John Chard

Zuni Zest! Trilogy of Terror is directed by Dan Curtis and written by Richard Matheson and William Nolan. A 1975 American TV movie, pic has Karen Black in three stories playing different women who each venture to the world of horror. TV Horror Movies from the 1970s have long since proven to give fond memories to many of us who viewed them through youthful eyes back in that decade. Of course when revisiting them now with mature frame of mind etc, they mostly prove to be a little cornball, cheap, and just not very good in the grand scheme of things. Mostly that is, for there are a few exceptions that still has one just a little bit edgy as we remember how we felt when first catching a sneaky chiller. For sure we don't find ourselves hiding behind the pillows this time, but we still feel a wave of nostalgic terror coursing through our veins. Trilogy of Terror is one such film that holds up for most of a certain age. No getting away from it, it's all down to the "famous" third segment in the trilogy, which finds Black menaced by a cursed Zuni fetish doll. Anyone with a fear of inanimate toys/ dolls etc coming to life was terrified by what Dan Curtis and his team managed to achieve on the screen - and yes even today the fear factor can still gnaw away at the senses. The other two stories were not about terror, choosing to side with a more Twilight Zone approach, which is no surprise with the great Richard Matheson on pen duties, but these are actually better appreciated by a more mature audience as they show some depth to the story telling. With the much missed Black on terrific form closing out the deal, Trilogy of Terror deserves the love and respect it garners even today. 8/10