This week on It Hails from the Crypt, hosts Fred and Tim head into the cornfield for “Four-Sided Triangle,” Season 2, Episode 9 of HBO’s Tales from the Crypt: a twisted tale of lust, abuse, obsession, revenge and one very unusual romantic triangle involving a scarecrow that may be more important than anyone realizes.

As always, we begin where Tales from the Crypt began:

Before “Four-Sided Triangle” came to HBO, “4-Sided Triangle” appeared in Shock SuspenStories #17, written by Carl Wessler with artwork by legendary EC artist Jack Kamen.

Fred and Tim dig into the original 1954 comic, examining Kamen’s distinctive artwork, the story’s mixture of sex, cruelty and grotesque humor, its rural nightmare atmosphere and the vicious EC morality at its center before looking at how the story was radically expanded for television nearly four decades later.

What happens when Tales from the Crypt takes a brutally simple eight-page EC shocker and gives its central character an entirely new story?

Then we turn to the 1990 HBO adaptation, directed by Tom Holland, the filmmaker behind Fright Night and Child’s Play.

Patricia Arquette stars as Mary Jo, a young fugitive trapped on an isolated farm with the deeply unpleasant George and Luisa Yates, played by Chelcie Ross and Susan Blommaert.

George has his eyes on Mary Jo. Luisa has her eyes on George. Mary Jo has her eyes on somebody else. Unfortunately, he’s a scarecrow.

After a violent encounter leaves Mary Jo with a head injury, she becomes convinced that the scarecrow standing in the field is alive — and that he’s her lover. George sees Mary Jo’s obsession as an opportunity, Luisa becomes increasingly jealous, and what begins as a nasty rural melodrama starts moving toward the kind of gruesome punchline only Tales from the Crypt could deliver.

Fred and Tim break down Patricia Arquette’s performance, Tom Holland’s direction, the episode’s sexuality, black comedy, violence, rural Gothic atmosphere and increasingly bizarre love triangle while comparing the HBO adaptation directly with its EC Comics source.

Why does the television version give Mary Jo so much more agency than the character in the original comic?

How does Tom Holland, the filmmaker who turned vampires and killer dolls into ’80s horror icons, approach the very different horror of a lonely farmhouse and a scarecrow?

And does expanding the original EC story make “Four-Sided Triangle” one of those rare adaptations that actually improves upon its source material?

Finally, Fred and Tim unlock the Vault of More for another collection of deep-cut recommendations inspired by the episode.

Movies. Television. Comics. Books. Horror history. Scarecrows. Rural nightmares. Forbidden desire. Killer relationships. And whatever other strange artifacts we can drag back from the dead.

If you love Tales from the Crypt, EC Comics, Patricia Arquette, Tom Holland, Fright Night, Child’s Play, vintage horror comics, HBO horror, scarecrow horror, rural horror, horror anthologies, cult movies or simply discovering obscure corners of horror history, join us as we dig into “Four-Sided Triangle.”

Send us your questions for the next visit to The Dead Letter Office.

It Hails From The Crypt

#TalesFromTheCrypt #ECComics #ForCryinOutLoud

This week on It Hails from the Crypt, hosts Fred and Tim crank up the volume for “For Cryin’ Out Loud,” Season 2, Episode 8 of HBO’s Tales from the Crypt — a deranged mixture of murder, greed, guilt, rock ’n’ roll and one conscience that absolutely refuses to shut up.

Fred and Tim dig into the original comic, Shock SuspenStories #15, written by legendary EC writer Otto Binder with artwork by Reed Crandall. examining Crandall’s detailed artwork, Binder’s tale of murder and guilt, the story’s increasingly bizarre psychological torment and the cruel morality that made EC Comics infamous before looking at how the story was transformed for television nearly four decades later.

Then we turn to the 1990 HBO adaptation, directed by Jeffrey Price, the Oscar-nominated co-writer of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and written by Price and longtime writing partner Peter S. Seaman.

