Kevin Connor directed this anthology film, the last in a series from Amicus studios. Four stories adapted from author R. Chetwynd Hayes and starring Peter Cushing as an antique shop owner who sells items with supernatural curses to deserving customers: 'The Gate Crasher' - A mirror with an evil inhabitant drives a man to murder for sinister reasons. 'An Act Of Kindness' - An unhappily married man becomes involved with a charity case who has a dutiful daughter. 'The Elemental' - A mischievous spirit has attached itself to a married couple, and a medium tries to help. 'The Door' - An old door contains a great evil that must be closed forever. Superb film with a wonderfully atmospheric opening and score, a fine cast(especially a most droll performance by Cushing) and a strong set of stories, especially the first and last, which are quite memorable and effective. A gem, and quite underrated.
69 Reviews
The Grave Speaks
Richie-67-48585221 July 2017
Decent entertainment and I do enjoy short story segments because they have to get right to the point of which these stories do. This may not be premium movie watching but it is fine story-telling especially around camp fires and sleep-overs. They had done several of these at one point because they became popular as matinée movies. Remember those days? Two movies for a reasonable price and then add popcorn, drink and a candy to it. Go with a friend and its a nice day out. This is what you can expect if you catch this at home only you bring the food and the friend as they don't do these in the movies anymore. Too bad too. I miss the audience reaction to the stories an added bonus. Watch as each story presents ordinary people getting into extra-ordinary and some "horror" circumstances and how they handle it all. There is a nice little touch here too. Each segment is kick-started by a shop-keeper who sets up the episode and how it will go depending if you are an honest person or not. In other words, you wont be spared the horror but allowed a different outcome. You catch on to this toward the last two episodes but they should have made it plain from the first one. I have done so for you. Please enjoy the efforts of these people to entertain and to try to scare you....popcorn and snack with drink recommended
Excellent Amicus anthology
The_Void13 October 2007
Amicus are famous for the anthology films, and that's hardly surprising since they made so many. The majority of the anthologies they made are entertaining, and I don't think I've ever really seen a bad one; Asylum, The Vault of Horror and The House That Dripped Blood usually, and rightly, are the highest regarded among the films that Amicus made. From Beyond the Grave is one of the lesser known anthology films; but don't let that faze you, because this collection of four short horror tales is good fun, and while I cant say this is the best Amicus omnibus, it's definitely up there! These films usually feature some sort of creepy wraparound story, and the one here focuses on an old antique store. Not very original, but the store is staffed by Peter Cushing (complete with dodgy accent!) so I could forgive the lack of originality. Cushing antique shop owner doesn't like it when people try and rip him off, but plenty of his customers do; and they all come a cropper when they discover the terrible secret of the item they've just bought (or robbed) from his store!
These films don't usually put the best story first, and this one doesn't either. The first tale, titled "The Gate Crasher" stars David Warner and has a sort of Hellraiser feel about it, as he buys an old mirror from the antique store and it turns out to be inhabited by a ghost like thing that entices Warner into bringing it fresh blood. It's not a bad story, though I feel that more could have been made of it. Story number two is the best and focuses on a man who steals a war medal from the antique store to impress a former army man and ends up getting more than he bargained for. This tale is very strange and stars Donald Pleasance in one of his weirder roles. It's imaginative and inventive, and therefore interesting as it's impossible to tell where it's going. Story number three, "The Elemental" is a fun little story, though there isn't really a great deal of point to it. The fourth and final tale would appear to be the centrepiece and focuses on an old wooden door that gives way to an expansive blue room. This is a decent little story and we get to watch Lesley-Anne Down wielding an axe, which makes it worthwhile. Overall, From Beyond the Grave is everything an anthology should be: it's fun and interesting in the right places. There's plenty of plot holes, but also no need to pay them any mind. From Beyond the Grave comes highly recommended to horror fans!
These films don't usually put the best story first, and this one doesn't either. The first tale, titled "The Gate Crasher" stars David Warner and has a sort of Hellraiser feel about it, as he buys an old mirror from the antique store and it turns out to be inhabited by a ghost like thing that entices Warner into bringing it fresh blood. It's not a bad story, though I feel that more could have been made of it. Story number two is the best and focuses on a man who steals a war medal from the antique store to impress a former army man and ends up getting more than he bargained for. This tale is very strange and stars Donald Pleasance in one of his weirder roles. It's imaginative and inventive, and therefore interesting as it's impossible to tell where it's going. Story number three, "The Elemental" is a fun little story, though there isn't really a great deal of point to it. The fourth and final tale would appear to be the centrepiece and focuses on an old wooden door that gives way to an expansive blue room. This is a decent little story and we get to watch Lesley-Anne Down wielding an axe, which makes it worthwhile. Overall, From Beyond the Grave is everything an anthology should be: it's fun and interesting in the right places. There's plenty of plot holes, but also no need to pay them any mind. From Beyond the Grave comes highly recommended to horror fans!
Sadly Underrated
pha96lgc30 March 2000
From the plethora of Horror films from the Amicus and Hammer studios in the late 1960's and early 70s, this is one that stands out above many of the others. The opening sequence with the camera moving through the mist graveyard is a masterful piece of horror film. Each of the stories is built up very well with an excellent element of tension in each. If you want to see a great example of the British horror film genre, this is the place to start.
