Reviews (4)

Good, old, HBO horror series
They really should bring this series back. To those of you who have been living under a rock for the last 16 years, this is basically a very good, revamped-gory version of the twilight zone. Some great short horror stories!
Side note: I still have the old Crypt keeper dolls (still in their boxes) in my closet. I bought them at Spencer's gifts ages ago, maybe someday they will be worth something.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who's the FEAREST of them all?"
Welcome to my review, horror freaks! So glad you could join me and read about the 6 eerie episodes of HBO's "Tales from the Crypt," the very ones that helped the series rise from its tomb back in 1989. It's been 9 long years since the show went off the air, and until now, I've been waiting for the Crypt Keeper's putrid puns and awful alliterations to be forever preserved on DVD format. And why not? The show lasted a full 7 seasons and featured many of the biggest actors and directors in Hollywood. Each tale carefully incorporates the grisly black humor William M. Gaines EC comic books, which were almost banned in the 1950's. Did I say 'almost?' Anyway, as other HBO programs like "Dream On," "Deadwood," and "Carnivale" were packaged and displayed on Best Buy shelves, I wondered if "Tales" would ever be among them. Well, the time has finally arrived, creeps! As stated by John Kassir himself, Warner Brothers wisely chose to create these discs so we ourselves can scare the next generation of kiddies to come. Even better is the fact that the second disc of this Season 1 set will contain a sickening array of never-before-seen extras. I don't want to give the surprises away, but I will briefly tell you the stories you are about to see. Enter, if you dare!
"Dig that Cat...He's Real Gone" stars Joe Pantoliano as Ulric, a homeless alcoholic who becomes a rich and famous sideshow performer after a mad doctor (Gustav Vintas) surgically implants a cat's gland into Ulric's brain. This procedure allows him to die and return to life nine times. Morbid hilarity ensues as a carnival barker (Robert Wuhl) presents Ulric the Undying to astounded audiences who watch him get electrocuted, hanged, drowned in a tank, and shot with an arrow (among other things).
In "The Man Who was Death," Bill Sadler (who eventually starred in the 1995 Tales from the Crypt film "Demon Knight") plays Niles Talbot, a state executioner who loses his job after spending 12 years pulling the switch. This resulted because the government unexpectantly repealed the death penalty. However, not wanting to abandon his favorite occupation, Niles drifts to the other side of the law by killing criminals who were acquitted by the courts.
The frightening and festive "And All Through the House" stars Mary Ellen Trainor as a devious housewife named Elizabeth, who brutally bludgeons her husband with a poker to collect on an insurance policy. Just when she is ready to eliminate the corpse, a homicidal maniac donning a Santa Claus costume (Larry Drake) terrorizes her with an axe. Even worse, Elizabeth can't call the police for fear of being convicted of first degree murder and losing custody of her daughter.
Vanity and greed play a central role in "Only Sin Deep," a tale about a street prostitute named Sylvia Vane (Lea Thompson). After killing a pimp and stealing his gold jewellry, she willingly sells her beauty to a strange pawnbroker (Britt Leach) in exchange for $10,000 cash. At first, Sylvia wins over the affections of a suave playboy millionaire. But immediately afterward, as a result of some black magic performed by the pawnbroker, she gets increasingly distraught as her face quickly ages. Desperate to buy back her looks, she shoots her rich lover dead, but is then forced to avoid prison by staying ugly for life.
Prepare for a honeymoon hell in "Lover Come Hack To Me." Here, a cunning bachelor named Charles (Stephen Shellen) marries a naive Peggy (Amanda Plummer) for her inheritance money. On a rainy night, after accidentally getting stuck in an abandoned mansion, the two go up to the bedroom and make perfect love for the very first time. Originally, Charles was going to kill Peggy and stage the crime to look like a burglary. But he soon discovers that her family history is cursed, and that much darker skeletons lie in the bride's closet.
Last but not least is one of my favorite episodes, "Collection Completed." M. Emmet Walsh plays Jonas, a grouchy tool salesman who finally gets to retire after 47 years on the job. His slightly odd wife Anita (Audra Lindley) has developed a fondness for pets...alot of pets. In fact, she keeps a zoo-full of cats, dogs, and birds in the house. On top of that, she talks to squirrels and runs an aquarium in the bathtub. Obviously, such an attachment to animals is enough to drive Jonas up the wall! Inevitably, he gets sick and tired of not having enough attention, and he gleefully takes up taxidermy as a hobby. But those poor animals weren't the only living creatures that ended up getting stuffed.

