Top 'Tales From the Crypt' Episodes

I’ve always been a huge fan of horror anthologies. From television shows like Tales From the Darkside to films like Trick r Treat, I was obsessed. Horror anthologies serve as a way to deliver numerous tales of the macabre and some of my favorites were delivered by the Crypt Keeper. If you were a fan of names like George A. Romero or EC Comics, then you were most likely a fan of this show. Tales From the Crypt was a staple in my childhood (alongside the Big Comfy Couch and Rugrats). So here are my top favorite episodes.

And All Through the House – This is an episode that really stuck with me. I enjoy holiday themed horror so naturally; I had to kick off this list with this Christmas episode. In this episode a woman murders her husband and tries to cover it up; meanwhile there’s an escaped lunatic dressed as Santa on the loose. I remembered being terrified by that Santa, thinking he was going to show up at my house around Christmas. That didn’t stop me from watching it every time it aired through.

Forever Ambergris - This episode was a favorite just for the fact that it was one of the more gruesome episodes. They really took advantage of the special fx in this episode: rotting flesh, chunks of skin falling everywhere, gnarly stuff. This episode centers on a photographer that plots the murder of his talented protégée while away in Central America. Envy and adultery never get you anywhere, and in typical EC fashion, it comes back to bite him in the ass.

What’s Cooking? – This one is a personal fave because it features The Breakfast Club’s Judd Nelson. In this episode we have a married couple struggling to keep their restaurant alive. They think their prayers had been answered when a stranger shows up with an interesting steak recipe that brings in tons of business. Too bad the ingredients turn out to be something you’d find being served at Leatherface’s house on Thanksgiving. Bon appétit.

Dead Right- In this episode, Demi Moore plays a young woman that wants to go from rags to riches. She goes to a fortune teller who informs her that she’ll meet a man who will inherit a lot of money and then afterwards, will die a violent death. Enter Charlie, a grossly overweight man who informs her of his rich relatives. As it turns out, the medium was right, but not in the way Moore’s character had hoped.

People That Live in Brass Hearses- In this episode, a hot-headed convict gets out of prison after serving a two-year sentence. He then convinces his mentally handicapped brother to assist him in robbing a warehouse and getting revenge on the ice cream man that was responsible for sending him to jail. This one features Brad Dourif, the voice of Chucky, and Bill Paxton, whom I had a serious crush on as a kid (I blame the film Twister). This one has humor and scares and while it’s not the “best” episode, it’s entertaining nonetheless.

Abra Cadaver- In this episode, a research assistant sets out to get revenge on his younger brother after he pulls a prank that costs him his dream of becoming a successful surgeon. It’s the classic tale of sibling rivalry, where one is more serious and hard working, while the other goofs-off but still manages to come out on top. The younger brother soon finds out just how far the elder is willing to go to get what he wants.

The Ventriloquist’s Dummy- Things involving creepy ventriloquist dummies are never good. We’ve learned that from Goosebumps, Dead Silence, and more. An aspiring ventriloquist seeks out his idol that has since dropped out of the business after a mysterious fire accident and now lives in seclusion. Turns out, there’s a lot more to show business than he originally thought.

Lover, Come Hack to Me – While this episode is not the best, I’m a sucker for insane plot lines and gratuitous blood. In this tale, we have another plain-Jane unfortunate type who’s desperate for love. She meets this handsome young man that she thinks is the man of her dreams – except he’s a sleazy gold-digger that’s just after her money. Ignoring her grandmother’s warning, she marries him anyway and he bursts her bubble by telling her exactly how he feels. Halfway through the episode, you’re feeling just as annoyed with her and he is but of course, there’s always the twist ending. Have you ever just…loved someone to pieces?

Collection Completed – I love a good “what goes around, comes around” story, and this episode delivers. In this episode, a retired woman takes to adopting a bunch of stray animals and treating them as if they were her children. Sounds harmless, right? It was until her grouchy husband, tired of dealing with his wife’s new hobby, decides to take matters into his own hands and adopts a hobby of his own – taxidermy. When poor Anita finds out about his latest obsession, she’s less than thrilled. And as for Roy…he really let his hobby get the best of him.

Those were my top favorite episodes! Let me know some of your favorite creepy shows.