50 years of Zuni Terror!

Trilogy of Terror (1975) is a made-for-TV horror anthology written by Richard Matheson and William F. Nolan, Karen Black stars in all three segments, delivering standout performances that explore different shades of psychological distress and horror. The third and most iconic story, Amelia, features Black as the title character, a timid woman living alone in a city apartment, struggling to assert independence from her overbearing mother. She buys a Zuni fetish doll, with pointed teeth and a spear, as a gift for her anthropologist boyfriend.  A scroll claims that the gold chain adorning the doll keeps the spirit of “He Who Kills” trapped within. As Amelia leaves the room the chain falls off and the doll becomes possessed by the spirit of a violent killer. In a terrifying solo performance, Black battles the tiny, relentless attacker in a confined space, ending in a chilling twist.

2025 marks the 50^th anniversary of Trilogy of Terror and the introduction of the Zuni Warrior into pop culture. The made for TV movie aired on ABC on March 4, 1975. The film got mostly positive reviews with Black’s performance being called a “tour-de-force performance”.  Over the years the movie has developed a cult following and the Amelia storyline had a lasting impact on pop culture, with the Zuni fetish doll becoming one of the most memorable and frequently referenced horror artifacts in television history. Its influence can be seen in the creation of later horror icons like Chucky from Child’s Play, and it helped elevate the anthology horror format in television. Karen Black’s performance, shifting from restrained vulnerability to feral menace, cemented her as a cult horror icon, and the story’s minimalist intensity and claustrophobic tension have inspired countless homages and parodies in the decades since its airing.  There is a sequel that stars Lysette Anthony that came out in 1996, and in similar fashion, Lysette plays the main character in 3 separate stories, the third is a direct sequel to Amelia.  After the events of the original story, the Zuni Warrior is delivered to a nearby museum where Dr. Simpson played by Anthony, discovers the secrets of the fetish doll and is terrorized in a similar fashion.

We have several prop versions of the Zuni Warrior and from time to time I will wake up with it next to my head holding a knife, thanks to my wonderful husband’s twisted sense of humor.  In return I place pods down (Invasion of the Body Snatchers) next to him while he sleeps.  I was 5 when this movie came out and didn’t see it when it originally aired.  My husband was the one that introduced me to it, and now it is one of my favorite anthologies of the time.  There is something terrifying about this doll coming to life, but also fun and humorous at the same time.  The film used a variety of effects to bring the doll to life, with puppetry and rod control as the primary control, with some stop-motion animation being utilized and clever camera angles and editing.  In additions, the clicking teeth and tribal vocalizations (Walker Edmiston uncredited) of the Zuni doll added greatly to the illusion of life, enhancing the sense of a supernatural presence without relying heavily on visuals alone. The way the doll ran around the apartment and the vocal emanations helped endear the little bugger to the audience creating something unique that was horrifying, exciting and campy which helped solidify the cult following the Zuni Warrior has today!