Scary Tales

Director(s) - Doug Ulrich (7 Sins of the Vampire, Screen Kill) and Al Darago (Darkest Soul, Screen Kill)

Starring - Al Darago, Brad Storck, and Ilene Zelechowski 

Release Date - 1993

Genre - Horror/Comedy/Fantasy

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) 

Rating (out of 5):

     Several months ago I was preparing for my October horror binge.  I wanted to watch as many horror in October as I could focusing on movies I had never seen before.  While I was rounding up movies for my month long binge I saw that AGFA and Bleeding Skull was releasing a shot on video horror anthology from 1993 called Scary Tales.  The original release date was the tail end of October so I knew it would be cutting it close if I got it in time to review for Halloween.  Sadly, the releases for October were delayed and it would not arrive until the middle of November.  I wanted to watch it sooner but decided to save it to watch later after I binged Game of Thrones.  After power housing through five seasons I decided to split the other seasons up and watch a few horror releases.  Scary Tales was the first.

     The film follows the storyteller as he spins three tales for a group of unsuspecting children.  The first story follows a man who finds Satan's necklace that possesses him and forces him to do evil deeds.  The second story follows a loving husband who uncovers that his wife is cheating which sends him over the edge.  The third and final tale follows an avid gamer who finds himself sucked into the world of the game and forced to fight for his life.  

     Shot on video horror is not for everyone.  I love the cheap side of horror so I often find no budget shot on video horror to be entertaining but they are very far from perfect.  I love discovering a new sov horror flick I've never seen before and the second I saw Vinegar Syndrome post Scary Tales for AGFA and Bleeding Skull I knew I had to see it.  The movie is very crude and amateur but, god damn, did I enjoy it.  The acting in this one is rough.  I don't want to call it bad but I would call in inexperienced.  The cast really tries to get into character but their lack of experience does create a few unintentional laughs. Regardless, I had fun with the characters.  The stories in this one are nothing we haven't seen before even in the early 90s.  So many horror films, as well as, erotic thrillers followed a jealous husband murdering his adulterous wife.  The same can be said about possession stories.  However, we didn't have a lot of horror tales where someone is pulled into a video game.  With that being said, we have seen similiar stories with people getting pulled into movies, television shows, comics, books, and so on before this.  Still, it's cool seeing video games incorporated into a horror tale.  Finally, the film has some blood and cheap practical effects but I enjoyed them.  Sure, the kills we get are nothing memorable but they really fit the film.  Some were unintentionally funny while others were a little more serious but I liked them.  Overall, Scary Tales will not be for everyone.  In fact, it's not going to be for a lot of people.  However, if you are one of the few members of the horror community that doesn't get off on your own farts then you may enjoy this cheap anthology.  I like what they were going for and, if you ask me, they deliver a very fun and entertaining horror anthology.  Sure, there is a few occasions where you will laugh at the acting but the fact they got off their ass and did something speaks louder than us laughing.  I highly recommend checking this one out on blu now from AGFA and Bleeding Skull.