Celebrity Measurements

The episode of The Test of Time covering Tales from the Hood was Written by Andrew Hatfield, Narrated by Niki Minter, Edited by Mike Conway, Produced by John Fallon and Tyler Nichols, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

For the most part on this show, we are looking at certified classics to see if they still hold up. Most of the time, at least. Looking at you C.H.U.D. We try to look at everything from the cinematography and direction to the acting and special effects. Sometimes the story is the most important part of the film. Sometimes a movie is reappraisal, even if it was not a big hit or a classic at the time. What happened to The thing? From box office failure (even though it has been exaggerated) and criticism to being on many people’s list of the best ever. Spoiler alert: Today’s movie is not only able to pass the Test of Time, but it also has parts that are more prescient than when it was first released. Sit back and try to relax as we tell you some Tales from the Hood (watch it HERE).

Plot

The anthology film is a popular, yet often flawed, sub-genre within horror. The genre has been around since 1919 when the German-made Uncanny Tales was released. However, it really took off in the 1960s and 1970s thanks to Hammer Films’ chief competitor, Amicus Films. Amicus was founded by Milton Subotsky, Max Rosenberg and made a couple of Doctor who movies starring Peter Cushing, as well as other films to capitalize on sci-fi trends or horror at the time. But they are remembered for the anthologies. I would be angry if I didn’t mention a few of my favorites from Dr. Terror’s House of HorrorandTales From the Crypt are two of my favorites, but you can’t really go wrong… most of the time. It’s true that anthology films are not without their flaws. Usually, one or two of them fall flat. Darin Scott approached him to make a film and he agreed. However, he wanted the movie to have meaning. He didn’t want to just make a film to make a film. The anthology format gave them the opportunity to tell several stories that were important to them. The title is a clear homage to the 1972 film

Tales From the Crypt and the EC comics on which it was based. The four stories they put together were “Rogue Cop Revelation”, ‘Boys Do Get Bruised’, ‘KKK Comeuppance’ and “Hardcore Convert”, along with the always important wrapping-around story “Welcome to my Mortuary”. This wasn’t Cundieff’s first movie since two years earlier he released a documentary called Fear Of A Black Hat. Rusty went on to become one of the biggest TV directors, you may not know, after the success of Tales From the Hood (which made just under twice its budget, by the way). He did 25 episodes of Chapelle Show, a ton of episodes of The Wanda Sykes Show, and kind of came full circle with a couple episodes of Creepshow for Shudder. He would also direct the two sequels to today’s movie with Tales from the Hood2 and Tales from the Hood 3.His writing partner and producer Darin Scott would have a lot more hits before Tales, being a producer on

Menace II Society, Best Horror Anthology You Never Saw From a Whisper To a Scream, and Black Sheep favorite Stepfather 2. As a director he would helm anthology flick American Horror and Deep Blue Sea 2 and he would write Whisper to a Scream and the first 2 Tales movies. The front of the screen talent includes Duane Whitaker, Michael Massey and Corbin Bernson. Other notable actors include David Alan Grier and Wings Houser. The stories are bookended with a drug pick-up in a morgue where, in classic fashion, the people listening to the stories are introduced to a hell they have created. It has been a cult favorite and a standout in the anthology genre. It finally received a Blu-ray from Scream Factory in 2017 that is a must own.Sign of the TimesBlaxploitation is actually a beloved and groundbreaking section of film that has had a resurgence in the last few years but started in earnest in 1968 with Uptight

, a remake of John Ford’s

The Informer

from the mid 1930s. The 70s is when it hit its stride with things like Sweet Sweetbacks Badassssss Song, Shaft, and Blacula. As you can see, it’s not just horror and Blaxploitation can cover a huge range of subjects like gangster, crime, drama, musical, comedy, and nearly everything else. The movement was meant to put a positive spin on black characters and actors, and have them play roles that producers had refused for years. I’d also like to mention that this isn’t the first Blaxploitation anthology film. Tales From the Quadead zone was released in 1987It had a resurgence during the late 80s, with gems such as I’m Gonna Git you, Sucka!, Action Jack

