Did you know that before the long-running horror TV series on HBO that started in 1989 with the iconic Crypt Keeper that everyone recognized and before the popularity of that series helped spawn several full length films with the goofy puppet acting as the MC for the story, there was a full-length movie already made in 1972? It was something I was not entirely aware of until last year when I watched it for the first time. 2021 accidentally became the year of horror anthologies for me when I watched Cat’s Eye, Trick ‘r Treat, and other forgettable anthologies for the first time. Of all that I saw, this one stuck with me the most. Don’t take that as a winning endorsement, but merely as a suggestion that there something of an interesting little horror film that people may have forgotten existed.

Despite me (or perhaps you) being unaware of this film’s existence prior to 2021, it’s actually a popular film amongst some notable directors and authors. For example, George A Romero and Stephen King wanted to do a remake of it at some point, but would later go on to make Creepshow instead—which I consider as my favorite of the horror anthology films. You can certainly see the inspiration of this and the comic series of Tales from the Crypt in the just the opening scenes of Creepshow, so it’s not hard to imagine this as the starting point for the project. Robert Zemeckis (director of Back to the Future & Forest Gump) considers the Tales from the Crypt film from 1972 a personal favorite horror film. According to IDMB, it is his favorite horror film to watch during Halloween. In fact, that little TV series I mentioned was produced by Zemeckis, if you want any further indication as to how much enjoyed it.

But how does it all hold up? As someone who didn’t see this movie when it was first released or had any interest in the comics when they were the most active, I don’t have any bias in its favor beyond my appreciation for Peter Cushing. Even so, Peter Cushing is only in one story of the five that are featured in this movie. If you have your own biases, you might have a difference of opinion with me on this. If you haven’t seen it, then I suggest you skip to the end of this review because I will go into spoiler territory. The twists and endings of each story play a major role in my overall satisfaction in watching the movie so be forewarned.

Plots & Thoughts

Five strangers find themselves walking through a graveyard and soon wander into a crypt lead by a tour guide for seemingly no reason at all. It takes no time at all for them to get separated from the tour group and find themselves locked in a tomb with a mysterious man in a black cloak. Despite not being a goofy puppet of a decaying corpse with a disturbed grin, this is the Crypt Keeper. He informs the five strangers that their sins are heavy upon their souls and provides a warning to them in the form of visions of the different stories that make up the film. One by one, each person denies their own failings as a person until confronted with a vision of their demise.

I’ll go through each segment and break down the points of interest and provide a small snippet of what I thought. Spoilers ahead.

“…And All Through the House”

It’s a perfectly fine short that has some effective tense moments. It’s a good premise that is only hindered by the stupidity of the characters. Of the five stories, I rank it 4th place.

“Reflection of Death”

Short, sweet, and to the point. Of the five stories, I rank it 3rd place.

“Poetic Justice”

All around, this story is a surprisingly emotional experience for how short it is. Robin Phillips is quite good at being a pompous scumbag that acts as the polar opposite to the lonely, kind-hearted, old widower. You can’t help but feel bad for Grimsdyke and Peter Cushing’s performance makes the character only that much more sympathetic. Of the five stories, I rank it in 1st place.

“Wish You Were Here”

At least this story is short. Of the five stories, I rank this 5th.

“Blind Alleys”

Of the five stories, this one had the least predictable series of events leading to its conclusion. You could certainly guess how the villain meets his end, but the story manages to keep you in the dark (pun intended) about how everything is going to happen right up to the end. Of the five stories, I rank it 2nd.

TL;DR

Pros

• Good acting in some of the stories, with the middle story starring Peter Cushing being a highlight

• Satisfying conclusions to some stories where the jerks get what they deserve

• Some interesting premises for certain stories

• No story is actively bad or overstays its welcome

Cons

• One story is a little too predictable and uninteresting; it could be cut completely without hurting the overall anthology package

• Not clear why one of the ‘sinners’ is actually the victim of a story

• Crypt Keeper segments don’t do much to add personality to the film

Worth a Watch?

When I first sat down to write this review, I wouldn’t say I was all the impressed by Tales from the Crypt. However, upon reflecting on the various stories that make up the film, I realize it’s actually a pretty good anthology horror movie. It’s not going to blow your mind with any of the twist endings. And if you already have your own favorite anthology, I doubt this film would unseat it from its throne. However, I do believe that this forgotten gem from 1972 is still worth a watch today if you haven’t seen it.