Welcome to review number 4 in our summer camp horror marathon. Let's step away from the camping experiences of the kiddies and teens and instead visit the wilderness with a bunch of old timers. This episode of Tales from the Crypt follows two elderly couples on their weekend camping trip deep into the woods. So, because they are old, instead of tents and rundown cabins the elders are instead in fancy and comfortable RVs. The couples and their relationships are in stark contrast to one another. One couple, Jack and Cynthia, are very unhappily married. They constantly nag at each other and argue about everything. The other couple, Lucille and Harry, are a happy couple and are excited to be on this trip for more reasons than one.
As the story opens we see Cynthia who is in great distress about having to be so far out in the wilderness. She hates bugs, camp food, and the outdoors in general. She would rather be back home in the comfort of her home. She can't understand why her husband and his friends have dragged her all the way out to the middle of nowhere.
But when her husband and Harry are heard whispering to each other and seemingly telling secrets, Cynthia begins to get very curious. She quickly comes to the conclusion that her husband is trying to murder her. In her distress she tries to run away but is quickly stopped by Lucille. Cynthia quickly finds out that everyone is actually making a youth potion with special flowers from the woods. Cynthia is still feeling spiteful and manages to ruin the potion for everyone but herself. But as it is with Tales from the Crypt, her deeds do not go unpunished.
As the story opens we see Cynthia who is in great distress about having to be so far out in the wilderness. She hates bugs, camp food, and the outdoors in general. She would rather be back home in the comfort of her home. She can't understand why her husband and his friends have dragged her all the way out to the middle of nowhere.
But when her husband and Harry are heard whispering to each other and seemingly telling secrets, Cynthia begins to get very curious. She quickly comes to the conclusion that her husband is trying to murder her. In her distress she tries to run away but is quickly stopped by Lucille. Cynthia quickly finds out that everyone is actually making a youth potion with special flowers from the woods. Cynthia is still feeling spiteful and manages to ruin the potion for everyone but herself. But as it is with Tales from the Crypt, her deeds do not go unpunished.
Karma always plays a role in Tales from the Crypt and this episode is no exception. It seems that everyone in the show is greedy in one way or the other. They all pay dearly for it in the end.
Voodoo plays a significant role in this episode as well. It seems that voodoo comes up at least once or twice each season in Tales from the Crypt. I suppose that is according to the 1950s comics which the episodes are based off of. Many movies, shows, and books during the 1950s had to do with themes of voodoo and black magic.
All of the actors are younger people who are dressed up to look old. That way they can grow younger as the story progresses. It makes sense for special effects but in some portions it comes off as odd and the actors don't seem as old as they should be. But they are also funny as old people in many cases. This balances out some of the stranger moments. But the story itself is a little dull and uneventful. It has its entertainment value but doesn't hold a candle to some of the other fantastic episodes in this series.
The scenery of the camp site only plays a small role into the actual story. The campsite is special because it has flowers to create the special youth potion. Besides that, the camp site and forest factor very little into the rest of the story's events. The gore and violence seems fairly minimal compared to other episodes in the series. And with the story being somewhat boring the minimal gore only adds to that boredom.
Voodoo plays a significant role in this episode as well. It seems that voodoo comes up at least once or twice each season in Tales from the Crypt. I suppose that is according to the 1950s comics which the episodes are based off of. Many movies, shows, and books during the 1950s had to do with themes of voodoo and black magic.
All of the actors are younger people who are dressed up to look old. That way they can grow younger as the story progresses. It makes sense for special effects but in some portions it comes off as odd and the actors don't seem as old as they should be. But they are also funny as old people in many cases. This balances out some of the stranger moments. But the story itself is a little dull and uneventful. It has its entertainment value but doesn't hold a candle to some of the other fantastic episodes in this series.
The scenery of the camp site only plays a small role into the actual story. The campsite is special because it has flowers to create the special youth potion. Besides that, the camp site and forest factor very little into the rest of the story's events. The gore and violence seems fairly minimal compared to other episodes in the series. And with the story being somewhat boring the minimal gore only adds to that boredom.
Summing it Up
I did enjoy this episode of Tales from the Crypt but it is a little dull in comparison to some of the other great episodes. The story is less than exciting and the gore is a lot more mild than other episodes as well. It also lacked a little in atmosphere. But the acting and voodoo elements add some fun flavor to the episode. Not the worst episode and at least worth a watch.
Deaths: 4
Language: 3
Gore Factor: 2
Sex Factor: 0
Scare Factor: 1
Fun Factor: 3
Overall Rating: 3
Deaths: 4
Language: 3
Gore Factor: 2
Sex Factor: 0
Scare Factor: 1
Fun Factor: 3
Overall Rating: 3