Much before the Tales From The Crypt ever became a reality as a television show, it existed as a British horror film. It exists as an anthology, telling the tale of five different deaths of five different people.
The first story is a charming little tale about a woman who kills her husband on Christmas eve. Shortly after she hears of an escaped murderous psychopath on the radio. Of course, she sees the escaped killer outside her home but can’t seek help due to her recent activities…The killer, dressed as Santa is let in by the wife’s little girl. Santa likes to strangle women…
The second story tells of man who leaves his family for his mistress. He and his new love drive off, but are involved in a terrible accident. When he was wakes up he attempts to get home but no one can be bothered by picking up this hitchhiker. When he arrives at his family’s home he notices his wife with another man. He tries to get in but is quickly rejected. He arrives at his mistresses apartment and realizes she’s now blind. She tells him that the accident was two years ago, the same accident that caused her blindness and his death. He looks in a mirror only to reveal his true form…
The third story tells of fun loving old man who entertains the kids in the neighbour but has adopted some undesirable habits according to his uptight neighbours. Habits that involve keeping a lot of animals, and keeping a lot of junk. In a ploy to get him out of the neighbourhood to make it a more desirable and exclusive place to live the wealthy neighbours spread rumours of child molestation, have his dogs removed and even send him hateful valentines. The old man’s heart is broken and he takes his own life. One later on valentine’s day he returns, and rips out the wealthy family’s son’s heart. He send it to the dad is a nice card with some vengeful words…
The fourth story is a traditional tale of being careful of what you wish for. A couple uses a magical object to wish for things they desire. The wishes of course backfire and start by killing the husband. The woman uses a second wish to bring back her husband but of course the wish falls short again. The third wish is to wish him back again, this time trapping in her husband in an embalmed body…
The final story is of a new manager of a home for the blind who tries to save as much as he can to make his own life better. The heat is cut, meals are small, and life is bad overall for the residents of the home while the managers life is quite cooshy. The blind residents becomes fed up when one of their own dies due to the conditions. They build a maze that has walls covered in razor blades, and of course starve the manager’s nasty dog for days. They release their tormentor in the middle of the maze and the dog a the same time. Of course they remember to turn out the lights as well…
There are several clues in the film to give the hint that all of the stories tellers are indeed dead but it’s not revealed until the end that they all died exactly as in their stores.
The film is overall well shot and really fun. I love horror anthology tales and this film is great, from start to finish. The tales aren’t too long or too short. Just right. The roles are well acted and star some of Britain’s bigger actors of the time, most notably Peter Cushing of Hammer, Sherlock Holmes and Star Wars fame.
What I like most about all of these tales is they’re all, in one form or another, tales of vengeance. Karma if you will. Everyone gets what they deserve, no one is innocent here.
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