Welcome to another mid-week mini review! This week I'm reviewing an episode of Tales from the Crypt. For the next little while I'll most likely focus my mini reviews on this show and Goosebumps--with the occasional random review thrown in the mix. There is so many episodes between Tales From the Crypt and Goosebumps that I think it will keep us all entertained for a long while to come. Additionally I really think these two shows go hand in hand. Goosebumps was strongly inspired by the 1950s horror comics that Tales from the Crypt is based off of. And as a child I really wanted to watch Tales from the Crypt, but my mother said "absolutely not." (and with good reason) So Goosebumps is like the Tales from the Crypt for kids and it sustained my young desire for the macabre for a number of years.
But then as I grew older and had my own choice of TV and film I of course picked up Tales from the Crypt. And now--to this day--it is my favorite TV show. And today I will be reviewing the first episode in the series: "The Man Who Was Death!"
This little ditty revolves around a professional executioner named Talbot and his personal love for his line of work. He seems to have gained a sort of God Complex from having killed so many men in the chair over the years. He feels justified in these killings since those who are dying are getting what they deserve. They are menaces to society.
Unfortunately the state does away with the death penalty and Talbot loses his job. However, this doesn't stop him from continuing his "righteous" executions. People who get off free from the justice system cannot escape the killings of Talbot. So he still executes them by the classical electrocution. For instance, one couple who got away with murder is taking a nice warm dip in a hot tub. They are celebrating their victory when Talbot shows up and electrocutes them right in their tub.
But good ol' Talbot can't get away with his executions forever. He finally gets caught for his killings outside of the boundaries of the law. And ironically, in classic Tales of the Crypt style, Talbot gets sentenced to death--since the death penalty has been reinstated. He goes to the chair and gets his shocks in the same way he so often threw the switch on others. That's one thing I've always loved about Tales from the Crypt, the dramatic irony. People always get their just deserts in the most fitting way. It makes for a fun and entertaining show.
But then as I grew older and had my own choice of TV and film I of course picked up Tales from the Crypt. And now--to this day--it is my favorite TV show. And today I will be reviewing the first episode in the series: "The Man Who Was Death!"
This little ditty revolves around a professional executioner named Talbot and his personal love for his line of work. He seems to have gained a sort of God Complex from having killed so many men in the chair over the years. He feels justified in these killings since those who are dying are getting what they deserve. They are menaces to society.
Unfortunately the state does away with the death penalty and Talbot loses his job. However, this doesn't stop him from continuing his "righteous" executions. People who get off free from the justice system cannot escape the killings of Talbot. So he still executes them by the classical electrocution. For instance, one couple who got away with murder is taking a nice warm dip in a hot tub. They are celebrating their victory when Talbot shows up and electrocutes them right in their tub.
But good ol' Talbot can't get away with his executions forever. He finally gets caught for his killings outside of the boundaries of the law. And ironically, in classic Tales of the Crypt style, Talbot gets sentenced to death--since the death penalty has been reinstated. He goes to the chair and gets his shocks in the same way he so often threw the switch on others. That's one thing I've always loved about Tales from the Crypt, the dramatic irony. People always get their just deserts in the most fitting way. It makes for a fun and entertaining show.
Honestly, this wasn't the best note to open the TV series on. Don't get me wrong, it is a good episode. But it isn't GREAT like some of the other episodes are. (Like the second episode with a killer Santa. THAT is a great episode). I really enjoyed Talbot's noir-esque narration. He breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to the audience. It also makes it all the more entertaining when he finally gets it in the end.
However, this episode doesn't have the creepy macabre that I expect from the Crypt Keeper. I like dead people returning from their graves, ghosts, haunted houses, creepy serial killers, all of that awesome jazz. I think this episode could have come in later once the show had better established its atmosphere. But I also understand, in order to uphold the good ol' HBO reputation, they make sure to have lots of nudity and violence in this episode. In a way, the extra nudity may have been a way to grab audience members early in the show. Well, I'm sure it worked since the show went on for seven glorious seasons.
Now, I personally thought the use of nudity was unnecessary in this particular episode. It didn't have much pertinence to the theme or story of the episode and was in there for entertainment's sake alone. So I think it would have been better with more of the macabre elements of the classic comics and less of the nudity. But sex sells and that is what made it into the first episode.
However, this episode doesn't have the creepy macabre that I expect from the Crypt Keeper. I like dead people returning from their graves, ghosts, haunted houses, creepy serial killers, all of that awesome jazz. I think this episode could have come in later once the show had better established its atmosphere. But I also understand, in order to uphold the good ol' HBO reputation, they make sure to have lots of nudity and violence in this episode. In a way, the extra nudity may have been a way to grab audience members early in the show. Well, I'm sure it worked since the show went on for seven glorious seasons.
Now, I personally thought the use of nudity was unnecessary in this particular episode. It didn't have much pertinence to the theme or story of the episode and was in there for entertainment's sake alone. So I think it would have been better with more of the macabre elements of the classic comics and less of the nudity. But sex sells and that is what made it into the first episode.
Summing it Up
So a good episode but by far not the best in the series. It has a lot of nudity without much purpose and I would have preferred a more classically creepy episode to open the show. But if you enjoy Tales from the Crypt or enjoyed the 1950s horror comics, you will most likely still enjoy this episode, even if it isn't as good as some others!
Deaths: 5
Language: 5
Gore Factor: 3
Sex Factor: 4
Scare Factor: 2
Fun Factor: 2
Overall Rating: 3
Deaths: 5
Language: 5
Gore Factor: 3
Sex Factor: 4
Scare Factor: 2
Fun Factor: 2
Overall Rating: 3