TV Terrors: Tales From the Crypt

What horror fan doesn't get excited over Tales from the Crypt? The beloved EC Comics based anthology series that ran on HBO from 1989-1996 is a fan favorite and featured many memorable episodes. I've created brief reviews of a few of my favorites, but there are plenty of other great episodes out there. Which ones do you love?



 Television Terror (Season 2, Episode 16)
There's nothing like a good old fashioned haunted house story, and that's just what this episode is, albeit with that fun EC Comics' twist (generally awful people getting their just desserts). The episode features a smarmy TV reporter (Morton Downey Jr., Predator 2) investigating a supposedly haunted house where multiple murders occurred. There are a couple of good creepy moments in this early episode as well, particularly the man in the bathtub and the discovery of the fate of the poor cameraman.



The New Arrival (Season 4, Episode 7)
This is the first episode of Tales From the Crypt that I remember seeing, and it is easily one of the show's best. The episode is directed by Peter Medak (the George C. Scott chiller, The Changeling) and stars genre vets David Warner (The Omen, Grave Secrets) and Zelda Rubinstein (Poltergeist), as well as supermodel Twiggy. In it, Warner plays a radio psychologist who makes a house visit to a frequent caller (Rubinstein), the mother of a particularly difficult child. Needless to say, he lives to regret getting involved in this particular case.









House of Horror (Season 5, Episode 7)
House of Horror concerns that old genre staple, Fraternity Initiation Stunt Gone Wrong, but it spices it up with some stellar performances from the cast, which includes Courtney Gains (Children of the Corn), Kevin Dillon (The Blob), Brian Krause (Charmed), Will Wheaton, and the lovely Meredith Salenger (Lake Placid). This one also packs a fun little twist; I don't want to spoil it, but let's just say ghosts aren't the real problem here.




Creep Course (Season 5, Episode 9)
I love mummies. I'm a sucker for any horror story with a mummy angle, and this episode certainly delivers. Starring Anthony Michael Hall and Jeffrey Jones (not nearly as creepy here as he is in real life) as murderous conspirators and Nina Siemaszko as their not-so-helpless sacrifice to an ancient mummy, this popular episode is a load of fun.




Runners up: Korman's Kalamity (Season 2, Episode 13), Werewolf Concerto (Season 4, Episode 13), Death of Some Salesman (Season 5, Episode 1), Doctor of Horror (Season 6, Episode 12)

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