Director – John Harrison (Book of Blood, Tales from the Crypt)
Starring – Debbie Harry (Hairspray, Videodrome), Christian Slater (True Romance, Heathers), and David Johansen (Scrooged, Campfire Stories)
Release Date – 1990
Rating – 4/5
Tagline – “Four ghoulish fables in one modern nightmare”
It’s nice to sit back and revisit a couple of my favorite horror movies growing up even though they are for review. I rarely get to watch something that I want to just for fun because I have so many movies that I need to review. When I graduated high school I often stayed at my friend’s house binge watching horror movies and drinking cheap beer. It was the life.
It was during one of these many drunk movie marathons was when I first saw Tales from the Darkside: The Movie. He had bought the tape from eBay I believe. I was already very familiar with the show but I had never seen the movie until then. Since then I had watched it several times but recent years has lacked the viewing pleasure. Lucky for me. When Scream Factory announced the release of the film on blu I reached out to them and they were kind enough to send a copy my way. Thanks guys!
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a little boy that is being help captive in a woman’s kitchen as she prepares to cook him. He distracts her by reading stories from her favorite book when she was growing up. The first story follows a group of well off college students as one of them cheats his way into a scholarship. Another student who works at the campus museum knows he was cheated out of winning it and acquires a mummy to exact his revenge. The second tale follows a wealthy man who built a pharmaceutical empire that experimented on thousands of cats. Now, he is haunted by a black cat that has killed those around him. The third and final tale follows a struggling artist who watches a gargoyle kill his friend. The beast spares his life if he promises to never mention of the creature again. Soon he finds himself in love with a flourishing career but can’t keep the dark secret away from the love of his life. **spoiler Alert**
Tales from the Darkside has always lived in the shadows of The Twilight Zone and Tales from the Crypt but it shouldn’t. The show, as well as this movie, should always be mentioned in the same breath as the previously two mentioned franchises. Honestly, I feel like the show and the film is very underappreciated. The show has so many iconic moments but the film should be on everyone’s list as one of their favorite anthologies. Tales from the Darkside: The Movie has everything you could ask for from an anthology and I feel dumb for waiting so long before revisiting it.
The acting in this one really is top notch. We get a wide range of unforgettable performances from so many legends in film. If I was to mention each and every cast member here for how awesome of a job they did I would be here for a long time. The cast is fantastic and the characters they portray really brings the film to life.
The stories we get here are on brand for Tales from the Darkside. The wraparound segment is one of my favorites in horror anthology history and one I often compare other films to. I absolutely adore how it holds all the other segments together and the way it bookends the film perfectly. The other stories deliver some great monster mayhem, supernatural felines, and a good ol’ fashion mummy revenge tale. All the segments have great dialogue and beautiful pacing. The stories run smooth and work so well.
Finally, this is a masterfully crafted horror film from 1990 so we get plenty of fantastic practical effects and deaths that fit perfectly in the film. The kills are very memorable and the practical effects are top notch. Overall, Tales from the Darkside: The Movie is a must see for any horror fan. I cannot recommend this film enough and this blu from Scream Factory is gorgeous. Do yourself a favor and grab it as soon as you can.
Special Features:
Commentaries
“Tales Behind the Darkside: From Small Screens to Big Screams”
“Rising Stars and the Walking Dead”
“That Damn Cat!”
“A Vow to Keep”
“The Order of Things”
“The Test of Time”
Behind the Scenes
Image Gallery
KNB Gallery
Radio Spots
T.V. Spots
Theatrical Trailer