"There's an Elemental on your shoulder!"
utgard1416 August 2017
Amicus horror anthology film (the last of seven) starring Peter Cushing as the owner of an antique shop who sells items to different rotten people. Each of the film's stories are tied to these people. The first story features David Warner and is about a mirror which houses a creepy man (or spirit or whatever) who forces Warner to do bad things. The second story is about a man who is seduced by the daughter of a street peddler. Good lineup in this one: Donald Pleasence, Ian Bannen, Diana Dors. But it's just not that interesting despite its oddness. The third story features Ian Carmichael as a man who turns to a crazy old lady (Margaret Leighton) to get rid of an Elemental spirit tormenting him. Leighton is the whole show here. Lots of fun to watch. My favorite story in the film. The final story is about a writer (Ian Ogilvy) who buys a door through which he can step into a room inhabited by a weirdo from the past. This segment also features Lesley-Anne Down. The linking pieces with Cushing have another little story involving a shady man hanging around the shop. Overall, it's an entertaining movie. All the stories are enjoyable to varying degrees, although the second story is clearly the weakest. It's still watchable though. Cushing is pure class as always. Not the best of the Amicus anthologies but good.
Beware the Pleasances!
Coventry14 December 2007
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!
"I hope you enjoy snuffing it."
The_Movie_Cat5 June 2010
Warning: Spoilers
One of the best of Amicus' anthology series, From Beyond The Grave isn't as campy as the average, and has some instances of genuine horror.
The camp is still there, of course, with a seemingly ad-libbing Peter Cushing as a Northern shopkeeper and Ian Carmichael breaking into an unscripted smile at Margaret Leighton's OTT turn as Madam Orloff.
But there's also some genuinely nasty stuff in there, most notably David Warner as a killer of prostitutes in order to feed a ghost, and Donald Pleasence and his real-life daughter as a family practising voodoo. (Interestingly Angela Pleasence would later go on to appear in 'Scream Satan Scream!', the first episode of Steve Coogan's short-lived spoof horror series 'Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible').
The first two segments and the framing story are definitely the strongest, and the memorable final two acts could perhaps have done with a fifth story to shorten their length and keep the momentum going, but this is a fine archive work.
The camp is still there, of course, with a seemingly ad-libbing Peter Cushing as a Northern shopkeeper and Ian Carmichael breaking into an unscripted smile at Margaret Leighton's OTT turn as Madam Orloff.
But there's also some genuinely nasty stuff in there, most notably David Warner as a killer of prostitutes in order to feed a ghost, and Donald Pleasence and his real-life daughter as a family practising voodoo. (Interestingly Angela Pleasence would later go on to appear in 'Scream Satan Scream!', the first episode of Steve Coogan's short-lived spoof horror series 'Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible').
The first two segments and the framing story are definitely the strongest, and the memorable final two acts could perhaps have done with a fifth story to shorten their length and keep the momentum going, but this is a fine archive work.
Classic collection of English horror
Ash-6017 July 1999
With The Elemental being the best and The Door coming a close second, From Beyond the Grave is well worth the time, especially if encountered alone late at night. That funny noise upstairs or in the room next door will be that little harder to investigate.
The best of British horror!
seantheslug27 December 2006
A superb slice of vintage British horror from Amicus productions, which although headed by two Americans Max J. Rosenberg and Milton Subotsky, Amicus was based in England at Shepperton Studios. I personally am a huge admirer of the work of Milton Subotsky, I think he gave a great deal to the British film industry and gave us the 'portmanteau' style of horror film which meant that the stories would be around half an hour long, it was impossible to tire of such a short subject! Milton himself claimed that the classic 'Dead of Night' was the inspiration behind these multi segment horror films and I think he took it to another level. I think that 'From Beyond' is the finest one they made, with atmospheric stories and great acting from the entire cast and of course the wonderful Peter Cushing as the mysterious proprietor of 'Temptations Ltd'. Peter was the actor most used by the studio, he being very reasonable by way of his fees, whereas Subotsky claimed the great Christopher Lee became too expensive!
Can I tempt you with anything?
Hey_Sweden7 May 2014
Warning: Spoilers
"From Beyond the Grave" is a good and solid horror anthology from those fine folk at Amicus; they were masters of this format and this film represents typically engaging work. It's a collection of adaptations of stories by R. Chetwynd-Hayes, and as directed by Kevin Connor ("Motel Hell"), it's got the all-important fun factor needed for a diverting genre experience. The first and fourth segments are more or less straight-up horror, while the second is truly something different and worth seeing; the third contains the most outright comedy and is pretty damn funny. As is always the case for something such as this, it's the efforts of a superior British cast that really helps to sell the material.
Peter Cushing is devilishly amusing as the proprietor of Temptations Limited, an antique shop. Visitors who purchase - or otherwise obtain - the various odds and ends in his shop succumb to a variety of fates.
His first customer is Edward Charlton (David Warner), whose tale is told in "The Gate Crasher". Edward buys a mirror for his apartment, and after he and his friends hold a séance, the evil spirit trapped inside the mirror (Marcel Steiner, who's dubbed by Robert Rietty) appears to order Edward to kill in order to "feed" him. There's a rather predictable ending here, but Warner is excellent and there's some great horror imagery.