Tales from the Crypt
I have written HBO countless e-mails over the years begging for this dvd set. I never received one e-mail response from HBO. Oh, well. I really did not expect one.
This is one of the best horror shows, period. Some of the top horror/adventure writers and directors wrote and directed these episodes. I believe this series ran for seven seasons. This can be intense stuff, not for children because of the nudity, sex, graphic violence, superb gore effects, language, and more. Some of these stories are truly the stuff of nightmares. They will haunt you.
If you have never seen Tales from the Crypt you are in for a treat, if you are a fan of horror. Go to your local book store and pick-up a trade paperback of the old EC comics these stories are based upon to get a feel for the translation from comic book to television show. Wait until you meet the Cryptkeeper, who introduces each episode, for a meeting of the surreal and insane and just plain weird. And, you will see some big name stars come to fantastic demises. Just wait, you'll see.
Now, where are Tales from the Darkside and Friday the 13th the series. These are two more violent horror series from the pre-politically correct present day.

Great Series Finds It's Footing In A TV/DVD Obsessed World
Yes, It has finally happened: Warner Bros./HBO Productions has announced that a 2-Disc, First Season set of "Tales from the Crypt" will be released on July 12th. The first season consisted of six episodes that fit quite nicely on this set's first disc. They are: "The Man Who Was Death", Dig That cat...He's Real Gone", "All Through The House", "Only Sin Deep", "Lover Come Hack To Me", and "Collection Completed". The second disc will hold bonus features that are rumored to include 2 Featurettes: One on "Tales From Comic Books To Television" and the other on "The First Season's History." Plus a new introduction by "The CryptKeeper"(John Kassir). Now this has not been confirmed, so it's pretty much a rumor but these are the possibilities. So far, there is no cover art or any other materials but stay tuned to tvshowsondvd.com for more news info which should be coming soon! Tales From The Crypt: Season One, July 12th! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Overlooked in theaters but gaining a modest cult following in video release, writer-director John Herzfeld's underrated 2 Days in the Valley has a lot going for it, not the least being a variety of interesting characters played by a superb ensemble cast. The complex plot centers on a mild-mannered hit man (Danny Aiello) who is hired by an icy killer (James Spader) to assist him on his latest job. Eric Stoltz and Jeff Daniels play the vice cops who stumble on the murder scene. Their investigation leads to a colorful array of San Fernando Valley denizens, including a has-been director (played by director Paul Mazursky) and a snobbish art dealer (Greg Cruttwell) whose lives come together in unexpected and interesting ways. Emphasizing characters that consistently hold our attention with humor and poignant desire, this clever thriller fits nicely into the eccentric category of "Only in California." --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (42)

"You have one minute to decide the rest of your life..."
I found this film to be absolutely fantastic! The story was interesting, the cast was intriguing and the humor/sarcasm was witty and unique. I found myself laughing at times just because of the characters' interesting behaviors.

The film begins with a murder-for-hire. Eventually, the hit men and a wide range of other characters come together through coincidence and circumstance and are forced to resolve their issues while trying to escape from San Fernando Valley, California.

