“Tales of Halloween” is an underrated, wickedly fun horror anthology that captures and celebrates the spirit of the season.
This Halloween season, while looking through Tubi’s selections, I decided to revisit Tales of Halloween, an anthology of ten original intertwined tales, each from a different director, including Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers, The Descent), Darren Lynn Bousman (director of four Saw movies, Repo! The Genetic Opera), and Lucky McKee (May).
Tales of Halloween pays homage to the spooky season with a collection of original tales with classic themes and a darkly comedic twist.
The anthology covers classic themes from urban legends to fairy tales, slashers, and revenge stories. Horror tropes such as serial killers and demons are revisited with ironic and delightfully absurd twists.
We’re introduced to the legend of Sweet Tooth in the first tale of the same name; a boy learns a harsh lesson about playing Halloween pranks in the wickedly comedic “The Night Billy Raised Hell”; trick-or-treaters menace adults …with a purpose in “Trick”; murder is avenged in “The Weak and The Wicked”; “Ding Dong” is a twist on the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel; a young woman meets the main character from a ghost story told at a Halloween party in the atmospheric “Grim Grinning Ghost”; and a gem of slasher parody in the darkly comedic“Friday the 31st.”
Every tale is saturated with seasonal chill, complete with foggy full moon-lit streets, dark wooded areas, and suburban streets with elaborately decorated homes filled with costumed trick-or-treaters.
Tales of Halloween is never boring, with each entertaining tale evoking the macabre playfulness of Halloween.
Many familiar faces pop up to deliver strong performances, such as Adrienne Barbeau, Caroline Williams, Barry Bostwick, Lin Shaye, Barbara Crampton, Lisa Marie, Mick Garris, and Felissa Rose.
The film lovingly pokes fun at the horror genre and delivers stories reminiscent of the ‘70s and ‘80s horror anthologies.
I couldn’t help feeling nostalgic as Tales of Halloween evoked memories of Creepshow, Cat’s Eye, Twilight Zone: The Movie, and the ‘80s TV series Tales from the Darkside.
Tales of Halloween captures the spirit of the season, which, while creepy, is a time for mischief and fun.
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