Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is a horror anthology American TV series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO. The title was based on the 1950s EC Comics series of the same name and most of the content originated in that comic or the four other EC Comics of the time (Haunt of Fear, Vault of Horror, Crime SuspenStories, and Shock SuspenStories). The show was produced by HBO with uncredited association by The Geffen Film Company and Warner Bros. Television (all part of a production consortium officially called Tales From The Crypt Holdings). The series is not to be confused with the 1972 film by the same name or Tales from the Darkside, another similarly themed horror anthology series.
Technical data[]
- Alternate title: HBO's Tales from the Crypt
- Episodes: 6
- Runtime: 168 minutes (approximate)
- Sound: Dolby
- Aspect ratio: 1.33 : 1
- Season premiere: June 10, 1989
Episodes[]
| # | Title | Director | Writer(s) | Original Airdate | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Man Who Was Death" | Walter Hill | Walter Hill and Robert Reneau | June 10, 1989 | Crypt of Terror #17 (#1) |
| A prison executioner (William Sadler) is laid off from his job and begins administering his own justice to acquitted murder suspects. | |||||
| 2 | "And All Through the House" | Robert Zemeckis | Fred Dekker | June 10, 1989 | Vault of Horror #35 (#24) |
| A greedy wife kills her second husband for his insurance money and is then visited by a hideous serial killer dressed as Santa Claus. | |||||
| 3 | "Dig That Cat...He's Real Gone" | Richard Donner | Terry Black | June 10, 1989 | Haunt of Fear #21 |
| A cat's gland is implanted into the brain of a homeless man, told that it will grant him nine chances to cheat death. He soon gets greedy and uses his newly found gift for profit by becoming a top carnival act. (Joe Pantoliano,Robert Wuhl) | |||||
| 4 | "Only Sin Deep" | Howard Deutch | Fred Dekker | June 14, 1989 | Haunt of Fear #24 |
| A young, self-obsessed prostitute "sells" her looks to a voodoo-dabbling pawnbroker so she can use the money to snag a rich bachelor, but regrets it when her beauty begins to fade at an alarming rate.(Lea Thompson) | |||||
| 5 | "Lover Come Hack to Me" | Tom Holland | Michael McDowell | June 21, 1989 | Haunt of Fear #19 |
| A newlywed couple retreat to the wife's aunt's mansion where the husband plans to kill her for her inheritance, but soon learns that his wife's family has a dark past and is not what she seems herself. (Amanda Plummer) | |||||
| 6 | "Collection Completed" | Mary Lambert | A. Whitney Brown, Battle Davis & Randolph Davis | June 28, 1989 | Vault of Horror #25 (#14) |
| An uptight elderly man retires and soon discovers his wife's obsession with adopting animals into their home, leading him to use the animals for a hobby of his own. |