# Good horror anthology movies
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-horror-anthology-movies/852217
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [April 20, 2020, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-horror-anthology-movies/852217 "2020-04-20T20:59:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2020, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-horror-anthology-movies/852217/1 "2020-04-20T20:59:53Z")
I’ve been watching [tubi.tv](http://tubi.tv) which has a lot of horror anthology movies, but most are not very good. Very low budget, terrible acting, bad writing, etc.
So what are some good anthology films out there that are worth watching?
I think creepshow 1 & 2 are kind of the gold standard of good horror anthology. Tales from the darkside (the unofficial creepshow 3) was good, and far better than the official creepshow 3.
Amicus productions did some good anthology films in the 70s. Tales from the crypt, vault of horror were both really good. They had other anthology films (dr terror, house that dripped blood, etc) but they weren’t as good.
Twilight zone the movie was good. Tales from the hood was good (part 2 wasn’t). Body bags was ok.
Any others worth looking into?
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### Author:  [@journeyman\_southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/journeyman_southpaw)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2020, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-horror-anthology-movies/852217/2 "2020-04-20T21:13:41Z")
I liked Nightmare Cinema from 2018; of the five stories I’d say one was great, two were good and a couple were meh, which is a pretty good batting average for an anthology film.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2020, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-horror-anthology-movies/852217/3 "2020-04-20T21:45:11Z")
Here’s one by my best **fiend** :
[Horror Anthology](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2814998/) [Movie Vol. 1](https://www.amazon.com/Horror-Anthology-Movie-Mike-Lyddon/dp/B00IDS1L54)
> [@](#):
>
> 6 Original Horror Tales featuring: _The Cordyceps Principle_ A sociopathic photographer dreams of killing his indifferent, domineering wife. One day on a shooting expedition he discovers something deep in the southern swamps which just might do the trick. _Five Miles Straight Ahead_ During World War 2 four soldiers are sent on a scouting mission for a German squadron, but instead find something far more terrifying. _Thing In The Shed_ Late one dark and stormy night Stanley gets a late night visit from his old friend Martin, who arrives disheveled and carrying a mysterious black box. Before the night is over they will discover it’s horrifying secret. _Section 49_ A Theater. A Tank. A Technician. A Hooker. A Hustler. That there was a time before, of this there is no doubt. But then IT came. _Blood Of A Saint_ Tormented by feelings of sexual inadequacy, Monty enlists the aid of the nefarious Dr. Benweise. The doctor’s unorthodox method of curing Monty’s affliction leads to a chain of events as absurd as they are horrifying. _Footage Found, Arabi_ Found footage within footage found. Writer H.P. Lovecraft visits New Orleans in June, 1932 and we discover some of his works of fiction are based upon blood curdling reality.
Personally, I found _Section 49_ a little too close to _Eraserhead_; and _Blood Of A Saint_ was a little too goofy for me. _Footage Found, Arabi_, _Thing In The Shed_, and _The Cordyceps Principle_ (all by my friend) were very good.
These aren’t big-budget pictures/TV shows like the ones mentioned in the OP. They’re low-budget indie cinema. If you want to step away from the mainstream, this is a good little collection.
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2020, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-horror-anthology-movies/852217/4 "2020-04-20T22:27:40Z")
_Cat’s Eye_, with 67% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, is worth watching. If you’re unfamiliar with the title, it’s basically Stephen King in the Twilight Zone.
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### Author:  [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2020, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-horror-anthology-movies/852217/5 "2020-04-20T22:30:00Z")
Cats Eye is Creepshow’s less talented brother…but its pretty good.
Black Sabbath (1963) is good.
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### Author:  [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2020, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-horror-anthology-movies/852217/6 "2020-04-20T22:43:54Z")
The first two parts of “Trilogy of Terror” are kind of meh.
The third part is well worth sitting through the first two.
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### Author:  [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2020, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-horror-anthology-movies/852217/7 "2020-04-20T22:52:49Z")
Liked [VHS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V/H/S) very much
[VHS2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V/H/S/2), the sequel. Was good, but not _as_ good.
