sports a sardonic wit and self-awareness absent in the others. In addition, it contains a humorous jab at Christopher Lee's interpretation of Dracula.
Throwaway Tale: While I do like the episode, 'Waxworks' gets the pick for the sole reason that it is the only story that doesn't take place within the title abode. It's boiling over with unsettling imagery, just the same.
5. TALES FROM THE CRYPT (1972)
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A wife has just killed her husband on Christmas Eve as a madman in a Santa Claus suit stalks outside; an adulterer abandons his family for his lover which leads to disastrous consequences; an old man is tormented by a neighbor and gets his just desserts from beyond the grave; a statue grants wishes to a couple having financial troubles and get more than they bargained for; and a group of blind elderly men gain retribution on an insensitive manager of a rest home.
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Creepiest Tale: Tough call, but 'Blind Alleys' wins for building a suitably self-serving, callous villain whose just desserts is unusually cruel, but elaborate in its creation and execution by a mob of blind men out for retribution.
Throwaway Tale: 'Reflection of Death' is easily the lesser of the five evils seen here. Its cyclical, premonition reveal is executed unenthusiastically by director Freddie Francis. But then, there wasn't much meat on the bones of the original EC comics story.
6. FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE (1973)
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Customers buy unusual items at 'Temptations Limited' run by Peter Cushing. The way the patrons acquire their purchases reflects how their stories turn out. The entries are -- a mirror harboring an evil spirit compels a man to murder; a war medal leads a frustrated husband to the home of a creepy former soldier and his daughter; a couples home is invaded by an evil Elemental; and a sinister looking door belonging to an occultist magically opens up the devil worshipers domain.
Creepiest Tale: All four are good, but my favorite would be the second, 'An Act of Kindness' with Donald and Angela Pleasence. It has the most surprising sting in the tail of the four. The performances of father and daughter Pleasence resonates an unsettling air just by their limited expressions alone.
Throwaway Tale: The lesser of the four would be 'The Door' -- the last story -- based solely on the fact that it's essentially a re-working of the segment that opens the movie; but substitutes a door for a mirror. It's an entertaining, well photographed segment, but the familiarity with the opening tale is unmistakable.
7. TRILOGY OF TERROR (1975)
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The segments deal with a student who develops a fascination with his English teacher, only to learn she isn't all that she seems to be; a doctor becomes embroiled in a rivalry between two malevolent sisters; and a woman purchases a Zuni fetish doll that comes to murderous life.
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Creepiest Tale: Without question 'Amelia' hits the horror home run here. The killer Zuni doll is among the most memorably frightening creations of old school horror. It's so unforgettable, Dan Curtis revived it in a direct sequel story in the 1996 Made For Cable TRILOGY OF TERROR 2 as 'He Who Kills'.
Throwaway Tale: 'Julie' is fairly uneventful. Actually, the first two stories together aren't all that enthralling. Still, Karen Black's performance in all three stories is exceptional, and varied.
8. CREEPSHOW (1982)
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These five tales concern a dead man who returns from the grave for a vengeance fueled holiday; a lonesome hillbilly finds a meteorite thinking it will bring him fortune, but instead brings him a lot of bad luck; infidelity leads a husband to devise a gruesome revenge on his wife and lover; a professor discovers a decades old crate hiding a very hungry secret; and finally, a bigoted, self-centered clean-freak's fear of cockroaches materializes in his specially made apartment. The framing device -- such as it is -- sees a brutish father tossing out his son's "crap" copy of the Creepshow comic, and pays for it during the concluding moments of the film.
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Creepiest Tale: This honor goes to 'The Crate' -- a great monster, a lovely in-joke, juicy Tom Savini gore and believable characters all amount to a compact, 37 minute monster flick.
Throwaway Tale: While it's hilarious watching Stephen King play a hillbilly outcast, 'The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill' is more comedy than horror. It's fun, but flaccid; its finish is more pinch than sting. Still, the utterance of "Meteor shit!" is one of the more memorable moments from the movie.
9. FROM A WHISPER TO A SCREAM (1987)
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The four sordid stories of Oldfield, Tennessee consist of -- a disturbed man has a thing for dead women; an injured criminal meets an old codger in the swamp who has the key to eternal life; a traveling band of carnival freaks are terrorized by their voodoo practicing boss; and a group of Civil War soldiers run afoul of a band of peculiar children living in isolation in the woods. The framing device provides a slight surprise, but lacks the nasty tone of the actual stories. Boasts a stellar cast, too.
