"Tales from the Crypt" The Assassin (TV Episode 1994) Poster

(TV Series)

(1994)

User Reviews

Review this title
7 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
8/10
Household Assassin
hellraiser79 July 2018
This episode isn't a favorite of mine but it's a good one that I like. Not much I can say, I really like the premise which is common mistaken identity premise in all suspense thriller but what I like is in its deceptive execution which comes with an ending that kind of pulls the rug from under you. Even after seeing the ending, watching this episode a second time the whole thing is simple it just doesn't seem that way.

Did like the performances of all four actors, in a way the whole episode is almost like a stage play as there is just a small cast and one setting, or even a bottle episode from the fact they're in the house the whole time.

Corey Feldman and Johnathan Banks both are good at playing professional creeps. As well as Cheslia Field whom is the lead b.... I mean assassin. However, for me it was Shelly Hack whom really carried out the episode. She of course is no stranger to the spy/suspense thriller genre as she was a former angel in season 4 of "Charlie's Angels". I really like her performance as the housewife architype which is a little exaggerated but there's reason for it trust me. I really like how she reacts to the situation, it's felt like that how any ordinary person would react to an overwhelming situation.

Her character is sympathetic as she is just an innocent person that didn't ask or look for trouble but unfortunate like most protagonists in suspense thriller she's cursed with trouble finding her. We know she's in deep crap as she's an ordinary house wife whom has to deal with trained killers, so the odds are not in her favor.

However, as we see she manages to turn the tables in her favor. I won't say how but the way it's done is both suppressing and funny, I thought wow for a housewife she really can hold her own against danger. I won't say the ending that something to see yourself, but I'll say this, one of the most important rules in cloak and dagger is, sometimes the best cover is in plain sight.

Rating: 3 stars
3 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Fun with guns
ctomvelu124 January 2010
Shelley Hack stars as a housewife whose husband may be a rogue government assassin. A trio of government killers invade her home, and await the return of the husband from work. This is a comic episode, with fairly predictable results, but it is greatly enlivened by having Corey Feldman of THE GOONIES and LOST BOYS fame as one of the government wet workers. A familiar character actress, Chelsea Field, plays one of the other killers and another familiar face, Jonathan Banks (best known for BEVERLY HILLS COP), is the third hit man. Hack is acceptable as the dazed and confused housewife, although she will never top her role as the unsuspecting wife in THE STEPFATHER.
3 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Quirky Tales from the Crypt episode.
poolandrews5 May 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Tales from the Crypt: The Assassin is set in Los Angeles where ordinary suburban housewife Janet McKay (Shelley Hack) arrives home to find CIA assassins Simone (Chelsae Field), Todd (Corey Feldmen) & William (Jonathan Banks) waiting for her. Simone tells Janet that they are there to kill her husband Jeremy (Marshall R. Teague) who is an on the run CIA assassin that went missing several years ago. Claiming that he has changed his appearance & name they lie in wait for him to come home from work but they operate a no witness policy which means Janet must also be killed, but are they sure they have got the right man...

This Tales from the Crypt story was episode 8 from season 6, directed by Martin von Haselberg one has to say that The Assassin is a nice quirky tale from the crypt that is something a bit different. The script by Scott Nimerfro was based on a story in the 'Shock SuspenStories' comic book & isn't necessarily straight horror, it's more of a oddball thriller with a unexpected if somewhat silly ending. This one moves along at a nice pace, it has a bizarre storyline with a really good twist ending which I thought was silly but still effective. Season six marked a change of direction for Tales from the Crypt, it went from straight horror themed stories to oddball efforts like The Assassin & the previous story The Pit (1994) & it's no great surprise that the series didn't last that much longer after it had abandoned it's roots.

This is set entirely within an average middle class house, it's not scary & there's nothing particularly horror themed but The Assassin is still a very enjoy thirty odd minutes. There's a bit of blood & gore, a woman impales her high heel shoe into someone's eyeball, there's some blood splatter & some severed fingers. The acting is pretty good including Chelsea Field & William Saddler who reprises his role as the Grim Reaper from Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey (1991) during the amusing opening & closing Cryptkeeper sequences.

