CREEPY TALES

Produced by Neil Hagelgans and Whitney Stallings
Directed by Michael P. Russin
Written by Jayson Palmer and Michael P. Russin

The Professor - Joe Heffernan

Remember those old Horrorhosts that would come on your local station late night on Saturdays? The show would open with some stock footage of a miniature set. Fade in the Host's lair and up from the coffin he would appear. The next two hours would be filled with bad puns and zingers punchlinning every commercial break.. Often the host's material would be better than the feature. God Bless Michael Russin for taking me back to those days with CREEPY TALES.

Our host this time around is named The Professor. A professor of what, I have no clue aside from the fact that he has a pretty decent knowledge of biology. If Joe Heffernan took this Professor character out into the world 20 or 30 years ago, I'm sure he would have made a lasting impression. Like those beloved hosts before him, he embodies a pure love of the genre and makes sure you know he's having the time of his life. I would have been proud to tell the world that The Professor gave me my horror education.

But alas, The Professor is a recent construct created to host CREEPY TALES, a modern horror anthology that puts most of it's emphasis on the "twist" rather than the gore. As always with anthologies, some of the stories work while other's just fall short of their goal. At least Russin can walk away knowing that none of the segments fall totally flat.

The first short is titled "Sins of the Father" and concerns the rape of a young boy at the hands of two priests. Growing up with guilt and anguish, the boy waits for the day he can unleash his vengeance on the monsters who took his innocence.

While the tension here is the most intense of all the shorts, the payoff is rather anti-climactic. A solid look at the true implications of the horrible deeds is never fully realized. Perhaps a peek at the boys' corruption outside, or after, the events might have given the story more impact.

Next up is "Daria 13," perhaps the most interesting short of the bunch. A young couple sits at home discussing a recent movie rental. Hubby, a filmmaker, swears he can do better. The reassuring wife is all support, but the filmmaker only hears a harpy's wail.

This one is reminiscent of Francis Ford Coppala's DEMENTIA 13, not just in title but tone. It's an examination of jealousy and madness, and how love can push us over the edge. The effect is the most jarring of the bunch, and comes closest to true creepiness that's implied by the title.

"Portrait in Hell" rounds out the group. Of them all, this one is my favorite. It embodies all the elements of good exploitation, but is able to keep the atmosphere light and fresh. An artist offers to sell his soul for some extra time to complete his projects and juggle his love life. The devil, of course, takes him up on his offer. Picture "The Devil and Daniel Webster" told by Gary Larson.

All the shorts on CREEPY TALES put story before the gore, something few horror filmmakers are willing to do. Without tone and atmosphere, blood and guts can't even disgust the viewer. While they aren't as creepy as the title suggest, all the shorts do offer up prime examples of the macabre. If only all the shorts were as dark in tone as the wraparound segment. Man, that Professor, what a funny guy.

DVD Review

There was a time when I used to give every movie I reviewed two full viewings before I wrote up a review. Those days are long since behind me. There's just too many tapes and too little time. Although, a recent number of DVD's sent in are ones that were reviewed originally from VHS. It gives a chance to go back and give the movies the second viewing they deserve. More often then not, I find myself liking the movies more the second time around.

While I didn't find CREEPY TALES, any more "creepy" this time, I found the film more psychologically absorbing. As I've said time and again, true horror lies in the horrible acts that humankind can do to one another, and CREEPY TALES is a dark examination of the evils that men do.

The DVD for CREEPY TALES is as barebones as one can get. The only features are the movie with chapter stops. There's no commentary or behind the scenes footage, which is really a shame, I would love to hear what the director had to say about his work.

The true plus in picking up the DVD over the VHS is the improved video and audio. With most SOV productions, I've never been able to tell the difference. That's not the case with CREEPY TALES. There isn't an unattractive frame in the entire picture. The detail and warmth almost look as good as HD. It would be interesting to see the image with a filmlook.

With any luck, maybe a distributor will be willing to give this little movie a proper distribution, lord knows it looks great. All I ask for is a nice commentary. Is that too much?

CinemaSky Productions
The Media Planet

---