The storyline of this film is a bit crazy, but the characters invloved are all excellent and hold the viewer's attention. James Spader is particularly good as Lee, a cold-blooded murderer who is obsessed with time, especially the importance of a single minute. This is definitely one of his best films. His acting in this movie is creepy, but fantastic. The rest of the cast was also really great and it was enjoyable to watch their lives play out. Another positive aspect of the film was the terrific score...I can't get some of the songs out of my head!

Overall, this was a fantasic film and I highly recommend it to anyone who is in the mood to watch something that is really fun and hearwarming. It is definitely a must for fans of James Spader, but I think that it can be enjoyed by a wide audience. Give this film a try and I guarantee that you will enjoy it!

Two Days in the Valley
This is a really good movie, with an unbelievable cast and a brilliant plot! The music soundtrack is also very good, and there is not a bad scene in the movie! I just can't understand why nobody has seen this film! Here we have a variety of bizarre characters (highlights were Danny Aiello, James Spader, Charlize Theron, and Jeff Daniels) who stumble into each other's lives. The director threw in a lot of little interesting quirks, such as the murderous assassin smirking as he watches a cop sight down the barrel of a watergun, or a spiteful old man who we came to hate earlier slinking out of a Japanese pleasure house in the dead of night. (Another interesting thing for me about the movie is to watch for the manner in which every character's name is given as the plot unfolds. ALL of them are named at least once somewhere in the film!) The movie is very well written and very interesting, and if there is any problem whatsoever, it would have to be that at times the dialogue becomes a bit laborous and unrealistic. (Sometimes, it appears that the characters are explaining what's going on to the audience, rather than conversing with the other characters.) Nevertheless, this is a trite point, and distracts none at all from the movie's enjoyment. And although Two Days in the Valley has been called a "Tarantino rip-off", I think this is because, like in many Tarantino films, we get to see famous actors playing in roles that we are not accustomed to seeing them in.

WHERE IS MY WATCH ?
I still wonder what was the purpose of John Herzfeld when he filmed TWO DAYS IN THE VALLEY. The structure of the movie isn't revolutionary, so the plot should give us an answer to this question.

Well...I still wonder, did I say ! It could be :

- Everybody changes his mind so don't take anything for granted.

- One minute of your time can modify your life (but we know that already, don't we ?).

- Don't get married if you're an ice skater !

And so on. You've understood that the screenplay isn't the main interest of this movie neither.

Happily enough, the cast is great and brings very funny and enjoyable moments, I must admit it.

A DVD zone I should have rent it instead of buying it.

This film is a classic because...
No matter what scene you come in on, you'll say to your friends, "Look, this is a really good part,"and you'll all sit there till the end. I always figured Charlize Theron was sleeping with the costume designer because she was a new-comer, while Teri Hatcher was an established star. Yet, in every scene, Teri is sweating, in sweats, and Charlize is wearing this white body stocking(or not)that looks like it's more make-up than clothing. Their fight scene is my favorite. Spader gives everyone 60 seconds, Aiello cooks, Jeff Daniels steams and Eric Stoltz finds a clue and meets a charming young lady. You'll recognize almost everyone in this "all stories converge" masterpiece.

Most fun I've had with a cult classic in a long time. . .
'2 Days in the Valley' is NOT one of those movies where you're rolling around on the floor laughing, but you will most likely find yourself feeling and cheering for this bunch of characters played out by an AWSOME and well-cast cast. Charlize Theron in particular (who has got to be one of the most beautiful women on Earth) will leave you thinking about her long after the movie is over. She and Terri Hathcer's (who does the best acting job here she has ever done) cat fight toword the end is the highlight of the movie by far. If you like quirky characters, cute gogs, unbelievably gorgeous women who can fight, and even coldblooded killers, you will surely enjoy this movie.

if you are one of those people who only like these big, epic movies (re: Titanic, Lord of the Rings, Braveheart) then avoid '2 Days in the Valley' . . . it's not for everyone :D ... Read more

Reviews (16)

"Must have item!"
I've seen "Grease"and "Xanado"with Olivia Newton-John,and why they don't produce the movie "Two of a kind"(v.h.s.video)is beyond me!Olivia's hit song "Twist of fate"is the trademark of this movie,and a legendary super classic of the early '80's. For collectors,this is a must have item! Farewell,"Koala Blue"!