Crooked rock promoter Marty Slash thinks he has found the perfect way to steal a fortune from a benefit concert. There’s just one problem: after committing murder, Marty’s conscience suddenly develops a voice of its own. And that voice belongs to Sam Kinison.

The episode stars Lee Arenberg as Marty Slash, Katey Sagal as Ms. Kilbasser, Sam Kinison as the screaming voice of Marty’s conscience and punk-rock legend Iggy Pop as himself, with John Kassir providing the unmistakable voice of the Crypt Keeper.

Finally, Fred and Tim unlock the Vault of More for another collection of deep-cut recommendations inspired by the episode.

And this week we open a brand-new wing of the Crypt: The Dead Letter Office!

Fred and Tim answer questions sent in by listeners about Tales from the Crypt, EC Comics, horror movies, filmmaking, the podcast and anything else strange enough to find its way into our mailbox.

EPISODE, CAST & CREW

• For Cryin’ Out Loud — Episode
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0716849/

• Jeffrey Price — Director / Writer
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0696949/

• Peter S. Seaman — Writer
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0780620/

• Lee Arenberg — Marty Slash
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0034305/

• Katey Sagal — Ms. Kilbasser
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005408/

• Sam Kinison — Marty Slash’s Conscience
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0455630/

• Iggy Pop — Himself
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006563/

• John Kassir — The Crypt Keeper
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0440885/

• Tales from the Crypt — Full Cast & Crew
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0716849/fullcredits/

#TalesFromTheCrypt #ForCryinOutLoud #ECComics #HorrorPodcast #Horror #HBO #CryptKeeper #SamKinison #KateySagal #IggyPop #LeeArenberg #JohnKassir #JeffreyPrice #ShockSuspenStories #HorrorComics #ClassicHorror #HorrorTV #HorrorMovies #ComicBooks #CultHorror #90sHorror

Lust, murder, blackmail—and a very dangerous insurance policy. Fred and Tim explore “The Sacrifice,” Season 2, Episode 7 of HBO’s Tales from the Crypt, in Episode 13 of It Hails From the Crypt!

Our deep dive begins with the original EC Comics story from Shock SuspenStories #10 (1953), plotted by William Gaines and Al Feldstein, scripted by Feldstein, and illustrated by Jack Kamen. We examine its twisted crime-comic roots before digging into how the story made the leap from the printed page to HBO.

Then we unpack the television adaptation, directed by Richard Greenberg and written by crime novelist Ross Thomas. Starring Kim Delaney, Kevin Kilner, Michael Ironside, and Don Hood, “The Sacrifice” follows an insurance salesman whose affair with a wealthy client’s wife leads him into murder and blackmail. We explore the performances, suspense, dark humor, and deadly double-crosses—and compare the episode with its original comic counterpart.

Finally, we dig into our Vault of More for deep-cut recommendations connected to the episode: movies, television, comics, and other discoveries to keep you exploring after the Crypt Keeper closes the coffin.

Spoilers for the original comic and television episode.

EPISODE & IMDb LINKS

“The Sacrifice” — Tales from the Crypt, S2E7
Complete cast and crew

CAST

Kim Delaney — Gloria Fielding
Kevin Kilner — James
Michael Ironside — Jerry
Don Hood — Sebastian Fielding
John Kassir — the voice of the Crypt Keeper

BEHIND THE CAMERA

Richard Greenberg — Director
Ross Thomas — Screenplay
John R. Leonetti — Cinematography
Jonathan Elias — Music

#TalesFromTheCrypt #ECComics #TheThingFromTheGrave

This week on It Hails from the Crypt, hosts Fred and Tim dig up “The Thing from the Grave,” Season 2, Episode 6 of HBO’s Tales from the Crypt — a supernatural tale of obsession, murder, revenge and a mysterious necklace that proves stronger than death.

