Tales from the Crypt

Cadaverous scream legend the Crypt Keeper is your macabre host for these forays of fright and fun based on the classic E.C. Comics tales from back in the day. So shamble up to the bar and pick your poison. Will it be an insane Santa on a personal slay ride? Honeymooners out to fulfill the "til death do we part" vow ASAP?

Tales from the Crypt (1989-1996) is an American horror anthology series created by William M. Gaines and Steven Dodd and broadcast on HBO. Cadaverous host the Crypt Keeper, voiced by John Kassir, introduces each macabre episode with gleeful wordplay and grim asides. Adapted from the classic E.C. Comics stories, the series runs seven seasons and roughly eighty-one half-hour episodes, each one a self-contained tale with new characters and no continuing plot. The engine of every episode is a cruel or greedy protagonist, such as a philandering wife, a vengeful husband, or a corrupt business owner, who schemes for money, love, or revenge and is then undone by a grotesque twist of fate. Stories range across science fiction, western, monster, and comedic modes, and the mood is gleefully grotesque, dark, and playful rather than frightening in a sustained way. Viewers who enjoy gothic horror, poetic justice, and cheeky supernatural morality will find the show delightfully macabre. Fans of Creepshow, The Twilight Zone, and Are You Afraid of the Dark? will find resonance in its blend of dread and dark humor. Its tone stays wry and irreverent throughout, making each half hour a satisfying jolt of comeuppance.

Viewers broadly regard the anthology as a darkly funny, uniquely crafted horror series whose self-contained tales were consistently entertaining despite uneven episode quality.

• Creepshowshared gothic horror anthology format with a macabre host and dark comedic punchlines
• Are You Afraid of the Dark?shared dark comedy horror tone and self-contained wraparound stories
• The Twilight Zoneshared anthology structure of standalone twisted tales with a dark comedic register

Created by

William M. Gaines, Steven Dodd

Release Date

1989-06-10

Episode runtime

29 min

Rating

8.0 / 10 (1020)

What is Tales from the Crypt about?

A cackling Crypt Keeper hosts grisly, darkly comic morality tales adapted from classic E.C. Comics stories.

What is Tales from the Crypt like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Tales from the Crypt as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.

Is Tales from the Crypt violent?

Yes. Ember rates the violence in Tales from the Crypt as graphic.

What did critics think of Tales from the Crypt?

Viewers broadly regard the anthology as a darkly funny, uniquely crafted horror series whose self-contained tales were consistently entertaining despite uneven episode quality.

Which shows are like Tales from the Crypt?

Shows with a similar feel include Creepshow, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and The Twilight Zone.

How long is Tales from the Crypt?

Tales from the Crypt: 7 seasons, 81 episodes.

Is Tales from the Crypt still running?

No, Tales from the Crypt has ended.

Where can I watch Tales from the Crypt?

In United States, Tales from the Crypt streams on Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Shudder, Spectrum On Demand, Tubi TV.