Have to have an open mind about it
Well, I admit, hearing Olivia Newton-John swear for the first time made me uncomfortable, but aside from that, the movie was not terrible. Olivia is really a great actress! She and John Travolta really did well together in this film. This movie really has a great soundtrack, too.

Fantastic!!!
Oh my God! What was up with most people in the eighties? How could this have been a flop movie? And Xanadu!? I think this is a really good movie, i have had it not even a day, and i have watched it 5 and a half times and know most of the words! I love Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta together, i think they are brilliant, they work so well together. I reccomend this to any Olivia fan (and probably 2 john fans too!). It is funny, frightening (maybe not to grown ups but it was for me!), happy, sad, and Brando the cat is so cute!! (olivia's cat in the movie!) I laughed, cried (i hate seeing olivia cry!) and i hid behind the cushion! A great movie! OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN IS AMAZING!!!!!!!

Two of a Kind.......avoid at all costs!!
Ok it was great to see the two main stars reunited, and i was very excited to learn this. But when i saw this movie in the theatre in 1983 i was very dissapointed indeed. This movie lacks everything a movie needs: good direction, good acting and a decent plot. The only thing that saves this low budget little flick is its tacky soundtrack of one hit wonders that made it in the charts for only a brief period of time.Unless you are die hard John Travolta and/or Olivia Newton-John fans then you must avoid this at all costs!!!!!!! Its simply terrible!!

Lucinda

EXCELLENT
What I thought about this movie was that it was funny and romantic. The storyline could have had been a bit better without using angels and God and using something else but,except for that, the movie was great. It is nice to see the amazing actor John Travolta and wonderful singer Olivia Newton-John do another movie together. This is what I think. ... Read more

Description

From the director of 2 Days In The Valley, comes ' 'a knockout!' ' (NY Post) From running numbers to ' 'The Rumble In The Jungle' ', from Ali to Tyson, Don King wouldn?t always fight clean, he wouldn?t always fight fair, but he would always fight to win. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

easily, one of the best performances,best films,don't resist
it's been a long time, since i've bothered to write a review, seems these days, movies are all so, normal, nothing unique about them, it's sad really, this film, is unique, I relate this film to scarface, as well as blowing me away, ving rhames, makes you believe he is the great don himself, he took on the mob, and he lived, and he killed a man, and beat it, then he killed another, and he got misdeamanor, the man is a icon, one of the greatest showboats, to have ever lived, he's also very intelligent, and it's true, he shouldn't have got such a bad rep, but baby, that sells, violence, sex, crime, it all sells,the media, you know, this film is a 100 stars, if you don't see this, then I pity you, if you say this movie is ..., like reviewer number one, then your an ..., this film is brilliant, a masterpiece, this film is also almost out of print, obviously, like divinci, a true artist, isn't respected till he is gone, wan't a real world example? look at tupac shakur, when don is gone, no one will ever be like him again, so relish, his kinglyness, and buy this video, before it is, to late.

A Very Crap Film
Oh my God!!! Do not waste your time watching this awful movie with which has an even more awful cast...I think that one star is really pushing it as the film was so bad that I switched it off less than half way through. I am a great boxing fan and would normally love to watch any movie, BUT, I draw the line when the movie is so bad that you actually wish that you hadn't wasted your time watching it and would rather go to the denstist and have all your teeth removed with the use of acid (and that is without painkillers)... An awful movie that is not even worth a star - I just wish that it could be given a minus number it is honestly that bad!!!

