TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE: THE MOVIE is the kind of "horror lite" you might find scary if you're a fourth grader up at midnight. The rest of us are only mildly amused at this anthology of not-so gruesome tales.
A young boy tries to stave off becoming dinner for a modern-day witch by sharing a trio of stories from the phonebook-sized "Tales from the Darkside" book. First a mummy is resurrected to exact revenge on a college preppy. Next, a black cat proves to be more than just bad luck for a hit-man hired to kill the cursed creature. Finally we have a murderous gargoyle with a really big secret.
A blend of GOOSEBUMPS, Charles Band and '80s shlock, TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE only escapes mediocrity with the mummy vignette, which is surprisingly effective and reminds us how horror doesn't always have to be about bloody knives and severed body parts. A young Steve Buscemi is terrific as the tormented geek who summons an undead monster so real you can almost smell the decay. However, this opening bit is quickly forgotten amid the dreariness and futility of the final two tales. The gargoyle story in particular is silly and out of place with a monster that looks like it came straight from Jim Henson's Creature Workshop.
The motive behind TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE was a good one. It sought to revive the "scary stories around the campfire" style of horror from yesteryear. It just couldn't match its ambition with results.
A young boy tries to stave off becoming dinner for a modern-day witch by sharing a trio of stories from the phonebook-sized "Tales from the Darkside" book. First a mummy is resurrected to exact revenge on a college preppy. Next, a black cat proves to be more than just bad luck for a hit-man hired to kill the cursed creature. Finally we have a murderous gargoyle with a really big secret.
A blend of GOOSEBUMPS, Charles Band and '80s shlock, TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE only escapes mediocrity with the mummy vignette, which is surprisingly effective and reminds us how horror doesn't always have to be about bloody knives and severed body parts. A young Steve Buscemi is terrific as the tormented geek who summons an undead monster so real you can almost smell the decay. However, this opening bit is quickly forgotten amid the dreariness and futility of the final two tales. The gargoyle story in particular is silly and out of place with a monster that looks like it came straight from Jim Henson's Creature Workshop.
The motive behind TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE was a good one. It sought to revive the "scary stories around the campfire" style of horror from yesteryear. It just couldn't match its ambition with results.