Tales from the Crypt (1972)

Five people get lost in a crypt and meet up with a strange crypt keeper who tells them stories of how they died.

Director:

Freddie Francis

Writers:

Johnny Craig (comic book stories Tales From The Crypt and The Vault of Horror), Al Feldstein (comic book stories Tales From The Crypt and The Vault of Horror),

Stars:

Joan Collins, Peter Cushing, Roy Dotrice

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joan Collins	...	Joanne Clayton (segment 1 "And All Through The House")
Peter Cushing	...	Arthur Edward Grimsdyke (segment 3 "Poetic Justice")
Roy Dotrice	...	Charles Gregory (segment 4 "Wish You Were Here")
Richard Greene	...	Ralph Jason (segment 4 "Wish You Were Here")
Ian Hendry	...	Carl Maitland (segment 2 "Reflection of Death")
Patrick Magee	...	George Carter (segment 5 "Blind Alleys")
Barbara Murray	...	Enid Jason (segment 4 "Wish You Where Here")
Nigel Patrick	...	Maj. William Rogers (segment 5 "Blind Alleys")
Robin Phillips	...	James Elliot (segment 3 "Poetic Justice")
Ralph Richardson	...	The Crypt Keeper
Geoffrey Bayldon	...	Guide
David Markham	...	Father - Edward Elliot (segment 3 "Poetic Justice")
Robert Hutton	...	Neighbour - Mr.Baker (segment 3 "Poetic Justice")
Angela Grant	...	Susan Blake (segment 2 "Reflection of Death") (as Angie Grant)
Susan Denny	...	Wife - Mrs. Maitland (segment 2 "Reflection of Death")

Storyline

Five people are trapped in a crypt and are shown their futures by the evil cryptkeeper. They are given the option of avoiding their fates - by avoiding living out the rest of their lives.

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Plot Keywords:

crypt | crypt keeper | future | tension | dreaming of one's own death | 

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Taglines:

DEATH LIVES in the Vault of Horror!

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 March 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

Från andra sidan graven

Filming Locations:

Surrey, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amicus Productions, Metromedia Producers Corporation (MPC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Only two stories in this film - "Reflection of Death" and "Blind Alleys" - originally appeared in EC Comics' "Tales from the Crypt." "...And All Through the House" appeared in "The Vault of Horror" and "Poetic Justice" and "Wish You Were Here" both appeared in "The Haunt of Fear."

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Goofs

After Ralph Jason (Richard Greene) has fallen into Hell, the remaining damned stand up and walk toward the same abyss, but Major William Rogers (Nigel Patrick) is not seen among them.

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Quotes

Charles Gregory: [Revived to life, twitching and screaming in pain] Oh, Enid!
Charles Gregory: [Yelling towards the front door] Charles!
Ralph Jason: Help me!
Charles Gregory: [Entering the house] What's happened?
[to Enid]
Charles Gregory: What have you done?
Enid Jason: I wished him alive again... forever!
Charles Gregory: Don't you realize he's been embalmed? His veins are filled with embalming fluid, burning into him!
Enid Jason: [Sobbing] Oh, no!
Ralph Jason: [Screaming] Enid, do something! For God's sake, Enid, help me!
[...]

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Connections

Spoofed in Tales from the Hood (1995)

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Soundtracks

"Toccata and Fugue in D minor"
Johann Sebastian Bach

User Reviews

Ghoulish Fun

Five people wander off on a tour and come upon the crypt-keeper. Each tells his or her last memory. Each one confesses to doing something wrong. The crypt-keeper listens to each before telling the five what has happened to them and where they are. Easily this is one of the best Amicus horror anthologies. It is well-crafted, well-acted, and suitably directed by genre stalwart Freddie Francis. All of the stories are pretty good, with three standing out. The first story about Christmas and a loose killer is well-done and shocking for its day. The best story stars Peter Cushing as a genial old man suffering desolation and humiliation from a heart-less(no pun intended) neighbor. Cushing does a wonderful job here, and in a way it is a sad performance as it was made shortly after the death of his long-time wife Helen. The last story is almost as good about a group of blind residents who stop taking being treated poorly and give out punishment to a military man with razor-sharp justice. Patrick Magee and Nigel Patrick both excel in this little vignette. The frame story is also well-executed and Sir Ralph Richardson hams it up amicably as the keeper of the crypt. A great group of frightening stories...each with a moral of sorts.