As always, we begin where Tales from the Crypt began:

📚 THE ORIGINAL EC COMIC

Before “The Thing from the Grave” crawled onto HBO, the story appeared in Tales from the Crypt #22, with artwork and story by legendary EC artist Al Feldstein.

Fred and Tim exhume the original comic, digging into its artwork, storytelling, gruesome imagery and classic EC morality before examining how the story was transformed for television nearly four decades later.

📺 THE HBO ADAPTATION

Then we turn to the 1990 HBO adaptation, directed by Fred Dekker, the cult filmmaker behind Night of the Creeps and The Monster Squad.

Beautiful model Stacy has become trapped in a relationship with her dangerously possessive boyfriend and photographer Mitch. Her friend Devlin promises that if she ever needs him, he'll be there for her — no matter what.

Mitch soon discovers that some promises survive even the grave.

The episode stars Teri Hatcher as Stacy, Miguel Ferrer as Mitch and Kyle Secor as Devlin, with John Kassir providing the unmistakable voice of the Crypt Keeper.

Fred and Tim break down the performances, direction, photography, violence, supernatural revenge and the episode's distinctly late-'80s/early-'90s atmosphere while comparing the HBO adaptation directly with its EC Comics source.

How much did Fred Dekker change? What does the television version gain — or lose — in the transition from lurid 1950s horror comic to HBO? And where does “The Thing from the Grave” fit within the increasingly ambitious second season of Tales from the Crypt?

🔓 THE VAULT OF MORE

Finally, Fred and Tim unlock the Vault of More for another collection of deep-cut recommendations inspired by the episode.

Movies. Television. Comics. Books. Horror history. And whatever other strange artifacts we can drag back from the dead.

If you love Tales from the Crypt, EC Comics, vintage horror comics, HBO horror, supernatural revenge stories, practical effects, cult movies or simply discovering obscure corners of horror history, join us as we dig into “The Thing from the Grave.”

⚰️ EPISODE, CAST & CREW

• Fred Dekker — Director
• Teri Hatcher — Stacy
• Miguel Ferrer — Mitch
• Kyle Secor — Devlin
• John Kassir — The Crypt Keeper
• Tales from the Crypt — Full Cast & Crew

🎙️ IT HAILS FROM THE CRYPT

Join Fred and Tim as they work their way through HBO’s Tales from the Crypt, tracing each episode back to the original EC Comics story that inspired it before opening the Vault of More to uncover movies, television, comics, books and other deep cuts connected to the episode.

Subscribe, leave us a comment, and tell us what you think of “The Thing from the Grave.” How does the HBO version compare with the original EC Comics story?

#TalesFromTheCrypt #TheThingFromTheGrave #ECComics #HorrorPodcast #Horror #HBO #CryptKeeper #FredDekker #TeriHatcher #MiguelFerrer #KyleSecor #JohnKassir #HorrorComics #ClassicHorror #HorrorTV #HorrorMovies #ComicBooks #CultHorror #90sHorror #VaultOfMore #ItHailsFromTheCrypt

It Hails From the Crypt Episode 11: “Three’s a Crowd” | Tales from the Crypt S2E5

Jealousy, paranoia, marital misery and one of the nastiest punchlines Tales from the Crypt ever delivered.

In Episode 11 of It Hails From the Crypt, we tackle “Three’s a Crowd,” Tales from the Crypt Season 2, Episode 5, originally aired May 1, 1990.

And fair warning: this may not be the most politically correct or even the most well-liked trip into the Crypt.

First we go all the way back to EC Comics’ Shock SuspenStories #11 and the original seven-page “…Three’s a Crowd”, plotted by Bill Gaines and Al Feldstein, scripted by Feldstein and illustrated by the great Jack Kamen.

We compare the original 1953 comic with HBO’s 1990 adaptation: what changed, what stayed remarkably faithful, and how expanding a brutally efficient seven-page EC story into a half-hour television episode changes our relationship with Richard, Della and the story’s vicious final revelation.