Then along comes Christopher Lowe (Ian Bannen) in "An Act of Kindness", who finds that his simple good deed as he purchases from street peddler Jim Underwood (Donald Pleasence) has consequences that he does not anticipate. Unhappy in marriage (to Mabel, played by Diana Dors) and in life, he starts to spend more time with Underwood and his daughter Emily (who's played by Donalds' real-life daughter Angela). The denouement is a neat twist, and Pleasence is just wonderful.
In "The Elemental", customer Reginald Warren (Ian Carmichael) meets a crazy old lady on a train (portrayed with memorable scene stealing gusto by Margaret Leighton) who tells him that he's got an "elemental" on his shoulder, an elemental being some sort of hostile spirit. Warren comes to believe this when his wife Susan (Nyree Dawn Porter) is assaulted by something unseen, so he brings in Leighton to work her magic. This segment is truly delightful, a combination of humour and excitement.
Finally, in "The Door", William Seaton (Ian Ogilvy) buys an elaborate door for his abode, but when he sets it up, he finds that it's capable of transporting him to a different time and place, where an evil spectre (Jack Watson) is looking for sacrifices. The art direction & set decoration are superb in this portion of the film, and Watson makes for a suitably depraved villain.
Things wrap up with Cushing having a surprise in store for a man (Ben Howard) who means to rob him.
All in all, lovers of the omnibus horror format should have a fine time with this one.
Seven out of 10.
Peter Cushing is devilishly amusing as the proprietor of Temptations Limited, an antique shop. Visitors who purchase - or otherwise obtain - the various odds and ends in his shop succumb to a variety of fates.
His first customer is Edward Charlton (David Warner), whose tale is told in "The Gate Crasher". Edward buys a mirror for his apartment, and after he and his friends hold a séance, the evil spirit trapped inside the mirror (Marcel Steiner, who's dubbed by Robert Rietty) appears to order Edward to kill in order to "feed" him. There's a rather predictable ending here, but Warner is excellent and there's some great horror imagery.
Then along comes Christopher Lowe (Ian Bannen) in "An Act of Kindness", who finds that his simple good deed as he purchases from street peddler Jim Underwood (Donald Pleasence) has consequences that he does not anticipate. Unhappy in marriage (to Mabel, played by Diana Dors) and in life, he starts to spend more time with Underwood and his daughter Emily (who's played by Donalds' real-life daughter Angela). The denouement is a neat twist, and Pleasence is just wonderful.
In "The Elemental", customer Reginald Warren (Ian Carmichael) meets a crazy old lady on a train (portrayed with memorable scene stealing gusto by Margaret Leighton) who tells him that he's got an "elemental" on his shoulder, an elemental being some sort of hostile spirit. Warren comes to believe this when his wife Susan (Nyree Dawn Porter) is assaulted by something unseen, so he brings in Leighton to work her magic. This segment is truly delightful, a combination of humour and excitement.
Finally, in "The Door", William Seaton (Ian Ogilvy) buys an elaborate door for his abode, but when he sets it up, he finds that it's capable of transporting him to a different time and place, where an evil spectre (Jack Watson) is looking for sacrifices. The art direction & set decoration are superb in this portion of the film, and Watson makes for a suitably depraved villain.
Things wrap up with Cushing having a surprise in store for a man (Ben Howard) who means to rob him.
All in all, lovers of the omnibus horror format should have a fine time with this one.
Seven out of 10.
Despie what everyone else thinks I reckon this is one of the worst Amicus anthologies.
poolandrews23 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
From Beyond the Grave is set in London where a shop called Temptations Antiques is located, Edward Charlton (David Warner) lies to the shopkeeper (Peter Cushing) & gets an old mirror for far less than it's worth but after a séance at his apartment Edward finds out that the mirror has a supernatural secret...
Hen pecked husband Christopher Lowe (Ian Bannen) steals a medal from the shop in order to feel a little better about himself & impress a street beggar Jim Underwood (Donald Pleasence) who strike up a friendship but things get creepy when Jim introduces Christopher to his daughter Emily (Angela Pleasence)...
After stealing a snuff box from the shop businessman Reggie Warren (Ian Carmichael) is told by a dotty old medium named Madame Orloff (Margaret Leighton) that he has an invisible spirit called an Elemental on his shoulder & he needs an exorcism to get rid off it, naturally Reggie doesn't believe her...
William Seaton (Ian Ogilvy) buys a large wooden door from the shop & fits it to his stationery cupboard only to discover a ghost room behind it that some evil sorcerer uses to collect souls...
This British production was directed by Kevin Connor & comes from Amicus who specialised in this type of horror anthology film having also made Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1963), The House That Dripped Blood (1971), Tales from the Crypt (1972), Asylum (1972) & The Vault of Horror (1973) & despite all the praise for From Beyond the Grave I actually think it's my least favourite Amicus anthology. The first story 'The Gate Crasher' is predictable & has a weak ending. The second story 'An Act of Kindness' is the best out of the four & has a nice dark twist at the end that is notably absent from the other three stories & is kind of weird but memorable. The third story The Elemental is more of a comedy with an outrageous turn by Margaret Leighton as a dotty medium & once again a really dull & predictable twist which ends in silly fashion. The fourth & final story 'The Door' has a neat idea with the novel notion of a ghost room but little is done with it & there's no twist here at all. All four stories run just over twenty minutes, three out of the four are rather dull & forgettable & I think the source material just needed to stronger with more emphasis on the twist endings.