Creepiest Tale: To say the fourth episode is repugnant would be redundant where Burr's movie is concerned. It's not only revolting, but it's frightening, too, mainly because of the creepy commune of children. Think Lord of the Flies meets CHILDREN OF THE CORN (1984) and you get a general idea, just far more unsettling.
Throwaway Tale: It's difficult to nail down a lesser segment here, but the carnival story would be it for the sole reason that the shock ending is the least shocking.
10. TALES FROM THE HOOD (1995)
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The four stories begin with black vengeance from beyond the grave on three racist cops; the second is about a young schoolboy named Walter who says there's a monster in his house; the third deals with an ex-Klan member turned politician who is besieged by a grisly group of dolls possessed by spirits of dead slaves; the last concerns a drug dealer who, after being shot, must confront his victims as part of a bizarre series of experiments, or is it? The framing device reveals the fate of our three young drug dealers. If you're familiar with some of the more well known anthology pictures of old, you can guess the finish.
Creepiest Tale: Two stories (the 2nd and 4th) vie for the most satisfying segment; but for me, the second story, 'Boys Do Get Bruised' roughs up the rest mainly for the soul-breaking performance of David Alan Grier. His career as a funnyman is erased with this heated, brutal performance.
Throwaway Tale: 'Rogue Cop Revelation' wimps out as little more than a standard revenge yarn; and neither an accent slipping villain portrayal by Wings Hauser, or the decent shock ending can salvage it. The only average entry of the bunch.
11. TRICK 'R TREAT (2009)
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The terror begins with a single parent, child murdering school principal trying to dispose of his new victim; next, five young teens travel to a rock quarry where a busload of mentally handicapped kids were sent to a watery grave; a vampiric killer meets a group of young lovelies en-route to a special kind of Halloween party; and an old scrooge with a murderous past gets a mysterious visitor. The framing device literally ties all the stories together. The opening murder sequence, just before the segments begin to unspool, is reminiscent of a slasher picture.
Creepiest Tale: The story with the party girls and their one "virginal" member -- she's dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood and encounters a fang-toothed killer. It's the one segment that has the most candy in its sack yielding one heckuva sting in the tail.
Throwaway Tale: None of the entries are lacking, but the last with the old man engaging in a bloody battle with Sam (like Samhain) has the least amount of plot till the last few minutes when it ties itself up with an earlier tale. It also recalls the 'Halloween Candy' episode from the first season of TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE (1983-1988).
12. THE THEATER BIZARRE (2011)
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Creepiest Tale: The nasty number titled 'Sweets' takes the cake. You'll likely eventually pick up on where this episode is headed, but the surreal imagery of people stuffing their faces with food may turn some off before the scrumptious, culinary conclusion.
Throwaway Tale: It's provocative in its way, but 'The Accident' is bereft of horror; and while it's well shot and directed, it simply does not fit within the parameters laid down by the other segments.
Since 2010, there's been an influx of anthology horror films that shows the format to not be slowing down any time soon. Here's hoping this style of motion picture maintains fresh blood in its veins in the coming years.
7 comments:
I couldn't agree with you more! This is a fantastic list! I love every film on there. Creepshow is my all-time favorite anthology film. Great post bud.
Thanks, Grimm. I may do a 'Worst-Most Disappointing' list, too. CREEPSHOW is awesome. I used to have that comic book adaptation of the movie. I read that thing so many times. I can't remember what happened to it.
Great post! "A Drop of Water" is still pretty much the most unsettling 20 or so minutes ever filmed
Yep, it never fails to give me the creeps when I see it, JP. The US cut of the episode lacks much of the punch, imo.
Tales from the Crypt 72 is one of my favorites too, that creepy story about the blind old men is awesome, still creepy after all these years.
Hey, I noticed you left out Tales from the Darkside! A favorite of mine!
TALES is great, Fran. I need to dig out the comic story and re-read it again.
DARKSIDE is alright. I liked the TV show better.
You forgot my favorite! The wonderful British anthology, ASYLUM, starring Joan Collins, a freezer full of wriggling body parts, a moustachioed mannequin, and wind-up killer robo-dolls!!!
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