Simply A Masterpiece

Good movie but grossly overrated

Brilliant and touching

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

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

One of the many horror anthologies released by Amicus Productions casts Peter Cushing as the owner of an antique store whose wares have deadly consequences for the buyers. Whether it's a mirror containing a ghostly entity, a medal leading to a strange friendship, a snuff box causing demonic possession, or a door that has an evil history, everything in this shop has a "little novelty surprise".I'm not sure which was my favorite segment in "From Beyond the Grave". I did like the daughter in the second segment, though. All in all, these sorts of movies are among the best that horror can be. The releases from Hammer and Amicus are cinema for the ages! Also starring David Warner, Ian Bannen, Donald Pleasance, Diana Dors, Ian Ogilvy and Lesley-Ann Down.

"From Beyond the Grave" (1973) is one of seven horror anthology pictures released by Hammer rival Amicus over an eight-year period. The last of the bunch, it had been preceded by "Dr. Terror's House of Horrors," "Torture Garden," "The House That Dripped Blood," "Asylum," "Tales From the Crypt" and "Vault of Horror." This time around, the tales are based on the works of British author R. Chetwynd-Hayes (1919-2001), and the obligatory framing story takes place in a seedy antique shop called Temptations, Ltd. ("Offers you cannot resist"). Thus, we follow the fates of four customers who, in one way or another, try to pull "fast ones" with the shop's proprietor, played by the great Peter Cushing. In "The Gatecrasher," one of the best of the quartet, a man (David Warner) buys an antique mirror that houses a blood-lusting demon of sorts. Director Kevin Connor gives this segment some surreal and disorienting touches, some effective shock cuts, and one great swivel shot around a seance table. Impressive work! In "An Act of Kindness," a henpecked husband (Ian Bannen), seeking escape from his termagant wife (Diana Dors, in full bloat), befriends a street peddler and his daughter (real-life father and daughter Donald and Angela Pleasence), only to find that the pair has a hidden agenda or two. This tale features a rather otherworldly performance by Ms. Angela, especially while singing the creepiest little dirge you've ever heard! In "The Elemental," Margaret Leighton plays what must be the wackiest British psychic since Margaret Rutherford's Madame Arcati in "Blithe Spirit" (1945). She helps a middle-aged couple (Ian Carmichael and Nyree Dawn Porter) rid their home of the titular nasty...or does she? Leighton's memorable performance is surely the keynote of this amusing segment. Finally, in "The Door," a man (Ian Ogilvy) purchases an antique, beautifully carved door to put on his stationery bureau, only to find that the portal leads him to the lair of a sorcerer who had schemed in "the 22nd year of Charles II" (that would be 1682). This section turns quite unsettling indeed, especially when we discover that the ancient sorcerer is still alive and well and thirsting for souls. In all, a very entertaining quartet of chillers, to close out this wonderful Amicus series. Hint for savvy marketers: A boxed DVD set of all seven would be a dream purchase for all horror fans!

FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE is the seventh in a series of anthology movies produced by British company, Amicus, from 1965 to 1973. It is the final entry in the series, although a later movie, THE MONSTER CLUB, is considered by many to be also part of this series.I look upon the Amicus anthologies with great memories as I used to love them when I was in my teens. Naturally, I am pleased to realise that Amicus anthology movies are today looked upon as minor classics of the horror genre. Amicus is now considered to be as good a production company as its rivals at the time - Hammer and Tigon.FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE is easily the best of the Amicus anthologies as I shall demonstrate.There are four stories to be found in FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE, neatly connected by a riveting linking story involving an antique shop. Each story begins with someone visiting the antique shop to purchase something and usually with the intention to con the proprietor. In fact the main message of the movie is - be careful who you con or you may pay the ultimate price.The late great Peter Cushing gives what is easily one of his best performances as the antique shop proprietor. I thought his performance here was better than those he gave in the Hammer Dracula series as Van Helsing or the Hammer Frankenstein series as Baron Frankenstein. In my opinion his only better performance outside of this movie was his portrayal of Grimsdyke in TALES FROM THE CRYPT.The first story sees David Warner purchasing an antique mirror. He invites some friends over to hold a seance and unleashes a demon who has spent centuries waiting for his release. Warner's character then has to murder people to give the demon human sacrifices necessary to release him. I won't spoil the more precise details but I will say that this first story has the darkest tone and is perhaps the best of the four. David Warner gives a superb performance as the tormented men who has unknowingly released an imprisoned demon. Marcel Steiner also delivers an equally great performance as the demon, who is very scary, menacing and merciless.The second story sees Ian Bannen befriend a shoelace and matches peddler, played by Donald Pleasance. The peddler gets the false impression that Bannen is a war veteran. Bannen then decides to steal a medal from the antique shop and keep up the pretence. Bannen's character is easy to sympathise with because of his marriage to a domineering nagging wife, played perfectly by Diana Dors. Bannen is naturally fed up of listening to his wife's constant nagging and decides to meet the peddler's family. I won't spoil any further details but I will say that this story is the quirkiest with a twist ending that you'll never see coming the first time. Ian Bannen and Donald Pleasance give superb performances. Donald Pleasance's daughter, Angela, also has an excellent role as the peddler's daughter. Her character is one of the creepiest seen in a British horror movie and the story is worth viewing just for her performance.The third story sees Ian Carmichael purchase a silver snuff box. On his way home, he encounters an eccentric spiritual medium, played perfectly by Margaret Leighton. Leighton's performance has to be seen to be believed. Anyway, she tells Carmichael that he has a demon resting on his shoulder that is eating away at his soul. Naturally, no one else can see it. Predictably, an exorcism is performed to get rid of the demon. But will it really go so easily? I won't spoil further details but I will say that this story has a lighter comic tone that provides a perfect backdrop for the final story. Ian Carmichael gives the performance who anyone familiar with him would expect. Special mention should be given to Nyree Dawn Porter, who plays Carmichael's wife. Her role is pivotal to the ending of this story and she plays it straight, ensuring the story ends with the necessary quirky twist. Nyree Dawn Porter's role is massively underrated here and in my opinion is one of the best in the movie.The final story sees Ian Ogilvy purchase a antique door. Although the door is only intended to be for a small stationery cupboard, Ogilvy finds an entire 17th century room behind it. It transpires that someone from that time period is using the room as a gateway to the future and his plans are not exactly pleasant. I won't spoil further details but I will say that this story has a lovely Gothic feel and is massively underrated by those who have commented on this page. Lesley Anne Down provides excellent eye candy as Ogilvy's wife.The ending of this movie is one that I won't spoil. I will admit that I never saw this coming as I anticipated an abrupt end. I was pleasantly surprised with the final result.Kevin Connor's direction is based almost entirely around a single objective - arousing the audience's curiosity of the various sinister characters to be found. He ensures camera-work makes use of quirky angles and focuses on various unexpected shock moments that genuinely make the audience jump. The relevant editing is razor sharp to add full impact. The opening credits showing a slow panning around a graveyard feature some superb quirky camera angles that give us a small taste of what is to follow. Each story closes with the camera focus on a still image, which then closes in and re-opens with focus on an antique in the shop window, making a perfect connection between the stories.Overall, FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE is a must-see for fans of the Amicus anthologies, fans of other Amicus movies or fans of portmanteau horror movies. If my summary provides the movie with enough appeal in your eyes, check it out. You'll enjoy it!