Line #9 Film/TrilogyOfTerror


1	[[quoteright:210:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/TrilogyOfTerror1_8267.jpg]]
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3	''Trilogy of Terror'' is an American [[MadeForTVMovie made for TV]] [[AnthologyFilm horror anthology film]] which originally aired on Creator/{{ABC}} in 1975. Directed by ''Series/DarkShadows'' creator Dan Curtis, it consists of three segments, all of which are based on short stories by Creator/RichardMatheson. Creator/KarenBlack appears in all three segments, playing a different lead role in each.
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5	# "Julie" – A university English professor is blackmailed into a relationship with a student. Adapted from "The Likeness of Julie".
6	# "Millicent and Therese" – Two sisters hate each other with a passion. The older sister decides to deal with the younger one once and for all. Adapted from "Needle in the Heart".
7	# "Amelia" – A woman with an overbearing mother accidentally releases a murderous spirit within a Zuni Fetish doll free and must fight for her life. The film's best-remembered and most popular segment. Adapted from "Literature/Prey1969".
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9	[[Film/TrilogyOfTerrorII A sequel]], also directed by Dan Curtis and starring Creator/LysetteAnthony in all three segments, aired on Creator/USANetwork in 1996.
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12	!!Overall tropes:
13	* FeministFantasy: Of the horror variety. The entire trilogy is very woman-centric.
14	* PilotMovie: The film was intended as the pilot for a new horror anthology tv show, but it failed.
15	* TheXOfY
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17	!!"Julie"
18	* AntagonistTitle: [[spoiler:Julie is revealed at the end to have been behind Chad's lust for her, killing him for fun just like she's done to all the other boys she's seduced.]]
19	* AssholeVictim: To say Chad had it coming would be an understatement.
20	* BigBad: [[spoiler:Julie Eldridge, a woman who manipulates a predator into thinking she's the perfect victim before killing them for fun.]]
21	* {{Blackmail}}: Chad uses pictures that he took from the unconscious Julie to blackmail her to be with him.
22	* CharacterTitle: Julie is the target of Chad's obsessions.
23	* DoingInTheWizard: In the original short story, instead of [[spoiler:a SerialKiller]] Julie is explicitly supernatural in nature; likely a succubus or witch. Chad sees her as sexier than she really is, she drives him to suicide over his uncontrollable lust for her, and she destroys the photos he took with pyrokinesis. The film retains only a hint of this: in her monologue at the end, Julie implies that she [[spoiler:originated the blackmail scheme and telepathically planted it in Chad's mind]].
24	* HateSink: Chad Morgan is a college student introduced [[StrawMisogynist degrading his female co-eds as "dogs.']] After meeting his English professor Julie Eldridge, Chad constantly asks her out until she agrees to go on a date with him. During the date, he drugs her to take compromising photographs and blackmail her into a relationship. Right before [[spoiler:Julie kills him]], Chad flat-out admits that [[EntitledToHaveYou what she wants means nothing to him]].
25	* HereWeGoAgain!: The segment ends with a male student coming to Julie's apartment, asking for help with an assignment while subtly eyeing her.
26	-->'''Julie:''' "I think we're going to be friends. (Smiles) ''Very'' good friends."
27	* HotForTeacher: Chad gets a weird idea about seeing what's under his teacher Julie's clothes. This develops into an unhealthy obsession about her, eventually turning into sexual abuse.
28	* MeaningfulName: Julie's last name is "Eldridge", which very close to "[[EldritchAbomination eldritch]]".
29	* NoTellMotel: After drugging her, Chad drags unconscious Julie into one to [[DateRape have his way with her]].
30	* SlippingAMickey: Chad takes Julie on a date to a DriveInTheater, and when he goes to get them some drinks, he drugs hers.
31	* ShoutOut: Chad signs himself and Julie in the motel under the names "Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Harker", who is a character in the novel ''Literature/{{Dracula}}''.
32	* TheSociopath:
33	** Chad Morgan, a misogynist who fixates on his English professor, drugging her so he can take compromising photos and blackmail her into a relationship. He flat-out admits that he does not care what she feels about anything, only his own needs.
34	** [[spoiler:Julie Eldridge, who pretends to be a mild-mannered English teacher and perfect victim for predatory men, only to manipulate them until she gets bored and kills them. She does not do this out of any moral stand against sexual predation, but solely for her own amusement.]]
35	* TwistEnding: [[spoiler:Julie reveals that [[OutGambitted she's been manipulating Chad from the beginning]], playing along with his sex-blackmail scheme ForTheEvulz, then kills him and destroys his incriminating photos. [[SerialKiller And he is not the first one]].]]
36	* VillainProtagonist: Chad, whom we follow exploiting Julie.
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38	!!"Millicent and Therese"
39	* BigBad: Therese Loramont, Millicent's sister [[spoiler:who's actually a split personality]] who spends the segment tormenting and abusing her.
40	* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:Millicent stabs a voodoo doll of her sister Therese in order to end her abuse, only to kill herself due to Therese being a split personality.]]
41	* HappierHomeMovie: The segment opens with Millicent watching an old home movie from her childhood, which has both of her parents alive.
42	* TheHeroDies: [[spoiler:Millicent is killed by the voodoo doll intended to kill her evil sister, due to said sister being a split personality.]]
43	* HollywoodVoodoo: Inspired by a child's doll that Therese broke, Millicent decides to get rid of her with a VoodooDoll.
44	* NameAndName
45	* ParentalIncest: According to Millicent, Therese seduced their father when she was 16.
46	* TwistEnding: [[spoiler:Therese is actually same person as Millicent, who is suffering from SplitPersonality. And by destroying her "sister", she kills herself]].
47	* TheVamp: Therese, who attempts to seduce any man near her.
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49	!!"Amelia"
50	* AgonyOfTheFeet: The Zuni Fetish doll begins its attack on Amelia by stabbing her feet while she's searching for it.
51	* BigBad: He Who Kills, an evil spirit trapped inside a Zuni fetish doll.
52	* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:Amelia seemingly burns the evil doll alive, only for its spirit to possess her and keep on killing.]]
53	* FangsAreEvil: The Zuni Fetish doll has sharp teeth. [[spoiler:Amelia sports them after she is possessed by the doll's spirit]].
54	* TheGhost: Amelia's mother is never shown onscreen; all the interactions between her and her daughter are through a phone.
55	* KillItWithWater: Amelia tries to unsuccessfully drown the Zuni Fetish doll by wrapping it in a towel and submerging it in a bathtub.
56	* MurderByCremation: [[spoiler:Amelia finally gets rid of the Zuni Fetish doll by locking it in an oven, where it catches on fire.]]
57	* MyBelovedSmother: Amelia's mother, who demands all of her attention and doesn't let her live her own life.
58	* NightmareFace: [[spoiler:Amelia's possession at the end by He Who Kills is an image that will haunt you.]]
59	* OurGhostsAreDifferent: These are trapped in inanimate objects by magic, but can interact with the world if the gold chain sealing them in is removed. They have fangs, and are capable of possessing the living.
60	* PerversePuppet: After the medallion around it is removed, the Zuni Fetish doll comes to life and starts attacking Amelia.
61	* PintSizedPowerhouse: The Zuni Fetish doll is small but powerful.
62	* ProtagonistTitle
63	* SlasherSmile: [[spoiler: Amelia after being possessed by the evil spirit shows a terrifying grin with sharp fangs.]]
64	* TwistEnding: [[spoiler:Amelia manages to destroy the Zuni Fetish doll, but is [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie possessed by the spirit residing in it]], and the segment ends with her waiting to ambush her mother]].
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Context Film / TrilogyOfTerror