Go Retire Psychiatrist

Svengoolie Intro: “Calling all stations! Clear the air lanes! Clear all air lanes for the big broadcast!”

I saw the 1975 movie “Trilogy of Terror” again last night and it still strikes me as good psychoanalysis joke fodder. Besides that, I was pretty impressed by Karen Black’s ability to deliver a convincing portrayal of a two-sided telephone conversation.

Karen Black plays four different roles across the made for TV movies: a college teacher in “Julie,” two personalities in “Millicent and Therese,” and “Amelia,” who bought the Zuni fetish doll, which by most accounts is the best.

Because this film is a classic, it’s probably OK for me to comment about the psychiatric aspect of the 3 short films, which are based on stories by Richard Matheson.

I covered the psychiatric side of the dramas in my blog post review in May of 2024, so I’m not going to repeat it in any detail.

Although I missed parts of the first and second stories 2 years ago, seeing them in their entirety this time doesn’t change anything I got out them in terms of the psychiatric angles.

Julie allowed herself to be seduced and victimized, which probably isn’t typical for psychopathic serial killers. Total control tends to be rule.

I still think casting somebody to play a family practice physician to be the primary psychiatric clinician for Millicent and Therese was puzzling. Persons diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder are virtually always quickly referred to psychiatrists.

I was struck by the insistence of Amelia on trying to pluck the knife by the blade out of the box as the Zuni fetish doll was sawing up and down through it.  But trapping him in the suitcase was pretty clever.

This is not a movie for children or sensitive adults, which Svengoolie acknowledges several times during the show. This time there wasn’t a Joke of the Week by Kerwyn during the show.

I didn’t rate the film two years ago, but I think it’s overall pretty good and give it a Shrilling Chicken Rating of 4/5.