Film & Water #102 – Tales From The Darkside: The Movie

THE FILM & WATER PODCAST

Episode 102: TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE: THE MOVIE

"Live" from HeroesCon 2017, Rob welcomes back Derek William Crabbe to discuss another horror anthology film, 1990's TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE: THE MOVIE, starring Debbie Harry, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, David Johansen, James Remar, and Rae Dawn Chong! Watch this show at 350 degrees for 40 minutes!

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13 responses to “Film & Water #102 – Tales From The Darkside: The Movie

  1. Full disclosure: the opening of the Tales from the Darkside series scared the beejeezus out of me. Even though by that point I’d seen some pretty disturbing stuff with my friends (The Thing, The Shining, etc.), watching that opening late at night, by myself gave me the willies. I did occasionally watch the show, and it never unnerved me like that opening. That creepy tree!!!

    This movie totally flew over my head. I recall hearing about it, but I’ve never seen it. You guys have sold me on it! Even now knowing the twists and turns, I think I’ll still enjoy it. Off to Netflix to see if it’s there!

    Chris

    1. Me too, Chris! I waited outside the living room until the song/narrator ended before coming back to watch the show. Always checked out before the final credits.

  2. I like this movie more than I should. But I think it is a notch above Creepshow 2.

    I thought the Mummy story was a lot of fun. What I liked was that it shows that a slow moving, very dry monster could be easily defeated> I mean, Christian Slater takes it out with an electric meat carving knife. But best of all was the surprise ending of that story with the ‘new mummies’ coming for Buscemi’s revenge. At some point I read a whole book of Conan Doyle’s horror stuff and was happy to come across the original story.

    I also liked the last story as I did not anticipate the ending. What I found most frustrating about that story was that Rae Dawn Chong keeps pestering Remar about not sharing. She knows he is hiding something and keeps poking him to reveal … and then it is the very secret that destroys their marriage. Was she compelled to keep testing him? The kids being gargoyles was an odd touch. As I recall, dont we see them as gargoyles in kids pajamas initially? (Or is that my own twisted memory). I really liked this one too just for the nutso ending.

    As for the show I would say it was a mix of horror-lite and Twilight Zone. I can’t remember any particular episode but I know I watched it a ton because I can at least paraphrase the opening … “Man lives in the sun-lit world of what he believes to be reality …”

  3. I cannot wait to hear this! I love your anthology episodes and I love this movie. I remember growing up and seeing the posters in the subway and they scared the ever-loving hell out of me! That gremlin-esque face in the red clouds terrified me.

    I didn’t get to see it for a while, only hearing other kids talk about the mummy pulling the guy’s brains out through his nose. When I did get to see parts of it, it was the gargoyle in the last segment and holy shit that was scary as a kid.

    Seeing it as an adult, I’m actually quite fond of it. Okay, so the middle story isn’t as good as the first but it’s an interesting premise and I love William Hickey.

    Not sure what you guys thought about the movie, but I guess I’ll have to listen to it and find out. Thank you guys for doing this one!

  4. Draft house

    Oh David, its Condiment KING – hand your Batman shirt over to the Skater kids at once.

    Great show boys, my first memory of going to the pictures is Saturday mornings at the Miners’ Welfare Hall in Peterlee (‘the place to be for industry’ as the post frank had it) – ancient Batman serials, Droopy cartoons and those boring Disney wildlife films.

    My first trip with the family was Bedknobs and Broomsticks, that was magical. My second was Anne of 1000 Days. Thanks Mam 🙁

    The first ‘grown up’ film I saw without parents, with a school pal, was Audrey Rose – well creepy.

    I’ve only seen films in US cinemas a couple of times. Never again. Nothing but ignoramuses and loonies. One trip saw an obviously drugged-up woman take her brood of obnoxious toddlers to a film far too old for them and she did a running commentary, not a sniff of a whisper. Oh, and she had them sitting in a supermarket trolley.

    How do you stand it? I cannot let a person use a phone for 30 seconds without telling them to put it off, then I can’t concentrate on the film because I’m waiting for the inevitable.

    Happily, one of the UK’s most popular BBC radio podcasts, Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review, came up with a Code of Conduct – it’s basic manners – and it’s catching on over here.

    Here’s the short video version.

    https://youtu.be/_A-KV_xkrnc

    God, I hate popcorn. Tasteless, stinky styrofoam.

    In the UK anyone talking out loud gets shushed and told to shut up or get out. I wonder if US behaviour is so much worse because you call it ‘theatre’ – I mean, clapping a bit of film? It’s rather sweet, I suppose.

  5. I had no idea. I totally skipped over this movie back when it first came out and never considered it again. Surprised as I too was a big Christian Slater booster back in those days. I do think I have seen the end though as Debbie Harry the kid and the frying pan at the end sound very familiar. Must have caught a piece of this on HBO something. Will have to check it out sometime. Thanks!

  6. Never seen it, but you made me want to.

    Anthology films are an odd beast, but I loved loved loved Argentina’s Wild Tales so I probably shouldn’t give them a de facto pass.

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