Tales from the Crypt
Writer-director Rusty Cundieff and writer-producer Darin Scott pay homage to the great horror omnibus “Tales from the Crypt” with this urban update. Three gang-bangers’s plans to rob a mortician of drugs goes South when the mortician (Clarence Williams III in a fright wig) invites them into his parlor, and then weaves four tales of horror.
One deals with a black cop who turns his back while several white cops beat and then murder a black activist. 
When his conscience gets the best of him, he strikes a deal with the spirit of the dead man to lure the three racist cops to his grave. The second tale finds a young boy living a nightmare at home. It seems his step-father is a monster, literally. Corbin Bernsen stars in the third tale about a racist politician who encounters voodoo dolls containing the spirits of dead slaves. Finally, a violent gang member agrees to undergo a radical therapy in exchange for an early release. All four tales are told with style and wit, and the cast approaches the material with conviction.
Bernsen is truly despicable as the politician who learns the hard way that you shouldn’t turn your back on folklore. Rosalind Cash has some juicy moments as a de-programmer who likes her job way too much, while David Alan Grier makes his step father a real monster. The wrap-around starring Williams is serviceable, as are the film’s creepy make-up effects. Like all collections, some of the stories are better than others, but overall “Tales from the Hood” is a lot of fun.
COMPLETE CHECK-UP
VISION: [ ] EXCELLENT [ x ] GOOD [ ] RESUSCITATE [ ] D.O.A.
Presented in it’s original 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio, “Tales from the Hood” looks good. Anthony Richmond’s cinematography isn’t going to win any prizes, but it gets the job done, and a decent digital transfer maintains the look. Every now and then the digital transfer would lose a frame or two, causing the soundtrack to go out of synch.
HEARING: [ ] EXCELLENT [ x ] GOOD [ ] RESUSCITATE [ ] D.O.A.
Due to a flawed digital transfer, the copy of “Tales from the Hood” that I got would drop a frame or two every now and then. This would cause the soundtrack to go out of synch. At first I thought it was me or my player, but when I played the affected scenes back, it happened every time. In order for the soundtrack to catch up, I had to scan fast forward and then back. That would usually clear it up. Then another scene would drop a few frames, and it would start all over again. Even though “Tales from the Hood” is presented in Dolby Surround, the mix is uneven and unspectacular. The surround speakers take full advantage of Christopher Young’s ominous score, but the dialogue is sometimes hard to hear. You crank up the volume to hear the dialogue, and then Boom, the score kicks in and rattles your windows. Now that’s a real horror story. There’s also a mono French language soundtrack.
ORAL: [ x ] EXCELLENT [ ] GOOD [ ] RESUSCITATE [ ] D.O.A.
Subtitles in English, French and Spanish.
COORDINATION: [ ] EXCELLENT [ x ] GOOD [ ] RESUSCITATE [ ] D.O.A.
The animated menus are a hoot, and the DVD comes with a behind-the-scenes featurette that looks like it was thrown together at the last minute. There’s the standard cast and crew bios and theatrical trailer, plus television spots. The scene selection menu is attractive and fun.
PROGNOSIS: [ ] EXCELLENT [ ] GOOD [ x ] RESUSCITATE [ ] D.O.A.
Depends on whether or not I got a bogus copy or if all copies of “Tales from the Hood” feature the drop-outs. The drop-outs make the actors look and sound like they’re appearing in a foreign film with bad lip synching. As horror films goes, “Tales from the Hood” isn’t among the worst or the best. It serves a purpose, and is fun to watch.
VITALS: $24.95/Rated R/98 Min./Color/22 Chapter Stops/Snapcase/#91217
ATTENDING RESIDENT: John Larsen : John Larsen
PATIENT: TALES FROM THE HOOD
BIRTH DATE: 1995
HMO: HBO Home Video
