Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

John Harrison

Writers (WGA):

Michael McDowell (written by) (segment)
Arthur Conan Doyle (short story "Lot 249") (segment)
(more)

Release Date:

4 May 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Brace yourself for some KILLER stories.

Plot:

In anthology style, a child tells three stories of horror to keep from being eaten by a witch.

Plot Keywords:

Cat | Anthology | Mummy | Gargoyle | Wheelchair

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Deborah Harry	...	Betty (wraparound story)
David Forrester	...	Priest (wraparound story)
Matthew Lawrence	...	Timmy (wraparound story)
Christian Slater	...	Andy (segment "Lot 249")
Robert Sedgwick	...	Lee (segment "Lot 249")
Steve Buscemi	...	Bellingham (segment "Lot 249")
Donald Van Horn	...	Moving Man (segment "Lot 249")
Michael Deak	...	Mummy (segment "Lot 249")
Julianne Moore	...	Susan (segment "Lot 249")
George Guidall	...	Museum Director (segment "Lot 249")
Kathleen Chalfant	...	Dean (segment "Lot 249")
Ralph Marrero	...	Cabbie (segment "Lot 249")
David Johansen	...	Halston (segment "Cat From Hell")
Paul Greeno	...	Cabbie (segment "Cat From Hell")
William Hickey	...	Drogan (segment "Cat From Hell")
Alice Drummond	...	Carolyn (segment "Cat From Hell")
Dolores Sutton	...	Amanda (segment "Cat From Hell")
Mark Margolis	...	Gage (segment "Cat From Hell")
James Remar	...	Preston (segment "Lover's Vow")
Ashton Wise	...	Jer (segment "Lover's Vow")
Philip Lenkowsky	...	Maddox (segment "Lover's Vow")
Robert Klein	...	Wyatt (segment "Lover's Vow")
Rae Dawn Chong	...	Carola (segment "Lover's Vow")
Joe Dabenigno	...	Cop #1 (segment "Lover's Vow")
Larry Silvestri	...	Cop #2 (segment "Lover's Vow")
Donna Davidge	...	Gallery Patron (segment "Lover's Vow")
Nicole Leach	...	Margaret (segment "Lover's Vow")
Daniel Harrison	...	John (segment "Lover's Vow")

Directed by
John Harrison

Writing credits (WGA)
Michael McDowell		(written by) (segment "Lover's Vow")
Arthur Conan Doyle		(short story "Lot 249") (segment "Lot 249")
Michael McDowell		(screenplay) (segment "Lot 249")
Stephen King		(short story) (segment "Cat From Hell")
George A. Romero		(screenplay) (segment "Cat From Hell")

Produced by
Mitchell Galin	....	producer
David R. Kappes	....	co-producer
Richard P. Rubinstein	....	producer

Original Music by
John Harrison		(segment "Lover's Vow")
Chaz Jankel		(segment "Cat from Hell")
Jim Manzie		(segment "Lot 249")
Pat Regan		(segment "Lot 249")

Cinematography by
Robert Draper

Film Editing by
Harry B. Miller III

Casting by
Brian Chavanne
Julie Mossberg

Production Design by
Ruth Ammon

Art Direction by
Jocelyne Beaudoin

Set Decoration by
Jacqueline Jacobson Scarfo		(as Jacqueline Jacobson)

Costume Design by
Ida Gearon

Makeup Department
David P. Barton	....	special makeup effects artist
Bill Basso	....	special makeup effects artist
Howard Berger	....	special makeup effects supervisor
Steve Frakes	....	special makeup effects artist
Bruce Spaulding Fuller	....	special makeup effects artist
Mecki Heussen	....	special makeup effects artist
Robert Kurtzman	....	special makeup effects supervisor
Charlie Matula	....	special makeup effects artist
Gregory Nicotero	....	special makeup effects supervisor
Scott Oshita	....	special makeup effects artist
Mark Rappaport	....	special makeup effects artist
Dick Smith	....	makeup effects consultant
Mark Tavares	....	special makeup effects artist
Nancy Tong	....	hair stylist (as Nanxy Tong)
Nancy Tong	....	makeup artist (as Nanxy Tong)
Wayne Toth	....	special makeup effects artist
Brian Wade	....	special makeup effects artist

