Tales from the Crypt (1972)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Freddie Francis

Writers:

Johnny Craig (comic book stories Tales From The Crypt and The Vault of Horror)
Al Feldstein (comic book stories Tales From The Crypt and The Vault of Horror)

Release Date:

9 March 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

DEATH LIVES in the Vault of Horror!

Plot:

Five people get lost in a crypt and meet up with a strange crypt keeper who tells them stories of how they died.

Plot Keywords:

Crypt | Future | Tour | Infidelity | Sword

Cast

Joan Collins	...	Joanne Clayton (segment "All Through The House")
Peter Cushing	...	Arthur Edward Grimsdyke (segment "Poetic Justice")
Roy Dotrice	...	Charles Gregory (segment "Wish You Were Here")
Richard Greene	...	Ralph Jason (segment "Wish You Were Here")
Ian Hendry	...	Carl Maitland (segment "Reflection of Death")
Patrick Magee	...	George Carter (segment "Blind Alleys")
Barbara Murray	...	Enid Jason (segment "Wish You Where Here")
Nigel Patrick	...	Maj. William Rogers (segment "Blind Alleys")
Robin Phillips	...	James Elliott (segment "Poetic Justice")
Ralph Richardson	...	The Crypt Keeper
Geoffrey Bayldon	...	Guide
David Markham	...	Father (segment "Poetic Justice")
Robert Hutton	...	Neighbour (segment "Poetic Justice")
Angela Grant	...	Susan Blake (segment "Reflection of Death") (as Angie Grant)
Susan Denny	...	Mrs. Maitland (segment "Reflection of Death")

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:(Banned) (1972) (original rating) | Finland:K-18 (cut) (re-rating) | West Germany:18 | Netherlands:16 | Italy:VM14 | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) (1988) (cinema version) (cut) | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | USA:PG | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Amicus Productions

Trivia:

Peter Duffell passed on the chance to direct this picture.

Goofs:

Plot holes: In the fourth segment, Enid wishes for her husband Jason exactly like he was before the accident. However, when he's brought in by the undertakers, he's been embalmed, which isn't how he was just before the accident.

Quotes:

Charles Gregory: [Revived to life, twitching and screaming in pain] Oh, Enid!
Charles Gregory: [Yelling towards the front door] Charles!
Ralph Jason: Help me!
Charles Gregory: [Entering the house] What's happened?
[to Enid]
Charles Gregory: What have you done?
Enid Jason: I wished him alive again... forever!
Charles Gregory: Don't you realize he's been embalmed? His veins are filled with embalming fluid, burning into him!
Enid Jason: [Sobbing] Oh, no!
Ralph Jason: [Screaming] Enid, do something! For God's sake, Enid, help me!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hood of Horror (2006)

Soundtrack:

Toccata and Fugue in D minor

An enjoyably nasty and macabre collection of terror tales.

Back in the 60's and 70's, a company called Amicus delivered a string of noteworthy anthology horror films. This five story collection is adapted from tales first told in the E.C. horror comics of the 1950's, and it's a good and ghoulish cinematic adaptation. An excellent British cast brings this movie to life, as well as sterling, stylish photography by Norman Warwick and fun music by Douglas Gamley; film also makes good use of Bachs' Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.

The stories are all told in tight and trim running times, resulting in approximately an hour and a half of horror.

As a group is taking a tour of some catacombs, five get separated from the main group and end up imprisoned in a room with a strange gentleman - none other than the Crypt Keeper (Sir Ralph Richardson). (Yes, back in the early 70's the role was played by a person and wasn't a puppet.) The sinister Keeper informs the puzzled quintet why they are there by presenting them with the five tales.

"And All Through the House". Joan Collins portrays a murderous wife, after her husbands' insurance policy, who knocks him off on Christmas Eve while a psychopath dressed as Santa Claus is on the loose. This story would later be adapted again as the very first episode of the 1989 - 1996 TV series. Not a bad way to kick off the movie. The combination of graphic mayhem with the sounds of a choir singing Christmas carols works well, and the gorgeous Collins is compulsively watchable here.

"Reflection of Death". Adulterous Carl Maitland (Ian Hendry) is about to leave his whole family for the other woman, but ends up in a horrific car accident. He walks away only to find out that things are not as they seem. The camera takes up his point of view, a nice touch in a story with a cyclical quality.

"Poetic Justice". Snot nosed, ruthless developer James Elliott (Robin Phillips) intensely dislikes neighbor Arthur Grimsdyke (a truly wonderful Peter Cushing), and enacts several schemes to drive the poor old man away. The last one has a tragic consequence for Grimsdyke...and an equally tragic one for Elliott. Phillips is a great villain and this portion of the picture is not only enjoyably morbid but rather affecting as well.

"Wish You Were Here". In this variation on the story of "The Monkey's Paw" (which is actually mentioned on screen), ruthless businessman Ralph Jason (Richard Greene) ends up forced to declare bankruptcy. As he is forced to ponder selling his belongings to pay off his debts, he and his wife realize that one of their statues bears an inscription seemingly entitling them to three wishes. In short order, wish one brings about instant wealth, and wish two brings Ralph back to life after he perishes in a car crash. However, wife Enid (Barbara Murray), for her third wish, hopes to have him live forever, but he is in unbearable agony - now for eternity - because he is suffering the effects of the embalming. She tries to end his suffering, but it only makes things worse. Some good moments and nice sequences in this story with a cheerfully sadistic, nasty conclusion.

"Blind Alleys". The new head of a hospital for the blind, Major Rogers (Nigel Patrick) seems to care not at all for his patients, forsaking all of their comfort for his own gratification. But prominent patient Mr. Carter (Patrick Magee) has plans for revenge, involving razor blades and Rogers's own dog. This segment is as nicely twisted and memorably gruesome as the fourth entry, and is a satisfactory way of ending the picture.

Then the whole movie is wrapped up when the Keeper informs his five guests of their ultimate fate.

A grand old time for horror fans, this film is graphic enough to keep more squeamish viewers at bay, but the cast makes it a must see and the highly capable veteran director and cinematographer Freddie Francis once again shows an assured facility for the genre. The picture has no dull moments, and moves steadily and surely towards its dark conclusion.

This was a pleasure for me to watch.

8/10