Tales from the Crypt | The Fright Owl

I don’t know about you, but it is too damn hot outside for me to enjoy much of anything. Put me in a pool, and I’ll be fine, but I do not get how anyone can just sit outside in this kind of weather for fun/relaxation.

Aw hell no.

That’s why when summer rears its ugly head, I retreat to my nice, dark, air-conditioned house to watch TV, nap, and…nap some more.

What can I say? My bed is super comfortable.

But I don’t write about beds or naps here. I write about skeery things. So for this Top Tuesday post, I thought I’d count down my top ten favorite scary tv shows. What else are you going to do to avoid the heat?

TFO’s Top 10 Favorite Scary TV Shows

10. Scream Queens

Oh man. This show cracks me up. If you’re looking for a still-gory, kinda-creepy, but still funny horror show, this one is a safe bet. Emma Roberts is hilariously bitchy in this as the diva Chanel Oberlin. Watch this. It’s worth it.

9. Penny Dreadful

This show just ended unceremoniously, but I guess with only three seasons, it’s not a long watch. Old-school horror icons are re-vamped (see what I did there?) and star in a macabre vision of Victorian London. It’s really fun and really creepy.

8. Ash vs. Evil Dead

Another funny one. If you’re a fan of the Evil Dead trilogy, you’ll love this show. It totally remains faithful to the over-the-top insanity of the movies. So weird. So gory. So funny. And it’s got Lucy Lawless in it, which is always a plus.

7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Buffy, Buffy, Buffy. You were the OG. She was a complete badass, and this show had so much going for it. Vampires, witches, laughter, sadness, a musical episode – why wouldn’t you watch this one?

6. Tales from the Crypt

I’ve already talked a bit about this one in a previous post. I love it. You’ll love it. Just watch it.

5. Supernatural

I’m going out on a limb here and putting this in my top 5 even though I haven’t actually seen all of it. *Gasp!* I know. It’s sad. I’ve only seen the first season (when it first premiered on TV) and a few random episodes here and there, but I’m about to remedy that. Even if I haven’t seen all of it, I know enough about Sam and Dean to know that I can recommend this one highly.

4. The Walking Dead

I’d be surprised if you aren’t already watching this show. I mean, who doesn’t watch The Walking Dead? Nazis and commies, that’s who.

3. American Horror Story

If you’re attention-span isn’t too long, this show is for you since the story changes with each season. Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Denis O’Hare, Lady Gaga, Kathy Bates – there are so many great actors that have starred in this fun series.

2. Hannibal

This show is beautiful. While some may find it a bit pretentious, I freakin’ loved every minute of the precious few seasons it was on. Hopefully, it will come back in a few years (hope never dies), and we’ll be able to continue our journey with Hannibal as he eats his way through life.

1. The X-Files

An oldie but a goodie. This show will always have a special place in my heart. I spent many a weekend night watching agents Mulder and Scully do their thang.

Hello, Boils and Ghouls. For this edition of Throwback Thursday, I thought I’d talk about one of my favorite shows as a kid: Tales from the Crypt. I’d always stay up on Saturday nights to make sure I didn’t miss an episode. I still L-O-V-E this show. Let’s talk about why you should, too.

The Opening & Theme Song

From the very beginning, this show captured my attention. There aren’t many shows I watch that I make a point of also watching the opening sequence every single time (Game of Thrones and Black Sails now also hold that honor).

I’d hear the groan of the wrought iron gate and immediately snap to attention. I always wanted to visit that house as a kid – creepy decor, secret passageways, and it’s own basement crypt. What kid wouldn’t love that?

And can I just say how much I love the theme song? It’s actually been my ringtone for a few years now. Danny Elfman is one of my favorite composers. His music style is fun but still dark and perfectly set the tone of the show.

The Cryptkeeper

The man himself. The Ghostess with the Mostess. I loved this guy. Still do, really. He had just the right amounts of both fright and charm. Not many people – dead or alive – can get away with the amount of puns that he could, and he was a master of it. Sure, it was painful at times, but that was what made it so fun.

John Kassir’s voice work made Mr. Keeper an icon. If the new version of Tales from the Crypt actually gets on the air, I doubt the new host will even come close to measuring up.

The Effects

I’m a fan of gore, and this show had no shortage of it. Blood, guts, maggots – the special effects team brought it. So it wasn’t realistic. So what? So someone that just died wouldn’t have rotted that much already. So what?

So what?

The Guest Stars

This is what gives this show the greatest re-watch value. There were so many great guest stars. Catherine O’Hara, Demi Moore, Jeffrey Tambor, Steve Buscemi, Tom Hanks, Dan Aykroyd, Daniel Craig, and – my favorite – Tim Curry are just a few of the awesome stars that made an appearance on this show. It’s so fun to watch serious actors ham it up in these crazy stories.

The Stories

The show itself was based on the comic books by the same name, so there was no shortage of crazy content. Episodes ranged from the comical, like the living comic book in “Korman’s Kalamity,” to the downright terrifying, such as the horrifying haunted house in “Television Terror.”

There were no happy endings in the Tales from the Crypt world. I have such fond memories of Morty the “hand puppet” (Not the meat grinder!). Even when it almost works out for the main character, it doesn’t. There’s always the twist at the end.

Whoa. Maybe that’s why M. Night Shyamalan is rebooting it. He just can’t get away from the twists.

So glad I could SCARE up a few memories about one of my most FEAR-vorite shows. Now, I’m just DYING to watch my collection again.

Man, I’m really bad at that.

The Fright Owl

Tag Archives: Tales from the Crypt

Throwback: Tales from the Crypt

For those who prefer a little fright in their day