From Beyond the Grave

"Amicus made several horror anthologies in their time. This one consists of four stories all of which are centred around an antique dealer (Peter Cushing) whose customers suffer horrific incidents after they obtain an antique from his shop, Temptations Ltd. The movie is stylish and imaginative with some tongue-in-cheek humour that helps keep the movie fun as well as chilling. Based on short stories by the prolific writer R. Chetwynd Hayes, From Beyond the Grave is very much like delving into a Pan Book of Horror Stories, and very good it is too."

Down a little side street there is a shop called Temptations Limited, a dingy old-fashioned place, chock full of antiques and knickknacks, the proprietor of which appears to be a harmless old fellow just going about his business. But beware would-be customer! You may get more than a good deal - a great deal more than a good deal if you think you can swindle this old chap. This is the premise that holds together four horror stories written by R. Chetwynd-Hayes.

• The Gatecrasher - Edward Charlton (David Warner) sees a 400 year old mirror he likes the look of, but when he finds it is very expensive he lies to the owner that it is in actual fact a reproduction to get the price down. After hanging the mirror above his fireplace he invites five friends around to his flat and boasts how he cheated the old fool and bagged himself a bargain. They stand around chatting then one of the women suggests that the group should hold a séance, as you do. Whilst the group are holding the séance a fog starts to rise in the mirror and then a face of a bearded man appears. During further visitations the bearded man exerts his supernatural will over Edward, and orders him to feed him with the death of others so that he can walk the earth once again.

• An Act of Kindness - Christopher Lowe (Ian Bannen) henpecked by his abusive unpleasant wife Mabel (Diana Dors) will do anything to boost his ego even if it means stealing from Temptations to do it. Christopher meets ex-serviceman street peddler Jim Underwood (Donald Pleasence) who he lies to when asked if he earned a medal during the war, stating that he had in fact been decorated. To keep up with this charade Christopher decides to purchase a suitable medal from Temptations, but the proprietor of the antiques shop will only let him buy one if he has a certificate entitling him to the medal. Of course he hasn't got one, so he steals the medal not knowing that he is being watched by the owner. After showing off the decoration to the street peddler Jim invites Christopher home for tea, to have a chat about the good old days and to meet his daughter Emily (Angela Pleasence) who is a bit weird. As time goes by Christopher starts to care for strange Emily and one night Emily offers an occult solution to Christopher Lowe's problem wife.

• The Elemental - Well-to-do businessman Reginald Warren (Ian Carmichael) enters the shop looking for a snuffbox. Thinking he is unobserved he switches the price tag of one he likes with the price tag of another, far less expensive one. On the train home he is accosted by Madame Orloff (Margaret Leighton) who informs him that he has an elemental on his shoulder and that it is a killer which is growing stronger as time goes by. Reginald tries to shrug her off as a crank, especially as he cannot see the elemental in question. When the train comes to his station Madame Orloff gives Reginald her business card warning him not to leave it too late before calling her. At home, the nasty elemental hits Reginald's wife Susan (Nyree Dawn Porter) and later on even tries to strangle her as they are in bed. After this assault Reginald remembers he has Madame Orloff's card so straight away phones her. Hopefully she can get rid of the malevolent tyke!

• The Door - William Seaton (Ian Ogilvy) sees a very old ornate carved door in Temptations, and just has to have it. The price is a bit more than William can afford but the old shop keeper is good enough to reduce the price for him. When the door has been delivered and installed, in place of a stationery cupboard door, William and his wife Rosemary (Lesley-Anne Down) wonder what was behind the door years ago. It does not take long before they find out that the door has supernatural powers and at certain times it can be opened on to an ornate seventeenth century room. William opens the door to find a dimly lit blue phantom-room that is covered in cobwebs as if it has not seen the light of day for a hundred years. Exploring the room, he hears ghostly movements in other parts of the building and when the unknown spectre approaches he dashes out as fast as he can, slamming the door behind him. Upon a second foray into the room, William reads from a book that has been left on a table. He learns that the owner of the room was a Sir Michael Sinclair (Jack Watson), an evil man of witchcraft who used the life essences of human sacrificial victims to craft a ghost-room in which he now stands.

From beyond the grave is in my opinion one of the best horror anthology movies Amicus Productions produced. All four stories are pretty strong and there is plenty of tongue-in-cheek humour to lighten the load. This movie is well worth searching out as it is a delightful example of how horror movies used to be made.

Reviewed: 26/01/07

Memorabilia

• Movies

The Skull (1965)
Das Wachsfigurenkabinett (1924)
Dead of Night (1945)
Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965)
Torture Garden (1967)
The House That Dripped Blood (1971)
Asylum (1972)
Tales from the Crypt (1972)
The Vault of Horror (1973)
Tales That Witness Madness (1973)
The Monster Club (1980)
Waxwork (1988)

• Radio

Appointment with Fear (1943 - 1955)
The Price of Fear (1973 - 1983)