Rating: 3/5
Hooptober X | 26/34 | Peter Cushing 2/2
Five strangers on a tour enter a crypt, unsure of what compelled them, and encounter the Crypt Keeper (Ralph Richardson). One by one, he shows them each how they die.
Based on the Tales from the Crypt comics, the stories come from various horror comics and collections.
The structure is similar to the Torture Garden, which makes sense since Amicus produced both.
…And All Through the House ***.5
On Christmas Eve, Joanne Clayton kills her husband before tucking in her daughter good night. A homicidal maniac has coincidentally escaped, dressed as Santa Claus. When Joanne spots the maniac outside her house, she cannot call the police lest she reveal her murder as well.
The segment is tight and sharply filmed. In true comic fashion, it uses several quick moments to add color to the narrative.
Reflection of Death ***
Carl Maitland leaves home in the night to go to work. He meets up with his secretary there, and they drive off together. He drifts off in the passenger seat, having a nightmare. Once awake, the two get into a car accident.
When he comes to, the car has caught fire. He walks home, but he horrifies every person he sees.
The segment effectively uses a first-person perspective, hiding Carl’s face from the viewer until the end.
Poetic Justice ***.5
James Elliot and his father live across from an older man, Arthur Grimsdyke (Peter Cushing), whom the two Elliots despise as a blight on the neighborhood.
James begins a campaign of terror, taking everything Grimsdyke holds dear from him and driving him to suicide. But Grimdyke dabbled in the occult, conferring with his late wife before death.
This segment is more involved than the previous two, having a more complex plot. Cushing does a wonderful job as a delightful neighbor, and the torture he goes through is heartbreaking.
The special effects in this are also outstanding — I can’t say too much without spoiling it.
Wish You Were Here **.5
Ralph Jason has to sell off all of his goods. His wife, Enid, reminisces over a Chinese figurine, discovering that it grants three wishes. Each wish, of course, has a deplorable consequence.
This segment is a “monkey’s paw” variant. Ralph even says he read “The Monkey’s Paw” in school and warns Enid not to make a wish, but she tries to wish them out of their financial situation.
This one is gory, with intestines and dismembered limbs flailing about. It doesn’t fit with the rest of the stories — the person who committed the moral sin is not the story’s subject. It also makes little sense with the ending of the collection.
Blind Alleys ***.5
William Rogers becomes a director for a home of the blind. He makes dramatic cuts to the budget so that he may live comfortably, leading to a revolt from some residents.
They lock him and his dog Shane away, letting them starve for a while. Like a bunch of Jigsaw Killers, they construct a maze for him to get through, filled with danger.
Overall, some decent-quality stories