Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from June 10, 1989 to July 19, 1996, on the premium cable channel HBO for seven seasons with a total of 93 episodes. The title is based on the 1950s EC Comics series of the same name and most of the content originated in that comic or the other EC Comics of the time (The Haunt of Fear, The Vault of Horror, Crime SuspenStories, Shock SuspenStories, and Two-Fisted Tales). The show was produced by HBO.
Because it was aired on HBO, a premium cable television channel, it was one of the few anthology series to be allowed to have full freedom from censorship by network standards and practices. As a result, HBO allowed the series to include content that had not appeared in most television series up to that time, such as graphic violence, profanity, sexual activity and nudity. The show is subsequently edited for such content when broadcast in syndication or on basic cable. While the series began production in the United States, in the final season filming moved to Britain, resulting in episodes which revolved around British characters.
Video Tales from the Crypt (TV series)
Episodes
Each episode begins with a tracking shot leading to the front door of the Crypt Keeper's decrepit mansion. Once inside, the camera pans down hallways and stairways, and finally descends into the basement. The show's host, the Crypt Keeper, then pops out from his coffin, cackling wildly; finally, green slime pours down over the screen as the main title appears. The Crypt Keeper is an animated corpse, as opposed to the original comics in which he was a living human being. The wisecracking Crypt Keeper (performed by puppeteers like Van Snowden, Mike Elizalde, Frank Charles Lutkiss, Patty Maloney, Anton Rupprecht, Shaun Smith, David Stinnent, Mike Trcic, and Brock Winkless, and voiced by John Kassir) would then introduce the episode with intentionally hackneyed puns (e.g. his frequent greeting to viewers: "Hello, Boils and Ghouls" or "Hello, Kiddies"). Each episode was self contained, and was bookended by an outro sequence again involving the Crypt Keeper. Comic book cover art was created by Mike Vosburg and Shawn McManus.
The episode "You, Murderer" (1995) is particularly noteworthy since it was one of the first shows ever filmed that used computer effects to digitally insert actors into an episode. The episode was directed by series producer Robert Zemeckis, who had recently directed Forrest Gump which used the same effects (both sets of effects being done by Industrial Light & Magic). Alfred Hitchcock appeared in a cameo at the beginning of the episode, and Humphrey Bogart played the starring role for this story. Because both men had been dead for decades, their appearances made the episode very well known amongst fans. This episode was also notable for Isabella Rossellini's guest appearance in which she parodies her lookalike mother, Ingrid Bergman, for the first (and only) time.
Very few of the episodes, especially in the early seasons, were based on actual stories from Tales from the Crypt. Many were instead from other EC Comics series. For instance, season one was predominantly from The Haunt of Fear, while season two was mostly from Shock SuspenStories. Tales from The Vault of Horror appeared sporadically throughout the series run. The final episode broadcast, "The Third Pig", was the only original story not based on the comics, and the only one that was fully animated.
Notable guest stars and directors
Individual episodes from the series often involved big-name stars, either as writers, directors, or actors. In this way, many A-list Hollywood stars were appearing on both the big screen and the small screen at the same time.
A list of actors/guest stars includes the likes of Adam Ant, Lee Arenberg, Patricia Arquette, Bess Armstrong, John Astin, Dan Aykroyd, Hank Azaria, Jonathan Banks, Frances Bay, Ed Begley, Jr., Sandra Bernhard, Sonia Braga, Sandra Bullock, Steve Buscemi, Tia Carrere, Julie Chen, Patricia Clarkson, Steve Coogan, Daniel Craig, Tim Curry, Mark Dacascos, Timothy Dalton, Roger Daltrey, Beverly D'Angelo, Blythe Danner, Benicio del Toro, Lou Diamond Phillips, Kirk Douglas, Brad Dourif, R. Lee Ermey, Corey Feldman, Sherilyn Fenn, Teri Garr, Brad Garrett, Whoopi Goldberg, Bobcat Goldthwaite, Shelley Hack, Tom Hanks, Teri Hatcher, Marg Helgenberger, Mariel Hemingway, Lance Henriksen, Jane Horrocks, Bob Hoskins, Ernie Hudson, Kathy Ireland, Eddie Izzard, Lainie Kazan, Patsy Kensit, Margot Kidder, Art LaFleur, Ute Lemper, Audra Lindley, John Lithgow, Cleavon Little, Meat Loaf, Traci Lords, Jon Lovitz, Kyle MacLachlan, Wendie Malick, Malcolm McDowell, Elizabeth McGovern, Ewan McGregor, Demi Moore, David Morse, Judd Nelson, Donald O'Connor, Catherine O'Hara, Joe Pantoliano, Robert Patrick, Bill Paxton, David Paymer, Mark Pellegrino, Joe Pesci, Lou Diamond Phillips, Brad Pitt, Amanda Plummer, Iggy Pop, Priscilla Presley, Kelly Preston, Christopher Reeve, James Remar, John Rhys-Davies, Natasha Richardson, Don Rickles, Mimi Rogers, Isabella Rossellini, Tim Roth, Zelda Rubinstein, Katey Sagal, Colin Salmon, Julia Sawalha, Martin Sheen, Brooke Shields, Slash, Vincent Spano, John Stamos, Imelda Staunton, Ben Stein, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lea Thompson, Rachel Ticotin, Twiggy, Susan Tyrrell, Vanity, Ally Walker, David Warner, Sam Waterston, Steven Weber, George Wendt, Adam West, Clarence Williams III, Treat Williams, Grace Zabriskie, and Billy Zane among others.
