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(Review originally written at 31 December 2008)

These '3-in-1' type of horror movies were quite popular in the '70's. Even though they are never truly brilliant movies (the stories told within it are simply too short for that) but they are always enjoyable to watch. This movie is also like that. Movies like this don't get made now days because now days they are replaced by horror/thriller television series. At least that's how I see it.

It has 3 totally different stories, with different characters and set at different places. What they all have in common though is that they all star Karen Black as the main character, in one case in even more than one role. She is fine actress for the genre and this movie. She is a bit of a cult-actress, also due to her looks. She plays all the characters totally differently in this movie, which shows her wide range of skills as an actress, even though she isn't the most talented one within the business. Credit for that also needs to go to the make-up department, who for every story totally changed Karen Black her looks.

The stories are not all classic horror ones in the most common sense of the word. Perhaps psychological thriller would be a better way to describe the movie its first 2 stories. Ironicaly the third story, that is an horror one, is also the best- or at least most memorable one of the movie. Despite of their short running time, the 3 stories also aren't among the fastest paced ones. It takes its time to build up things and this case that works out quite well for the stories. None of the stories are really something remarkable but what they all have in common are some good 'suprise' endings, even though in some cases you should be able to see the endings coming from miles away.

You could tell that director Dan Curtis had a real love for the genre. His approach is typical for the genre, especially during the '70's. Unfortunately as a director he was mostly stuck with television movies, such as this one was as well. 21 years later he also made a sequel to this movie, called brilliantly "Trilogy of Terror II". Just like this movie, it got made for television.

Because it's a television movie you also shouldn't expect any blood or gore. All of the stories are quite 'clean' and the horror and tension mostly comes from the stories themselves and its atmosphere.

Recommendable, especially of course for the fans of the genre.

7/10

About Frank Veenstra

Watches movies...writes about them...and that's it for now.
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