Amicus Horror Anthologies
Once you dip into the world of Amicus Productions—a horror-centric British film company founded by a pair of Americans that was active in the 1960s and ‘70s—you can’t stop yourself from wanting more. Amicus’ specialty was anthology or “portmanteau” films, combining a series of shorter segments under the umbrella of a spooky setting that links them together: a haunted house, a hospital, a carnival sideshow, a train carriage, a curiosity shop. The stories are usually designed to teach their dreadfully unfortunate protagonists some kind of terrifying lesson, with a hefty assist from the supernatural. The casts are stuffed with legends like Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Burgess Meredith, Jack Palance, Joan Collins, and Tom Baker. Several of them were scripted by Psycho author Robert Bloch, or based on classic EC horror comics. Where to start? Tales From the Crypt, Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors, Torture Garden, The House That Dripped Blood, Asylum, Vault of Horror, From Beyond the Grave… and, why not, then add in the Amicus-adjancent The Monster Club and Tales That Witness Madness as a bonus treat. Unlike the often doomed characters in these stories, you won’t be sorry. – Cheryl Eddy