Production Management
Eddy Collyns	....	unit manager
Sherry Greenberg	....	assistant unit manager
Victoria Westhead	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Rosemary C. Cremona	....	second assistant director
Marybeth Hagner	....	first assistant director
Amelia Villero	....	second assistant director

Art Department
George T. Barron	....	carpenter
Axel Baumann	....	assistant carpenter
Andrea Beeman	....	assistant set dresser
Lloyd Bernberg	....	art department assistant
Philip Chidel	....	set dresser
Joseph Timothy Conway	....	set dresser
Noemi I. DeCorcia	....	assistant set decorator
Catie De Haan	....	assistant scenic artist
Breon Dunigan	....	special props builder
Elizabeth Goodall	....	special props builder
Ralph B. Greene	....	carpenter
Stephen Hall	....	sketch artist
Mark Harrington	....	property master
Paul A. Hinzdo	....	carpenter
Teresa Mastropierro	....	scenic artist
Cindy M. McKenna	....	assistant props
Addison Pettit	....	construction coordinator
David Poses	....	lead carpenter
Mike Rees	....	artwork
Phillip Schneider	....	lead scenic artist
Robert Siegler	....	artwork
Andrew Solomita	....	scenic artist
Peter Syrett	....	carpenter
Michael Vachon	....	carpenter
Lisa Wald	....	assistant props
Amory Weld	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Peter Austin	....	sound editor
Kelley Baker	....	sound editor
Leslie Beyer	....	apprentice sound editor
Weldon Brown	....	adr recordist
Michael J. Cerone	....	adr recordist (as Michael Cerone)
Patricia Cervitz	....	apprentice sound editor
Don Digirolamo	....	sound re-recording mixer
Glenn Garland	....	assistant sound editor
Robert Glass	....	sound re-recording mixer
Edmund J. Lachmann	....	sound editor (as Ed Lachmann)
Harry B. Miller III	....	supervising sound editor
Barry Rubinow	....	supervising sound editor
Greg Sanders	....	sound editor
Paul A. Sharpe	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Paul Sharpe)
Brooks Tomb	....	apprentice sound editor (as Brooks S. Tomb)
Brit Warner	....	sound mixer
Folmer Wiesinger	....	sound editor
Mark Wilkins	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Nick Benson	....	special effects
Michael Burnett	....	puppet fabrication
Drew Jiritano	....	special effects (as Drew Jiratano)
Justin Kohn	....	stop motion animation

Visual Effects by
Betzy Bromberg	....	optical supervisor
Anthony Doublin	....	visual effects photography
Ernest D. Farino	....	visual effects supervisor
Bret Mixon	....	rotoscoping
George Muhs	....	visual effects
Drex Reed	....	visual effects lighting
David B. Sharp	....	model supervisor
David Stipes	....	visual effects photography
Thomas Zell	....	model maker (uncredited)

Stunts
Michael Deak	....	stunts
Edgard Mourino	....	stunt coordinator
Lynn Walsh	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Johnny Braz	....	grip (as John Braz)
Elizabeth Carney	....	grip
David K. Dumont	....	grip
Roch Dutkowiak	....	grip (as Roch C. Dutkowiak)
Mark I. Eguid	....	grip
John Gabrielle	....	key grip (as John Gabriele)
Kim Gigilia	....	best boy grip (as Kim C. Giglia)
Shaun Gilbert	....	electrician
Larry Hillier	....	gaffer (as Larry J. Hillier)
Jonathan Kealey	....	best boy electric
Brian Q. Kelley	....	additional cinematographer: second unit
Sandy McDonough	....	electrician
John Moore	....	electrician
Donald Murtaugh	....	electrician
Rex Nicholson	....	first assistant camera
Heather Page	....	second assistant camera
Demmie Todd	....	still photographer

Animation Department
Justin Kohn	....	stop motion animation

Casting Department
Sylvia Fay	....	extras casting
Leonard Finger	....	casting consultant
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Julie Rae Engelsman	....	assistant costume designer (as Julie Engelsman)
Audrey Ellen Lamb	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Amy Seplin	....	assistant editor
Folmer Wiesinger	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Chuck Ferry	....	music engineer
Martin Rodriguez	....	music engineer
Donald Rubinstein	....	composer: original theme
Joshua E. Schneider	....	music engineer (as Josh Schneider)

Transportation Department
Joseph Caffrey	....	driver (as Joseph M. Caffrey)
Louis Ferrajoli	....	driver
Harry J. Leavey	....	transportation coordinator (as Harry B. Leavey)
James Sweeney	....	driver

