Tales from the Crypt (TV Series) My Brother's Keeper (1990) User Reviews

"When your ar*e is attached to another guys ar*e your a freak." Good tale from the crypt.

[poolandrews · 7/10 · 17 March 2007]

Tales from the Crypt: My Brother's Keeper starts as Siamese twins Eddie (Timothy Stack) & Frank (Jonathan Stark) who are joined at the waist are having a drink in a nightclub, Frank begins to talk to a woman named Marie (Jessica Harper) & they get on well until she realises Frank & Eddie are joined when she leaves in a hurry. The next day & the twins visit a surgeon who says that he might be able to separate them but there is great risk with the operation that either or both twins will die, Frank is scared & refuses to sign but Eddie has a devious plan to convince him otherwise...

This Tales from the Crypt story was episode 17 from season 2, co-written & directed Peter S. Seaman I thought My Brother's Keeper was another entertaining tale from the crypt. The script by Seaman & Jeffrey Price was based on a story from the 'Shock SuspenStories' comic book has a darkly comic feel to it with some amusing scenes like when the twins fight each other & another part when their both in bed with Frank talking to Marie while next to him his brother is getting whipped by a dominatrix. Each twin is portrayed differently with Eddie desperate to be separated from his brother which leads to a neat twist about halfway through the episode which I personally didn't see coming & there's another decent twist at the end as well so overall I'd say My Brother's Keeeper is a fun entertaining story.

As usual for a Tales from the Crypt episode My Brother's Keeper is generally well made with good production values, the majority of this episode goes for a light hearted approach & there's no real scares although someone has a meat clever stuck gorily in their back at the end. The acting is good.

My Brother's Keeper is another great tale from the crypt that's well worth a watch for those who like the twisted & unusual.

Pretty annoying and frustrating

[SleepTight666 · 7/10 · 12 July 2009]

A good little episode that was also pretty annoying and frustrating. It is about two brothers, attached by the ass. They are both extremely different and it is hard for them to live together.

Eddie, the meaner one of the two hires a woman to convince Frank to get an operation. She eventually falls for him and tells Frank about it, but Eddie kills her.

Eventually, Frank tricks Eddie and signs the form which sends Eddie straight to execution. I really liked the twist of events and the set design was excellent.

The problem I have is how Marie was hired if Eddie is always with Frank. Still, a good episode with fine performances.

"Ya gotta pump up the jam!"

[Foreverisacastironmess123 · 7/10 · 29 December 2013]

Ha, it's so funny and dated when the black dominatrix chick says that! Anywho, three whole times did Tales From the Crypt do episodes featuring Siamese twins, with the best one doubtlessly being the excellent "The Ventriloquist's Dummy". This one's all about twin brothers who are attached at the butt and who look nothing alike(!), played by Jonathan Stark and Timothy Stack respectively. Such a weird coincidence how their last names were so similar. Another one was that Stack was also in a TV movie that was also called "My Brother's Keeper." They get a lot of funny slapstick gags out of the way the two are attached, as well as their differing personalities. They must have been wearing some kind of belt of brace together because it was impressive just how in-sync they were on even the smallest things. The band of gross and veiny flesh that connects them in the story has to be seen to be believed! I liked how they made it appear to pulse with their heartbeat. Both actors made a great double act, but for me the funnest thing about this episode was Jonathan Stark, who very effectively played a nasty, obnoxious piece of s**t determined to make his meek and polite brother's life a living hell unless he agrees to sign a paper that'll allow them to be separated. I just thought he was hilarious. He was so sexy in Fright Night! He's also really good about midway through the story when he shows a flash of maniacal rage. That one little moment sets up what he does at the end. Without it, and I think it would have seemed like it came straight out of nowhere. The meat cleaver to the back is one seriously grisly moment that really made me shudder! It's the only bit of real horror in the whole tale. "Au revoir Marie" indeed... ::: I guess he just snapped or something, but that twist didn't do it for me at all, with the guy suddenly turning into a big creep like the brother he despised all along and who had killed the love of his life? come on now.. Well, I suppose it does fit the strain of dark irony that the show worked into a lot of the episodes. I think what might have been a more interesting way to go from a horror point of view would have been if "Eddie" had somehow framed the innocent "Frank" for the murder and it was he who had been sent to the gas chamber instead. This is way better than the last effort the creative team behind this put out, the annoying "For Cryin' out Loud", but it's still not quite among the upper tier of the other truly great offerings of the series. Even if in my opinion there's not all that much to it, it nevertheless is a lot of fun and possesses great charm and wit, and it never gets slow or boring, so two-out-of-three surely ain't half bad!

Enjoyably twisted!

[callanvass · 7/10 · 6 June 2016]

Eddie and Frank are Siamese brothers connected by their waists. Eddie an arrogant person who always seems to get himself into trouble. Frank is the complete opposite. He has a good heart and good values. Eddie tries to convince Frank to agree to a special surgery that will free them both. Frank thinks it's far too risky. Frank meets a girl named Marie in a bar and becomes very attracted to her. Marie is initially disgusted by Frank's situation, but she falls for him too. Frank is convinced by Marie to agree to the surgery, but Eddie does something very devious to change everything.

