Trilogy of Terror (1975)

It's difficult to explain the impact network TV had on pop culture to a generation used to niche programming that's only a click away. Although most content was watered down for mass consumption, there were moments of brilliance that slipped through the cracks of overly lit mediocrity. Trilogy of Terror (1975) is perhaps the most famous of the small-screen fright flicks that warped impressionable minds with the now legendary final chapter of Richard Matheson's anthology, Amelia, involving an African fetish doll terrorizing Karen Black in her own home. But the it's the film's first segment, involving a Twilight Zone take on sexual predators, that has become the most timely.

Director Dan Curtis had already had success with the horror genre, masterminding the vampire soap opera Dark Shadows and Night Stalker TV movies and subsequent series. Trilogy of Terror is built around three short stories from novelist and Twilight Zone veteran Richard Matheson, each featuring Karen Black a wildly different role, from mousy school teacher to schizophrenic slut. But the film's success is far more than just some nascent #MeToo synergy; this is just wicked good storytelling.

The opening segment, Julie, finds our demure heroine (Black) stalked, drugged and blackmailed into a sadistic sexual relationship with a student (Robert Burton), a scenario even more shocking when you consider this was the same network (ABC) airing family friendly content like Happy Days! But there's a hint of something even darker lurking beneath it all; and Matheson's story cleverly flips the script for a satisfying finale that's equal parts women’s' lib and sociopathic slight of hand.

Millicent and Therese is the weakest segment by far, relying on another twist ending that's obvious from the get-go, although it's equally obvious Black is having a ball playing twin sisters whose personalities couldn't be more different. Millicent is an uptight bundle of nerves while Therese is a cruel seductress who delights in causing trouble. And living in such close quarters (hint, hint) has brought the situation to a bloody point of no return. What was easy to disguise on the page is far beyond Curtis' ability to pull off on the screen.

Thankfully, the final segment is the perfect finale, predating the pint-sized terror of Gremlins by a decade and providing a rollercoaster of a wrap-up. Eager to present her boyfriend with a rare fetish doll, supposedly possessed by the vicious spirit of a Zuni hunter, Amelia (Black) accidently brings the doll to life and winds up waging a battle for survival using every household weapon at her disposal. Adapted by Matheson from his short story, "Prey," this one eschews most of the character development for straight up thrills, mixing humor and horror with entertaining pre-CGI effects. It's what made Trilogy of Terror such a standout in the cookie cutter network TV universe.

Kino's new Blu-ray is sourced from a 4K transfer that looks solid throughout and includes several archival special features (commentary and two featurettes) along with a new commentary from film writer Richard Harland Smith and new interview with composer Bob Cobert. The attractive packaging also contains a set of liner notes and newly commission cover artwork.