The Man Who Was Death

Episode aired Jun 10, 1989
Not RatedNot Rated
26m

7.3/10

S1.E1

After the death penalty is abolished, an executioner continues his former job through freelancing...After the death penalty is abolished, an executioner continues his former job through freelancing...After the death penalty is abolished, an executioner continues his former job through freelancing...

7.3/10

1.7K

Director
- Walter Hill
Writers
- Steven Dodd
- Walter Hill(screenplay)
- Robert Reneau(screenplay)
Stars

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Robert Winley in Tales from the Crypt (1989)

Gerrit Graham and Dani Minnick in Tales from the Crypt (1989)

Director
- Walter Hill
Writers
- Steven Dodd
- Walter Hill(screenplay)
- Robert Reneau(screenplay)
All cast & crew
See more cast details at IMDbPro

After working for two years in the electric workshop of a penitentiary, the electrician Niles Talbot has been promoted to executioner, operating an electric chair, and he appreciates his job. When the death penalty is abolished in his state, Niles loses his job. But he decides to become a vigilante, punishing criminals that are released by justice system. Until the day that the death penalty is implemented again in the state. —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

death of protagonist unhappy ending murder unemployment death penalty 46 more

Trivia
Walter Hill agreed to give William Sadler the lead only if he vowed to perform it exactly as he had for the audition.

Goofs
electrocuting the female dancer in the cage as he tries by connecting the cables to the cage would actually not work, as the one safe place is inside the cage (cage of Faraday).

Quotes
Niles Talbot: The old rule: treat whores like queens and queens like whores.

Connections
Referenced in Tales from the Crypt: Crypt Keeper's History of Season One (2005)

Soundtracks
Tales from the Crypt Theme
Composed by Danny Elfman

Top review

8/10

A great beginning for the show and a nice episode all around

Since I stumbled upon an episode of season 3 last December I always wanted to begin this show and I finally did it three days ago. And I think that this was a decent introduction for anyone interested in the show nowadays.

An electrician (William Sadler) works as an executioner in prison. He explains the various crimes for which the prisoners were executed and even makes fun of their reasons. One day is announced that the death penalty is abolished and so he is without a job. So, he has an idea: working as a freelancing vigilante executioning with electrocution the criminals who are considered not guilty by the court, up until the death penalty becomes again legal...

William Sadler gives a remarkable performance as usual and he also narrates the episode like a detective in an old film-noir. The dark humour was spot on and the direction was nice. What's best was the Crypt Keeper's comment at the end of the episode!

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