From Beyond the Grave
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Movie Reviews of From Beyond the Grave
Movie Review: Horror classic
Summary: 5 Stars
I remember shivers running down my spine as I watched this film late on a Saturday night as a child. A very clever film in the Hammer mould with very interesting stories, some a little tongue-in-cheek. This collection of related shorts will appeal to all horror movie viewers.Movie Review: Excellent!
Summary: 5 Stars
Nice print and uncut. With all the big disappointment lately about the awful Fox cut version of 'Vault of Horror' (which preceeded this in the Amicus horror anthology series), this is a pleasant release to cheer us all up! Trailer in good shape too. Well done Warner!!!Movie Review: SEEING IS BELIIEVING...
Summary: 5 Stars
WELL, I AM PREORDERING THIS ITEM FOR THE SECOND TIME. I HOPE I DONT GET NO LAST MINUTE SURPRISES THIS TIME.......Movie Review: "I 'ope you enjoy snuffin' it..."
Summary: 4 Stars
A startling cast of eerie British eccentrics gathered together on one delirious slice of quaint gothic.
A solid roll-call of weirdness conspiring to chill and thrill in a darkly humorous, deadly shiver-some collection of short stories by R. Chetwynd Hayes; transferred to the screen by the excellent Amicus Productions.
'FBTG' is a portmanteau movie (ie. it's divided into segments); a cinema sub-genre whose horror strain began in the UK with the (still) scary
'Dead of Night' in 1945.
Peter Cushing (with an extra-ordinary accent; faintly Yorkshire but anyone's guess..) plays the laconic owner of Temptations Ltd: a side-street antique shop into which a desperate array of cheats and criminals venture for a 'deal', but each deservedly ends up on the losing end of their particular terrible transaction.
Each customer is as tricky as they come as they try to rip old Cushing off, but each finds adjusting his price brings a greater price of its own.
The opening gory story sees the brilliantly sinister David Warner conning old Peter into selling him a mirror for a tenth its worth and finding out far too late it wasn't the wisest course of action he's ever taken. Something nasty and demanding lives in the mirror, and it needs blood to facilitate its transmutation to the real world.
Warner is excellent as a Poe-type figure descending into madness Trapped in his corpse-strewn apartment, compelled to spill blood for the thing in the mirror.
'Alice Through the Looking Glass' this tale certainly ain't.
Twitchy Ian Bannen's in the next story( remember him in the Peter Collinson/babysitter-in-peril thriller - 'Fright'?), playing a hen-pecked office clerk who invents himself an elaborate fantasy military history to impress a street shoelace salesman(!), a sly and understated Donald Pleasence.
Stealing a DSO medal from Temptations Ltd, he then finds himself embroiled with Pleasence and his spooky, wiccan offspring (played by real-life daughter Angela).
As his own home life is wretched, he finds the lavish food and unconditional respect he enjoys at the Pleasence's much more to his liking.
His seduction by Pleasence's alarming daughter is incredible: "I wish to serve you. I will do anything you ask, you only have to order....." she whispers - oblivious to decades of suffrage and bra-burning - and naturally he can't resist.
Needless to say it all ends badly, with a great twist (you WON'T see it coming); all seemingly overseen by a tut-tutting Cushing in his dusty emporium.
Poor old Ian Carmichael is the next to fall to Temptation; naughtily switching the price on a snuff box and finding himself with an evil spirit eating into his shoulder.
Engaging the services of a batty medium who trashes his house ousting the creature (known as an elemental) it seems all is well, but it's only the beginning....
This is my favourite episode. Funny and scary in all the right places, with some lightning witty lines and acted to perfection by Ealing favourite Carmichael; Nyree Dawn Porter - superb as his increasingly terrified wife; and Margaret Leighton - delightfully dotty as the avaricious exorcist.
A magical segment even in such elevated company.
The final story is probably the weakest but is still good. Ian Ogilvy (" you took him from me, YOU TOOK HIM FROM ME...!!!") 'purchases' a door which of course, has a deSade type occultist and sadist inhabiting the 'Blue Room' beyond it.
This story also has a decent little hook, and has the desperately sexy Lesley Ann Down in horrific peril as a redeeming perk.
The film finishes with a rather clumsy culmination of the framing story, with a robber who's been constantly disturbed by the various 'clients', finally having a violent crack at poor old 'defenceless' Peter.
Unwise.
'FBTG' is ace. Atmospheric, enthusiastically directed, constantly amusing while at the same time delivering delicious old-fashioned chills.
It has a surprising amount of gore - for those of you interested in that type of thing - and Cushing, mad accent and all, hold's the whole thing together with a wicked twinkle.
So horror, humour and hantiques (I am REALLY sorry!); 'FBTG' may not be a horror Rembrandt but it's certainly an esteemed and worthwhile objet d'art.
Movie Review: An Antique Dealer Uses Cursed Objects To Extract Diabolical Revenge On Unscrupulous Customers
Summary: 4 Stars
During the mid-sixties to mid-seventies, Amicus Productions was most famous for its horror anthologies. "From Beyond the Grave" is a classic example. Before there was Lewis Vendredi's Curious Goods ("Friday the 13th the Series"), there was Temptations Ltd - an antique store whose owner is wonderfully played by horror legend Peter Cushing. He sells cursed antiques to unscrupulous customers who experience grisly deaths. These antiques include a mirror, a medal, a snuff box and a door.
The first tale, "The Gate Crasher," is my favorite. It is a genuine slasher flick. A young man (David Warner of "The Omen") lures strangers to his apartment and stabs them to death in order to free the medieval wizard that is trapped inside a mirror.
The second tale, "An Act of Kindness," is a rather bizarre one rife with dark humor. It stars Donald Pleasance ("Halloween" and "Phenomena") as a street peddler; he befriends an underappreciated businessman who has just stolen a war medal. The peddler's strange daughter uses voodoo to free the businessman of those who oppress him.
The third tale, "The Elemental," involves a man who buys a snuff box. Soon an unseen demon is hitting, scratching and choking his wife. A medium is called to exorcise this demon. This diabolical tale of possession is also rife with dark humor.
The last (and my second favorite) tale, "The Door," involves a mysterious blue room that appears and disappears at will whenever someone opens an ornately carved door. Occupying the room is a Medieval gentleman who demands sacrifices in order to continue surviving. This story reminded me much of my beloved gothic soap opera "Dark Shadows;" in one storyline, a closet door opens into a nursery from the past that appears and disappears.
All four tales, based on stories written by R. Chetwynd Hayes of "The Monster Club," involve people who want to be free. However, the price is a costly one. They should never have given into the temptation of cheating the aging owner of the antique store. Only one customer escapes unharmed - the one who honestly paid the agreed upon price.
Warner Brothers Twisted Terror Collection has done a superb job of restoring "From Beyond the Grave." It is presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1; the audio and video are pristine - without flaws. There are English subtitles for those of us who are hearing impaired. However, the only extra is a theatrical trailer that is in full frame and in need of restoration.
"From Beyond the Grave" is highly recommended for those who enjoy Amicus horror anthologies. All others should rent before purchasing. Other Amicus anthologies that I have enjoyed are: "Torture Garden," "Asylum," "The House that Dripped Blood," "Tales from the Crypt," "Vault of Horror," "Tales that Witness Madness" and "Dr. Terror's House of Horrors." The last two have not been given a DVD release in the United States.