One area where From Beyond the Grave excels is in it's direction & style, the blue tinted room in the final segment looks great & there's even a terrific looking setting sun outside the window & a cool 360 pan around a table with a candle as the central focal point together with an atmospheric opening sequence as the camera moves through a spooky graveyard which in reality is Highgate Cemetery in London. The gore is minimal, there's a few atmospheric moments & it looks good but it lacks a certain something.
The wraparound segment features Peter Cushing & he actually speaks to the audience at the end which just feels odd. The cast here is great & everyone is in top form & I just wish the stories were better.
From Beyond the Grave is an OK time-waster but I don't have as much love for it as some obviously do, out of the Amicus anthologies of which I have seen all I reckon it's the worst with only the second story & a good cast going for it.
Hen pecked husband Christopher Lowe (Ian Bannen) steals a medal from the shop in order to feel a little better about himself & impress a street beggar Jim Underwood (Donald Pleasence) who strike up a friendship but things get creepy when Jim introduces Christopher to his daughter Emily (Angela Pleasence)...
After stealing a snuff box from the shop businessman Reggie Warren (Ian Carmichael) is told by a dotty old medium named Madame Orloff (Margaret Leighton) that he has an invisible spirit called an Elemental on his shoulder & he needs an exorcism to get rid off it, naturally Reggie doesn't believe her...
William Seaton (Ian Ogilvy) buys a large wooden door from the shop & fits it to his stationery cupboard only to discover a ghost room behind it that some evil sorcerer uses to collect souls...
This British production was directed by Kevin Connor & comes from Amicus who specialised in this type of horror anthology film having also made Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1963), The House That Dripped Blood (1971), Tales from the Crypt (1972), Asylum (1972) & The Vault of Horror (1973) & despite all the praise for From Beyond the Grave I actually think it's my least favourite Amicus anthology. The first story 'The Gate Crasher' is predictable & has a weak ending. The second story 'An Act of Kindness' is the best out of the four & has a nice dark twist at the end that is notably absent from the other three stories & is kind of weird but memorable. The third story The Elemental is more of a comedy with an outrageous turn by Margaret Leighton as a dotty medium & once again a really dull & predictable twist which ends in silly fashion. The fourth & final story 'The Door' has a neat idea with the novel notion of a ghost room but little is done with it & there's no twist here at all. All four stories run just over twenty minutes, three out of the four are rather dull & forgettable & I think the source material just needed to stronger with more emphasis on the twist endings.
One area where From Beyond the Grave excels is in it's direction & style, the blue tinted room in the final segment looks great & there's even a terrific looking setting sun outside the window & a cool 360 pan around a table with a candle as the central focal point together with an atmospheric opening sequence as the camera moves through a spooky graveyard which in reality is Highgate Cemetery in London. The gore is minimal, there's a few atmospheric moments & it looks good but it lacks a certain something.
The wraparound segment features Peter Cushing & he actually speaks to the audience at the end which just feels odd. The cast here is great & everyone is in top form & I just wish the stories were better.
From Beyond the Grave is an OK time-waster but I don't have as much love for it as some obviously do, out of the Amicus anthologies of which I have seen all I reckon it's the worst with only the second story & a good cast going for it.
From Beyond the Grave
Scarecrow-8823 May 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Four tales of terror revolving around an antique store owned by the grim-looking Peter Cushing where various characters secure objects without paying the correct price with possible doom awaiting them.
The first shopper, Edward Charlton(David Warner)is a smug, narcissistic know-it-all who procures a creepy mirror from Cushing which houses an evil spirit awakened when a séance takes place in the young man's pad. This evil spirit requires blood and, through hypnotic suggestion, forces Edward to bring female victims back to his place for slaughter so that he can become whole leaving the eternal prison that has held him for so long.
Christopher Lowe(Ian Bannen)is an office manager stuck in a loveless marriage to Mabel(Diana Dors)where she constantly humiliates him in front of his son. He passes by Jim Underwood(Donald Pleasence), a street salesman(peddler)using his participation in the war as a means to increase his sales. Chris pretends to be some kind of would-be war hero by stealing an Infantry medal from Cushing's shop and is invited to dinner where he meets Jim's darling daughter Emily(Angela Pleasence, Donald's actual daughter)..who just happens to practice witchcraft and is more than obliged to off his wife if Chris so commands. But, she works freelance and perhaps someone else would like to use her services..
Reggie(Ian Carmichael)switches price tags on these little cases so that he can pay smaller price for classier box of the two. On board a train he meets clairvoyant Madame Orloff(Margaret Leighton, playing her eccentric psychic to the hilt and beyond)who informs Reggie he has an "elemental" on his shoulder..this elemental must be removed before it takes over his host body. Not heeding to her warnings, Reggie returns home only to realize, after it tries to strangle his wife Susan(Nyree Dawn Porter), that what Orloff said was true. In a ruckus exorcism scene, Orloff removes the evil from his shoulder as the house is destroying itself. But, despite the Madame's great efforts, the evil spirit might just find someone else to cling to..
