Warner Home Video presents

Tales From the Crypt: The Complete Sixth Season (1994-1995)

"Looks like it's curtains for me kiddies! Then again, maybe the venetian blinds would look better."- The Crypt Keeper (John Kassir)

Stars: John Kassir
Other Stars: Hank Azaria, Shelley Hack, Isaac Hayes, Richard Lewis, John Lithgow, Wayne Newton, Isabella Rossellini, Rita Rudner, Humphrey Bogart, Catherine O'Hara, Peter MacNicol, Corey Feldman, Benecio Del Toro, Terry O'Quinn, Rachel Ticotin, D.B. Sweeney, R. Lee Ermey, Travis Tritt, Ben Stein, Miguel Ferrer
Director: various

MPAA Rating: Not Rated for (adult language, graphic violence, sexual situations)
Run Time: 06h:12m:06s
Release Date: 2007-07-24
Genre: television

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
A	A-	B-	B+	D

 

DVD Review

Yet another few months have passed and that means it's time for another DVD boxed set of the Tales From the Crypt series. Still considered the benchmark for horror anthology television, this timeless series improves as the season number increase. Thanks to Warner's continued commitment to the series and its rabid fan base, we're now able to enjoy the sixth season on DVD.

Fifteen episodes from 1994 and 1995 begin with Let the Punishment Fit the Crime. Featuring a pair of great performances by veteran character actors Catherine O'Hara and Peter MacNicol, this is the tale of a lawyer wrapped up in a nightmare following her arrest for displaying an illegal license plate. Her own lawyer is not what he seems, and things soon go from bad to worse for her. Only Skin Deep is void of any name actor, but is an effective thriller involving a sexual encounter and a strange mask. Comedians Rita Rudner and Richard Lewis star in Whirlpool, which is about a comic book artist in great danger, while Tate Donovan shows up with a haunting imaginary friend in Operation Friendship.

Revenge Is the Nuts is set in a shelter for the blind with an overly cruel owner. When a new blind girl shows up, things change drastically and the owner learns from his mistakes... the hard way. The Bribe finds actors Terry O'Quinn (Lost) and Benecio Del Toro (Traffic) as Martin Zeller and Bill, respectively. Zeller is a fire marshal who is looking to close down a strip club for personal reasons, but when he has someone burn the place down for him, he suffers the greatest loss.

Disc 2 starts with The Pit, which focuses on two feuding rivals and their equally feuding wives, with an appearance by Wayne Newton thrown in for good measure. The Assassin features a Corey Feldman sighting, but mainly involves the wife of an ex-CIA assassin who proves she can hold her own when a group of operatives comes to kill her and her husband. One of the more interesting episodes in this set is Staired in Horror, with D.B. Sweeney, Rachel Ticotin, and R. Lee Ermey. They help guide us through the story of a fugitive who accidentally takes refuge in a haunted house. In the Groove has the underrated Miguel Ferrer (Robocop) as Gary, a talk radio DJ who goes ballistic after being fired, and considers murder as a means of revenge. This second disc finishes up with a crime of inheritance in Surprise Party and the odd casting mix of Hank Azaria, Travis Tritt, and Ben Stein in the grotesque Doctor of Horror.

The third and final DVD kicks off with Comes the Dawn, which takes place in Alaska: two poachers are hunting bear and encounter a woman who takes them into a seemingly safe place that is actually a hidden vampire lair. Things keep getting better in the strangely titled 99 and 44/100% Pure Horror. The great Bruce Davison is Luden Sandelton, a soap magnate who unleashes hell when he fires the designer of his product's packaging, who also happens to be his wife. The last episode of the season might be the most daring thing the show has ever tried. It's You, Murderer, and believe it or not, it stars Humphrey Bogart as Lou Spinelli, an ex-criminal who is running from his past. Bogart's appearance is made possible by computer-enhanced archival footage that is integrated into the rest of the filmed action, which isn't exactly performed by a bunch of lightweights. The "real" cast features John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini, and Sherilynn Fenn.

So, another season of the best horror anthology series you'll find is available for the home theater. While not the most consistently great collection of episodes, there's still more than enough here to keep fans happy until the seventh and final season is available.

Rating for Style: A
Rating for Substance: A-

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.33:1 - Full Frame
Original Aspect Ratio	yes
Anamorphic	no

Image Transfer Review: The 15 shows here are presented in their original format, and the overall quality continues to improve with each new installment. Even brighter colors persist, and are helped by solid contrast levels to craft sharp, detailed images. Dirt and grain still appear from time to time, but these are inherent, and are kept minimal by some clean-up work.

Image Transfer Grade: B-
 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
DS 2.0	English	no

Audio Transfer Review: The Dolby Digital 2.0 mixes have improved since the last seasonal set, including improved, more liberal surround usage. This, combined with some nice directional effects make for a more rewarding experience. The dialogue is crystal clear again thanks, in part, to well-integrated music and ambient sounds.

Audio Transfer Grade: B+ 

Disc Extras

Full Motion menu with music
Scene Access with 45 cues and remote access
Subtitles/Captions in English, Spanish with remote access
Packaging: Nexpak
Picture Disc
3 Discs
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: dual

Extra Extras:

1. Whirlpool: The Animated Comic Book Story

Extras Review: The only extra is Whirlpool: The Animated Comic Book Story. This nearly 16-minute piece is basically what it sounds like: a montage of pictures from the comic book version of the episode, narrated by Kassir.

Extras Grade: D
 

Final Comments

Just about the only horror anthology series worth putting back on the air, the unforgettably scary yet funny sixth season of Tales From the Crypt is now available from Warner. Featuring slightly improved audio and video presentations but still lacking in the extras department, this set is another must for horror fans everywhere.

Chuck Aliaga 2007-07-25