Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Nigel P Milton Subotsky, who first pitched the idea of remaking Frankenstein and Dracula to Hammer films, was the man behind Amicus productions, who became Hammer's main rivals during the 60's and 70's – occasionally eclipsing the success of the larger company.Amicus made many anthology films whereby three or four short stories would be cradled by a framing device. For 'Beyond the Grave' (one of the better portmanteau productions), Peter Cushing plays a curious accented seedy antique shop proprietor. Each item he sells or is stolen has a story of its own … The magnificent David Warner buys a mirror with demonic properties. The way his life is taken over by this magical object is very well conveyed, an inexorable slide into seediness and blood - plenty of blood.The next story features an incredible cast. Donald and daughter Angela Pleasance, Ian Bannen and Diana Dors conspire to create a weird, unworldly atmosphere about repression, hatred, failure and ultimately revenge.Story three is comedic and has Ian Carmichael as the victim of an 'Elemental' which he hopes will be banished by dotty witch Margaret Leighton.Finally, Ian Ogilvy buys a door that leads into another, horrific dimension. It bears too many similarities to the David Warner tale to provide a satisfying finale in its own right.Apart from story three, I would say that all tales are let down by their respective endings. Often, the carefully constructed build-up of atmosphere and dread is completely undone by the obligatory 'twist' which renders events ridiculous. The story featuring Donald Pleasance and his daughter as a truly sinister duo is trounced, for example, by the revelation, that they are professional problem solvers.The framing narrative comes to end with a prospective thief (Ben Howard) wishing he had picked another shop to rob when Cushing's unnamed proprietor causes his demise. Clearly, the shop owner is more than human.

TheLittleSongbird From Beyond the Grave could have gone either way in quality. It could have a clever, atmospherically effective and well acted film or predictable schlock, luckily From Beyond the Grave belongs in the former category and of the anthology horror films it's one of the better ones. The third story The Elemental lacks the atmosphere of the other three stories and there are things throughout that could have gone into detail a little more, some good ideas here but could have had more explanation. From Beyond the Grave may not be big in budget but it actually looks competent and nicely made, it doesn't look slipshod and the lighting and settings are quite atmospheric. The music is appropriately spooky and doesn't overbear things, the direction keeps things moving swiftly but with time to breathe also and the film is very smartly scripted. Not masterpiece-status, but it doesn't try to be and always entertains, which is much more important. The stories are atmospheric and are effective in creepiness, while things could have had more explanation things are at least coherent and you are always engrossed. Of the four stories, the best is the second, fun and genuinely chilling stuff. The acting is very good, especially Margaret Leighton, Donald Pleasance, Peter Cushing and David Warner, nobody disgraces themselves. In conclusion, entertaining and scary, pretty darn good. 8/10 Bethany Cox

