From Beyond the Grave (1975)

Best movie ever!

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Blistering performances.

Decent entertainment and I do enjoy short story segments because they have to get right to the point of which these stories do. This may not be premium movie watching but it is fine story-telling especially around camp fires and sleep-overs. They had done several of these at one point because they became popular as matinée movies. Remember those days? Two movies for a reasonable price and then add popcorn, drink and a candy to it. Go with a friend and its a nice day out. This is what you can expect if you catch this at home only you bring the food and the friend as they don't do these in the movies anymore. Too bad too. I miss the audience reaction to the stories an added bonus. Watch as each story presents ordinary people getting into extra-ordinary and some "horror" circumstances and how they handle it all. There is a nice little touch here too. Each segment is kick-started by a shop-keeper who sets up the episode and how it will go depending if you are an honest person or not. In other words, you wont be spared the horror but allowed a different outcome. You catch on to this toward the last two episodes but they should have made it plain from the first one. I have done so for you. Please enjoy the efforts of these people to entertain and to try to scare you....popcorn and snack with drink recommended

Out of all the horror anthology films, this one like a class by itself "Tales From the Crypt" had mostly the gore and "Tales From the Darkside" has its subtle nature. For "From Beyond the Grave", this says it all. When 4 different customers come to the antique shop, 3 of them meet their fates when they cheat out the proprietor(Peter Cushing). One man (David Warner) buys a mirror by conning the proprietor, and pays a high price when he held that seance. The second customer(Ian Bannen) is a working drone in a joyless marriage befriends an old soldier(Donald Pleasence) by lying to him that he is a soldier as well. He steals a medal from the store. Once he has shown him that, he gets invitation for tea. At the former soldier's home, he meets his daughter(Angela Pleasence). Emily, who is kinder than his wife, Mabel (Diana Dors) has a creepy side to her. She would make a doll that resembles the man's wife. She pierced the doll, blood comes out, and the man would run back to his home to find the wife, truly dead. He marries Emily. Only to end up like the first wife. It appears that the son didn't like either one of his parents. How can you find love when both parties are not loyal to one another? The third one is a very pompous individual. He would switch the prices of a snuff box. On his way home by train, a clairvoyant(Margaret Leighton) annoys him that an Elemental in on his left shoulder. When he gets home, his dog runs off, and his wife is attacked by an unseen force. When he calls the clairvoyant, she exorcise the spirit and all is well. However, it returns and claims the wife, instead. The fourth shopper buys a door with a sinister design. He received a reduced price. Once the door was in place, it would open up to another world. Inside, instead of the stationery cupboard, there was a blue room. When the buyer of the door sees some notes on a table, it belongs to the maker of the door, an evil occultist. The door turned out to be a trap! Both he and his are prisoners in their own home. He was able to grab the axe and destroy the door. Since was the honest buyer, he avoided the disaster the last three didn't. It was a fun movie to watch. It is a must-have for horror buffs. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Anthology film from Amicus adapted from four short stories by R. Chetwynd-Hayes strung together about an antique dealer (Peter Cushing) who owns a shop called Temptations Ltd. and the fate that befalls his customers who try to cheat him.First, a cursed mirror that somehow causes its owner (David Warner) to commit the most atrocious murders, and bring home anyone he can to sate the demon's thirst. Warner and Cushing on screen together? This alone is priceless.Second, a man who is drawn more to the family of an apparent beggar than to his own family, who he has grown to despise (particularly his wife, whom he sees as a nag). The best part? Donald Pleasance. But the second best? The clever use of a sign reading "the wages of sin is death" after a lapse in moral judgment.Third, a man who finds himself attached to an "elemental" that wishes to kill his wife. Interestingly, the witch (or whatever) in this segment is named Madame Orloff. The use of "Orloff" is quite a nice choice, calling to find the films of Jess Franco and others. (Exactly what they are all referencing is unclear to me.) Last, a magic portal… you will have to see that segment yourself!

From Beyond the Grave could have gone either way in quality. It could have a clever, atmospherically effective and well acted film or predictable schlock, luckily From Beyond the Grave belongs in the former category and of the anthology horror films it's one of the better ones. The third story The Elemental lacks the atmosphere of the other three stories and there are things throughout that could have gone into detail a little more, some good ideas here but could have had more explanation. From Beyond the Grave may not be big in budget but it actually looks competent and nicely made, it doesn't look slipshod and the lighting and settings are quite atmospheric. The music is appropriately spooky and doesn't overbear things, the direction keeps things moving swiftly but with time to breathe also and the film is very smartly scripted. Not masterpiece-status, but it doesn't try to be and always entertains, which is much more important. The stories are atmospheric and are effective in creepiness, while things could have had more explanation things are at least coherent and you are always engrossed. Of the four stories, the best is the second, fun and genuinely chilling stuff. The acting is very good, especially Margaret Leighton, Donald Pleasance, Peter Cushing and David Warner, nobody disgraces themselves. In conclusion, entertaining and scary, pretty darn good. 8/10 Bethany Cox