Horror Anthologies: Tales from the Crypt

This British anthology predates the American TV show considerably, but they do share a few similarities.

The story flow: This anthology does utilize a through-line story, the featured character in each segment have all found themselves on a tour of a crypt. None of them seem to remember how they got there, but they're all in a hurry to leave...

The segments: Each segment features a character dying after they've morally compromised themselves, and there are some cheeky twists throughout. But all the characters are in the connecting segment together, so there's clunky exposition at the beginning and end of each story.








The stars: This anthology features two British powerhouse actors, Peter Cushing (in full zombie makeup no less), and the incomparable Joan Collins.

The Crypt Keeper: (Mild spoilers.) This film, like the American TV series, features a crypt keeper. The British keeper is more reserved and dry than his American counter part (as you'd expect), but he's also a human rather than animatronic. Though, the British keeper does turn to camera at the end of the film, delivering his final line straight to the audience exactly like the giggly Keeper we all know and love.

But do we recommend it: It's a bit dry and dated, but it's not without charm.

Horror Anthologies: Trilogy of Terror

This is the only horror anthology I can think of that features the same actor in all it's segments. At least Karen Black wears a different glasses in each segment so we didn't get confused! (JK, she's very amazing all the way through.)

The story flow: There's no connecting story in this anthology, so there's no resetting after forced exposition between each segment, but having same actor playing different characters can take a moment to settle into each time.

The segments: The first two have some pretty solid misdirects, and a couple nice twists! The last segment is fairly predictable, but contains some pretty interesting elements none the less.

Karen Black x4: Even though there's only three segments in this anthology, Karen manages to play four different characters!

The rampant misogyny: There's about two different flavors of female characters in anthology: milquetoast and harlot. Black manages to breathe considerable differences into each of them, and there are a couple nice pay offs, but over all it's more cringy than not. (Spoiler misogyny: The final segment even features an overbearing mother who ends up being lured into a trap that will certainly end in her death.)

The rampant racism: There are two segments that use racist tropes, one featuring voodoo and the other magical Native American objects. The voodoo is slapped in like a weird afterthought, and the other relies almost entirely on made-up Native American lore.

But, do we recommend it: Yes, but with reservations. It's a solid series of shorts with interesting twists and performances, but the unnecessary dependence on either misogyny or racism (or both) detracts from this one significantly.

We'll leave you with Karen serving all the looks:

Trailer Trash IV: A New Hope (This Thursday!)

This Thursday the fourth Trailer Trash will screen at Theaters of MOA and we keep wondering how that's even possible. Actually, little makes us happier than the fact that other people enjoy going out to a theater solely to watch trailers as much as we do! In anticipation of Thursday we offer you some of our favorite trailers from past Trailer Trash screenings:

Nijinsky:

This trailer was headed for the cutting room floor of the inaugural Trailer Trash. But, thanks to Colette's insentient campaigning for this trailer to be included, Chris was struck with an idea that led to the first two Trailer Trash's "Audience Choice Packs". Back in those days there were two screenings, each with an audience vote at the intermission that decided which block of trailers would play after the break.  Much to the delight of Colette (and ultimately all in attendance) the pack with Nijinsky was chosen, and no one was disappointed.

Vice Squad:

All the madness of Trailer Trash might be summed up by this one trailer. It's relentlessly surprising; you truly cannot predict what will come next. Being able to watch this with a room full of people was incredibly rewarding.

Body Rock:

The song will be stuck in your head for weeks, the dance moves will melt your mind, the costumes will leave you speech less just after you ask yourself “is that Lorenzo Lamas..." We do not own this movie in our Tape Freaks collection, but some day we will... and that day will be glorious...

Eliminators:

There's not much you could say about this one that it doesn't say for itself...

Come check out a night of fun packed with gems like these! The first 100 people to stop by the theaters Star Bar to snag a Trailer Trash poster and enjoy some pre-game entertainment in the theater, and stay after for a Super Secret Movie. It's a whole night of fun, and it's nothing to be missed!

TrailerTrash 4: A New Hope, MOA Theaters @ 7:30pm, Sept 18^th, $7

Super Secret Movie screens immediately after, free of charge! 

Biker movie mixtape!

A new mix tape in anticipation of Fathers Day! This time the theme is biker movies in honor of my dad who, back in the 70's, was out in California building custom bikes, looking like he was straight out of easy rider.

One of the stars of Easy Rider happens to be Jack Nicholson, who also happens to be the star of a movie called The Shining, which just so happens to be the Fathers Day Horror for the Holidays movie at the MOA. (See what I did there? Boom.)

Check out the mix, make your own and share it here, and have a happy Father's day!

The Greatest Night Ever.

With cinematic oddities, exploitation, voice overs, and so much more, Trailer Trash is a presentation of vintage trailers in 35mm glory! Audience participation, promises a unique blend of cult classics, karate masters, little lost dogs and laser blasts for each screening! We'll be at the 7:30 and 10 showings because (full disclosure) parts of the program are straight from our own collection! (We're so excited, every sentence of this blurb has ended in an exclamation point!)!

Trailer Trash @ MOA Theaters, May 9th 7:30 & 10:00, $7

Trash Film Debauchery: The Gun and the Pulpit

The next TFD flick playing at the Trylon microcinema sounds like it will start the summer off right! A 70s western staring Marjoe Gortner (former child minister) as a gunslinger assuming the identity of a gunned down priest in an effort to elude the men hunting him down. This is the second of three Marjoe movies TDF is screening this cycle at Trylon; keep May 22nd free for Starcrash as well!

The Gun and the Pulpit
Wednesday, April 24th, 7:00
Trylon
$5