I wish I could give this movie 10 stars.
I have never seen a movie where the main character was portrayed with this kind of realism. I thought it actually WAS Don King the first time I saw this movie. Ving Rhames should have won Oscars, Emmys, and every kind of conceivable award for his portrayal of Don King. I mean he even has the voice inflections and mannerisms of Don King down to such a science it is unreal. I have never seen an actor portray anyone that well. I wish I could give this movie 10 stars. Ving Rhames IS Don King, from beginning to end. The man should have won an Oscar and an Emmy. I can't emphasize ENOUGH how well Ving Rhames plays Don King. I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this movie.

Ving Rhames IS Don King
Only in America could a small time numbers runner-con man from Cleaveland make it from a prison cell to being the most powerful man in the richest of sports...Don King is simply put the greatest promoter of all time and even in his seventies the man just flat out controls most of the strings of the sport. Ving Rhames becomes the character as we follow his trials and tribulations, and in a cool piece of screenplay, Don talks to the audience and himself explains what is going on in his life as he makes his way to the top, mowing away all opposition especially Bob Arum. Things still havent changed as he promotes most of the top players in boxing today, and will do so until he dies, if the man is not immortal.

A GREAT FILM
Ving Rhames should have gotten every award in 97 for this Gem.He was DON KING&that isn't easy.DOn King is One OF Sports Most Interesting People Ever.He was Marketing Product Long Before People had a Term for it.He Understood what worked for whomever was His Fighter at the Moment was.He said it best if their wasn't a Him they Hollywood would have too Create One.Love Him or Loath Him You Have Too Acknowledge His Impact on Society.Just the Electric Chair Hair Alone.The FIlm had a Solid Cast Very Well Done. ... Read more

Reviews (108)

15 Minutes DVD is terrific cinema
This movie kicks ... It stars DeNiro as a homicide detective and Edward Burns (most notable for his portrayal of Brooklynite Private Reiben in "Saving Private Ryan") as an FDNY arson investigator, on the trail of two foreign hoods (1 Czech, 1 Russian), who come to NY to collect a debt. The Russian, played with a child-like brutality by wrestler Oleg Taktarov, gets a video cam, and decides to chronicle their "vacation." Veteran Czech actor Karel Roden plays his insanely (?) homicidal partner to the hilt.

The film is a commentary on our video-ized culture and beautifully unfolds the story of these two "immigrants" and their perceptions and misperceptions about American culture as they engage in their killing spree.

The biggest surprise is Vera Farmiga, who plays the enigmatic Czech girl Daphne Handlova, who witnesses the first murders, and becomes the focus of a race between the hoods and the cops as to who can get to her first. Farmiga has magical looks (those luminous eyes!), with a face that could have easily launched 1000 ships in another context. Her riveting presence steals every scene she is in. Vera Farmiga is a new talent with the promise of becoming a major actress in this new century. To see her scenes is sufficient reason by itself to buy this DVD.

The DVD is rich with detail, and has an excellent director's commentary. Director John Herzfeld took a few major risks in his conception of the film, and the result is an action film of the highest caliber, incorporating the frenetic hand-held video footage into this non-stop New York City action thriller.

Robert DeNiro shows his superstar quality and career courage by magnificently portraying the character of Detective Eddie Fleming. -- the idea of a major box-office-drawing actor going for a part where his character is killed in Act 2 shows his star power. (His death was very much an essential part of the plot development.) The gritty scene where, tied up, he understands his closeness to death and has a "loogie" duel with the Czech hood is a truly amazing cinematic moment.

This is a truly great movie. Buy it! The performances of De Niro, Farmiga and Burns by themselves are a total joy to watch.