William Seaton(Ian Ogilvy)seemingly purchases a sinister door(the film sets up the possibility that William stole some of his cash back when Cushing was off to get a receipt)which is to cover a stationary cupboard in his home. What William and his beautiful wife Rosemary(the truly lovely Lesley-Anne Down)do not expect is that, at the stroke of Midnight, behind the ominous door is a blue "ghost" room created by a man with evil intent. This spirit will seek Rosemary's soul unless William can find a way to harm him.
Before each story, a thief is planning to rob Cushing only to find that the proprietor of this antique shop isn't anyone to be trifled with.
Entertaining anthology from the always-reliable Amicus studios. Good fun for a dark, stormy night.
The first shopper, Edward Charlton(David Warner)is a smug, narcissistic know-it-all who procures a creepy mirror from Cushing which houses an evil spirit awakened when a séance takes place in the young man's pad. This evil spirit requires blood and, through hypnotic suggestion, forces Edward to bring female victims back to his place for slaughter so that he can become whole leaving the eternal prison that has held him for so long.
Christopher Lowe(Ian Bannen)is an office manager stuck in a loveless marriage to Mabel(Diana Dors)where she constantly humiliates him in front of his son. He passes by Jim Underwood(Donald Pleasence), a street salesman(peddler)using his participation in the war as a means to increase his sales. Chris pretends to be some kind of would-be war hero by stealing an Infantry medal from Cushing's shop and is invited to dinner where he meets Jim's darling daughter Emily(Angela Pleasence, Donald's actual daughter)..who just happens to practice witchcraft and is more than obliged to off his wife if Chris so commands. But, she works freelance and perhaps someone else would like to use her services..
Reggie(Ian Carmichael)switches price tags on these little cases so that he can pay smaller price for classier box of the two. On board a train he meets clairvoyant Madame Orloff(Margaret Leighton, playing her eccentric psychic to the hilt and beyond)who informs Reggie he has an "elemental" on his shoulder..this elemental must be removed before it takes over his host body. Not heeding to her warnings, Reggie returns home only to realize, after it tries to strangle his wife Susan(Nyree Dawn Porter), that what Orloff said was true. In a ruckus exorcism scene, Orloff removes the evil from his shoulder as the house is destroying itself. But, despite the Madame's great efforts, the evil spirit might just find someone else to cling to..
William Seaton(Ian Ogilvy)seemingly purchases a sinister door(the film sets up the possibility that William stole some of his cash back when Cushing was off to get a receipt)which is to cover a stationary cupboard in his home. What William and his beautiful wife Rosemary(the truly lovely Lesley-Anne Down)do not expect is that, at the stroke of Midnight, behind the ominous door is a blue "ghost" room created by a man with evil intent. This spirit will seek Rosemary's soul unless William can find a way to harm him.
Before each story, a thief is planning to rob Cushing only to find that the proprietor of this antique shop isn't anyone to be trifled with.
Entertaining anthology from the always-reliable Amicus studios. Good fun for a dark, stormy night.
Temptations...Amicus style
JasparLamarCrabb3 January 2009
Warning: Spoilers
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.
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.
The Best Amicus By Far!!!
ApplePiePerson30 June 2005
I throughly enjoyed this film when i saw it at Frightfest in London last May. I think it is the best of the Amicus portmanteaus by far and it is a shame that more people cannot see it.
The stories are all strong and feature an excellent cast (David Warner, Ian Ogilvie and Peter Cushing with a northern accent). The Ian Carmichael one is very comic thanks to magnificent Madame Orloff - it is is like "Jerry and Margot from the Good Life meet a nasty spirit" or something. The others are genuinely chilling and there is an especially nice twist in the story featuring Ian Bannen and the scary scary Angela Pleasance.
Recommended to anyone with a love of classic horror.
The stories are all strong and feature an excellent cast (David Warner, Ian Ogilvie and Peter Cushing with a northern accent). The Ian Carmichael one is very comic thanks to magnificent Madame Orloff - it is is like "Jerry and Margot from the Good Life meet a nasty spirit" or something. The others are genuinely chilling and there is an especially nice twist in the story featuring Ian Bannen and the scary scary Angela Pleasance.
Recommended to anyone with a love of classic horror.
From Beyond the Grave
phubbs21 August 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Amicus seemed to like anthology horror movies, this was their last picture in a series of six including the original 'Tales from the Crypt'. The basic outline is as you would predict, the common theme of four spooky tales sandwiched between a bookend plot which is kinda hosted by an eerie narrator type.
The main character throughout the whole film is the horror maestro Peter Cushing who plays the owner of a small antiques store in London. One by one customers enter the store for bits of objet d'art but each one wrongs the shop owner in one way or another. Naturally this causes each person to suffer some kind of nasty cruel fate which appears as though the shop keeper may or may not be behind it...or at least knows of their fate.
