Review of From Beyond the Grave (1974) by Carl M — 02 Feb 2013

Prepare yourself for more twisted tales of the supernatural in FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE, another chilling omnibus feature from the makers of THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD and TALES FROM THE CRYPT! Peter Cushing stars as an unassuming antiques dealer whose wares each carry with them a horrible curse. "The Gate Crasher" involves a bloodthirsty spirit that commands its new owner to kill so that it may regain new life. An unhappily married man finds new love in a street beggar's daughter, only to find that she carries a dark secret of her own in "An Act of Kindness." Ian Carmichael plays the unfortunate sap who is haunted by a mischievous demon known as "The Elemental." We end with "The Door," where a writer must fight off the malevolent spirit that lives behind his newly-installed doorway... to hell! FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE holds up to the high standards put forth by Amicus in their earlier releases, with devlish performances by the entire cast. Among them, David Warner provides one of his darkest roles as Edward in "The Gate Crasher," and Margaret Leighton is wonderfully kooky in "The Elemental." Donald Pleasence and daughter Angela are also delightfully devious in "An Act of Kindness." The wraparound story featuring Peter Cushing ties things up neatly, and allows the hinted moral consequence needed for each ironic ending. The creepy atmosphere hits its peak in the final tale, when William encounters the vampirish ghost within his deathly tomb. With modest special effects and keen writing to match, FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE trails just shortly behind Amicus' other winning pictures.

-Carl Manes.

I Like Horror Movies.