Tales From The Crypt (1972)

Tales from the Crypt is a 1972 British horror film, directed by Freddie Francis. It is an anthology film consisting of five separate segments, based on stories from the EC horror comics of the fifties by William Gaines.  Five people on a tourist trip end up getting lost in a crypt and run into the Crypt Keeper (Ralph Richardson) who proceeds to show them how they each died.

The Crypt Keeper

 After recently reviewing films that run from average to shitty beyond belief, I now run into this gem. It's filled with a star studded cast that does a great job. (Peter Cushing, Joan Collins, Ian Hednry and Richard Greene)  This is a fantastic film with a great performance by Peter Cushing, as Arthur Grimsdyke, in his segment "Poetic Justice". In fact, Cushing won the Best Actor Of The Year Award in France for this role.  This was the first horror adaption of comic to film and could be considered an inspiration to Creepshow.

Peter Cushing has a heart in this film.

I'm not going to take you through all five tales, mainly because I'm too damn lazy to write it. But another fine segment was "And All Through The House" which has Joan Collins as the wife who kills her husband but can't call the police when a psycho Santa ambles up to the house.  This story also showed up in the "Tales From The Crypt" TV show years later.  Hell, all the stories are good and all the characters are deserving of their fate.  You don't feel bad for any of them when they get their just deserts.

Ho Ho Ho

 If you're a fan of British horror films or anthologies then this is the a film you must see. The movie is stylishly made and has suspense and gore that is sure to please.  Pick up the DVD for a cold winter's night.  It won't disappoint.

Kevin Booker

Trivia:
Peter Cushing is said to "act as himself" in this movie: Cushing's wife had died recently and he was very depressed; while Cushing's character is a widower who uses a ouija to talk with his dead wife.

Ralph Richardson filmed his major role in a day.

Peter Cushing was originally intended to play Ralph Jason, but after looking at the script he persuaded the producers that he would do more justice to the role of Mr. Grimsdyke.

Last full length cinema film of Robert Hutton.

Robert Zemeckis has said this is his favorite movie to watch on Halloween since it was released. he later produced a HBO show based off the comic series and directed the first episode, which was also the first story in the movie.

Peter Cushing wanted to do the movie so much that he took a lower fee. 

Stephen King and George A. Romero considered remaking this movie together. Their work together resulted in a completely separate but similar film, Creepshow.

Director Freddie Francis never read the original comics, fearing it would affect his personal interpretations on the stories. 

Despite being top of the bill and one of the six leads Joan Collins has only 15 lines.

Only two stories in this film - "Reflection of Death" and "Blind Alleys" - originally appeared in EC Comics' "Tales from the Crypt." "...And All Through the House" appeared in "The Vault of Horror" and "Poetic Justice" and "Wish You Were Here" both appeared in "The Haunt of Fear."

"Wishing You Were Here" has a scene where Barbara Murray eviscerates Richard Greene with a sword, exposing his intestines. This scene was originally cut in order to get a PG rating, although it was restored in later versions.

From Beyond the Grave (1973)

From Beyond the Grave is an Amicus horror anthology that is a surprisingly disturbing experience. It is the rookie outing of director Kevin Connor, who delivers a film that, while not flawless, is able to offer some solid chills. Boasting such genre veterans as David Warner, Donald Pleasence, and the legendary Peter Cushing,  From Beyond the Grave is a superior anthology film that is in the best tradition of the subgenre.

The movie tells four stories of people who have, shall we say, unfortunate encounters with the spirits of the dead. In the first segment “The Gate Crasher,” Edward Charlton (David Warner) acquires an antique mirror that houses the spirit of an ancient killer. The second segment, "An Act of Kindness," follows Christopher Lowe (Ian Bannen), an unhappy husband who is offered an unusual way to make his life much better. In “The Elemental,” Reggie Warren (Ian Carmichael) finds himself plagued by a homicidal spirit that is bent on killing his wife. Finally, in “The Door,” William Seaton (Ian Ogilvy) purchases a sinister but beautiful door that leads to a hellish room. The common factor in all these stories is the mysterious antique shop owned by a kindly old man (Peter Cushing) who has the tendency to pass severe judgments upon those who wrong him.

