From Beyond the Grave (1974)

An anthology of four short horror stories revolving around a British antique shop and its mysterious owner.

Director:

Kevin Connor

Writers:

Robin Clarke (screenplay), Raymond Christodoulou (screenplay)

Stars:

Peter Cushing, Ian Bannen, Ian Carmichael

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ian Bannen	...	Christopher Lowe (segment 2 "An Act of Kindness")
Ian Carmichael	...	Reginald Warren (segment 3 "The Elemental")
Peter Cushing	...	The Proprietor
Diana Dors	...	Mabel Lowe (segment 2 "An Act of Kindness")
Margaret Leighton	...	Madame Orloff (segment 3 "The Elemental")
Donald Pleasence	...	Jim Underwood (segment 2 "An Act of Kindness")
Nyree Dawn Porter	...	Susan Warren (segment 3 "The Elemental")
David Warner	...	Edward Charlton (segment 1 "The Gate Crasher")
Ian Ogilvy	...	William Seaton (segment 4 "The Door")
Lesley-Anne Down	...	Rosemary Seaton (segment 4 "The Door")
Jack Watson	...	Sir Michael Sinclair (segment 4 "The Door")
Angela Pleasence	...	Emily Underwood (segment 2 "An Act of Kindness")
Wendy Allnutt	...	Pamela (segment 1 "The Gate Crasher")
Rosalind Ayres	...	Prostitute - Edward's first victim (segment 1 "The Gate Crasher")
Tommy Godfrey	...	Mr. Jeffries (segment 1 "The Gate Crasher")

Storyline

Anthology film from Amicus adapted from four short stories by R. Chetwynd-Hayes strung together about an antique dealer who owns a shop called Temptations Ltd. and the fate that befalls his customers who try to cheat him. Stories include "The Gate Crasher" with David Warner who frees an evil entity from an antique mirror, "An Act of Kindness" featuring Donald Pleasence, "The Elemental", and "The Door".

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Plot Keywords:

antique | antique dealer | shop | mirror | anthology | 

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Taglines:

Every Once in a While a Horror Film Becomes a Classic. In 1931 Frankenstein. In 1932 Dracula. In 1968 Rosemary's Baby. in 1974 The Exorcist. This year it's...

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 November 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

From Beyond the Grave

Filming Locations:

Highgate Cemetery, Swain's Lane, Highgate, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amicus Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film may have served as an inspiration for Stephen King's 1991 novel Needful Things, in which a curio shop proprietor seems to know the exact item each of his customers "needs most."

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Goofs

In "The Door", the sculpted head on the door faces the inside of the house. But in the final scene, the head faces the blue room.

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Quotes

[last lines]
The Proprietor: O dear. The love of money is the root of all evil.
[bell from shop door]
The Proprietor: Ay, customers, come in, come in. I'm sure I have the very thing to tempt you. Lots of bargains. All tastes catered to. Oh... and a big novelty surprise goes with every purchase. Do come in... any time. I'm always open.

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Connections

Referenced in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Chapter Six: An Exorcism in Greendale (2018)

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Soundtracks

The Wedding March
(uncredited)
By Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy

User Reviews

Beware the Pleasances!

In good old Amicus-Anthology tradition, debuting director Kevin Connor presents a nice variety of three just above average horror stories and one really terrific one. "From Beyond the Grave" certainly wasn't the production studio's best omnibus effort (that honor goes to either "Asylum" or "The House that Dripped Blood"), but it has a splendid ensemble cast (including eminent British names like Donald Pleasance, Peter Cushing, Ian Ogilvy, David Warner, Ian Carmichael,… ), a neat wraparound narrative and an overall pleasingly sinister atmosphere. All separate tales begin in the same location, namely an obscure and hidden antique shop manned by Peter Cushing. The customers at this shop then become the protagonists of the segments, and the attentive viewer quickly figures out that their own personal fate will also depend on whether or not they are honest human beings. The bought items (an army medal, an ancient mirror, a snuff box and even an medieval door) aren't necessarily essential objects in the tales, though. The first story stars David Warner ("The Omen") as an obnoxious man who becomes possessed with a murderous spirit homing in his recently purchased antique mirror. The plot of "The Gate Crasher", as this story is called, is quite mundane but it boosts a handful of grisly set pieces. The third story is a rather comical referring to "The Exorcist", with Ian Carmichael being possessed by an invisible and hugely hyperactive elemental critter (whatever the hell that may be) that is attached to his shoulder. The exorcism scenes are incredibly over-the-top and the segment isn't really meant to be scary. The fourth and final story was a bit too tacky in my humble opinion, but it nonetheless has awesomely grim scenery (the room, the portal, the axe…) and the beauty of actress Lesley-Ann Down. I'm deliberately saving story number two for last, as it is by far the most superior installment of them all. Most credit here must go to Donald Pleasance and his real-life daughter Angela, for their genuinely uncanny performances as the overly friendly yet obtrusive pair of low-class street merchants who gradually 'take-over' an unhappy married man. I can't reveal too much about the plot, but the performances of Donald and particularly Angela Pleasance truly send cold shivers down your spine. Recommended!