For you normies out there, you may not realize that the Halloween season doesn’t start in October. Mind you, it doesn’t happen all at once, announcing itself with a grand parade or 24 hours of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on TV.

No, it starts quietly, subtly… as soon as those first ceramic jack-o-lanterns start appearing on store shelves in August. More so, when you have a stealthy horror classic like Tales From the Darkside: The Movie on Blu-ray to help put you in an eerie mood that sustains you all season long.

Whether it’s the new Friday the 13th Box Set, My Bloody Valentine, or Tales From the Darkside: The Movie, Scream Factory (the horror-centric imprint of Shout! Factory), has been on a hot streak of releasing collector’s editions of contemporary horror that are now worthy of “classic” status despite less-than-stellar receptions during their heyday.

With the ubiquity of CGI effects and quick-cut pacing of the digital age, slow burners with practical effects are gaining nostalgia-twinged appreciation from thousands of horror fans like me. If you’re already a fan of the film or a first-time viewer like me, Tales From the Darkside: The Movie is a perfect addition to your home-viewing collection.

The Plot

From the clever and creepy minds of Stephen King (Pet Sematary), Michael McDowell (Beetlejuice), George A. Romero (Dawn Of The Dead), and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (creator of Sherlock Holmes) comes an all-star anthology of horror.

To keep from being eaten by a modern-day witch (Deborah Harry, Videodrome), a young paperboy weaves three twisted stories to distract her. In “Lot 249,” a vengeful college student (Steve Buscemi, Fargo) resuscitates an evil mummy to teach unsuspecting student bodies (Julianne Moore, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Christian Slater, Mr. Robot) a lesson in terror. Then, “Cat From Hell” is a furry black feline who cannot be killed … he may have nine lives, but those who cross his path are not so lucky. Finally, in “Lover’s Vow,” a stone gargoyle comes to life … to commit murder. In this classic cult favorite, fear comes in threes.

I’m a fan of anthology movies, but unlike Tales From the Crypt or Creepshow, the overarching story of a witch preparing her meal who reads her horrific stories from a musty old book was a great deviation from the norm and one that led seamlessly into introducing three totally different tales.

The highlights in this movie for me were seeing future Hollywood A-listers Christian Slater, Julianne Moore, and Steve Buscemi as baby-faced actors battling a 3,000-year-old mummy. The cinematic artistry and gravitas given to a ridiculous story about a killer housecat tormenting Buster Poindexter and the guy who played Uncle Lewis in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (“Get me my stogie!”), and the “I-called-it-but-that’s-OK” predictability of a love story starring Rae Dawn Chong and James Remar (whose real appeal is the amazing creature effects by heavy-hitters like Greg Nicotero!).

Not to be cliché here, but there’s really something for everyone.

The Special Features

Even though the collector’s edition Blu-ray is my first experience viewing Tales From the Darkside: The Movie, it’s not my first exposure. Making its original debut in 1990, I remember being absolutely terrified of the TV spots as a kid and couldn’t change the channel fast enough. Then, on the video rental shelves, I remember being enamored by distinctly dreadful cover box art that was daring me to ask my mom to check it out.

Though I wasn’t brave enough back then, both the original art (and new collector’s edition art) and the TV spots are included in the Blu-ray release, along with enough brand-new documentary-style interviews to satisfy even the most hungry Tales From the Darkside appetite:

• NEW Audio Commentary With Co-Producer David R. Kappes
• NEW Tales Behind The Darkside: The Making Of Four Ghoulish Fables – A Six-Chapter, Feature-Length Documentary Featuring Director John Harrison, Producer Mitchell Galin, Director Of Photography Robert Draper, Production Designer Ruth Ammon, Special Make-Up & Creature Effects Artists Robert Kurtzman, Greg Nicotero, And Howard Berger, Creature Performer Michael Deak, Actors James Remar And Rae Dawn Chong And Editor Harry B. Miller
• Audio Commentary With Director John Harrison And Co-Screenwriter George A. Romero
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots
• Radio Spots
• Stills Gallery
• Behind-The-Scenes Gallery
• Behind-The-Scenes Footage Compilation

The new interviews are great. I would have loved to have heard from Christian Slater, Julianne Moore, or Matthew Lawrence, but the production crew and James Remar do a great job recounting each segment. Honestly, hearing all their stories, watching the movie on its own, and reading the initial reviews, it’s hard to understand why Tales wasn’t more successful at the box office.

Fortunately for us, Scream Factory has given us a release worthy of Tales From the Darkside: The Movie‘s true value to nostalgic horror fans worldwide. Pick up your own copy and kickoff the Halloween season today!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the Blu-ray for review purposes. All opinions are my own.