I racconti della cripta

There have been many shows that were never intended to be taken seriously, but "Tales from the Crypt" brings the idea to a whole new level. Each episode begins by descending into what appears to be a haunted house, where we get introduced to the delightfully creepy Crypt Keeper. He explains (as sardonically as possible) what we're about to watch. Then, each episode tells a story involving a really nasty situation; some involve monsters, others involve people doing really unpleasant things, but they all make one laugh. I really liked the episode where Don Rickles played a most unusual puppeteer, and also the episode where Christopher Reeve opened a restaurant...of sorts. Granted, this show was kind of ridiculous, but they never lost their timing, even with the Crypt Keeper's silly remarks. Just remember that, kiddies. Hee hee hee!

OK, the Cryptkeeper, I remember him fondly, as I knew whenever I say him I knew he'd be preceded by a great tale of horror. OK maybe in the first short season, it wasn't as apparent as the superb later seasons would be, but this did lay the groundwork (side note: none of the tales in the first 6 episodes of this series actually came from the "Tales From the Crypt" comic series technically). Not to say this season wasn't good, quite the opposite as the maniac Santa story of "And all through the House" and the black comedic "Collection Completed" are classic episodes, even if the other 4 are not really up to snuff. Even the second season would get so much better by leaps and bounds.

My Season one grade: B

Season 1 Extras: New introduction from a now heavily bandaged Cryptkeeper; the cool "Tales from the Crypt: From Comic Books to Television" documentary and the not nearly as cool 5 and a half minute "Crypt Keeper's History Of Season 1"

Not only was every episode meticulously crafted into thirty minutes of ironic terror, but the forces behind it always remained credible enough to deliver star-studded episodes. Jon Kassir's Crypt Keeper remains one of the more sacred pop culture figures of recent years (when's the last time you saw someone trashing the Keeper? He's an icon for chrissakes), and while some of the stories may not have been on caliber with others (most of the "England" episodes never touched the Demi Moore/"if I can't have you, no one will" one), in the end, when the smoke had cleared and the show was over, you looked at it with a refreshing zing, as if you had embraced being had.

Bringing back the EC stories wasn't a simple task. Speilberg tried it with "Amazing Stories" and gave up after two long years. The "Vault Of Horror" got a limited run in 94, but failed. But Tales always stuck around, on its own terms, and gave up swinging.

NP: The Bobcat Goldthwait episode: only animated Tales ever: takeoff...Three Little Pigs

Oh man, I miss this show so very much. I wish upon oh so many stars for them to bring it back. *sigh* There aren't many shows EVER to have a whole new storyline every episode. And for the ones there are, none of them can even begin to compare with this one. It had EVERYTHING; humor, horror, drama, and an amazing, original host to start each episode off: The Cryptkeeper.

There may be other shows that are similar, but none will ever have anything like the Cryptkeeper. When I was younger, I was terrified of him. But as I got older I listened more to what he said and realized how hilarious he was. Not because his jokes were funny, but more because of how corny they are, but yet he thinks they are just the funniest things in the world.

The thing is is that if you haven't seen this show then you definitely need to go out and buy the episodes. And if you don't feel like taking a big step like that, go rent them, then you can buy them. I, myself, am waiting eagerly for them to put the rest of the seasons on DVD so I can have a HUGE marathon of nothing but "Tales From the Crypt"!

Based on the gruesome EC comics of the same name, Tales From the Crypt showcased a wide ranged of talent in both in front and behind the screen. And despite the name, not every episode was pure horror... some could be laugh-out-loud humorous, and some were even dramatic that could put you to the verge of shedding tears. The makeup on the series was excellent, and made the scenes that were gruesome very hard to watch. And of course, let's not forget the the dead one himself, the Cryptkeeper. John Kassir was absolutely perfect as the voice of the ghoulish host. For people who missed the series, I truly think you should purchase the DVD sets and check it out. Be warned though, there are some scenes that you may have a tough time stomaching.