Offers You Cannot Resist

The trope of the mysterious and possibly supernatural curio shoppe is long-standing, going back to the writings of H. G. Wells.  These shops will always have what you are looking for, regardless of whether or not you know you are looking for it.  Almost everything can be had for a bargain, but nothing is without strings attached.  Often these establishments appear out of nowhere, and you may have the devil of a time trying to return to complain about unexpected side effects related to your purchase.  They can be bookshops, music stores, magic emporiums, or antique shops, but must be stocked from floor to ceiling, in every nook and cranny, with an incomprehensible menagerie of items.  Priceless heirlooms will nestle next to worthless trinkets.  In this way, the old curio shoppe is perhaps the perfect metaphor for the portmanteau film.  You never know what you might find.  Pearls will be mixed with lemons, as one man’s treasure is another man’s junk.  It is, therefore, no surprise that Amicus, known for their horror anthologies, would bookend their final collection of short stories between the fantastic and ominous trappings of Temptations Limited Antiques.  Curiously, those responsible for naming the film did not embrace the marvelous similitude, and thus, the world was presented with From Beyond the Grave in 1974.

Any quaint but slightly off-putting old shoppe needs a quaint but slightly off-putting old custodian.  Amicus chose the very best in Peter Cushing.  Cushing would have been about 60 during filming but is made up to appear much older by accenting his cheekbones and sunken cheeks.  Add bushy eyebrows, a weak mustache, a flat cap, many layers of jackets and sweaters, and a pipe to gesture with and he fits right in with the taxidermy and mannequins to be found in his shop.  But, while the look is perfect, it is Cushing’s portrayal that makes the character so enjoyable.  Speaking with a Northern accent, Cushing’s ‘The Proprietor’ always has a twinkle in the eye that is equal parts amused, mischievous, and malevolent.  Amicus was fortunate to include Peter Cushing in many of their films, including Asylum, ~~And Now the Screaming Starts!, At the Earth’s Core, and Madhouse.  Cushing’s quiet but powerful performance in From Beyond the Grave is one of his most memorable for Amicus.  That said, Cushing is not alone in this picture.  From Beyond the Grave boasts a strong cast, including several recognizable names and faces.

The first patron of Temptations Limited is one such recognizable and skilled actor.  David Warner, who wore an ascot better than anyone, stars as Edward Charlton in the first of four stories.  Warner is well-known and well-respected for everything from The Omen to Time Bandits to Tron to multiple Star Trek appearances.  The character of Edward Charlton is more an everyman than many of those other roles but instilled with the lofty arrogance that Warner was so good at depicting.  Charlton comes in to buy an antique mirror and is immensely proud of how he convinces the proprietor it is a recent fake that he will “give you 25 quid to get rid of”.

Of course, cheating the owner of such an establishment is sure to come back to haunt, often quite literally.  Turns out the mirror is possessed by a soul thirsty for the spilling of blood.  After a whimsical séance gone wrong, Charlton is forced to do the spirit’s bidding.  With each act of bloodshed, the spirit becomes invigorated and more tangible, leading to a satisfying, if predictable, conclusion.

In our second tale, Ian Bannen is Christopher Lowe.  Lowe is middle management leading a dreary middle-class existence and suffering from a midlife crisis.  It seems everyone is disrespectful towards him, particularly his own family.  His wife, played to shrewish perfection by former blond bombshell Diana Dors, berates him for his meagre social standing.  His son (John O’Farrell) snickers at the dinner table while Mom emasculates Lowe.  Searching for a means to boost his bruised ego, Lowe befriends down-on-his-luck war veteran, Jim Underwood (Donald Pleasence).  Despite having never seen active duty, Lowe tells Underwood he was a decorated infantryman.  This leads him to Temptations Limited in search of a Distinguished Service Order medal to show off.  Unfortunately, Cushing will not sell him one without certified proof that Lowe is entitled to own it.  Up until this point, Lowe has had our sympathies.  But when he steals the medal, no amount of goodwill can protect him from the antique shop’s curse.