This is one twisted episode! I enjoyed every second of it too. Tales from the Crypt seems to come up with some of the grossest concepts imaginable. It's a very original tale as well. It's full of creativity and great humor. Not only is being attached to each other's hips disgusting enough, but you are able to relate to both of them. Sure. Eddie is a jerk, but he's kind of an endearing jerk. That said, i would HATE to have a brother like him. I wouldn't be able to put up with it either. Can you imagine having to do literally EVERYTHING together? They even pee together here! There isn't too much gore here. We get a cleaver in the back and icky effects. But that's about it. The ending is very satisfactory as well. As another reviewer pointed out, some may recognize Jessica Harper here from Suspiria!

Tales from the Crypt fans will love this one! It's original, sickeningly funny, and creepy.

7.5/10

We Are Free, Not Freak

[claudio_carvalho · 9/10 · 9 July 2006]

The reckless Eddie (Timothy Stack) and the correct Frank (Jonathan Stack) are Siamese brothers connected by their waists. Eddie wants to convince Frank to be submitted to a surgery with 50% of chances of success, but Frank is afraid. When Frank meets Marie (Jessica Harper) in a bar, he falls in love for her and decides to risk. But a secret is disclosed with fatal consequences, affecting the relationship of the brothers.

"My Brother's Keeper" is another good episode of "Tales from the Crypt". The dark story has two good twists, a surprising first one but the last one is predictable. Further, it is a chance to see Jessica Harper, the unforgettable Phoenix of "Phantom of Paradise". My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Jogo de Cintura" ("Waist Game")

A bit hard to stomach, actually

[bellino-angelo2014 · 6/10 · 14 June 2021]

Siamese twins Eddie and Frank are connected by their waists and they always have to argue on anything. One night at a bar Frank meets and falls in love with Marie and Eddie thinks that they should be separated and so they go to a doctor. Eddie signs but Frank initially refuses because he thinks that the surgical operation could probably kill them. However Eddie has a plan after a while: he murders Marie while Frank is hugging her; Frank then proceeds to drink and take ALL his sleeping pills since they have effect also on his brother and before falling asleep finally signs the paper about their surgical separation. In the hospital we see Eddie that is taken away by the police and also that they are finally separated.

I really can't believe that the lowest rated reviews have scores of 7 as when I saw this episode I felt very uncomfortable (and there was a scene where they showed the part for which they are connected that grossed me out). However, the ending made me feel better finally as I thought that they were normal. Not a bad episode if you aren't grossed out by the main theme.

Enjoyable episode

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 2 March 2011]

Polite and mild-mannered Frank (an excellent portrayal by Timothy Stack) and the crude, wild, and uninhibited Eddie (a marvelously boorish turn by Jonathan Stark) are a pair of radically contrasting Siamese twins who are literally stuck with each other. Complications ensue when Frank meets and fall in love with the sweet Marie (a sound and charming performance by the always welcome Jessica Harper). Director Peter S. Seaman, who also co-wrote the smart script with Jeffrey Price, relates the neat story at a steady pace, adeptly mines a very funny line in inspired quirky humor (the fisticuffs set piece with Frank and Eddie beating each other up is hilarious!), puts a funky spin on the age-old sibling rivalry premise, and delivers two cool twists (the first is a genuine surprise while the second is more predictable, but still effective and satisfying). Stack and Stark both do sterling work in the lead roles; their remarkably convincing physical acting totally sells the conjoined twins premise. Foxy Valerie Bickford has a memorably sexy bit as a frisky dominatrix. Mark Irvin's glossy cinematography and Michel Rubini's spare shivery score are both up to speed. A nifty show.

Very Underrated episode

[sdot8787 · 10/10 · 6 February 2022]

Although a predictable ending and not very scary. The comedy in this episode is golden. At first you're thinking "they're trying to hard to be funny" and then by the end you realize they're doing it on purpose. Loved it.

Not bad.

[shellytwade · 8/10 · 5 April 2022]

This is probably going to be either a hit or miss episode depending on the type of person you are. There is a little more comedy in this one which may turn off some people but to me it still retains the classic darkness that makes Tales From The Crypt amazing.

Siamese

[BandSAboutMovies · 5/10 · 8 March 2024]

Directed by Peter S. Seaman (his only directing job, as he was the writer of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Doc Hollywood and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?) who co-wrote it with Jeffrey Price (they also wrote those films together), "My Brother's Keeper" is about cojoined twins Frank (Tim Stack) and Eddie (Jonathan Stark).

"Are you alone tonight? Well, consider yourself lucky...there could be two of you! And imagine what a fright-mare that could be. Just a reflection. Not so for tonight's stars, Frank and Eddie. Two brothers who are touchingly close. When a woman tries to come between them, she finds herself caught in a tangled web of jealousy and intrigue. I think you'll find it a twinning combination. So without futher ado, I bring you "My Brother's Keeper.""

Frank is the good twin and Eddie the evil one. A doctor can get them apart, but there's a fifty percent chance they'll die, so Frank won't undergo the operation. Frank falls for a girl named Maria (Jessica Harper!) who was actually hired by Eddie to push for the operation, even if Eddie keeps screwing up their dates and love life. He finally kills her with an axe which causes Frank to try and overdose on sleeping pills. When they wake up, they've been operated on, but who will the police arrest?

This episode is based on the story of the same name from Shock SuspenStories #16. It was written by William Gaines and Al Felder and drawn by George Evans.