Flashback Friday: Trilogy of Terror (1975)
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Monologue of the Nightly Storyteller
They say evil comes in pieces—a whisper here, a shadow there, a cursed trinket passed from one hand to another. But what if all those fragments stitched themselves into one story? My story.
I feel the weight of it pressing down, the necklace thrumming against my chest like a heartbeat that isn’t mine. I wonder if the voices I hear are real, or if they’ve always been inside me, just waiting for the right moment to take over. And tonight… tonight feels different.
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Movie Review: Trilogy of Terror
Released in 1975 and directed by Dan Curtis (Dark Shadows), Trilogy of Terror is a horror anthology that etched itself into television history. Karen Black plays three vastly different characters: a downtrodden woman with a dark secret, a student obsessed with her professor, and finally, a woman tormented by a Zuni fetish doll with razor teeth and relentless rage.
While the first two stories are solid, it’s the third—Amelia—that still terrifies. The doll. The chase. The screams. That raw, frantic, iconic ending. It’s a lesson in how a small, inanimate object can carry the weight of absolute terror.
Even now, I can picture the tiny teeth glinting in dim light, and I feel my pulse quicken just thinking about it. Trilogy of Terror 1975 remains a landmark for TV horror fans and cemented Karen Black’s legacy in horror history.
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Tidbits & Trivia
The Zuni doll segment is based on Richard Matheson’s short story “Prey.”
Karen Black initially hesitated to star, but Dan Curtis convinced her by letting her shape the scripts.
The doll itself became a convention favorite, sometimes drawing bigger crowds than the actors themselves—a testament to its legendary status.
The success of the original led to a sequel in 1996, but nothing topped the first film’s third act.
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Did You Know?
The Zuni doll’s shrieking growl was created by blending pig squeals with sped-up human voices.
Karen Black’s performance in all three roles earned her the title “The Queen of Television Horror” from TV Guide.
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Storyteller Chronicles
The store was freezing. The fluorescent lights flickered, almost like a warning.
I leaned over the counter, clutching the scarab necklace. “You’ve seen things,” I whispered to the clerk. “Tell me… what’s happening to me?”
Before he could answer, my phone buzzed. The caller. That same voice that haunts my sleep.
“Don’t let them trick you,” it hissed. “The necklace is your power. Without it, you are nothing.”
The clerk stepped closer, eyes sharp, jaw tight. “He’s lying,” he said, low and urgent. “That thing is consuming you. Don’t trust him. I can guide you.”
The necklace burned against my chest. My head spun as their voices intertwined—one promising power, the other promising salvation. Each word clawed at me, planting doubt, twisting reality. I could feel the tug-of-war in my blood, my pulse, my very mind.
A shadow passed behind the counter. Was it him, the caller? Or just the clerk? I couldn’t tell. The only thing I knew was that silence was worse than either of them. And for the first time, I realized something terrifying: the fight wasn’t out there. It was inside me.
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Val’s Journal Entry (First Appearance)
Tonight shook me more than I expected. The monster attack with the Storyteller is still fresh in my mind—how fast it moved, how close it came. And then… the noises outside. Scratches, whispers, something shifting in the shadows. I can’t ignore them.
My magic bat is within reach, my bag packed with charms and wards. I feel like I’m waiting for the storm before it even hits. I can’t let my guard down, not for a second. Not when he’s tangled in whatever this necklace has unleashed.
I saved him twice already. And I’ll do it again. But I can’t shake the feeling that whatever comes next won’t wait for us to be ready.
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Closing Lines
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We’re just getting started—and the shadows are about to get darker.
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