The Assassin is an entertaining Tales from the Crypt episode, it's not straight horror but the story is quirky enough & the twist suitably memorable to make The Assassin well worth a watch, I liked it.
2 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Sort of like an older version of MR AND MRS SMITH
bellino-angelo201410 July 2021
Janet McKay is an housewife that lives happily with her husband Ronald Wald. One day, however, her peace is disrupted by the arrival of three government agents (Chelsea Field, Corey Feldman and Jonathan Banks) that come for searching Ronald and murder him. They tell Janet that they must kill her for silencing any witness. However, they'll end up with more than what they bargained for as Janet has learned all her husband's skills for silencing any troublemaker...

My summary refers to the fact that since that movie was made in 2005, it's likely that the writers might have seen this episode for an inspiration, and I kinda appreciate it. In the Crypt Keeper parts there is also William Sadler (who already guest starred in the pilot THE MAN WHO WAS DEATH) here reprising his role from BILL AND TED'S BOGUS JOURNEY. A nice cameo and a good episode overall.
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Enjoyable offbeat episode
Woodyanders7 September 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Sweet and unsuspecting housewife Janet McKay (a fine performance by Shelley Hack) proves to be more than a match for three government espionage agents who invade her home in order to bump off her rogue agent husband. Director Martin von Haselberg, working from a clever script by Scott Nimerfro, relates the entertainingly oddball story at a swift pace, ably mines an amusing line in inspired quirky humor, delivers several hysterical moments of outrageous violence, and pulls off a real doozy of a wonderfully bizarre surprise twist ending. The spirited acting by the enthusiastic cast helps a whole lot: Chelsea Field as the mean and snippy Simone 'Gwen' Bardou, Jonathan Banks as the laid-back William, and, best of all, 80's teen sensation Corey Feldman as brash wisecracking creep Todd. William Sadler contributes a hilarious turn as a pompous windbag Grim Reaper who appears with the Crypt Keeper in the wrap-around segments. Levie Isaccks' slick cinematography provides a neat bright glossy look and makes nifty use of cool tilted camera angles. A fun show.
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
If you want to escape your past life just don't change your identity change gender too!
blanbrn10 May 2009
Warning: Spoilers
This "Tales from the Crypt" episode from season 6 titled "The Assassin" wasn't one of the best episodes ever made still it had an interesting plot and twist in an unexpected way at the end, also the episode moves due to the performances of the well known guest stars. Shelley Hack(from 1970's TV "Charlie's Angels")stars as a suburban L.A. housewife who seems happy and content as a happy homemaker and housewife who's married to a man who's on a successful job. Then all of a sudden one day her life is flipped upside down when a trio of supposed special agents(Chelsea Field and "The Lost Boys" Corey Feldman guest star as two of the agents) enter her house claiming her husband is a spy! Yet these people have chosen the wrong housewife to pick on as in the end this episode really twist for a strange and funny shock. As you will find this lady is the real one with the secret and the one that brings home the bacon! As the smarts and wit is revealed proving the best way to escape the past is to go secret with not only a new identity but a new gender! An okay and nice twisting episode of the crypt.
2 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
My daughter's named after character
blaqbelt25 October 2006
To be honest, we don't remember much about this episode. But, my husband and I didn't have a name picked out for our daughter, even though i was 8 1/2 months pregnant. After watching this episode, we looked at each other and both went "Simone"....hmm...it stuck! Great memories of this series, and this episode in particular! I do remember that Chelsea Field and Corey Feldman were in the episode. She went on to marry Scott Bakula from "quantum leap" fame, then later "star trek-enterprise". We both felt that this is one of the best series ever put on television. Great writing, great acting, and humor. We still watch re-runs when ever they come on the sci-fi network....and now our kids are hooked as well!!!
8 out of 26 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed