7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
An evil monk shares five separate stories of the macabre.
Starring: Joan Collins, Peter Cushing, Roy Dotrice, Richard Greene, Ian HendryHorror | 100% |
Holiday | 1% |
Comic book | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
2042 kbps
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Note: This film is currently available as part of the double feature Tales From the Crypt / Vault of Horror.
That “usual gang of idiots” at the iconic Mad Magazine probably relished in the unintended irony that the company that published the
self described “rag” had originally been called Educational Comics. For millions of Baby Boomers, Mad was indeed a major source of a
certain kind of “education,” though by the time EC started making Mad its main focus, the “E” in its title had already been changed to
represent “Entertaining” rather than “Educational.” That change was prompted at least in part by the company’s previous emphasis on
typically whimsical horror outings like Tales from the Crypt and The Vault of Horror, brainchildren of William Gaines, the son of
EC’s founder Max Gaines. The strictures of the early Eisenhower era ultimately brought the censor’s hammer down rather hard on EC and
some of its publishing kin for supposedly contributing to the perceived delinquency of minors, which is when EC decided to promote
delinquency in a different way by concentrating on Mad. But for kids who had at least a few years relishing in the delights of
EC’s horror magazines, indelible impressions were made, and, later, when a new generation sought out old issues in a wave of kitsch
collecting, early EC magazines attained a new (and at times considerably lucrative) luster. Another vaunted name in the annals of
international horror, Amicus Productions, brought out two films in 1972 and 1973 which capitalized on the increasing fame of those early
fifties’ comic books. Tales from the Crypt is undoubtedly a more generally entertaining film than its follow up The Vault of
Horror, even if some might argue that the second film more adequately captures the sly combination of gross out gore and bizarre humor
that made those early EC efforts so memorable.
Tales from the Crypt is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Scream Factory, an imprint of Shout! Factory, with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. While the elements have some minor age related issues like tiny scratches and a few flecks and specks, things are in rather good shape overall. The film starts out a bit soft, with underbaked contrast, most of which is probably due to an extended optical credits sequence. While the interstitial catacombs material does tend to be a bit soft and ill defined at times, once the film gets into the vignette sequences, things look suprisingly spry, with good, full bodied (and blooded) colors, though there has been just a very slight, incremental fade that's apparent in aspects like the reds. Detail is generally very good to excellent, with a nicely organic looking image retaining a natural grain field. There are no signs of intrusive digital tweaking of the image harvest.
Tales from the Crypt features a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono mix that provides ample support for the film's dialogue, even if some musical elements like the use of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor sound just a tad bit boxy and confined at times. Fidelity is very good, dynamic range is wide, and there are no issues of any kind to warrant concern.
There are no supplements for Tales from the Crypt.
Tales from the Crypt delivers a few decent chills, and it has a nicely pervasive sense of morality gone awry (something that plays into that supposed "twist" ending). The venerable Sir Ralph Richardson is certainly among the stranger choices for a Crypt Keeper in the annals of film and/or television, but the colorful cast of British stalwarts makes the most of their roles in this enjoyable if ultimately lightweight piece of horror fluff. Technical merits are generally strong, and Tales from the Crypt comes Recommended.
(Still not reliable for this title)
Further Tales from the Crypt
1973
2015
1982
Uncut
2013
Limited Edition
2009
2018
2012
2013
2005
2009
2019
2019
2015
2015
2014
2014
Legions of the Dead
2011
2012
Collector's Edition
1982
Creatures / Warner Archive Collection
1974