It Actually Did Work
I got passes to a screning of this film. Waiting in line some of the other folks and I discussed the violence of the video games in the lobby in that polite, well mannered, educated liberal manner. Then we settled in to watch the movie, and got to the climax scene where the good guy punches out the villian. You could literally watch the same group of well educated, properly opinioned liberals sit there, with there hands held out in front of them, perplexed. We knew we were supposed to clap, but then again Kelsey Grammers' character would have tugged at our emotions in the same way to elicit the same response. As such we were left as an impass as to what the correct behavior was, our gut saying clap and our brains saying don't. That is the sheer brillance of this movie--it doesn't say what to think, it just says think.
This movie is very bloody--to the exent that some people wil not want to watch it. If you have a weak stomach turn it off. However, that can be points in its favor. I was particualrly happy in the scene with the blond prostitute. She was the sort of character that only enters the scene to get killed by the bad guys, but she actually fights back. The scene is bloody and everything, but she didn't just lie there and wait for them to finish her off like so many other horror film women.
The best thing about this film is that every single second is dedicated to forwarding the plot. There is no extraneous speeches to forward the theme or create the characters--it is very nice to have a film that doesn't assume that we are stupid. There is some very good dramatic tension and some wonderful twists as characters are tested and changed. That being said this isn't an Oscar film. It is a popcorn film, a fairly straight forward action film. It is, however, refreshingly, an action film that lets you think.

FAME AND ITS FORTUNES
You see it in the tabloid tv shows such as Roseanne, Maury Povich, you name them. As in this film, a family humiliates themselves in front of millions all for that fifteen minutes of fame; singers appear on American Idol and disappear into the mediocrity of their fame, having had that 15 minutes. In this movie, a tv anchorman sinks to new depths to acquire a disgusting videotape of a cop's murder, not realizing that by letting the villains get away, he endorses further murders. All in the name of fame.
We all know that the media has little conscience in its attempts to one up each other, to get the "big story" first; to spread lies and rumors. In this movie, a petty thief who attempts to rob one of the characters is suddenly a hero because the arson investigator handcuffed him to a tree and forgot about him. The "victim" was assaulted by a bag lady and pissed on by a dog, and now he's a hero in the light of the media. Everything that's done is done to manage the impression of what the world thinks of us.
This message is brought home in expert fashion in John Herzfeld's compelling 15 MINUTES.
Robert DeNiro plays a homicide detective who has used the media to its best advantage, and he knows it; Edward Burns is an idealistic young arson investigator who joins in on the investigation of the brutal murder of an immigrant couple; Kelsey Grammer is the acerbic and selfish newscaster; Melina Kanakaredes is the love of DeNiro's life, a news journalist who fears for DeNiro's safety. Capable and strong performances from these actors lay the background for the movie's two most impressive performances: Karel Roden and Oleg Taktarov as the criminals Emil and Oleg; their cold cruelty is frightening; Oleg's fascination with film-making is both comedic and tragic, and the resonance of their performances underscores the other actor's performances as well.
There may be inconsistencies in the plot; there may be some derivative touches, but I found myself glued to the screen and awed by the message this powerful movie sends.

Stays With You For About 15 Minutes
An uneven attempt at social commentary, this John Herzfeld movie has its clever moments but doesn`t quite convince as a whole.

"15 Minutes" tries to give a satirical look into the complex and not always pretty world of media business, showcasing how far journalists and media owners will go in order to get "relevant" information. Yes, in this day and age it`s difficult to qualify what`s information or just useless overexpure of viloence, drama and outrageous acts.
Today`s star-system is also hard to define, since those who are famous don`t always have much merit or special qualities that allow them to reach fame. Yes, even a murderer can turn into a superstar these days. This movie manages to analyse some of these ideas, but the mix of its elements is too contrived. At parts this seems a serious and in-depth story, in other scenes it turns into a middle-of-the-road action-movie and in a couple of times it approaches comedy territory.

The two villains are stereotypical and one-dimensional, being mean and gruesome just because the plot wants them to. Robert DeNiro and Edward Burns are fine in their roles, even if their characters break no new ground and instead stick to cliched archetypes. The direction is fluid and interesting, yet the pacing is full of highs and lows.
"15 Minutes" is an hit-and-miss effort, an entertaining enough cinematic experience that could have gone further if it dared to step into more risky zones. As it is, it still deserves its 15 minutes of fame but is far from remarkable.