The first tale sees David Warner tricking the shop keeper into selling him an expensive mirror cheaply. When he then holds a seance (as you do) he is visited by a spirit from within the mirror who sort of brainwashes him into killing people so he may materialise and travel 'beyond the ultimate'. This is probably the most curious of the tales and is nicely spooky, not much is explained so you're left to make up your own minds which is cool...sorta. Personally I really wanted to know more about the background but the looping twist in the tale is smart.
Up next is a strange one, a nice married man buys some matchsticks from an ex-serviceman (Donald Pleasence) to help him out. He then sees some shiny medals in Cushing's antique shop and wants to impress the serviceman by pretending to be ex-army himself. Unable to buy the medal because a certificate is required to prove you are a real ex-serviceman the man steals the medal. Impressed with the medal the serviceman invites the gent to tea and to meet his daughter (Angela Pleasence). Over time the gent has an affair with the young girl who seems to be some kind of witch. Eventually the kind gent and young girl end up cursing and killing his dominating wife then marrying, but the twist revolves around the gents young boy.
I didn't really understand this one, the gent is a nice guy trying to help the ex-serviceman, he's bullied at home by his wife and gets no respect from his son, his life is a misery. It seems he finds happiness trying to mix with the poorer man, yeah sure he stole the medal but it wasn't a malicious act. He just wanted to make the ex-serviceman happy, feel comfortable around him...he just wanted to be one of the lads really, felt sorry for him. The whole thing with the daughter was just weird and ended up making no real sense, very off the wall, I'm still not really sure what she was, how, what her father had to do with it and why the pair did or do what they do.
The elemental is based around demons or gremlins perhaps. Another posh well-to-do gent tricks the shop keeper into selling him something cheaper than it should be. On the way home a little batty old witch warns him of the elemental sitting on his shoulder...no one can see this creature but animals, small children and...errr other witches or crazy people. In time things happen that are totally out of the man's control and he seeks the assistance of the eccentric 'Madame Orloff'. I liked this short tale because the idea of an invisible little gremlin type thing perched on someones shoulder like a gargoyle and taking control is cool. I also think the short is boosted brilliantly by Margaret Leighton as Orloff who comes across like a character straight out of a Disney movie like 'Bedknobs and Broomsticks' or 'Mary Poppins'. Must just add that the ending is kinda evil though, the whole thing goes from a quirky olde worlde English country witch casting spells to a much darker place.
Finally there is another almost charming ghoulish tale about a young man buying a very old highly detailed carved wooden door from the antique shop. This door of course opens up to another dimension or world where an evil occultist is trying to lure people so he can collect their souls? I think. Again the plot doesn't make much sense and isn't explained too well but its another visually fun tale in that typically old English manner with a large well decorated olde worlde house...suit of armour on display etc...This time the twist ending isn't a gloomy one though, that in itself is quite unique with these films.
Overall its a good little collection of horror tales, three I liked with their old school visuals, quirky characters and stereotypically English gents (although not stereotypical at the time of course). The stars add much gravitas to the whole affair, what old 70's horror flick is complete without Cushing?! and on the whole the special effects aren't too bad considering. Charmingly old fashioned whilst not being too horrific, perfect Halloween fodder and great fun.
7/10
The main character throughout the whole film is the horror maestro Peter Cushing who plays the owner of a small antiques store in London. One by one customers enter the store for bits of objet d'art but each one wrongs the shop owner in one way or another. Naturally this causes each person to suffer some kind of nasty cruel fate which appears as though the shop keeper may or may not be behind it...or at least knows of their fate.
The first tale sees David Warner tricking the shop keeper into selling him an expensive mirror cheaply. When he then holds a seance (as you do) he is visited by a spirit from within the mirror who sort of brainwashes him into killing people so he may materialise and travel 'beyond the ultimate'. This is probably the most curious of the tales and is nicely spooky, not much is explained so you're left to make up your own minds which is cool...sorta. Personally I really wanted to know more about the background but the looping twist in the tale is smart.
Up next is a strange one, a nice married man buys some matchsticks from an ex-serviceman (Donald Pleasence) to help him out. He then sees some shiny medals in Cushing's antique shop and wants to impress the serviceman by pretending to be ex-army himself. Unable to buy the medal because a certificate is required to prove you are a real ex-serviceman the man steals the medal. Impressed with the medal the serviceman invites the gent to tea and to meet his daughter (Angela Pleasence). Over time the gent has an affair with the young girl who seems to be some kind of witch. Eventually the kind gent and young girl end up cursing and killing his dominating wife then marrying, but the twist revolves around the gents young boy.
I didn't really understand this one, the gent is a nice guy trying to help the ex-serviceman, he's bullied at home by his wife and gets no respect from his son, his life is a misery. It seems he finds happiness trying to mix with the poorer man, yeah sure he stole the medal but it wasn't a malicious act. He just wanted to make the ex-serviceman happy, feel comfortable around him...he just wanted to be one of the lads really, felt sorry for him. The whole thing with the daughter was just weird and ended up making no real sense, very off the wall, I'm still not really sure what she was, how, what her father had to do with it and why the pair did or do what they do.
