Trilogie de la terreur II

Also made for TV, Trilogy of Terror II tries to capture some of the same creep factor of the original, but its big showstopping sequel to the infamous doll sequence is more or less a lazy remake of the original segment with much less engaging characters.

This isn't actress Lysette Anthony's fault. She plays each role she's given realistically and compellingly from cold trophy wife to grieving mother, but the stories are an uneven bunch and the best one, Bobby, is also a nearly shot for shot remake of Dan Curtis' work in another anthology called Dead of Night, but less effective this time around. The child actor playing the title character is much more hammy than the more realistic performance in the 70's version.

Production values are nice and Anthony is pleasant to watch even if she's not the powerhouse that Karen Black was. It's just unfortunate that the two best segments in the film are basically remakes of other segments from other movies.

Anyone born before 1980 can't help but remember that video cover that stared up at them from the spooky horror section shelf at the "Video Library." It was the one all the little kids loved to rent...it was also the one all the little kids loved to fast-forward through 80% of to get to the Zuni-doll story.

And about 20 years later, the Trilogy of Terror is back, and the Zuni-Doll once again steals the show....but not entirely. The first story, about giant rats in a graveyeard, is well-written and memorable. The second story, while a bit creepy at the beginning, is for the most part....stupid. But not terrible. The third story (saving the best for last) marks the return of the infamous Zuni-Warrior doll. The sad thing about it is, is that it is really a cheap rehash of the classic original. Entertaining yes, but original? Hardly.

But at least the first two stories were a little more memorable. The first two in the original TRILOGY were very well-written, but easily forgettable.

The beautiful Lysette Anthony does her best in this made-for-TV horror flick. Actually, I was impressed with her acting, considering this film was, in a way, standard USA network fare. She seemed at least somewhat enthusiastic about this gig, and filled Karen Black's shoes nicely.

All in All, TRILOGY OF TERROR 2 is good, clean fun for the whole family. That is of course, sarcasm...but, it IS good clean fun for that son of yours who makes a B-line for the Horror section whenever you visit Blockbuster Video....

6.5 out of 10.

After twenty years, made-for-TV horror maestro, Dan Curtis finally made his sequel, TRILOGY OF TERROR 2.

STORY 1- THE GRAVEYARD RATS: Laura (Lysette Anthony), afraid of being cut out of her zillionaire husband's (Matt Clark) will for infidelity, decides to kill the old boy. With help from her soulless lover, Ben (Geraint Wyn Davies), it's not long before hubby's in the ground. The murdering pair discover that something important was buried with the departed. Something without which, Laura and her piggish paramour are doomed to a middle class lifestyle. Of course, the remedy involves some serious digging! At night! Enter the titular, rubbery rodents of recompense. Co-stars Geoffrey Lewis as the gravedigger.

STORY 2: BOBBY- A distraught mother (Anthony) resorts to occult means in order to resurrect her dead son, Bobby (Blake Heron). Mom's efforts pay off, and her son returns. Sort of. At first, all seems well with this joyous reunion. However, as the evening progresses, Bobby begins acting strange. Ultimately, mom learns that she probably should have left things as they were (Think: THE MONKEY'S PAW with a wicked twist). This segment is a remake of the original BOBBY from Curtis' horror anthology, DEAD OF NIGHT. Personally, while both versions are good, I prefer the original.

STORY 3: HE WHO KILLS- Set immediately after the events of PART 3 of TRILOGY OF TERROR (1975), police are stumped by the bloody murders in the apartment. They find the Zuni Fetish doll, and take it to Dr. Simpson (Anthony) for her insights. She restores the doll as best as she can, and runs her tests. When Simpson returns to the lab after dinner, the doll is missing, resulting in a deadly game of "hunt the humans"! A decent follow-up to the first Zuni story, its one weakness is in showing too much of the crazed doll. Less is truly more, which is what made the first one so effective. In spite of this, as well as the direct recycling of the "suitcase scene" from the original, it's not bad.

CONCLUSION: Not a masterpiece, but worth watching, especially for horror anthology fanatics...

And with a cast that includes Lysette (Any relation to Josette?) Anthony, who is and always shall be a major babe, and Geraint Wyn (Who seems to do his best work at Knight.) why shouldn't he? I saw much that was borrowed from the Dan Curtis hit Dark Shadows in this made for TV flick ... The photography, the music certainly, and the ocean shots from the second tale. And these all work right well in this movie. The plots, as a whole, and the acting in particular, work well enough to be enjoyable. True, certain themes like the killer doll have been done to death over the years, but Curtis still knows how to put a twist to the devil of a tail.

Lysette Anthony takes over for Karen Black in this trilogy of scary stories in which she is the star in each tale. The first one is about adultery, murder, and grave robbers. The second tale is about a mother who uses black magic to bring her dead son back to life. The final and best tale is about the demonic African doll from the first film stalking Anthony. While the effects may be a bit on the cheap side, this is a fun and scary outing. Lysette Anthony is a good choice for taking over the Karen Black.

Rated R; Violence and Profanity.