Karen Black Stars in "Trilogy of Terror" - A TV Movie for the Ages (March 4, 1975)

As a teenager I regularly watched ABC's Tuesday Movie of the Week.  It was on the network's schedule for seven seasons between 1969 and 1977 and showed great made-for-TV movies such as Brian's Song; The Girl Most Likely;and Crowhaven Farm.  And the movie that aired on March 4, 1975 may have been the most famous of them all.  It was talked about for days afterwards at school (I was in my senior year).  Titled Trilogy of Terror, it was three half-hour stories, each starring Karen Black.  But it was the third of these mini-movies, Amelia, that was the memorable one. 

 

The movie told the story of a voodoo doll that Black's character Amelia received in the mail that came to life and terrorized her.  She tried drowning it in the bathtub, trapping it inside a suitcase and finally throwing it in the oven but she couldn't vanquish it.  Ultimately, its spirit possessed her.  The chilling closing shot showed her crouched in the corner of the living room and wielding a butcher's knife while waiting for her nagging mother to arrive for dinner.  Viewing it now, the doll is cheesy and somewhat comical, but back then it freaked me out.  He was a scary little bugger.        

 

  

 

 

Unfortunately for Black, despite roles in well regarded movies such as Five Easy Pieces (with Jack Nicholson), Day of the Locusts and Nashville, she may be best known for this role (she died in 2013 at the age of 74).  This is similar to what happened to Faye Dunaway after her over-the-top performance in Mommie Dearest.  (They both do demented very well.)