The elemental is based around demons or gremlins perhaps. Another posh well-to-do gent tricks the shop keeper into selling him something cheaper than it should be. On the way home a little batty old witch warns him of the elemental sitting on his shoulder...no one can see this creature but animals, small children and...errr other witches or crazy people. In time things happen that are totally out of the man's control and he seeks the assistance of the eccentric 'Madame Orloff'. I liked this short tale because the idea of an invisible little gremlin type thing perched on someones shoulder like a gargoyle and taking control is cool. I also think the short is boosted brilliantly by Margaret Leighton as Orloff who comes across like a character straight out of a Disney movie like 'Bedknobs and Broomsticks' or 'Mary Poppins'. Must just add that the ending is kinda evil though, the whole thing goes from a quirky olde worlde English country witch casting spells to a much darker place.
Finally there is another almost charming ghoulish tale about a young man buying a very old highly detailed carved wooden door from the antique shop. This door of course opens up to another dimension or world where an evil occultist is trying to lure people so he can collect their souls? I think. Again the plot doesn't make much sense and isn't explained too well but its another visually fun tale in that typically old English manner with a large well decorated olde worlde house...suit of armour on display etc...This time the twist ending isn't a gloomy one though, that in itself is quite unique with these films.
Overall its a good little collection of horror tales, three I liked with their old school visuals, quirky characters and stereotypically English gents (although not stereotypical at the time of course). The stars add much gravitas to the whole affair, what old 70's horror flick is complete without Cushing?! and on the whole the special effects aren't too bad considering. Charmingly old fashioned whilst not being too horrific, perfect Halloween fodder and great fun.
7/10
Enjoyable but not especially inspired.
planktonrules3 November 2018
"From Beyond the Grave" is a British horror anthology movie consisting of four stories....all tied together by an antique shop. The quality of the stories varies widely...with two excellent stories ("An Act of Kindness" and "The Door") and two weak ones. Each have to do with the supernatural and are rather bloody and creepy.
"Gate Crasher" is about a cursed mirror in which a Jack the Ripper-like being lives. It has the ability to control those around it and makes a nice guy (David Warner) become a serial killer.
"An Act of Kindness" is quite good...especially at the end. It's about a man who sells laces and matches and his witchy daughter.
"The Elemental" is sort of like a version of "The Exorcist" and a man apparently has an invisible evil entity that is trying to take control of him. Can a wacky woman help rid him permanently of the beast?
"The Door" involves a 17th century ornate door. Once installed, a hidden old room is exposed behind it and the warlock inside wants to capture souls.
Overall, a highly uneven but enjoyable film. If you had to only see one...see "The Door".
"Gate Crasher" is about a cursed mirror in which a Jack the Ripper-like being lives. It has the ability to control those around it and makes a nice guy (David Warner) become a serial killer.
"An Act of Kindness" is quite good...especially at the end. It's about a man who sells laces and matches and his witchy daughter.
"The Elemental" is sort of like a version of "The Exorcist" and a man apparently has an invisible evil entity that is trying to take control of him. Can a wacky woman help rid him permanently of the beast?
"The Door" involves a 17th century ornate door. Once installed, a hidden old room is exposed behind it and the warlock inside wants to capture souls.
Overall, a highly uneven but enjoyable film. If you had to only see one...see "The Door".
great half
SnoopyStyle22 August 2020
Four horror stories emanate from the British antique shop called Temptations Limited. Edward Charlton (David Warner) buys a haunted mirror. Hen-pecked Christopher Lowe buys from street vendor Jim Underwood (Donald Pleasence). Reggie Warren (Ian Carmichael) switches price tags and cheats the shop owner on a snuff box buy. William Seaton buys an ornate door. A man tries to rob the shop. Shop owner explains that "The love of money is the root of all evil".
It's an old premise. It depends on the characters. I like the first and last buys. I find their resolutions very poetic. The men in the second and third story are the worst. They are annoying and I couldn't wait for them to die. It's frustrating to watch. I like half of this and the other half is frustrating as heck. It's a very nice British horror, or half of one.
It's an old premise. It depends on the characters. I like the first and last buys. I find their resolutions very poetic. The men in the second and third story are the worst. They are annoying and I couldn't wait for them to die. It's frustrating to watch. I like half of this and the other half is frustrating as heck. It's a very nice British horror, or half of one.
Hope you enjoy snuffing it.
parry_na12 July 2015
Warning: Spoilers
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.
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.
Great anthology of British horror!
HumanoidOfFlesh9 June 2003
Warning: Spoilers
"From Beyond the Grave" is a typical horror anthology from Amicus.It's not very scary or frightening,but it still manages to raise a few chills and a few thrills.Cushing's performance as a creepy shopkeeper is simply fantastic.All the stories are intelligent,well-written and seriously memorable stuff-my favourite is the first one with David Warner,who buys an antique mirror.Anyway the mirror is haunted and demands blood,so Warner brings home a couple of women and proceeds to stab them to death!Eventually the spirit behind the mirror is released,and changes places with hapless Warner.To sum up,if you like British horror give this one a look.8 out of 10.
