Favourite Amicus Anthology Story?

[lukemorningstar]

Hello all.

Breaking away from Pan 24 momentarily, thought I would ask what, out of all the Amicus 'portmanteau' (if I have spelled that wrong then 'anthology') movies is your favourite individual story?

I reckon my vote has to go to the story in 'Asylum' where the chap chops his wife into pieces, wraps them in brown paper and puts them in the freezer. I was absolutely scared shitless of the still breathing brown paper wrapped head when I first saw this.

I like it also because the husband is such a wet blanket, and there is some brilliant 1970's bitchy dialogue between the husband and the (as yet unchopped) wife, eg

Hubby 'No, I didn't get into town today darling'

Wife 'No, but I see you did get into the brandy'

There are far better and scarier stories (most of Tales From The Crypt for example) but this one gets my vote for being both scary and fun too!

Any other faves?

[franklinmarsh]

I think my all time favourite would be 'All Through The House' from Tales From The Crypt - the first late night horror film I saw in colour. Joanie bashing her husband's brains all over The Burley Observer, the psychotic Santa reaching suddenly through the bars, and Chloe Franks' 'He's here! Santa's here!' Enough to brighten up anyone's Christmas.
Also rather partial to the art critic story from Dr Terror's House Of Horrors...

[killercrab]

Same here Franklin. It's got that most 1970's horror vibe down perfectly. Played an Amicus Survivour game where we pitted all the segments against each other and voted off our least favourites.

Joanie won.

Of course if Joanie's tree-love story from Tales That Witness Madness had been included - the competition would of been fiercer.



ade

[dem bones]

Same as Franklin and ade! I love everything about Tales From The Crypt, from the cheeky "To the catacombs" sign and Ralph Richardson's creepy turn as the monk of horror through to the budget Pit of Hell, but ... And All Through The House just shades it. The carol service, the radio announcement, Joan's party hat, the psycho Santa, the headline in The Burley Observer ("Pop Fans Warn Hell's Angels" or some-such), the nice furniture.... "He's here mummy. I let him in. Here's Santa." Ah, bliss.

The House That Dripped is another favourite for Dominick the strangler in Method For Murder, C. Lee's much appreciated death in Sweets To The Sweet and, best of all, the horror movie ham meets the real thing story, The Cloak, featuring a bravura gravity-defying performance but Ingrid's tits. Jon Pertwee is maybe miscast which actually works in the film's favour because you're even more looking forward to seeing him get fanged. Nice cameo from Geoffrey Blaydon as the sinister proprietor of the second hand shop, too.

And if it's not too big a cheat, the Loughville story from the ace Chetwynd-Hayes compendium The Monster Club!

[Johnlprobert]

Bloody hell where do I start? I can't possibly give you a single story but these are brilliant:

Man Who Collected Poe (Torture Garden)- superb two hander from Palance and the Cush, a great turn from Hedgar Wallace as Poe & James Bernard doing a non-Hammer score

The Door (From Beyond the Grave) - Good RCH story, beautiful lighting from Alan Hume, gorgeous set design from Maurice Carter, cracking dialogue ("seeping it in blood that was still warm and making it a trap for those yet to be born") and Lesley-Anne Down, who would always be welcome at Probert Towers

Midnight Mess (Vault of Horror) - the first one I ever saw. The mirror bit is wonderful

Mannikins of Horror / Framing story (Asylum) - I know it's the framing story but that's one of the reasons. So bloody clever - tying everything together, delivering a smashing twist, and ensuring that most of the cast are dead by the credit role with dear old Dougie Gamley thrashing his orchestra to do Mussorgsky as if their lives depended on it.

I could go on...

[dem bones]

Sept 5, 2008 15:55:26 GMT Johnlprobert said:

and Lesley-Anne Down, who would always be welcome at Probert Towers

Ooh your Lordship! You old rascal, you!

The framing stories make them, don't they? In the case of Dr. Terror's House Of Horrors and Vault Of Horror they're my favourite bits and the spot the psycho challenge in Asylum is arguably why it holds together so well. I always thought Bloch reworked his horror short A Home Away From Home for the occasion, but I've yet to find anyone who agrees. So I'll shut up.

[killercrab]

Blind Alleys from Tales is easily the most wince inducing when the lights go out!

ade

[lukemorningstar]

Oh come on! Surely we are overlooking the classic Roy Castle / Jazz / Voodoo story from Dr Terror's? (right, let me see, is there one of those funny smiley icons for Tongue In Cheek?)

What about the story in from Beyond The Grave with Donald and Angela Pleasance? That's a real oddball story, but quite menacing too.....

And the Terry Thomas story in 'Vault Of Horror' - I would love a flat like that!

[dem bones]

Well may you laugh, sir, but I'll have you know that when we ran a Fave Amicus/ Subotsky anthology movies poll Dr. Terror's House Of Horrors nabbed a whopping 29% of the vote to finish a credible runner up to Beyond The Grave so the combined talents of chirpy Record Breaker Roy and Alan 'Fluff' Freeman pottering around with his evil begonia's obviously payed off.

Yeah, the Ples double act in Beyond ... makes for another great, with a compellingly odd performance from young Angela. Have you read Chetwynd-Hayes' original, An Act Of Kindness? Opinions are divided on here as to whether or not he's brilliant/ rubbish but he certainly did the business on that occasion (and many others, IMO).

[carolinec]

Sept 5, 2008 20:17:12 GMT lukemorningstar said:

What about the story in from Beyond The Grave with Donald and Angela Pleasance? That's a real oddball story, but quite menacing too.....

Now that's probably my favourite Amicus story- particularly due to the wonderful father/daughter double-act - though it's really difficult to pick just one story from all the films. There is sometimes the odd one out of each film which doesn't seem quite as good as the rest, but, basically, I love them all!

I think my favourite linking story is the one in From Beyond The Grave - Peter Cushing at his best, and I love any story set in strange antique shops! As you might have guessed, From Beyond ... is my favourite Amicus film. I did particularly enjoy The Monster Club though (another Chetwynd-Hayes script, of course).

Now, there's one story from one of these films which I'd forgotten until recently which I haven't seen in years, and which really terrified me the first time I saw it. I don't recall much about the story, but I recall the finale where someone was being chased by a dog down a corridor filled with razorblades. I'm too lazy to look it up at the moment, and I'm sure someone here can enlighten me - was this the one that was set in a home for the blind and was it Tales That Witness Madness or is it from Asylum?

[dem bones]

One of KC's favourites, Blind Alleys, the terrifying final story in Tales Of The Crypt with the excellent Patrick Magee playing a ... uh ... blinder as he plots the inmates grisly vengeance on unfeeling Major Rogers. He's great in The Monster Club as Luna's father, the innkeeper in the ghoul village, too. It's not as if he varies his act much over these two parts, but with those dull, haunted eyes he doesn't need to.

[carolinec]

Sept 6, 2008 19:10:51 GMT dem bones said:

One of KC's favourites, Blind Alleys, the terrifying final story in Tales From The Crypt with the excellent Patrick Magee playing a ... uh ... blinder as he plots the inmates grisly vengeance on unfeeling Major Rogers.

Thanks, Dem - yes, that's the one! In that case, I'm getting confused over what stories actually were in Tales That Witness Madness. I'll have to stop being so lazy and actually go and look it up - curiosity is getting the better of me ...