A list of famous directors includes Michael J. Fox, Tom Hanks, Kyle MacLachlan and Arnold Schwarzenegger (who also had cameos in their episodes). Many well-established film directors also contributed episodes. They include Robert Zemeckis, Richard Donner, Howard Deutch, John Frankenheimer, William Friedkin, Walter Hill, Tom Holland, Tobe Hooper, Mary Lambert, Peter Medak, Russell Mulcahy, Elliot Silverstein, Vincent Spano, and Freddie Francis, who directed the original 1972 film.
Maps Tales from the Crypt (TV series)
Spin-offs
The success of the series led to numerous spin-offs and films.
Films
In 1995, a film spin-off from the TV series was produced by Universal Pictures, Demon Knight. After it became a commercial success, Universal greenlit two more Tales from the Crypt films, intending to produce a trilogy. The second film, Bordello of Blood, was released in 1996. Upon release, it was generally disliked by critics and fans of the series. However, the film has gained a fanbase over time, becoming labeled as a cult classic.
As a follow-up to Demon Knight, producers planned to make a film titled Dead Easy (a.k.a. Fat Tuesday), a New Orleans zombie film, but the producers felt the scripts lacked humor and leaned too heavily towards horror. The third film that was planned, Body Count, also never found its way to the screen. Both Quentin Tarantino's From Dusk till Dawn and Peter Jackson's The Frighteners were considered as possible Tales from the Crypt movies. The film Ritual (2002) was not produced as a Tales from the Crypt film, but is considered to be an unofficial entry in the Tales series.
Tales from the Cryptkeeper
In 1993, a Saturday morning cartoon called Tales from the Cryptkeeper was spun off from the HBO series. Produced by Nelvana for ABC, the violence of the prime-time series was substantially toned down and the gore was omitted. Nelvana employed a child psychologist to review the scripts to ensure the episodes would be suitable for young viewers. The Cryptkeeper puppet was considered as the host for the series but it was ultimately decided that it might frighten youngsters, so instead an animated version was created (which bore more of a resemblance to the puppet than the version of The Cryptkeeper that originated in 1950s EC Comics) and John Kassir was retained as his voice. "Nelvana created a kinder, gentler personality for the children's Crypt Keeper, and it feels a little uncharacteristic at times," Kassir later said. In addition to the Cryptkeeper, EC Comics' mascots The Vaultkeeper and The Old Witch also made frequent appearances, often fighting with the Cryptkeeper for control of the show's hosting duties. The series lasted two seasons on ABC with a total of 26 episodes.
In 1999, the show was revived on CBS for an additional 13 episodes under the title New Tales from the Cryptkeeper.
Secrets of the Cryptkeeper's Haunted House
A kid's game show called Secrets of the Cryptkeeper's Haunted House was featured on CBS from 1996 to 1997. The Cryptkeeper (again voiced by John Kassir) was the announcer of the show (he would often break into the action with appropriate wisecracks), and contestants competed in physical challenges on a variety of elaborate haunted house sets at Universal Studios Florida. In addition to The Cryptkeeper, the series also boasted an original character named Digger the Skeleton (voiced by Danny Mann).
Radio series
In 2000, several Tales from the Crypt "radio shows" were recorded for Seeing Ear Theatre, an online subsidiary of The Sci-Fi Channel, and were offered free as streaming RealAudio files on their website, as well as for sale on Audible.com. Although 13 episodes were planned (with forthcoming episodes listed as "TBA"), only 8 stories were recorded. Seven of the eight shows were released on CD in 2002 by Highbridge Audio ("This Trick'll Kill You" was omitted from the CD set).
Two-Fisted Tales
In 1991, the Fox television network aired a pilot for Two-Fisted Tales, a spin-off based on the 1950s EC action comics. When Fox passed on the pilot, Crypt Keeper segments were tacked onto the three stories ("Yellow", "Showdown", and "King of the Road"), and HBO ran them as Tales from the Crypt episodes.
Perversions of Science
After the original series ended, a spin-off called Perversions of Science premiered in 1997 on HBO, this time being based on science fiction instead of horror. The series only lasted for a short run, and was cancelled the same year. This iteration of the franchise featured a stylized female robot host in place of the Cryptkeeper.
Albums
Soundtrack
In 1991, Big Screen Records released a soundtrack album featuring assorted music from the series. The album includes the theme music, suites from 11 episodes and an original song titled "Crypt Jam" performed by The Cryptkeeper (John Kassir). A music video for "Crypt Jam" was filmed and is available as an extra on the Region 1 Season 3 DVD.
