Tales from the Hood 1995 – a review

In 1995 Spike Lee produced Tales from the Hood staring David Alan Grier, Clarence Williams III, wings Hauser, Rosalind Cash, Joe Torry and Rusty Cundieff.

In an experience more frightening than their worst nightmares, three friends tour a funeral home with a creepy mortician in this horror anthology. Along the way, they hear a story about each of the corpses.

First up is Rogue Cop Revelation

Clarence is a rookie cop. One night his partner and some other cops pull over black political figure Martin Moorhouse. While the other police officers take turns beating him, Clarence is running his license plate. When Clarence realizes who he is, he rushes to defend him but the other officers push him away. Clarence wants to report them but his veteran partner won’t let him. You never rat out one of your own, he warns Clarence. When Clarence leaves, the other officers take Martin to dock, dope him, and drive his car into the bay.

Clarence ultimately quits the force and  becomes an alcoholic bum. In a drunken moment, he receives a message from Martin Moorhouse. Clarence lures the officers to Martin Moorhouse’s grave – sort of an anniversary celebration. When the officers desecrate his grave, Martin comes back for revenge – one by one the officers fall. As for Clarence…well let’s just say he went a little mad.

Next is Boys Do Get Bruised

Walter is a little boy who is scared of the things that go bump in the night.

Walter is starting a new school and on his first day, he is attacked by the school bully Tyrone. His teacher comes to Walter’s aide but when he takes the boy to the school nurse, he notices the bruises on him. The teacher ask Walter where the bruises came from and Walter tells him it was a monster. Naturally the teacher dismisses this. One day Walter stays inside to draw pictures during recess. His teacher ask him what he was doing and Walter tells him that a little girl told him that if he drew what scared him and then destroyed the picture, the monster will go away. So Walter draws a picture of the monster that is hurting him and one of Tyrone. When Walter tears up the picture of Tyrone, he mysteriously falls down the school stairs and breaks both arms and legs.

That night, Walter’s teacher shows up at his house to speak with his mother. Walter’s mother is not receptive to what the teacher is telling her until the man of the house comes home. Then she becomes very quite and submissive. When the teacher leaves, the man, Carl, is enraged and goes to Walter’s room. He threatens Walter but his mother intervenes, Carl turns on her. The teacher rushes back into the house to try to help but Carl overpowers him. Eventually Carl turns his attention back to Walter, but Walter has gotten a hold of his picture and begins to tear the picture. As he does so, Carl feels the pain.

Moving on to KKK Comeuppance

Duke Metger is a former klan member who is running for governor (sound familiar?) Duke is also just bought an old mansion that dates back to the Civil War. The legend of the house is that the plantation owner went mad after the war and killed his slaves rather than have them leave. It’s said an old voodoo lady transferred the souls of the slaves into little dolls. The dolls are still somewhere within the house.

As Duke is working with his PR manager, there’s a terrible accident and the manager is killed when he falls down the stairs and breaks his neck.  At the funeral, there’s a media frenzy surrounding Duke and one black man in the crowd jumps out and tells that the reason the manager died was because the dolls in the house don’t want him there. Later that night as Duke is alone in the house, he has his own battle to fight…with the house…and the dolls.

And finally Hard Core Convert

Jerome is involved in a gang-related shooting. Shot himself, Jerome survives his injuries and ends up in jail. A scientist comes to his cell and offers him a change to get out if he participate in a progressive rehabilitation program. Jerome agrees.

Jerome undergoes radical regression treatment but it doesn’t take. In the end, Jerome has to pay the piper.

Epilogue

In the end, the three friends learn the true purpose of the funeral home. It was a soul searching experience.

Tales from the Hood is a fun ride. Riding the rails of Tales from the Crypt, Creep Show and Campfire Stories, these stories are fun spooky stories full of a lot of camp. Clarence Williams III is way over the top as the funeral home mortician but what a great performance for this type of character. The funeral home mortician is suppose to be over the top and out of control. What an enjoyable performance. Because some camp is good, I’m giving Tales from the Hood 3.5 out of 5 stars or to steel from a friend… I give it 3.5 out 5 bloody stumps up.