Horror anthology movies are movies that contain multiple short horror stories, usually wrapped around a connected storyline that usually ends with the principal characters meeting their final fate. A decent list of such films can be found here List of horror anthology films - Wikipedia, But I am not looking for lists. I am looking for movies that you have personally watched and liked, or maybe even hated.
BTW, if someone has something to say about a movie that you would have picked, go ahead a say something else about it-This isn’t a contest, it is a conversation.
I do have a particular movie in mind, but let us see what y’all “dig up” first.
Trilogy of Terror with Karen Black, adapted from three short stories by Richard Matheson. The first two stories are pretty forgettable, but you will never forget the Zuni fetish doll.
That was a made-for-television movie…but I didn’t say “theatrical film” did I? Nice pull.
Boris Karloff hosts a trio of horror stories about a stalked call girl, a vampire-like monster who preys on his family, and a nurse who is haunted by her ring’s rightful owner.
I remember going to see Creepshow as a teenager. I loved it then. Rewatched it a few years ago and was kind of meh about it.
And what did you think about it?
Waxworks (1924) – Conrad Veidt is excellent as Ivan the Terrible, scheming with and against his official poisoner and being driven even battier than he already was. Other two stories about the Caliph of Baghdad and Spring-heeled Jack are less successful.
Black Sabbath (1964) – I really only thought the last segment with Boris Karloff based on Tolstoy’s “I Wurdalak” was good. Another story was simply about a woman in jeopardy (yawn!) and I don’t even remember the third story.
Kwaidan (1964) – Four exquisite (if somewhat slow-moving) Japanese ghost stories.
Spirits of the Dead (1968) – Three Poe-derived tales: “Metzengerstein” is Euro-dull, “Wilson” tells a conventional story with no twist…but “Toby Damnit” a.k.a. “Never Bet the Devil Your Head” directed by Fellini - starring Terence Stamp as a haunted alcoholic actor given a 1964 Ferrari 330 LMB Fantuzzi (one of 4 ever made) - is simply awesome, a stylish evocation of late ‘60s cool every bit in tune with the era’s zeitgeist as the end of 2001.
Cat’s Eye (1985) - Rewatched this recently, hadn’t seen it since the original run. It holds up really well as a fun suspense thrill, and does faithful justice to Stephen King’s stories. Drew Barrymore really was a good engaging child actor. I also noticed it triggered my face-blindness a bit, casting Robert Hays and James Woods in the same movie.
Cat’s Eye is really good, especially the first two stories which I had read as a kid in Night Shift.
My favorite horror anthology movie is Tales of Halloween. I try to watch it every Halloween.
It’s gruesome and funny, and I like that the characters from one segment show up in other segments.
If you watch it, be aware that the segment Trick might be deeply disturbing in a way the other segments aren’t (Harm to children).
Not really a “horror” anthology, but it did deal quite a bit with the absurd nature of death-
“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”
Not strictly “horror”, but certainly the horror of humanity.
At the time I thought it was pretty scary. But I was probably 9 years old at the time and loved everything I saw on Moona Lisa’s Science Fiction Theater.
Black Sabbath (1964) terrified the crap out of me as a kid, especially the episode where a ring is stolen and recovered (“A Drop of Water”). The shot of the dead woman in bed literally showed up in my nightmares for years. Nothing since has touched that.
1974’s From Beyond the Grave, with Peter Cushing as the “linking” element (he played a curio-shop proprietor), stands up to repeated viewings.
Four stories feature well-known British actors, including Donald Pleasence (and his daughter Angela), David Warner, and Diana Dors.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070078/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_accord_1_cdt_c_36
I have an entire folder devoted to this subgenre on my plex folder.
I know you didn’t ask for lists, but of the ones I’ve seen these were fairly good:
Creepshow
Creepshow 2
Cat’s eye
Tales from the darkside the movie
Tales from the hood
Nightmare Cinema
Southbound
XX
Body Bags
Twilight zone the movie
From Beyond the grave was made by a company called Amicus productions. They did about 7 horror anthologies in the 60s and 70s. Some are better than others IMO.
I liked the vault of Horror (1973) and tales from the crypt (1972) that they did.
Yes, from those I’ve seen, I’d agree. Amicus was always fighting to be as prominent in horror as the industry leader in the UK, Hammer. Amicus never quite succeeded in surpassing Hammer’s reputation (and box office).
Anyway, From Beyond the Grave is genuinely creepy in places. Not terribly gruesome, and not prone to cheap jump scares; it relies more on characterization.
A Christmas Horror Story is one of my faves. Stars Shatner as a disc jockey relating horror stories about Xmas in the town of Bailey Downs. Santa Claus battling zombie elves is a rip-snorter. And there’s a twist ending.
The original Night Gallery pilot has two good spooky stories and a not so good story. “Back into the ground, Jeremy!”
The first one was Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors with Cushing as Dr. Terror along with Christopher Lee and Donald Sutherland. (“More horror than the human mind can comprehend!” The crawling hand story was my favorite.
ABCs of Death
ABCs of Death 2
ABCs of Death 2 1/2
I want to love these films, but only a couple of the combined 78 stories are worth your time.
Holidays Short films about holidays of the year. Kevin Smith’s is about what you’d expect and the Easter one is really twisted. Mostly worth your time.