A cadaverous coroner (John Carpenter having a maniacal field day in grotesque make-up) at a hospital morgue relates three tales of terror.

First and most suspenseful segment, "The Gas Station" - Anne (a solid and sympathetic performance by Alex Datcher) finds herself being terrorized by an escaped killer while working the late shift. Carpenter builds plenty of nerve-wracking tension and makes supremely claustrophobic use of the isolated central location. Robert Carradine has a ball portraying a relentless psycho.

Second, most quirky, and amusing yarn, "Hair" - Balding Richard Coberts (a terrific Stacy Keach) seeks an unusual treatment for his hair loss problem which has unpleasant side effects. Done with a winningly dry sense of humor by Carpenter, this one has a nice message about the price of man's vanity. Keach deserves a lot of praise for being such a good sport, David Warner excels as the sinister Dr. Lock, Sheena Easton contributes an appealing turn as Robert's long-suffering girlfriend Megan, and Deborah Harry vamps it up with saucy aplomb as a nurse.

Third and most gruesome vignette, "Eye" - Baseball player Brent Matthews (a sturdy performance by Mark Hamill) receives an eye transplant which has lethal repercussions. Director Tobe Hooper really piles on the gore and does an able job of crafting a spooky atmosphere. Twiggy does well as Brent's concerned wife Cathy. While the punchline is predictable, it nonetheless still delivers a seriously nasty punch.

The enjoyable assortment of cool cameos by such familiar faces as Roger Corman, David Naughton, Wes Craven (who's a hoot as a slimy creep), Charles Napier, John Agar, George "Buck" Flower (cast to type as a grubby bum), Sam Raimi, and Peter Jason adds immensely to the overall entertainment value. Both Gary Kibbe's fluid cinematography and the moody score by Carpenter and Jim Lang are up to snuff. A neat omnibus opus.