The first of this film’s strengths is that it takes itself seriously. The stories could easily lend themselves to parody or black comedy, but Connor and his screenwriters never fall for that temptation. With the exception of “The Elemental,” which does have one broad, comic character, the stories in this film are presented as straightforward ghost stories. This presentation lends the film a foreboding quality that inculcates a sense of unease that pervades all of the stories. We never get the feeling that the cast or the filmmakers feel that they are above this kind of film, and this adds a sense of believability to the stories.

Like most anthology films,  From Beyond the Grave provides O. Henry or Twilight Zone type stories with malevolent twists and harsh morals. All of the characters that come to bad endings have cheated Peter Cushing’s character out of money in some way. The only character that does not cheat him, William Seaton, survives his encounter with the supernatural. The punishments are a bit severe (forcing a person to commit multiple murders and then trapping them inside a mirror is indeed a harsh sentence for tricking someone out of money), but that is part of the fun of these films.

DO NOT cheat this man!

First-time director Kevin Connor’s work on From Beyond the Grave is superior, doing much more than simply following the characters. He often uses a hand-held camera, which presents a sense of urgency and, in many scenes, panic to the characters. Connor also utilizes odd lenses, particularly in the “An Act of Kindness” story, and extreme close-ups enhance a sense of dread in many of the stories. In a séance sequence, he aims the camera at a candle and then slowly pans across the faces of all the characters sitting around the table. The most inspired idea in the film, however, comes at the very end of the film. Peter Cushing has just foiled a robbery, and has shown that he is invincible to bullets. After tossing the would-be robber into a trunk and slamming the lid shut, Cushing addresses the audience directly, inviting us into his shop. It is both a chilling and amusing moment, and provides a very satisfying conclusion to the film.

The cast is, to a person, excellent. It is not surprising that Peter Cushing offers a subtle and nuanced performance as the narrator, a role in the vein of Ralph Richardson in Tales from the Crypt. In his scenes, Cushing does not go the slightest bit over the top; he underplays throughout, which makes him more chilling than if he had began chewing scenery. The great David Warner does very well with a character that has, at first, the condescending arrogance of a man who believes that he is in control of everything, but soon learns that his life is no longer his own. Donald Pleasence, portraying the street merchant Jim Underwood in "An Act of Kindness", is also a pleasure to watch. Pleasence sets a very ambiguous tone for Underwood. We never know if he is just offering a supportive ear to Christopher Lowe, or if he has some ulterior motive in mind. The strong and nuanced performances bolster the quality of the film, and help make it a very enjoyable experience.

The one and only David Warner

While this is a quality horror anthology, it does contain some flaws. Not all of the director’s choices work. For example, the exorcism scene in “The Elemental” seems unsure of the tone it wants to set. Margaret Leighton plays the exorcist role of Madame Orloff for laughs, but Connor presents the rest of the scene in a straightforward manner. In addition, while the stories are engaging, there are times when they cannot overcome the “silliness” factor. This is due mainly to very unconvincing makeup and effects. The makeup worn by Marcel Steiner in “The Gate Crasher” is extremely weak, looking more like a Halloween costume than a malevolent ghost. A similar complaint exists for Jack Watson’s makeup in “The Door” segment. Additionally, David Gamley’s musical score is weak, punctuated with the occasional xylophone for unwanted comic effect. This type of score can puncture the sense of unease in this type of film, and it does so here.

Despite its few flaws,  From Beyond the Grave is a charming film (if indeed a horror film can be charming) that does not insult its audience with unnecessary comic relief. The acting is top-drawer, the direction is solid, and the stories, if not astounding, are enjoyable vignettes of horror. This film is a welcome addition to the Amicus canon.