Gavan O’Herlihy stars as Richard, a down-on-his-luck husband whose marriage to Della (Ruth de Sosa) is already showing some serious cracks when the couple is invited on an anniversary getaway by their wealthy friend Alan (Paul Lieber). Richard soon becomes convinced that his wife and best friend are having an affair behind his back.

We dig into an episode that can be deliberately unpleasant, darkly funny and genuinely uncomfortable, with a protagonist whose attitudes and behavior haven’t exactly become easier to stomach with age. Is “Three’s a Crowd” an underrated piece of pitch-black EC horror? An ugly relic of another era? Or does its ugliness actually make the final twist hit even harder?

We also look at director David Burton Morris, composer Jan Hammer, and the performances that turn what begins as a story of marital jealousy into something considerably darker.

And, as always, we finish by heading deeper underground with our Vault of MORE Recommendations: movies, comics, books and other obscurities connected to the episode’s themes of jealousy, paranoia, murderous husbands, marital horror, fatal misunderstandings and twist endings.

Episode Cast & Crew

🎬 David Burton Morris — Director / Co-Writer
David Burton Morris on IMDb

🎭 Gavan O’Herlihy — Richard
Gavan O’Herlihy on IMDb

🎭 Ruth de Sosa — Della
Ruth de Sosa on IMDb

🎭 Paul Lieber — Alan
Paul Lieber on IMDb

💀 John Kassir — The Crypt Keeper
John Kassir on IMDb

So grab a drink, ignore those suspicious whispers coming from the other room, and join us as we revisit one of the meaner, messier and more divisive episodes of Tales from the Crypt.

Because sometimes three really is a crowd.

#TalesFromTheCrypt #ECComics #HorrorPodcast #ShockSuspenStories #CryptKeeper #HorrorComics #HorrorTV #90sHorror #GavanOHerlihy #JackKamen #ECComicsHorror #HorrorMovies #HorrorFans #HorrorCommunity #ItHailsFromTheCrypt

Love hurts. Sometimes it even brings you back from the dead.

In Episode 10 of It Hails From the Crypt, hosts Fred and Tim dig into “’Til Death,” Tales from the Crypt Season 2, Episode 4, originally aired April 24, 1990.

We head back to the source material and open up EC Comics’ The Vault of Horror #28, comparing the original “’Til Death” comic with HBO’s adaptation. What did the television version keep? What did it change? And how does the original EC story stack up against the considerably more elaborate version produced nearly four decades later?

Then we dive into the episode directed by Academy Award-winning makeup-effects legend Chris Walas (The Fly, Gremlins, The Fly II) and written by Jeri Barchilon, the episode follows devious developer Logan Andrews, whose plan to use a voodoo love potion on a wealthy heiress turns into a particularly gruesome lesson in why you should always follow the instructions.

We break down the episode’s mixture of voodoo horror, black comedy, romance and full-blown EC Comics grotesquerie, along with Walas’ direction and the practical makeup effects that turn an ill-advised love affair into a wonderfully macabre tale of devotion beyond the grave.

And, as always, we descend even further into "The Vault of More" for our Deep Cut Recommendations — a selection of movies, comics, books and other oddities connected to the episode’s themes, influences, cast and crew. If undead romance, voodoo curses, obsessive love, practical creature effects and forgotten corners of horror history are your thing, we’ve got you covered.

🎬 Chris Walas — Director
The Oscar-winning makeup-effects artist behind The Fly and Gremlins, and director of The Fly II.
Chris Walas on IMDb

✍️ Jeri Barchilon — Writer

🎭 D.W. Moffett — Logan Andrews
D.W. Moffett on IMDb

🎭 Pamela Gien — Margaret Richardson
Pamela Gien on IMDb

🎭 Janet Hubert — Psyche
Best known as the original Vivian Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Janet Hubert on IMDb

🎭 Aubrey Morris — Freddy
The legendary British character actor whose credits include A Clockwork Orange, The Wicker Man and Lifeforce.
Aubrey Morris on IMDb

💀 John Kassir — The Crypt Keeper

🎥 John R. Leonetti — Cinematographer

🎼 Nicholas Pike — Composer

📺 “’Til Death” — Tales from the Crypt (1990)
Full episode cast & crew on IMDb

Join us as we exhume another story from the glory days of HBO’s Tales from the Crypt, revisit the original EC Comics, and uncover some horror deep cuts you may have missed.