Other crew
Lisa Alkofer	....	production assistant
Mechelle Chojecki	....	production assistant
Louise Chu	....	unit publicist
Jeffrey De La Rosa	....	production assistant (as Jeff de la Rosa)
Veronica DePadro	....	production assistant
Greg Finley	....	looping group
Brian Greenbaum	....	location manager
Sherry Greenberg	....	production assistant
Vivian Guardino	....	production coordinator
Barbara Harris	....	looping group (as Barbara Iley)
Linda Houseworth Klipper	....	assistant: Mr. Galin (as Linda Housworth)
Daamen J. Krall	....	looping group
Neil Laird	....	production assistant
Robert Lau	....	production assistant
Karen Loop	....	assistant production coordinator
Christina MacGregor	....	looping group (as Christina G. MacGregor)
Rosane McCarron	....	assistant: Mr. Rubinstein
David McCharen	....	looping group
Ginger McGuire	....	financial executive
Brian McMillan	....	animal trainer (as Brian McMillian)
Linda Phillips	....	looping group
Mary Linda Phillips	....	additional voice
David Randolph	....	looping group (as David J. Randolf)
Noreen Reardon	....	looping group
Jo Recht	....	legal executive
Stacy Regan	....	animal trainer
Ann R. Ritchie	....	production assistant
Wendy Lee Roberts	....	script supervisor
Adam Rosenberg	....	production assistant
Jess Siegler	....	assistant location manager
James Silverman	....	production assistant
Mark Urman	....	unit publicist
Joel Valentine	....	special gargoyle voice
Diane Vilagi	....	production controller
Jonathan Wolf	....	production accountant (as Jonathan D. Wolf)

Production Companies

• Darkside Movie
• Laurel Productions
• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1990) (USA) (theatrical)
• Irfan Film (1991) (Turkey) (theatrical)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Future Film (2001) (Finland) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Prism Leisure Corporation (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (DVD)
• e-m-s the DVD-Company (2005) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• K.N.B. Effects Group (special make-up effects)
• Van der Veer Photo Effects (optical effects)

Other Companies

• Brian McMillan's Animal Rentals Unlimited  cats provided by
• Dennis Davidson & Associates Public Releations (DDA)  unit publicity
• Fortress Studios  music engineer: "Lot 249"
• Korg USA  special music equipment
• Manzie Music  music production
• Martins Studio  music engineer: "Cat from Hell"
• Reel People Inc.  negative cutting
• The Looping Group  looping service
• Todd-AO/Glen Glenn Studios  post-production sound services
• Wildcat Studios  music engineer for "Lover's Vow"

Also Known As:

Creepshow 3 (International: English title) (informal title)
Darkside Movie (USA) (informal English title)
Tales from the Darkside (International: English title) (informal English title)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (cut) (1991) | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | Australia:M | France:-12 | Germany:(Banned) | UK:18 | USA:R | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Bronxville, New York, USA

Company:

Darkside Movie

Trivia:

In the episode "Cat from Hell", a TV is showing a scene from Martin (1977), also written and directed by George A. Romero.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the camera is simulating the cat in first person, you can see shadows of strings that are on the camera.

Quotes:

Wyatt: Judith says she hasn't moved anything of yours in months. She says if it isn't out by tomorrow it gets junked.
Preston: Wyatt, you've got to convince her that...
Wyatt: I can't convince her of anything.
Preston: Wyatt, come on. You're my agent!
Wyatt: Well... not exactly. Preston, your artistic vision just isn't a marketable commodity.
Preston: Wyatt, I'm broke. I can't live on nothing.
Wyatt: And I can't live on ten-percent of nothing.
Preston: [pause] You're a monster.
Wyatt: I'm an agent. For an agent, being a monster's just credentials.

Movie Connections:

Spin off from Creepshow (1982)

Soundtrack:

TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE (Original Theme)

* * * out of 4.

Young boy (David Forrester) is kidnapped by a modern day witch (Debbie Harry) who plans on making him dinner. To try and keep the witch distracted and buy himself some time the boy tells the witch three scary stories, the best being the final one. While all of the tales are rather unoriginal, they are extremely entertaining and provide just enough spooky moments. The cast is much better then usual and the visual effects are top notch. Much better then the awful TV series on which this is based on.