Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990)
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31% of critics liked it
(16 reviews) -
48% of users liked it
(8,900 ratings)
This feature-length spin-off of the popular television horror anthology is directed by John Harrison, who directed many episodes of the television series. The film consists of four grisly and gruesome horror teasers. "The Wraparound Story" stars Deborah Harry as Betty, a chef with a… More This feature-length spin-off of the popular television horror anthology is directed by John Harrison, who directed many episodes of the television series. The film consists of four grisly and gruesome horror teasers. "The Wraparound Story" stars Deborah Harry as Betty, a chef with a kitchen complete with Cuisinart and dungeon. She plans to cook a little boy, who delays his execution by telling Betty three tales of terror. The first tale is "Lot 249," based on the mummy story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The tale concerns Bellingham (Steve Buscemi), a bug-eyed graduate student who has raised a mummy from the dead. The second tale, "Cat from Hell," adapted by George A. Romero from a Stephen King story, deals with a broken-down millionaire (William Hickey), who has made his millions by developing habit-forming painkillers. He is convinced that, since 5,000 cats have been killed in his lab experiments in order to develop his pills, a stray cat has killed his family. He hires a hit man (David Johansen) to track down the cat and rub him out. The third tale, "Lover's Vow," is based on "Woman in the Snow," one of the episodes in Kwaidan.James Remar plays an artist who strikes a deal with the devil and is rewarded with a beautiful wife (Rae Dawn Chong) and a respectful art career. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Directed By
- John Harrison
- Written By
- George A. Romero, Michael McDowell
- Genres
- Horror
- In Theaters
- May 4, 1990 Wide
- Studio
- Live Home Video
Critic Reviews
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, Time Out
Harrison never quite transcends the inherently limited format.
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Janet Maslin, New York Times
hanks to casting that is savvier than the horror norm, and to direction by John Harrison that is workmanlike and sometimes even witty, at least it's fun.
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Richard Harrington, Washington Post
This is just another miss along the lines of Creepshow and Twilight Zone: The Movie.
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Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed
Suffers from being a very grim and bleak anthology film with a narrative structure that never lives up to the innovation of "Creepshow."
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, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Dull, derivative horror anthology.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Deborah Harry
as Betty
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Christian Slater
as Andy Smith
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Rae Dawn Chong
as Carola
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William Hickey
as Drogan
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James Remar
as Preston
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David Johansen
as Halston
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Steve Buscemi
as Edward Bellingham
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Robert Klein
as Wyatt
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Matthew Lawrence
as Timmy
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Robert Sedgwick
as Lee
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Julianne Moore
as Susan
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Michael Deak
as Mummy
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Philip Lenkowsky
as Maddox
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Alice Drummond
as Carolyn
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Dolores Sutton
as Amanda
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Mark Margolis
as Gage
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Kathleen Chalfant
as Dean
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George Guidall
as Museum Director
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Nicole Leach
as Margaret
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Ralph Marrero
as Cabbie
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Larry Silvestri
as Cop #2
- Buster Poindexter
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Joe Dabenigno
as Cop #1
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Donna Davidge
as Gallery Patron