Flawed but watchable.

Wildly Uneven
3 stars may be a bit harsh for a movie with one of the most unsettling scenes I've seen, but the problem with the film is that it never becomes a whole. There's a conflict of tone that's never successfully resolved--director John Herzfeld wants to make a dark comedy full of satire aimed at Jerry Springer, Geraldo Rivera and the like; but he also wants to make a grisly, gritty action film filled with blood, murder, fire, and tragedy. These two aspects rub against one another uncomfortably, and although life may indeed be like that, the juxtaposition doesn't work well in this bit of art.

The dichotomy plagues the work further: there is terrific imagery, some great acting, some terrific writing; there's also lots of very typical Hollywood run-of-the-mill work. De Niro, as one of the two protagonists, is superb until the writers feel it necessarly to give him a girlfriend. The other protagonist, played by Edward Burns, is the stereotypical young hothead, who in spite of being an ace fire inspector, can't control himself around other people. I must admit that the two villains are both terrific, in terms of both writing and acting; but a bit of clowning at the end really destroyed the effect of the final scene for me.

If you do decide to see the movie--and in spite of my negative comments, the positive aspects of the film (especially the scene with De Niro and the two villians) make it worth viewing, be sure to stay tuned after the credits begin--Kelsey Grammer has a final bit that begins a minute or so into the credits. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Tales from the Crypt is no Sopranos, but in its day it was HBO's most popular original series. Based on the EC Horror comics of the 1940s and 1950s, these short shock-and-suspense stories with twist (and often twisted) endings weren't exclusively horror tales, but they consistently mined, in a comic sort of way, the dark side of human nature. The three episodes directed by series coproducer Robert Zemeckis are among the most memorable. In "All Through the Night," perhaps the single most famous story from the original comic book series, a psychotic killer dressed as Santa escapes Christmas Eve and terrorizes a middle-class home where murder has already made a holiday appearance: a homicidal wife plunges a fireplace poker into her husband's skull. (It was also adapted in the 1972 British anthology movie Tales from the Crypt). Kirk Douglas stars as a blood-and-thunder World War I general who discovers his son is a coward in the grim "Yellow," the most dramatically acute of the trio. Digital magic morphs Humphrey Bogart into "You, Murderer," a high-concept, rather gimmicky tale of murder, double crosses, and poetic justice as seen through a dead man's eyes. Isabella Rossellini (daughter of Bogie's Casablanca costar Ingrid Bergman) and John Lithgow costar as plotting lovers. Zemeckis has a great deal of fun with the first and last films, giving them a flamboyant comic book exaggeration, but the underplayed irony of "Yellow" makes it one of the darkest, most affecting stories in the series' run. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Lights! Camera! Hack-tion! Zemeckis Directs CRYPT!
Based on stories from the deliciously depraved E.C. horror comics (TALES FROM THE CRYPT, VAULT OF HORROR, HAUNT OF FEAR) of the 1950s, TALES FROM THE CRYPT was a TV horror anthology that, like most TV anthologies, had a lot of both hits and misses. Some of the stories really stank, but when a story was a hit, it was usually dead on (excuse the pun). This DVD represents three episodes that HBO execs apparently consider hits, probably because they were all directed by the renowned and Oscar-winning (1994's FORREST GUMP) Robert Zemeckis. And though CRYPT fans would like to see more episodes made available on DVD, the execs made pretty good selections with this lot.

