Scary Tales: The Return of Mr. Longfellow

My husband and I purchased this at Screamfest in Florida, not sure of what to expect. The girl who talked us into buying was very friendly and oh, so cute (but it must have been cold in that outfit).

The movie was WAAAAY past expectations! For a low budget, this sure looked good - sound, sets, effects (even decent computer graphics). We bought this one with the original, and recommend that one as well.

Joe Estevez was outstanding. The final segment with him in it was actually pretty creepy, and the others were a riot!

Along with these movies, we purchased about 6 from the same show, and, so far, NONE of them matched the quality of production.

I think the director said they've changed distributors or companies a few times, or something.

One question - WHY isn't this in stores?

8 out of 10

I'm someone who likes horror movies because they're funny, not scary.

This movie was made for me.

There's 3 stories with a story that connects them, like Creepshow, but this movie was a lot more fun.

The part at the car lot which links everything together was hilarious. There's this character named Wesley who looks like a crazy version of Kurt Russel in Used Cars. He wears make-up, a terrible plaid suit and chomps on mini cigars (and the scenery).

The first story is about a guy who visits a cabin in the woods. It turns out he's heading for group therapy. People start getting killed, and the gore effects are actually pretty good - including a cringing baseball bat to the forehead. Brutal.

The second "Scary Tale" was funny. This guy has a box of Acme Brand chocolate bars which turns some gang members called the zombies into zombies. It's really, really silly and fast paced.

The final tale has awesome acting. It reminded me of the Twilight Zone. This guy with stolen money almost has a car accident and ends up at this hotel he can't leave. Joe Estevez is fantastic (I bought a copy which was pre-autographed by him and the director from a cult movie store in New Jersey).

Loved this movie! I haven't listened to the commentary, but I can't wait.

I must admit, this was one of the first "underground movies" I've ever seen, and to be honest, it looks a lot better than the stuff that's on TV and in chain movie stores.

At least someone's still making fun horror movies. Aside from Shaun of the Dead, everything that's straight to video, or in theaters, has no personality. This movie's subtle about being over the top (which is really hard to do). A must find! IT makes fun of all sorts of clichés - although, it took my neighbor 3 viewings to figure out it wasn't serious. He loves it now too.

I enjoyed the first Scary Tales, even though it had some flaws (most noticeably the pacing of the movie and the acting).

However, I was very pleasantly surprised with Scary Tales: The Return of Mr. Longfellow. The sequel is strides above the first, and it also shows Hoffman's growth as both a writer and director.

One thing of notice is the movie gets very dark at times (in tone), but is reeled back in to keep it light. I'm hoping to one day see a movie where Hoffman lets it go and puts out a darker themed movie.

Sometimes you see movies put out from lower-budgeted directors and the continuing movies show no learning curve, but that is not the case here.

Can't wait for the next movie.

a friend of mine is a critic, and received an advance screener of this. we decided to watch together.

the film centers around an over-the-top character named mistour long fellow, who, tells stories. this is a ridiculous set-up for the stories themselves, but at least it was breezy and refreshing.

the first story, albeit short, is to the point - with mediocre acting but very well-done gore effects.

the second story is about a fellow who works in a convenience store that comes across a mystical box of chocolate bars. they turn the antagonists into zombies - and, hence, there is a final confrontation that is both breezy and entertaining.

the last story has martin sheen's dopleganger brother as the manager of a hotel. his performance is both undeniably creepy and silly. there is no gore to speak of in this story, but it has great acting throughout and nice usage of locations, creating some good atmosphere.

all in all, a nice little film that seems to have fallen under the radar. definitely worth a look for anthology fans.

it also features the man who played the "maniac cop" and the lady who was the killer in "sleepaway camp".

I borrowed this from a friend who has a small role in the film. He said it is going to be released later this year.

I'm not a very big horror fan, and haven't really watched many films that are considered independent.

That in mind, I did enjoy this. Not as much as the original Scary Tales (I borrowed both movies), because this one is so fast paced. The first one took it's time going from one story to the other. This one is literally one joke after the other. Plus, it's a little bloodier than I usually like to watch (the original only had a few bloody scenes).

If you decide to get this, the third story is the best one. Joe Estevez is really good in that one.

The best thing about these movies is that they aren't as scary as the title implies. Although, if campy or over-the-top horror movies aren't your thing, I would avoid.

7.5 out of ten.