I said I’d pair each Twilight Zone block with a horror anthology film that has three segments. I chose the sequel to the previous such film this time. Once again the lead role is played by the same person in each segment, although here we have Lysette Anthony instead of Karen Black.
“The Graveyard Rats” – Terrifying. The “person attempting a crime but getting a horrifying comeuppance” trope has been done in countless scary short stories but never like this. There are multiple twists I didn’t see coming, and most importantly the ending preys on at least three different common phobias. It’s also hauntingly photographed, with a final long shot that just gives you chills.
“Bobby” – I wasn’t expecting this, but it’s actually a remake of the horrifying final segment, which was written by Richard Matheson, from Dead of Night. It’s just as scary this time, but carries even more of a wallop as it’s made clear the mom used to hit Bobby. Does that make what happens okay? Without further information I’m gonna say no but it sure was scary!
“He Who Kills” – This is not a remake but a sequel to the final segment, based on Matheson’s short story “Prey”, of the original Trilogy of Terror, in which all three segments were written by Matheson! He also wrote many episodes of the original Twilight Zone, including “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet”, which was based on his own short story and which is the only episode of the original TZ to be remade for the new one.
My point is I picked the three perfect movies with which to pair the TZ blocks. I hope Richard Matheson is looking down proudly!
As far as this specific segment, when talking about “Amelia” I mentioned liking the scares even though the main character’s actions sometimes made no sense. This time around, even though it’s technically a sequel, a lot of stuff is repeated, and I couldn’t get past how stupid the heroine was sometimes. (Run outside idiot! Why are you trying to grab a moving knife by the blade moron! Throw the damn thing out the window imbecile!) Somehow that stuff resonated with me more strongly while the scares didn’t affect me nearly as much this go-round.
Still, even though I already recommended Dead of Night and the first Trilogy of Terror and stand by that, I still recommend this one. The only original segment is amazing even if the remake doesn’t add much and the sequel is dumb.
The Graveyard Rats – 99, Bobby – 76, He Who Kills – 50
Bottom Line: Go ahead horror lovers!
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