The first story, "And All Through the House," is definitely the scariest of the three. It's about a disgruntled wife who murders her husband on Christmas Eve, only to have a madman dressed in Santa garb show up to deliver her just deserts. It is a particulary frightening morality play not only because it warns that "what goes around, comes around"; it also makes a multi-faceted statement about innocence and youth, as it is the murderous woman's little daughter who ultimately lets "Santa" into the house. Larry Drake delivers a delectably deranged performance as the insane Saint Nick. (This has proven to be one of the most enduring stories from the original E.C. Comics series, as it was also previously dramatized in 1972 as one portion of an excellent five-part British flick entitled TALES FROM THE CRYPT. In that version, Joan Collins--DYNASTY's Alexis Carrington Colby--played the part of the homicidal wife.)

In the second story, "Yellow," Kirk Douglas is a stone-hearted, by-the-book WWI General and, his son, Eric Douglas, is a craven Lieutenant under the General's command. Embarrassed by his "yellow" progeny, the General engages his son in an insidious course of action that will save the young man's reputation as well as allow the General himself to save face. Although the ending is easily predictable, the acting is top-notch and the depiction of WWI is fairly gruesome (for TV, anyway), and it all adds up to an engaging and suspenseful drama. This is definitely the strongest episode of the trio, though not as scary as the first.

The last of the three offerings, "You, Murderer," is also the weakest. It covers the last day in the life of a business exec who, altered via plastic surgery to hide from a dark past, is blackmailed and then offed by his cuckolding wife and her lover. Though the plot is a bit cliche and its ending predictable, the episode does, nonetheless, have a few interesting aspects: one, the story is told via flashbacks from the point of view of the already-dead exec; two, á la plastic surgery, the exec is the spitting image of Humphrey Bogart; and three, great performances are delivered by Isabella Rossellini (daughter of the real-life Bogart's CASABLANCA costar Ingrid Bergman) and character actor John Lithgow. The episode's biggest flaw is the special effects, which are primarily computerized insertions of Bogart film-clips á la FORREST GUMP. Unlike in GUMP, the effects come across as embarrasingly cheesy, and the manner in which they are utilized is very awkward to the flow of the narrative. Still, it's an entertaining entry for CRYPT, just one that is not up to par with the other two on this disc.

One minorly disappointing aspect to the DVD overall is the fact that there are no extras on the disc. Some HBO or syndication promotional spots or an interview with Zemeckis would've been nice, or maybe even a behind-the-scenes short featuring our gregarious host, The Crypt Keeper. Still, this DVD is well worth the expense, especially for fans of TALES FROM THE CRYPT or fans of the horror genre in general. At Amazon.com's asking price, the cost is less than $5 per episode, and that's cheaper than the cost-per-episode charged for many TV shows in either VHS or DVD format!

Yellow Shines, More Tales Please!
Of all the television series I want on DVD, Tales From The Crypt is it!

I hope this is just the first in a long running set for this series, but it doesn't look like it.

This DVD contains the three episodes done by Robert Zemeckis.

And All Through the House" (1989), remided me of the 'Tales From The Crypt - Have A Scary Little Christmas' CD I've had for quite a while. Basically the same backdrop of the story told on the CD is here, except for the 'Mother' killing her husband. Anyhow, that's how it starts, but what the poor mother does not know is that an escaped lunatic is on the prowl.

"Yellow" (1991), A dang good yarn if I do say so eh kiddies? Martin Sheen's excellent in this story of a san who cannot live up to his father's aspects of courageousness.

"You, Murderer" (1995), is really wierd. Stars Humphrey Bogart, Sherilyn Fenn, and some other famous personalities and basically the tale is in Bogart's voice. He is dead (murdered actually) but can still see what is happing around him, hear everything, and worse feel everything!

Pretty good set. Some great stars in these episodes and I really loved the episode 'Yellow'.

Hopefully more will be produced as I love the whole series.

great. but only 3 of the episodes.
this is worth buying if you are even a remote fan of tales from the crypt, however; it's only has 3 of many episodes on it. "yellow" is my personal favorite. they need to release more of the episodes on DVD so i, and everyone else who wants it, could have the complete collection. ... Read more