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### Author:  [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2020, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-horror-anthology-movies/852217/8 "2020-04-20T23:06:25Z")
The stories are interwoven (very cleverly so) and it’s definitely Halloween themed so it might be better to wait a few months, but [Trick 'r Treat](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0862856/?ref_=fn_al_tt_5) (2008) has some really great stories and some fine acting (the cast includes Dylan Baker, Anna Paquin, and Brian Cox).
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### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2020, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-horror-anthology-movies/852217/9 "2020-04-20T23:11:59Z")
Cat’s Eye was the one I was going to suggest.
The two ABCs of Death average out to very enjoyable, although since each one is 26 different shorts by 26 different teams, they’re both _very_ uneven. (2’s Q is one of the worst things I’ve ever watched.) But generally good.
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### Author:  [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2020, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-horror-anthology-movies/852217/10 "2020-04-20T23:14:18Z")
I remember the “Tales from the Crypt” movie, not the HBO series, was pretty good. It came out in 1972, and was more like the EC comic stories
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### Author:  [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2020, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-horror-anthology-movies/852217/11 "2020-04-21T00:43:23Z")
> [@journeyman\_southpaw](#):
>
> I liked Nightmare Cinema from 2018; of the five stories I’d say one was great, two were good and a couple were meh, which is a pretty good batting average for an anthology film.
Thats kind of my view. I just watched it. Had some good stories.
I can’t figure out story 4 which was in black and white. I have no idea what happened there.
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2020, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-horror-anthology-movies/852217/12 "2020-04-21T01:10:08Z")
Evil Dead I, II, and Army of Darkness.
Samuel Raimi accomplished a lot with a very limited budget. Bruce Campbell is very good. It’s easy to see why he’s become a reliable leading man in TV and film.
Combining horror & comedy isn’t easy. Raimi made it work.
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2020, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-horror-anthology-movies/852217/13 "2020-04-21T01:30:04Z")
I love independent horror. Here’s another great anthology.
Trancers, II and III
Jack Deth is a classic hard boiled character in the tradition of Mickey Spillane’s character Mike Hammer. I enjoy the stilted detective dialogue.
Tim Thomerson does a skillfull job portraying Jack Deth. Playing the role seriously, and still allowing some humor to show through.
**Quotes from Trancers**. Btw Leena is played by a very young Helen Hunt.
> [@](#):
>
> ## Jack Deth: Last January, I finally singed Martin Whistler out on one of the rim planets. Since then, I’ve been hunting down the last of his murdering cult. We call them “Trancers:” slaves to Whistler’s psychic power. Not really alive, not dead enough. It’s July now, and I’m tired. Real tired.
>
> Leena: Are you crazy? You killed Murray.
>
> ## Jack Deth: Has Murray ever turned yellow and gone after someone like he went for me?
>
> Mrs. Santa Claus: Leena! Get over here!
>
> Jack Deth: Your name’s Leena?
>
> Leena: Did I give you my phone number?
>
> Jack Deth: No.
>
> Leena: Oh, thank God
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### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2020, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-horror-anthology-movies/852217/14 "2020-04-21T01:53:39Z")
> [@aceplace57](#):
>
> Evil Dead I, II, and Army of Darkness.
> [@aceplace57](#):
>
> I love independent horror. Here’s another great anthology.
>
> Trancers, II and III
I think you might have a mistaken idea of what an anthology is.
Neither Evil Dead nor Trancers are anthologies.
They’re individual movies with single, relatively straightforward narratives, and not even a particularly episodic pacing.
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2020, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-horror-anthology-movies/852217/15 "2020-04-21T02:32:10Z")
Ok, I thought an anthology was a series of movies with a developing story.
Star Wars for example, each movie is a different chapter about the Empire and rebellion.
Anyway, I could easily be confused. I rarely use the word anthology.
Carry on. Sorry for the interruption.
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### Author:  [@journeyman\_southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/journeyman_southpaw)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2020, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-horror-anthology-movies/852217/16 "2020-04-21T04:06:45Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#):
>
> I can’t figure out story 4 which was in black and white. I have no idea what happened there.