Have Yourself a Scary Little Christmas
In 1994, a Christmas album, Have Yourself a Scary Little Christmas, was released by The Right Stuff, a subsidiary of Capitol Records. Most of the songs are spoofs of holiday standards performed by the Cryptkeeper, such as "Juggle Bills" (Jingle Bells), "We Wish You'd Bury the Missus" (We Wish You a Merry Christmas) and "Deck the Halls with Parts of Charlie" (Deck the Halls), with narration and a few original songs mixed in. The CD booklet includes a black and white reprint of the comic "And All Through the House." The album is now out of print.
Monsters of Metal
In 2000, Capitol Records released another album titled Tales from the Crypt: Monsters of Metal. This album is a compilation of horror-themed songs from popular metal bands with wraparound narration by the Cryptkeeper (John Kassir).
DVD releases
Warner Home Video has released all 7 seasons of the series on DVD for Region 1. The DVDs for Seasons 1-3 are unique because they feature all-new Crypt Keeper introductions and segments. No such segments were filmed for Seasons 4-7. On June 6, 2017, all seven seasons were reissued in a box set entitled Tales From the Crypt: The Complete Series. A Region 2 version of the whole series was released by '84 Entertainment on June 4, 2010.
Reruns
Reruns aired on FOX from 1994-1995 under the name Primetime Tales of the Crypt and also aired late-night on CBS in 1997, it also aired on Syfy, as well as Chiller and Fearnet.
In the United Kingdom, the series was aired late-night Fridays on ITV. Sky1 Satellite and cable channel Horror Channel (then Zone Horror) aired the series in both late-night and daytime slots. The daytime versions were billed as 'cut', although, they remained uncut.
In other media
West End Games adapted material from the series into a role-playing game sourcebook, The World of Tales from the Crypt, using the Masterbook system.
In the very first VeggieTales video, Where's God When I'm S-Scared?, the title of the segment "Tales from the Crisper" spoofs the title of the show.
An episode of The Simpsons, "Treehouse of Horror XVII", began with a parody of the series. Using an opening similar to the TV series (including theme music, but with a camera man tripping down the winding stairs), Mr. Burns portrayed the Crypt Keeper and made some obvious puns. Laughing, Smithers then appeared to point out what he did.
An episode of Tiny Toon Adventures had a parody of the series called Toons from the Crypt with the opening similar to the TV series. Buster Bunny portrayed the Cryptkeeper. John Kassir, who voiced the Cryptkeeper, later went on to voice Buster Bunny after the rabbit's regular voice actor, Charlie Adler, quit.
The show was also referenced in the Beavis and Butt-head episode, "To the Rescue", poking fun at the Cryptkeeper while watching a music video.
In the 1995 film, Casper, Dr. Harvey morphs into the Crypt Keeper doing a pose from Edvard Munch's The Scream while looking at the bathroom mirror being possessed by Stretch, Fatso, and Stinkie. John Kassir reprised his role.
The Robot Chicken episode "El Skeletorito" has a parody of the series.
American Dad! parodied the series in the episode "100AD".
Rapper Magneto Dayo did a song called "Tales From The Crypt" (Halloween).
Awards
Tales from the Crypt won the following awards:
- 1991 Motion Picture Sound Editors' Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing - Television Half-Hour - ADR
- 1992 Motion Picture Sound Editors' Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing - Television Episodic - Effects and Foley
- 1993 Motion Picture Sound Editors' Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing - Television Episodic - Effects and Foley
- 1994 American Cinema Editors' Eddie Award for Best Edited Half Hour Series for Television (for the episode "People Who Live in Brass Hearses")
Nominations
- 1990 Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (William Hickey in the episode "The Switch")
- 1991 Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor in a Cable Special (Mike Simmrin in the episode "The Secret")
- 1992 Casting Society of America's Artios Award for Best Casting for TV, Dramatic Episodic
- 1994 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Makeup for a Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Kirk Douglas)
- 1994 American Cinema Editors' Eddie Award for Best Edited Half Hour Series for Television (for the episode "The Lipreader")
- 1994 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Tim Curry in the episode "Death Of Some Salesman"), Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Series and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Makeup for a Series
- 1994 Young Artist Award for Best Youth Actor Guest Starring in a Television Show (Raushan Hammond in the episode "People Who Live in Brass Hearses")
- 1995 Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Series
- 1996 American Society of Cinematographers Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series (for the episode "You Murderer")
Cancelled reboots
In July 2011, it was announced that Gilbert Adler, who produced the original series, was working with Andrew Cosby to develop a new Tales from the Crypt series. It was said to be a continuous story, rather than an anthology, and would also omit the Cryptkeeper. The series was unsuccessfully shopped to several major networks.
In January 2016, Entertainment Weekly reported that M. Night Shyamalan would helm a series reboot as part of TNT's new two-hour horror block. In April 2016, it was reported that the network had ordered a 10-episode season that was slated for fall 2017. The show was to keep the episodic anthology format, but without the Crypt Keeper. In June 2017, it was announced that TNT would not move forward with the series due to legal rights issues concerning the rights for the character of the Cryptkeeper from HBO.
References
External links
- Tales from the Crypt on IMDb
- Tales from the Crypt at TV.com
- Tales from the Crypt at AllMovie
Source of article : Wikipedia
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