"The Love Of Money Is The Root Of All Evil"
ferbs543 December 2010
Warning: Spoilers
"From Beyond the Grave" (1973) is one of seven horror anthology pictures released by Hammer rival Amicus over an eight-year period. The last of the bunch, it had been preceded by "Dr. Terror's House of Horrors," "Torture Garden," "The House That Dripped Blood," "Asylum," "Tales From the Crypt" and "Vault of Horror." This time around, the tales are based on the works of British author R. Chetwynd-Hayes (1919-2001), and the obligatory framing story takes place in a seedy antique shop called Temptations, Ltd. ("Offers you cannot resist"). Thus, we follow the fates of four customers who, in one way or another, try to pull "fast ones" with the shop's proprietor, played by the great Peter Cushing. In "The Gatecrasher," one of the best of the quartet, a man (David Warner) buys an antique mirror that houses a blood-lusting demon of sorts. Director Kevin Connor gives this segment some surreal and disorienting touches, some effective shock cuts, and one great swivel shot around a seance table. Impressive work! In "An Act of Kindness," a henpecked husband (Ian Bannen), seeking escape from his termagant wife (Diana Dors, in full bloat), befriends a street peddler and his daughter (real-life father and daughter Donald and Angela Pleasence), only to find that the pair has a hidden agenda or two. This tale features a rather otherworldly performance by Ms. Angela, especially while singing the creepiest little dirge you've ever heard! In "The Elemental," Margaret Leighton plays what must be the wackiest British psychic since Margaret Rutherford's Madame Arcati in "Blithe Spirit" (1945). She helps a middle-aged couple (Ian Carmichael and Nyree Dawn Porter) rid their home of the titular nasty...or does she? Leighton's memorable performance is surely the keynote of this amusing segment. Finally, in "The Door," a man (Ian Ogilvy) purchases an antique, beautifully carved door to put on his stationery bureau, only to find that the portal leads him to the lair of a sorcerer who had schemed in "the 22nd year of Charles II" (that would be 1682). This section turns quite unsettling indeed, especially when we discover that the ancient sorcerer is still alive and well and thirsting for souls. In all, a very entertaining quartet of chillers, to close out this wonderful Amicus series. Hint for savvy marketers: A boxed DVD set of all seven would be a dream purchase for all horror fans!
A waste of time
Groverdox11 June 2021
"From Beyond the Grave" is one of the duller horror anthology movies I have seen. It has four stories, none of them memorable. Nothing interesting happens in it.
All the stories revolve around an antique shop run by a guy played by Peter Cushing. Each one begins with Cushing being cheated out of an item by somebody, who will then meet a grisly supernatural fate.
I'd describe some of these stories but I can't remember much about them, despite having just finished watching this movie. One was about a haunted mirror that David Warner (CRPG fans will know his voice immediately) cheats Cushing out of, and then people start dying. Probably the most interesting one features a man who is bullied by his family desperately making friends with an ex-serviceman played by Donald Pleasence. He attains a medal from Cushing's shop to prove fraudulent claims that he's a distinguished ex-soldier. I forget how that one ended, though.
The other two stories were dull as dishwater; watching this movie was a waste of time.
All the stories revolve around an antique shop run by a guy played by Peter Cushing. Each one begins with Cushing being cheated out of an item by somebody, who will then meet a grisly supernatural fate.
I'd describe some of these stories but I can't remember much about them, despite having just finished watching this movie. One was about a haunted mirror that David Warner (CRPG fans will know his voice immediately) cheats Cushing out of, and then people start dying. Probably the most interesting one features a man who is bullied by his family desperately making friends with an ex-serviceman played by Donald Pleasence. He attains a medal from Cushing's shop to prove fraudulent claims that he's a distinguished ex-soldier. I forget how that one ended, though.
The other two stories were dull as dishwater; watching this movie was a waste of time.
Entertaining and genuinely shocking British horror
TheLittleSongbird26 September 2013
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
British Horror Anthology Inspired Abrams/Zucker/Abrams
jasonforno11 October 2023
It's hard to believe that no one has written on here about the all-to-obvious inspirations in the second story that wound up in the 1984 Val Kilmer film 'Top Secret'. "Cigars, Novelties, Party Tricks..." Although Donald Pleasence's ex-solider is humbly selling faulty shoelaces and matchsticks, the reference is astoundingly clear. It first hit me with reading that Peter Cushing's character was the proprietor of an antique store, I felt that it smacked of his unusually large eyed bookstore owner in 'Top Secret'. I don't think we'll ever be treated to such a unique mashup of film genres until some creative, enterprising filmmaker decides to cram together a concoction of different decades into one amazing film.
Someone please add the 'Top Secret' references to the "connections" portion of this film's page. Thank you kindly.
Someone please add the 'Top Secret' references to the "connections" portion of this film's page. Thank you kindly.
This movie fails and lacks enthusiasm
lthseldy121 March 2004
I've never really been a big fan of most British horror movies but when I had seen on the back of the cover of this video that it was an all star cast I had to at least check it out, after all I am a fan of most of Peter Cushing and Donald Pleasance's films but when I had finished seeing this one I felt like I had just watched a bad episode of "Tales From the Darkside". None of the sequences added any excitement to this movie and none of the casts that were so "all star" even gave me a reason to like this movie. It was another make of the movie "Tales From the Crypt" which also did not seem all that interesting just like this one was uninteresting as well. This movie proves that you can't judge a video by it's box cover. But I did like the part that Cushing played as the happy go lucky antique dealer and the mystique quality in which he carried.
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