, and continued through the mid-to-late 90 That wasn’t the only style to focus on Black culture as movies like Friday and House Party aimed at comedy with a dose of realism and Menace II Society, Boyz n the Hood, and New Jack City looked at drugs, crime, and life growing up with no choice. While Candyman and Eve’s Bayou went the straight horror route, Tales from the Hood took many of the situations that the dramatic movies were focused on and put them through the view of a horror movie.Another very real sign of the times are the very themes the movie deals with. Black on Black crime, as well as police brutality, were and still are very important topics. The movie does an amazing job of not only trying to play the game of blame, but instead trying to show fault on all sides. What Holds Up?A lot of this is truly amazing to watch. The stories are not only prescient, but also very well told. As I said before, the fourth story is not the most memorable, but the three first stories and the wraparound story are outstanding. The first story, about police officers killing a protester who was trying to remove the corrupt cops from their department, has a twist: the African American cop knows what is about to happen but does nothing to stop it. The story goes on to say that the officer is not exempt from responsibility, no matter what color he may be. The second story is the best I’ve seen in terms of child abuse. David Alan Griers abusive father is seen by the child as a monster. The third story has the antagonist being killed by a symbol of the people he hates and diminishes while the final story shows how hard it is to end a cycle of violence.Another thing that stands up quite well is the special effects… non-CGI division. I didn’t know until I watched the film and did some research that many of these special effects were created by the famous Chiodo Brothers’ studio, but it makes sense. The practical effects are all great, from the mangled and still alive body of a father who beats his child to the revenge-seeking doll people that will scare anyone. Practical effects are always good looking, unlike CGI which can look stale or even gross. Later, we’ll get to that. Even some of the “guy in a rubber suit” effects are used in a way that makes the scene pop and add to the feel of the overall movie.Finally, there is one performance that stands head and shoulders above the rest. David Alan Grier will be remembered long after Clearance Williams III, who is a stellar host and has some of most outrageous facial expressions and lines in the movie. He is in over 120 different TV shows and movies with his most famous roles being either as part of the stellar cast of In Living Color or, if you are that age, as the cop in Jumanji. He has done a lot of comedy, a few action films and dramas but only 1 horror film and boy, are we worse off because of that. His portrayal of the abusive father and wife, a story which the director based on a true-life experience is beyond chilling. I would love to watch him play a main villain or serial killer in a horror or action movie. Effects can be a double edged sword. 1995 wasn’t the pinnacle of CGI, and while the devil’s tongue that comes from the morticians’ mouths looks like something out of

Who framed Roger Rabbit

in a bad way, it’s not as egregious. The main trio then ends up in hell, and yes, it looks like an amateur production. It’s a shame as we JUST discussed how cool this movie looks but these, especially happening at the end, are a letdown.

David Alan Grier aside, the acting isn’t anything to write home about either. It’s a shame that veterans like Corbin Bernsen, Clearance Williams III and others are chewing the scenery. This makes other performances standout and not in the right way. This doesn’t ruin the movie by any means but it’s noticeable enough from a handful of main characters to be distracting and really take away from these meaningful tales.

Verdict

This is a no-brainer. Tales From the Hood is a fine wine. It is not only an anthology film that is above average, but it also hits on every story. Themes and warnings remain as relevant today as they did in the mid-90s. It’s a rare horror film that delivers a clear message without holding back. Spike Lee, who doesn’t usually like horror films, wanted to be involved as a producer. The fun homages such as the doctor named Cushing in the fourth story, which is Peter, the king of the Amicus Anthologies or the dolls that are cousins of the Zuni Fetish from Trilogy of Terror, add charm and pay homage to the films it was inspired by. You can watch some of the previous episodes of the

The Test of Time

below. To see more, click over to the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUdIfjUaTRMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUg_PgKrnTQ

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