At a gentlemen's club Dr. Mazi (Fritz Weaver) is telling his friends of his experiences while at a haunted house, saying that until his visit there, he wasn't given to showing any fear, and that he was so scared that his hair turned white and he'd fainted, reviving to have no memory of the events. Colonel Denny Malloy (Leslie Nielsen) derides Mazi for his fear, saying that he himself is immune to being afraid as he doubts the existence of ghosts or demons, adding that he'd killed his first man in hand to hand combat while fighting Franco's army in the Spanish Civil War, and served in both the British and American armies in World War 2, the French Foreign Legion in the 1950s, and had been making his living as a mercenary up to now. Mazi bets $10,000 that Malloy won't be able to spend 1 night in that very house without being scared to death, and Mazi's friends add $5,000 to the bet. Malloy accepts the bet with a laugh, saying that for $15,000 he'd survive a night in Hell. Malloy arrives at the house that night, and begins his visit, taking his pack, a flashlight, and a .38 caliber Smith and Wesson revolver with a 4 inch barrel. While in the dining room, Malloy draws his gun and fires a shot at a ghost, only to see it vanish, leaving a blood trail. While in the kitchen, Malloy takes a spare light and extra bullets for his gun as he goes to check the cellar. He enters the cellar to find a slimy trail, sees the ghost again, and he empties his gun at it, only to see it vanish. He returns to the kitchen, puts fresh bullets in his gun, and drinks coffee from his thermos. When he hears the piano being played, Malloy checks the music room, and sees the ghost again, who turns to face him with flaming hands. Malloy sees a gas line attached, and suspects a setup. He cuts it, and the flames die out. Malloy says to Mazi that he should add an extra $10,000 to the $15,000 bet earlier since that was the amount of money spent by Mazi to arrange the setup. He goes to get some sleep, and is pinned to the bed by metal restraints, with a pendulum coming closer to his throat. When Malloy yells that bets can't be paid by dead men, the blade stops short of his throat. Malloy snarls that Mazi wants to see him afraid, and that he won't be reduced to Mazi's level. He goes to sleep, waking the next morning to find breakfast waiting for him. Mazi appears on a closed circuit TV in the kitchen, his hair now black, and tells Malloy that while the food is safe, the coffee in Malloy's thermos was laced with a sedative. He admires Malloy's courage and resolve in surviving Mazi's setup, but adds that as brave as Malloy is, all men have a breaking point, and Malloy has one, too. Mazi asks Malloy if he remembers the capture of his musician father while Malloy was in the British 8th Army during its drive to Tobruk, as America had yet to enter World War 2. Mazi's father, who was a junior officer in the Italian army at the time, was burning secret papers at Sidi Barani when Malloy's unit caught him. Malloy asked him about the arrival of Rommel's Afrika Korps, and when Mazi's father was unable to give him the information since he was a low-ranking officer, Malloy burnt his hands to useless stumps. Needless to say, Mazi's father would never play music again, and Mazi had made a vow before his father died to punish Malloy for this atrocity, adding that when he, as a biochemist, wasn't making biological and chemical weapons for the American military, he'd been tracking Malloy's routine, waiting for a chance to exact revenge. Mazi then tells him of a serum made to destroy the human skeleton, reducing the victim to an earthworm, or in the case of Mazi's colleague, a big slug, adding that while Malloy slept, Mazi gave him the serum, and that the change would happen in a matter of months, during which Malloy would be able to collect the bet. Mazi then says that even if Malloy went to the cops or a doctor, he would be disbelieved, and even if they did believe him, nothing could be done for Malloy as no antidote existed, and they would likely cover up the event anyway. Malloy is asked to check the cellar again, to see Mazi's colleague. Malloy goes to the cellar door, then stops. Mazi then taunts Malloy to go and see what he'd be. Malloy snarls, "You still lose, Mazi," turns his gun on himself, and fires. Mazi tells Malloy's corpse that he lost since the cellar was empty all along. This revenge tale really grips the throat of the viewer each time it is seen. Spoiler Alert: The limousine in which Malloy and Mazi arrive at the house is a 1969 Lincoln Continental, and it makes an appearance in several more segments.
5 out of 6 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