Aw, that was the one I thought was great. The director has said (in so many words) that it takes place in the subconscious, so instead of the logic of a traditional story it follows that of a nightmare one might have in response to a traumatic event. I like surrealist films like Eraserhead and I’ve also had nightmares similar to this short film, so I responded to it quite strongly.
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### Author:  [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2020, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-horror-anthology-movies/852217/17 "2020-04-21T09:58:35Z")
If you like older movies Dead of Night is one of the classic horror anthologies.
> **[Dead of Night (1945) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037635/)**
>
> Dead of Night: Directed by Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden, Robert Hamer. With Mervyn Johns, Roland Culver, Mary Merrall, Googie Withers. The guests invited to weekend in the country share their supernatural stories, beginning...
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### Author:  [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2020, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-horror-anthology-movies/852217/18 "2020-04-21T12:27:03Z")
I like Trick R Treat, as do most horror fans.
There’s a film called Holidays (2016), that are shorts of all the major holidays. Some of them were not so great but a few of them are worth it.
Tales of Halloween was good, though I can’t seem to remember a lot of it off the top of my head.
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2020, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-horror-anthology-movies/852217/19 "2020-04-21T13:27:55Z")
**Doctor Terror’s House of Horrors** was a 1965 horror anthology with Peter Cushing, Chrisopher Lee, Donald Sutherland, and Bernard Lee (“M” from the Bond movies). There were five segments. One was another “Disembodied Hand” story. Worth a watch
> **[Dr. Terror's House of Horrors](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Terror%27s_House_of_Horrors)**
>
> Dr Terror's House of Horrors is a 1965 British anthology horror film from Amicus Productions, directed by veteran horror director Freddie Francis, written by Milton Subotsky, and starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.
> It was the first in a series of anthology films from Amicus and was followed by Torture Garden (1967), The House That Dripped Blood (1970), Tales from the Crypt (1972), Asylum (1972), The Vault of Horror (1973) and From Beyond the Grave (1974). It is also the first horror f...
**Spirits of the Dead** was a 1968 trio of stories by Edgar Allan Poe, which proves that Roger Corman wasn’t the only one adapting him at the time. It’s considerably more stylish than Corman, and the stories are about as freely adapted. Jane Fonda, Peter Fonda, Brigette Bardot, and Terence Stamp are in it. The segments were directed by different directors. The “Toby Dammit” segment, directed by Fellini, is the best and weirdest.
> **[Spirits of the Dead](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirits_of_the_Dead)**
>
> Spirits of the Dead (French: Histoires extraordinaires, lit. 'Extraordinary Tales', Italian: Tre passi nel delirio, lit. 'Three Steps to Delirium'), also known as Tales of Mystery and Imagination, is a 1968 horror anthology film comprising three segments. The French title is derived from the first collection of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories translated by French poet Charles Baudelaire; the English titles Spirits of the Dead and Tales of Mystery and Imagination are respectively taken from an Am...
**Tales from the Past** , AKA **Gallery of Horror** (1967) is easily the _worst_ horror anthology movie I’ve ever seen. It stars John Carradine, but he’d appear in anything (see “The Astrozombies”, for instance). The photography is muddy, the sound is awful. The best scenes are – no joke – literally taken from Roger Corman movies (not merely copied – they literally spliced in scenes from “The Raven” and “The Terror”). The acting is abysmal and the twist endings are obvious long before the end.
> **[Gallery of Horror (1967) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062193/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_131)**
>
> Gallery of Horror: Directed by David L. Hewitt. With Lon Chaney Jr., John Carradine, Rochelle Hudson, Roger Gentry. John Carradine narrates five horror tales with macabre twists. A couple fixes a strange old clock. The Scotland Yard is after a serial...
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### Author:  [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2020, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-horror-anthology-movies/852217/20 "2020-04-21T15:56:31Z")
I would suggest **Southbound** - a 2015 anthology horror movie - is worth a watch. Particularly since it is a modest 90 minutes long.
It has five stories which run into each other. The first and final parts are clearly connected while the middle three parts seem to share a common world with those two.
TCMF-2L
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