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:

Chill or be Chilled

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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:

Welcome to My Mortuary

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

The line, "Talk about some insane in the membrane type of shit" is a reference to the lyric "Insane in the membrane" from Cypress Hill's "Insane in the Brain."

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Goofs

When Morehouse chases Strom and Newton to their cruiser, he's at the window, leering inside. But as soon as they drive away, Morehouse is about 10 feet away from the cruiser.

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Quotes

Newton: You listen to me! And you listen good. Those assholes are cops. Who the fuck are you to judge 'em? Shit, man, you got a green dick. Those two guys have been risking their asses on the street for years. The fucker went for Strom's gun.
Clarence: Bullshit.
Newton: Now, maybe those two guys went too far tonight. Maybe it was all a mistake. But next time it could be you. So, you know, you don't ever roll over... and you never rat out a fellow officer. And you never... never break the code.

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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 Carrie (1976)

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Soundtracks

I'm Talkin' To Myself
Performed by NME And Grench The Mean 1

User Reviews

More than just a Black Tales from the Crypt

At first glance Tales from the Hood is very similar to Tales from the Crypt. They just put a black culture spin on the stories. There is more to the movie than that though. Although there is some run of the mill plots to some of the stories, others show a surprising amount of originality and creativity. The stories vary in quality.

The first story concerning a murdered black activist rising from the grave is boring and hardly original. It's not scary either and the makeup is some of the worst I've ever seen. It's like they bought their supplies at Rite Aid. The second story about a boy that suffers abuse is a lot more original but not what you would call scary. It does feature David Alan Grier in a role that he was surprisingly good in. The writer and director Rusty Cundieff plays a concerned teacher in this story. The third story shows Corbin Bernsen as a racist politician who gets what's coming to him. This story is the most eerie and shows the most imagination. The last story is not scary but shows what can happen when you lead a life of evil and submit to experimental re-education.

The story is narrated throughout by Clarence Williams III, obviously having lots of fun. I was surprised that this film received so few votes, it must not be too well known. Bottom Line: If you haven't seen this yet then check it out. It is decent horror even by the horrible standards the film set itself up for by being named Tales from the Hood.