SEASON 6
I've written before about they syndicated 80's anthology series known as Tales from the Darkside. It made it's way to the big screen in 1990 in the form of what Tom Savini said should have actually been Creepshow 3, and not this apparent bullschtein. I've not seen it. Don't plan to.
In Tales, there's great appearances by big names who weren't quite big yet. Folks like Steve Buscemi, Christian Slater, and Julianne Moore, all game and turning in good work. There are fun turns by Deborah Harry, David Johannsen, and Robert "I Can't Stop My Leg" Klein. Great to see him here, as he's one of the comedians that I always forget was a centerpiece to me falling in love with standup in the early 80's. In the latter segment, he plays James Remar's somewhat wishy-washy agent in the most compelling short of the three parts of this anthology.
Lot 249 is interesting enough as Slater and Buscemi seem to alternate between being protagonist and antagonist. Which are they in the long run? I haven't decided yet. Julianne Moore plays against what would be a sort of type for her in the future, and pulls it off nicely. I love a good Mummy story, and this one's pretty solid, and very gruesome.
It is easy to forget how good Christian Slater's early career was. From Gleaming the Cube to Pump Up the Volume, to Kuffs. I still look back on those flicks every once in a while. It's neat to see a young pre-Reservoir Dogs Buscemi here. His role here is so different from the thuggery he displayed to frequently going forward, or the goofiness he put out to the world in multiple Adam Sandler movies. Let's not forget the man directed the oft-forgotten and sadly under-appreciated Trees Lounge.
The George Romero scripted Stephen King segment, The Cat From Hell is pretty slick. It brings us one shitheel who turns to another for removal of a revenge-minded feline. It's darker and funnier than it sounds. I mentioned to Frani during last night's viewing that David Johannsen is pretty amazing. Not just here, but overall. To go from the lead singer of The New York Dolls, to Buster Poindexter, to great bombastic performances like the cab-driver ghost in Scrooged, to his pro-style hitter here, is pretty telling of his talent. I have his solo debut on vinyl, and its one of my favorite records.
The last segment may be the best. It's certainly the most compelling, moving and thought-provoking. Personal favorite James Remar plays a bit against his tough-guy type. His sad-eyed performance as a down-on-his-luck visual artist dealing with the worst and the best night of his life is as intense as the evening in question itself. Its a night that creates decisions for our hero, as his life is swept up both by a dark supernatural being, and by Rae Dawn Chong.
Tales has great effects work by the now legendary KNB effects group, in concert with FX legend Dick Smith. From cringe-inducing gore work to creepy monstrosities, their skills run the gamut, and really, this movie itself is a great audition tape for practical effects work.
The film has a lot of fun, a little grue, and a heaping helping of the authorship of Michael McDowell, George Romero, and Stephen King. Director and George Romero vet John Harrison move it along efficiently and ties the whole package together with a nasty little bow that is the Hansel and Gretel wrap-around story.
This is the epitome of Halloween viewing, and I think despite the names involved, it is an underrated example.
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