It Hails From the Crypt — where every episode of Tales from the Crypt gets dug up, dissected and dragged back into the light.

Ante up, Creeps! This week on It Hails From the Crypt, Fred and Tim put “Cutting Cards” on the chopping block... and by the end, we may be a few fingers short.

First, we dig into the original EC Comics story “Cutting Cards!”, published in Tales from the Crypt #32 (1952). Written by legendary EC editor Al Feldstein and illustrated by Fred Peters, the six-page story pits two compulsive gamblers against each other as their rivalry escalates from cards to Russian roulette to the wonderfully named “chop poker.” We examine the comic, its creators, and that classic EC formula of human vice + terrible decisions = beautifully gruesome consequences.

Then we jump ahead to HBO’s 1990 adaptation, directed and co-written by Walter Hill, starring Lance Henriksen and Kevin Tighe as two gamblers who decide the town isn't big enough for the twos of them. We compare the episode with its comic-book origin, look at what Hill and company changed, and discuss Henriksen and Tighe’s gloriously hateful (love filled?) chemistry.

Finally, Fred and Tim offer their recommendations inspired by “Cutting Cards” some deep cuts for anyone who needs another fix after leaving the Crypt.

So shuffle the deck, place your bets and keep your hands where we can see them.

You might not have them much longer.

The Original Comic

• Tales from the Crypt #32 — Grand Comics Database
• Al Feldstein — EC writer/editor
• Fred Peters — Artist

The HBO Episode

• “Cutting Cards” — IMDb
• Full Cast & Crew — IMDb
• Walter Hill — Director / Co-Writer
• Lance Henriksen — Reno Crevice
• Kevin Tighe — Sam Forney
• John Kassir — The Crypt Keeper
• James Horner — Composer
• John R. Leonetti — Director of Photography

What would you give up to be young, beautiful…and desirable again?

This week on It Hails From the Crypt, Fred and Tim crack open “The Switch,” Season 2, Episode 2 of HBO’s Tales from the Crypt — a wonderfully nasty tale of vanity, greed, body swapping, and the very high price of looking good.

Arnold Schwarzenegger makes his directorial debut behind the camera, bringing along a cast packed with familiar faces. William Hickey stars as aging millionaire Carlton Webster, who becomes obsessed with transforming himself to win the affection of the much younger Linda, played by Kelly Preston. His increasingly extreme procedures involve the considerably younger — and considerably more muscular — Hans, played by Rick Rossovich (The Terminator, Top Gun).

We dig into Schwarzenegger’s unlikely turn as a Tales from the Crypt director, the episode’s grotesque take on the pursuit of eternal youth, and its roots in the original EC Comics story from Tales from the Crypt #45, written by Carl Wessler and illustrated by the legendary Graham “Ghastly” Ingels. We compare the comic to HBO’s adaptation and look at what changed on the journey from the gruesome 1950s page to premium cable television in 1990.

Then we take a deeper look at the episode’s cast and crew, including:

Arnold Schwarzenegger – Director
IMDb

William Hickey – Carlton Webster
IMDb

Kelly Preston – Linda
IMDb

Rick Rossovich – Hans / Younger Carlton Webster
IMDb

Roy Brocksmith – The Doctor
IMDb

Ian Abercrombie – Fulton
IMDb

John Kassir – The Crypt Keeper
IMDb

And, as always, we finish things off with deep-cut horror and movie recommendations inspired by “The Switch” — more stories of vanity, transformation, aging, obsession, body horror, and people discovering that getting exactly what they want may be the worst thing that could happen to them.