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The Movie: A series that ran on HBO from 1989-1996, "Tales From the Crypt" caught on, in part, due to the show's ability to merge campy old-fashioned (and often darkly funny) horror (based on the old comic series) with more modern filmmaking techniques and an impressive roster of talent (likely attracted by producers Walter Hill, Richard Donner, Joel Silver and Robert Zemeckis.) For those unfamiliar, episodes were introduced by a skeletal character called the Cryptkeeper whose wisecracks provided an introduction to the story. While a few episodes here don't live up to the quality of the rest, most of this season is a lot of fun and, once again, the stories have an entertaining way of being a bit wink-wink/nudge-nudge corny and, at the same time, clever and unpredictable. Great casting and direction also further liven up many of the episodes here. Some of the highlights of this season include: "Forever Ambergris" (two war photographers fall for the same woman; stars Steve Buscemi and Roger Daltrey); "House of Horror" (a frat plans an initiation hazing ritual in a spooky house; stars Keith Coogan, Jason London, Will Wheaton and Kevin Dillon), "Well Cooked Hams" (a musician murders another in order to steal his track; stars Martin Sheen and Billy Zane) and "Half-Way Horrible" (An executive wants to market a preservative that keeps food from spoiling forever, but remains haunted by what it took to develop it; stars Clancy Brown and Cheech Marin.) 53. 2 Oct 93 Death of Some Salesmen 54. 2 Oct 93 As Ye Sow 55. 2 Oct 93 Forever Ambergris 56. 6 Oct 93 Food for Thought 57. 13 Oct 93 People Who Live in Brass Hearses 58. 20 Oct 93 Two for the Show 59. 27 Oct 93 House of Horror 60. 3 Nov 93 Well Cooked Hams 61. 10 Nov 93 Creep Course 62. 17 Nov 93 Came the Dawn 63. 24 Nov 93 Oil's Well That Ends Well 64. 1 Dec 93 Half-Way Horrible 65. 8 Dec 93 Till Death Do We Part The DVD VIDEO: Warner Brothers presents the third season of "Tales" in the show's original 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio. Image quality is certainly adequate, but falls a little short of what fans are probably hoping for from the series. Sharpness and detail remain just average throughout, as the episodes consistently look soft, if not so soft as to appear blurry or hazy. Aside from the softness, some minor-to-mild wear on the print is occasionally spotted, as are some very slight instances of shimmer and pixelation. Colors can look slightly hazy or smeary, but some scenes present tighter, crisper colors. SOUND: The stereo soundtrack is just fine, providing crisp dialogue, sound effects and music. EXTRAS: A "virtual comic book" version of "Death of Some Salesmen". Final Thoughts: This fifth season of "Tales" provides an eerie assortment of fun (and sometimes darkly funny) horror tales, with some solid performances from the wide variety of stars. The DVD set provides just adequate video quality, but fine audio and one supplement. Recommended for fans. |