Tales from the Hood (1995)

A funeral director tells four strange tales of horror with an African American focus to three drug dealers he traps in his place of business.

Director:

Rusty Cundieff

Writers:

Rusty Cundieff, Darin Scott

Stars:

Clarence Williams III, Corbin Bernsen, Joe Torry

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clarence Williams III	...	Mr. Simms
Joe Torry	...	Stack
De'aundre Bonds	...	Ball
Samuel Monroe Jr.	...	Bulldog
Wings Hauser	...	Strom
Tom Wright	...	Martin Moorehouse
Anthony Griffith	...	Clarence
Michael Massee	...	Newton
Duane Whitaker	...	Billy
David Alan Grier	...	Carl
Brandon Hammond	...	Walter
Rusty Cundieff	...	Richard
Paula Jai Parker	...	Sissy
Corbin Bernsen	...	Duke Metger
Roger Guenveur Smith	...	Rhodie

Storyline

Four short, moralistic horror vignettes (a la EC Comics) that deal with mostly black characters. The framing story introduces three youths out to pick up a drug shipment at a funeral parlor from the strange director, Mr. Simms. As the three punks wind their way through the parlor, Mr. Simms tells them the last stories of some of his more interesting clients.

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Plot Keywords:

child abuse | serial murder | revenge from beyond the grave | killer doll | civil rights activist | 

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Taglines:

Your most terrifying nightmare and your most frightening reality are about to meet on the streets.

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Genres:

Crime | Horror | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for graphic brutal violence and strong language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 May 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Boys Do Get Bruised

Filming Locations:

2261 West 21st Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$11,797,927

Company Credits

Production Co:

40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks,Savoy Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Joe Torry, Paula Jai Parker and Rusty Cundieff (from the 2nd story) all played in the movie Sprung together with Tisha Campbell

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Goofs

When the teacher gets pooped on by the mouse, it is in two places. But when he is inside, the poop is in one big pile.

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Quotes

Newton: Damn it, man, this is no time to panic!
Strom: Then when the FUCK do we begin to panic?

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Alternate Versions

In most broadcast TV versions, along with omitting/replacing the profanity, some versions show Walter's body in the casket at the end of his story "Boys Do Get Bruised" instead of the charred remains of his mother's abusive boyfriend Carl.

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Connections

References Trilogy of Terror (1975)

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Soundtracks

Tales from The Hood
Performed by Domino And Chill

User Reviews

Surprisingly Good

An eccentric funeral director shares four tales of horror from an African American perspective with three young thugs. The first involves a man who exacts his revenge from beyond the grave after being murdered by crooked cops. The next tells of a boy alleged torment at the hands of a monster may not be tall tales. A white supremacist politician haunted by forces of injustices past highlights the third story, while the fourth focuses on a gangbanger undergoing frightening behavior modification.

TALES FROM THE HOOD benefits enormously from solid writing and an entertaining pace. With a running time of under 100 minutes, director Rusty Cundieff does an admirable job of cramming everything he's got into each vignette. Few of us have the stomach for a horror movie with a message, but this is one that succeeds. It has things to say about racism in our society and says them in ways in which they've never been said before. Though definitely not for all tastes, TALES FROM THE HOOD is a surprisingly solid horror anthology.

* *Cast Note: Clarence Williams III, who plays the funeral director, is best known as Linc from THE MOD SQUAD television series.