Monster of the Day #26

Updated on May 12, 2010 By Ken Begg 21 Comments

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  • The Rev. D.D.

    You know, I’ve never actually seen this movie. I’ve heard a lot of people who saw it in their youth were traumatized by this little guy, though, so that’s gotta count for something.

    He’s sure creepy-looking, I give him that.

  • it’s only one segment of the movie. The other two parts are okay, but forgettable. But the ZUni warrior rocks my b oat.

  • TongoRad

    Would it be appropriate to mention the Dennis Miller quip about Tammy Faye Baker?: “The last time I saw a face like that it was chasing Karen Black around her apartment with a kitchen knife”

    Although I must confess that I thought it was funnier when I wasn’t looking directly at the picture; in my mind’s eye the resemblance was much stronger that it seems to be. Oh well…

    This is one I picked up ‘way back when’ because the box looked so cool sitting there in the video store, not even knowing it’s reputation.

  • BeckoningChasm

    Of all the monsters in this series, this one is one of the three whose film I’ve never seen. Heck, I own most of the rest of them.

    (The others are Doctor Who’s Yeti and Belulah.)

  • “The last time I saw a face like that it was chasing Karen Black around her apartment with a kitchen knife”

    This brings up a question I’ve been meaning to ask: I’ve read reviews from Ken and others mentioning their relief at not seeing Karen Black naked when it might not have been the case. What’s the deal?

  • Sandy’s right about how sheerly tepid the first two parts of the trilogy were. I think that made the third part even more intense; viewers nearly lulled to sleep were suddenly completely freaked out by an all-out assault.

  • P Stroud

    If you think almost seeing Karen Black naked is frightening, just imagine watching 60’s bike schlock “Angel Unchained” and being threatened with seeing Tyne Day naked! Truly this briefly turned that cheapie into a first class horror movie.

    Speaking of biker schlock. Why has Don Stroud never been seen in Jabootu’s Bad Movie Dimension? Seems a natural.

  • Blake: To be perfectly frank, there are women one wishes to see naked, and women one wishes not to. For myself, Ms. Black falls into the former category.

    (I assume that remark was made in my Hired Help Hitchhiker review.)

  • Schlocky Horror

    There were 5 horror films that terrified me to death when I was a wittle bitty boy. The Prey segment of Trilogy of Terror, Frankenstein’s Daughter, Captive Wild Woman, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, and the tv ad for Beyond the Door(whoooooo are youoooooooooo anyone?). I say TV ad cause I never saw the full length movie of BTD till 2002. About ’96 I made a point of every Halloween to go back and rewatch those movies that scareded me so bad as a kid. Of the batch on Beyond the Door and Prey had ANY effect on me at all as an adult. The rest were boring as hell.
    But do you notice the pattern of the movies? All either feature as their monsters are women and little creatures. I never ever was scared by a male monster. Drac, Wolfman, and Frankie just seemed like cool dudes to me. But man, the Captive Wild Woman and the first monster in FD sent me under the bed. I think its cause women in horror make up is much more of a schock than men. The Exorcist, imo, would have had way less of an inpact if they had kept the possessee a boy, as in the supposedly true story it was based on.
    Ken, I’d love to read a recap of Beyond the Door by you!

  • alex

    I think Karen Black was quite attractive in the Trilogy Of Terror movie. Not a typical Hollywood beauty but she was sexy and unique. I prefer that to a vapid bimbo. Also, she was a very good actress, I can’t think of many that could have pulled off the acting job she did in those three stories.

  • I emphasize this was a matter of personal preference only.

  • I really like Kathy Bates as an actress. Yet I think her natural beauty is directly relevant to this discussion.

  • Rock Baker

    I saw Karen Black look sexy once (only once) on an episode of The Invaders. Otherwise, I’ve always been freaked out by her eyes because they’re too close together, or so they look to me. I don’t want to sound mean, I’ve seen Black do some fun movies and she’s a fine actress, just not a good choice to play a bombshell. (I liked her in Invaders From Mars.)

    Still haven’t added this one to my library, but I did watch this single segment at a friend’s house. We were both a bit amazed when I noticed the word teleplay in the credits and announced that this was a TV movie.

    I do have the Animaniacs comic book that has this little guy chasing Buttons and Mindy around, that’s something.

  • BeckoningChasm

    Blake: To be perfectly frank, there are women one wishes to see naked, and women one wishes not to. For myself, Ms. Black falls into the former category.

    Um, Ken, don’t you mean “latter category”?

  • I…uh…I…. LOOK!! A TRIFFID!!

  • BeckoningChasm

    A TRIFFID?!? AAAGH! I’m so terrified I’ve forgotten what I pointed out earlier in the day! AAAGH! I need Round-Up!

  • Jay

    Great. I’m not sleeping tonight.

  • sandra

    The Zuni Fetish story was one of the few made-for-tv movies that ever actually scared me. Especially that last shot. There is definitely something odd about Karen Black’s eyes. I think she’s slightly wall-eyed or cross-eyed. Its not obvious, but her eyes don’t quite look in the same direction.

  • Rock Baker

    Never really noticed anything funny about the direction Karen Black’s eyes are looking, but the shape always struck me as odd. They appear too close together, and are wide to boot, almost like she’s wearing a visor. It just looks…odd. (I saw her in something where she added a rather heavy amount of eye-liner, that only made it worse)

  • John Nowak

    I didn’t see this one until fairly recently, but … yeah, I wouldn’t have believed it would work as well as it did.

    Brrr.

  • The Rev.

    I finally saw this movie. The first part was okay, didn’t go where I expected. I figured out the second’s twist within about three seconds, but it was all right, as well. Neither was particularly memorable.
    This, though…everyone that was ever traumatized by He Who Kills…I totally get it now. WOW. Utterly fantastic. Even this thing’s jabbering managed to be disturbing; and I did not expect that it would move so fast! All topped with an ending I did not see coming, and a final scene that is almost as good as the one in Psycho (I’m not counting that “The End” shot with the car being pulled from the swamp, obviously). The Zuni fetish doll lived up to all the hype I’ve heard over the years, and now rivals Blade for my favorite killer puppet.