Year: 2015
Country: U.S.
Subgenre: Halloween/Anthology Horror
Runtime: 97 minutes
Directors: 11 different directors for this anthology film (Link here)
Another Halloween, another Halloween horror anthology recommendation. Not as well known, but just as good as Trick 'r' Treat, this one sports a lot more cheese and laughs--I personally like it better. (Every year my ire grows toward the "autistic bus" segment of Treat!). Tales also has a frame story that is audio only, not woven into the film. In that capacity we get Andrienne Barbeaux herself basically reprising her role of Stevie Wayne from ex-husband John Carpenter's The Fog. She's a radio DJ, with a REALLY familiar voice, introducing each segment (10 to be precise, if you discount the frame story). All are chock full of Halloween tricks for the characters, and treats for us viewers. My personal favorite is Neil Marshall's segment "Bad Seed," and not just because, you know, he's Neil Marshall, but because I LOVE a killer plant yarn! Also, it just plain hilarious! Friday the 31st is also a highlight; it manages to put together two familiars that we had this year--Friday the 13th and Halloween (you know, it's a chocolate & peanut butter thing). So many of the others are just laugh out loud funny too. Plus they cover just about every horror trope typically associated with the holiday and even manage to invent a few new ones. We have an updating of the wicked witch who roasts human flesh--complete with melting, an updating of the urban legend trope, a nice twist on poisoned candy, etc. This is a true anthology, the work of multiple directors--every one with tongue firmly in cheek; and a treasure trove of horror actors that we all love. I find myself looking forward to this one a little more each year.