manchester_england2004 FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE is the seventh in a series of anthology movies produced by British company, Amicus, from 1965 to 1973. It is the final entry in the series, although a later movie, THE MONSTER CLUB, is considered by many to be also part of this series.I look upon the Amicus anthologies with great memories as I used to love them when I was in my teens. Naturally, I am pleased to realise that Amicus anthology movies are today looked upon as minor classics of the horror genre. Amicus is now considered to be as good a production company as its rivals at the time - Hammer and Tigon.FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE is easily the best of the Amicus anthologies as I shall demonstrate.There are four stories to be found in FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE, neatly connected by a riveting linking story involving an antique shop. Each story begins with someone visiting the antique shop to purchase something and usually with the intention to con the proprietor. In fact the main message of the movie is - be careful who you con or you may pay the ultimate price.The late great Peter Cushing gives what is easily one of his best performances as the antique shop proprietor. I thought his performance here was better than those he gave in the Hammer Dracula series as Van Helsing or the Hammer Frankenstein series as Baron Frankenstein. In my opinion his only better performance outside of this movie was his portrayal of Grimsdyke in TALES FROM THE CRYPT.The first story sees David Warner purchasing an antique mirror. He invites some friends over to hold a seance and unleashes a demon who has spent centuries waiting for his release. Warner's character then has to murder people to give the demon human sacrifices necessary to release him. I won't spoil the more precise details but I will say that this first story has the darkest tone and is perhaps the best of the four. David Warner gives a superb performance as the tormented men who has unknowingly released an imprisoned demon. Marcel Steiner also delivers an equally great performance as the demon, who is very scary, menacing and merciless.The second story sees Ian Bannen befriend a shoelace and matches peddler, played by Donald Pleasance. The peddler gets the false impression that Bannen is a war veteran. Bannen then decides to steal a medal from the antique shop and keep up the pretence. Bannen's character is easy to sympathise with because of his marriage to a domineering nagging wife, played perfectly by Diana Dors. Bannen is naturally fed up of listening to his wife's constant nagging and decides to meet the peddler's family. I won't spoil any further details but I will say that this story is the quirkiest with a twist ending that you'll never see coming the first time. Ian Bannen and Donald Pleasance give superb performances. Donald Pleasance's daughter, Angela, also has an excellent role as the peddler's daughter. Her character is one of the creepiest seen in a British horror movie and the story is worth viewing just for her performance.The third story sees Ian Carmichael purchase a silver snuff box. On his way home, he encounters an eccentric spiritual medium, played perfectly by Margaret Leighton. Leighton's performance has to be seen to be believed. Anyway, she tells Carmichael that he has a demon resting on his shoulder that is eating away at his soul. Naturally, no one else can see it. Predictably, an exorcism is performed to get rid of the demon. But will it really go so easily? I won't spoil further details but I will say that this story has a lighter comic tone that provides a perfect backdrop for the final story. Ian Carmichael gives the performance who anyone familiar with him would expect. Special mention should be given to Nyree Dawn Porter, who plays Carmichael's wife. Her role is pivotal to the ending of this story and she plays it straight, ensuring the story ends with the necessary quirky twist. Nyree Dawn Porter's role is massively underrated here and in my opinion is one of the best in the movie.The final story sees Ian Ogilvy purchase a antique door. Although the door is only intended to be for a small stationery cupboard, Ogilvy finds an entire 17th century room behind it. It transpires that someone from that time period is using the room as a gateway to the future and his plans are not exactly pleasant. I won't spoil further details but I will say that this story has a lovely Gothic feel and is massively underrated by those who have commented on this page. Lesley Anne Down provides excellent eye candy as Ogilvy's wife.The ending of this movie is one that I won't spoil. I will admit that I never saw this coming as I anticipated an abrupt end. I was pleasantly surprised with the final result.Kevin Connor's direction is based almost entirely around a single objective - arousing the audience's curiosity of the various sinister characters to be found. He ensures camera-work makes use of quirky angles and focuses on various unexpected shock moments that genuinely make the audience jump. The relevant editing is razor sharp to add full impact. The opening credits showing a slow panning around a graveyard feature some superb quirky camera angles that give us a small taste of what is to follow. Each story closes with the camera focus on a still image, which then closes in and re-opens with focus on an antique in the shop window, making a perfect connection between the stories.Overall, FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE is a must-see for fans of the Amicus anthologies, fans of other Amicus movies or fans of portmanteau horror movies. If my summary provides the movie with enough appeal in your eyes, check it out. You'll enjoy it!

JasparLamarCrabb Peter Cushing is a kindly(?) antique shop owner whose morally bankrupt clientèle gets more than they bargain for with each purchase in this moody, heavily psychological Amicus anthology. Directed, with varying degrees of success, by Kevin Connor.THE GATE CRASHER: David Warner buys a mirror for a lot less than it's worth and pays for it when the ghoul living in it uses him to do his bidding. Featuring a very creepy séance and a standout performance by Warner. It's the scariest of the lot.AN ACT OF KINDNESS: Ian Bannen gets involved with father/daughter act Donald and Angela Pleasence and they prove more than helpful in disposing of his shrew wife (Diana Dors). Bannen is excellent and the Pleasences are really outré. Dors, looking bloated and very blowsy, is a hoot as a lower class housewife.THE ELEMENTAL: In the most comic of the group, Ian Carmichael finds he has an evil spirit (an "elemental") attached to his shoulder. He hires kooky clairvoyant Margaret Leighton to exorcise it. His wife, Nyree Dawn Porter, shows patience and a whole lot more. Carmichael is terrific and Leighton steals the show in very atypical performance. Normally the most restrained of actresses, she's seems to be channeling both Margaret Rutherford and Cruella DeVil at the same time.THE DOOR: The dullest episode features Ian Ogilvy and Lesley-Ann Warren dealing with an especially intrusive ghost living behind the ornate door Ogilvy purchases from Cushing.