Vintage Horror Review: Trilogy of Terror (1975)

This made-for-TV horror gem from the 70's is surprisingly not a very popular film and is actually fairly hard to find.

Trilogy of Terror is divided into 3 stories (all staring Karen Black): Julie, Millicent and Therese, and Amelia. "Julie" tells the tale of a college student who becomes unhealthily obsessed with his English professor. He takes her on a date, drugs her, takes a few scandalous pictures of her, and then uses them to blackmail her into further meetings. Soon, the professor unveils a secret that quickly end his plans. "Millicent and Therese" is about a pair of sisters who just don't get along. Soon, their therapist intervenes when things get violent and discovers what they've been hiding. "Therese" is the only story in the Trilogy of Terror that people recognize. It is about a young woman who, after a vacation, brings back a strange voodoo doll to give to her boyfriend. The doll becomes possessed by an ancient spirit and is soon on the hunt for blood.

Although Trilogy of Terror is an overall enjoyable movie, "Therese" is, unfortunately, the only reason why. The first two segments of the film are wholly uninteresting and contain twists you can see coming from a mile away. They're barely even horror stories for that matter, and will have you bored until the final tale. 

However, "Therese" is a very cool little short movie with a doll that has become iconic among fans of the cult film. The "Zuni" Doll, as its known, is a pretty creepy little guy who lets out an ear-piercing scream the entire time he's on-screen. 

So, your best bet while watching Trilogy of Terror is to skip straight to the final story and ignore the first two. While the Zuni doll is an awesome segment, the rest of Trilogy of Terror falls just short.