Deadtime Stories (1986)

Director:

Jeffrey Delman

Writers:

Jeffrey Delman (writer)
J. Edward Kiernan (writer)

Release Date:

28 November 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Your Most Terrifying Nightmares Come to Life. You'll Pray for Dawn.

Plot:

A babysitting uncle tells his charges three horror stories--about a killer witch, Little Red Riding Hood and a werewolf, and a story about "Goldi Lox" and the three bears.

Plot Keywords:

Babysitting | Werewolf | Witch | Impalement | Slapstick

Cast

Scott Valentine	...	Peter
Nicole Picard	...	Rachel (Red Riding Hood)
Matt Mitler	...	Willie (Werewolf)
Cathryn de Prume	...	Goldi Lox (as Cathryn DePrume)
Melissa Leo	...	Judith 'MaMa' Baer
Kathy Fleig	...	Miranda
Phyllis Craig	...	Hanagohl
Michael Mesmer	...	Uncle Mike
Brian DePersia	...	Little Brian
Kevin Hannon	...	Beresford 'Papa' Baer
Timothy Rule	...	Wilmont 'Baby' Baer
Anne Redfern	...	Florinda
Casper Roos	...	Vicar
Barbara Seldon	...	Seductress
Leigh Kilton	...	Seductress

Also Known As:

Freaky Fairytales (UK)
Freaky Film Tales (USA) (working title)
The Griebels (Europe: English title) (DVD title)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Australia:M | USA:R | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Greenwich, Connecticut, USA

Company:

Scary Stuff

Goofs:

Continuity: In many of the bedroom scenes, daylight appears to be streaming in through the window. Uncle Mike previously complained how late it was.

Quotes:

Uncle Mike: Once upon a time, there was a little girl named "Rachel." Actually, she wasn't all that little. She was a hot-looking high school senior with deep blue eyes, and fine, firm breasts and...
Little Brian: That's not the way Mommy tells it!
Uncle Mike: Shut up, that's the way I tell it.

Movie Connections:

References King Kong (1933)

Soundtrack:

Baby, No Maybe

some of it bites, some of it is funny

So, to tell the truth, the first reason I wanted to see this film was to see that actor from FAMILY TIES in a gross-out horror film. But, despite a few cheesy effects, this film is two-thirds a dud.

The first story, about witches, is a wash-out.

The second story, a parody on Little Red Riding Hood, was better paced, but still lacking in any real dramatic thrust(except for that of Red, when she meets up with her boyfriend). This is the one that Scott Valentine is in, and although an improvement on the first story, it still bit the big one.

The third story, however, works. Goldi Lox is a psycho, and the Bears are thieves. This makes for a perfect coupling, until sex comes into play. Then, things get nasty. This segment is the best of the three stories, and maybe if the other two stories had been as strong(and funny), the overall film would've been better.

As it stands, however, DEADTIME STORIES isn't exactly the best way to spend 90 minutes. It is slow in many sections, and the low budget is evident. But, if you don't mind fast-forwarding about an hour, the Goldi Lox story is a real hoot. Otherwise, THE OFFSPRING is a far more superior anthology film.