Tales from the Hood 3 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Tales from the Hood 3 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 1, 2021

It’s only been a couple of years since Tales from the Hood 2, but the original film debuted back in 1995 and spoke on issues of racism, violence, and police brutality within the black community. This new film tackles the same issues in four vignettes, directed by series stalwarts Rusty Cundieff and Darin Scott.

The following segments are included:

Ruby Gates: A new “medical complex” – code for luxury condos -- is in the works, poised to take the place of an apartment complex. The company behind the plans has bought out all of the tenants save but one, a family with a child undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Even an offer of an extra $10,000 is not enough to entice them to move; the stress on their frail son would be too great. The man charged with evicting the couple, David Burr (London Brown), is given an ultimatum by his boss to get them out, lest the financing fall through. His solution: meet with an unstable pyromaniac who thinks setting the building on fire to be the quickest and easiest solution to get them out. The fire does not go as planned, leaving David haunted by the experience and in danger of supernatural retribution.

The Bunker: Denton Wilbury (Cooper Huckabee) is a white supremacist who broadcasts his overtly racist belief system to whoever wants to listen to his diatribes. He has long battled eminent domain and fears both people of color and losing his second amendment rights. As his mental state deteriorates the truth about is life and the values he holds will finally confront him head-on.

Operatic: Chela Simpson (Savannah Basley) is an aspiring singer who is fired from her role as a backup singer because she’s too good; she’ll overshadow the star. But an up-and-coming music manager named Park (Jamie M. Callica) promises to take her career to the next level by introducing her to the right people. In the meantime, he lands her a job to serve as a companion to the elderly, wealthy, and wheelchair-bound Marie Benoit (Lynn Whitfield). Marie’s idea of “companionship” with Chela is watching the same video of her one and only operatic lead over and over again. But the tide turns when Chela exposes her own singing abilities of which Marie says are merely “serviceable.” It’s a defining moment in both of their lives, for better or for worse.

Dope Kicks: The “Punch-and-Run Bandit,” Percy Woodhouse (Patrick Abellard), has been cold-cocking victims and robbing them of whatever money and items they may have on them. His latest victim has little in his wallet but he is wearing golden tennis shoes that Percy takes a liking to. On his first day out with them, he pees himself. He returns home to clean up only to find that he cannot remove the shoes. It’s like they have permanently attached to his body. He quickly realizes that he is being forced to “walk a mile in his victim’s shoes” and discover what it is like to be dead – while still in the land of the living.

Certainly overreaching themes as they pertain to race and violence dominate the film, but the stories also weave deeper commentary into the human condition that speaks not only to those essential, focal point issues but also to greed (“Operatic”), consequences (“Ruby Gates”), and even eternal punishment for sin (“Dope Kicks”). Each segment is strongly acted and smartly written. “Ruby Gates” may be the most well rounded, blending together various themes in a story that explores what happens when the bottom line matters more than the human condition. “The Bunker” is perhaps the least insightful of the segments but also the most direct in navigating through the ruinous waters of racism. “Operatic” explores the dangers of self-centered greed on a couple of different levels. “Dope Kicks” reveals that, indeed, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Cundieff and Scott kick around some serious issues here with a Horror overlay that is not afraid of gore and certainly not afraid of pushing thematic envelopes and placing its characters in challenging, if not obviously amoral, positions. It’s entertainment more than it is social commentary, but it’s done well enough that the two play in tandem with respect for and purpose in the other.

Tales from the Hood 3 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Universal scares up a good, well performing 1080p transfer for Tales from the Hood 3, though to be sure there are a couple of drawbacks. But better to start with the positives. Here's a Blu-ray that is generally in fine working order, yielding crisp, well defined textural necessities across the board. Even in low light – such as during the scenes with Tony Todd – the image holds fast to impressively complex facial and clothing textures. In good light the image hits its stride but it's never wanting for more definite definition at any juncture. Environments hold crisp and steady too, even in challenging light during scenes featuring Marie Benoit watching her home movie over and over again. Color output fares well too. It's balanced and accurate in any light and proves well capable of delivering expressive tones when the opportunity arises. Contrast is dialed in just right to suit any given mood, though certainly some scenes favor a particular shading for stylistic purposes. Skin tones are solid and black levels are fine. On the "trouble" side of the ledger, viewers will spot some banding around the two-minute mark during a cold, bleak exterior shot. Banding can be seen again at 10:49 and at several other points throughout. Compression artifacts are visible at times, perhaps nowhere so obviously as at the 1:01:13 mark. Though there are a couple of minor drawbacks the image holds pleasing and steady throughout. Most viewers will be perfectly satisfied by Universal's efforts.

Tales from the Hood 3 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack delivers a well rounded listen. The track is not timid about extending through the entire listening area. Surrounds are plenty active with both discrete and motion sound elements that draw the listener into the gory shorts and some of their supernatural bends. Low end engagement is rich and detailed with several fine examples of subwoofer stretch in play throughout. Mild atmospherics are likewise well capable of impressive stage saturation and integration. Dialogue clarity is excellent as it plays from a stable front-center location.

Tales from the Hood 3 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

No supplemental content is included. There is no "top menu" screen. Pressing that remote button only restarts the film from the beginning. The "pop up" menu screen only offers a crude option for toggling subtitles on and off. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

Tales from the Hood 3 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Tales from the Hood 3 is effective as both social commentary and Horror anthology but it's not capable of making a true, lasting impact. That's OK. It plays well enough in the moment and will leave the audience reflecting on the story essentials while gradually unpacking the deeper content within each short. The featureless Blu-ray delivers solid video and audio presentations. Recommended.