#19 - From Beyond the Grave (1974)

From Beyond the Grave (1974)

(dir. Kevin Connor)

This is one of several anthology horror films put out by Amicus Productions in the late 60's/early 70's, the most famous of which is probably Tales from the Crypt.  Amicus is often associated with Hammer, since the style and tone of their films were similar and many of the same actors worked for both studios (Peter Cushing especially, who just so happens to star in this one). 

The wraparound story features Cushing as the owner of a cluttered and slightly creepy antiques shop.  Each segment begins with a customer coming into his shop and cheating him in some way - by switching the price tags on an item, through lying and haggling, or even via outright theft.  When they leave, each of them find that their purchases have come with terrible "novelty surprises"...

As with pretty much any horror anthology, this one is a bit uneven, although there weren't any outright bad segments.  My favorite story was "An Act of Kindness", featuring a fun performance by Donald Pleasance as an ex-soldier with a very strange daughter.  The others are all decent, featuring a murderous ghost trapped in a mirror, an ancient door that opens onto a mysterious blue room no matter where it is placed, and an invisible demon that latches itself onto an unsuspecting business man.

Fans of this sort of anthology film (as I am) will enjoy this one, I think.  It doesn't have any really fantastic standout moments, but it is solidly entertaining the whole way through.  The best thing about anthologies is that each segment is only ~20 minutes, so it is rare for a story to outstay it's welcome.  Recommended for fans of Hammer/Amicus and Tales from the Crypt or Creepshow-style horror shorts.