If Christopher Lowe starts with some of our pity, Reginald Warren (Ian Carmichael) immediately earns our ill will.  Warren finds himself in Temptations Limited looking to buy an antique silver snuffbox.  Not only does he swap price tags with a lower-priced box when he thinks no one is looking, but he also has the gall to haggle over that reduced price.  On the train ride home, he is accosted by Madame Orloff (Margaret Leighton), a self-proclaimed “clairvoyant extraordinaire.”  Orloff informs Warren that he has an invisible elemental spirit latched onto his shoulder.  Warren gives her the brush off, but she manages to force her business card on him.

Later that evening, when his wife is attacked by an unseen assailant, Warren decides it wise to call on Madame Orloff’s exorcism services.  In a collection of enjoyable stories, the third may be the best, thanks to Leighton’s performance as Madame Orloff.  Whether she is negotiating car fare or warning Warren that his wife is “hot stuff” that will attract spirits “like flies to a dung heap,” Leighton seems to be enjoying playing the batty old girl.  I do wonder whether some of her performance is improvised as the lines flow quickly and naturally.  Orloff’s methods are a bit unorthodox.  Were it not for the fact that she obviously knows of what she speaks, it would be easy to dismiss her as a flake.  Warren must endure Orloff’s yelling, singing, squeezing of his face, and pushing on the top of his head, all while supernatural forces toss everything in his living room about.  One must wonder whether the curse is the demon possession or the indignity of suffering through Madame Orloff’s administrations.

Temptations Limited’s final customer of the film is William Seaton (Ian Ogilvy).  He is enamoured with a large, ornate door with a devilish-looking face embossed on it.  When he asks what used to be behind it, Cushing responds, “A room,” before adding that it was an elaborate room decorated all in blue.  Seaton seems a decent chap.  He is friendly with the proprietor, honest in his appreciation of the door, and forthcoming about his limited funds.  But can he resist when Cushing leaves the till open while he goes to write Seaton a receipt?

Seaton installs his acquisition in place of a cupboard door in his study.  Even his wife, Rosemary (Lesley-Anne Down), points out that it is a bit much just to store stationary supplies behind.  Little do they know that the paper and envelopes will soon disappear to be replaced by a cobweb-filled, elaborate room decorated all in blue.  It turns out the door and the room were owned by 17^th-century occultist, Sir Michael Sinclair (Jack Watson), who designed them as a sort of spiritual mousetrap.  The door lures victims into the room where their souls are trapped to feed the room, keeping it and Sinclair in a state of perpetual existence.  Fortunately, Sinclair didn’t count on Seaton’s practical approach to a problem.

The film ends with an epilogue involving a man who has been casing the shop from the very beginning.  He attempts to rob Cushing, using no less than the antique guns that Cushing has offered to sell to him.  It goes about as well as you would expect.  I thoroughly enjoyed this Amicus production.  It’s not particularly scary; anthology films rarely are.  But the stories are fun, the film looks good, especially considering the stingy £204,000 budget, and, as I alluded to several times, all the acting is spot on.  If you haven’t seen it yet, you owe it to yourself to catch From Beyond the Grave.  As Cushing says in the film’s closing shot, “I’m sure I have the very thing to tempt you.  All tastes catered for.  Oh, and a big novelty surprise goes with every purchase.”

From Beyond the Grave (1974) Directed by Kevin Connor; Written by Robin Clarke & Raymond Christodoulou; Based on stories by R. Chetwynd-Hayes; Starring Peter Cushing, David Warner, Ian Bannen, Diana Dors, Donald Pleasence, Angela Pleasence, Ian Carmichael, Margaret Leighton, Ian Ogilvy, & Lesley-Anne Down; Available on Blu-Ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

This is my contribution to The Hammer-Amicus Blogathon IV.  The other bargain seeker on this site has also negotiated his way through an article for the blogathon here.  Please check out some of the other contributors by clicking on the image below.  Our thanks to Cinematic Catharsis and RealWeegieMidget Reviews for allowing us to offer our wares regardless of whether they be rare gems or recycled junk.