PopHorror Let's Get Scared
There’s a meme floating around about the Cryptkeeper reading kids’ bedtime stories of shock and things they shouldn’t have been doing anyway. It was magical when 11 PM on Saturday nights rolled around. It was like a ritual for me and my friends during many sleepovers. If I was at home, I had to be more sneaky. This meant turning the volume down so even you could barely hear it. It didn’t let me down. That’s when I learned to use closed captions, and I never once got caught watching it; that’s not a flex; that’s a fact. Let’s see how Tales from the Crypt changed our view on horror.
What made kids watch this? Because there was a lot more horror in our lives growing up. We were able to see a lot of monsters, especially on Halloween. It almost seems like it’s a new world with modern horror. It could never do what Tales From The Crypt did. I got lots of monsters and a lot of boobies since it was released on HBO. Although I started my horror love at 5 years old, it was a real thrill. You were getting away with something that you knew would piss off your parents. It made it even better when you could get away with watching it.
I also watched shows like Tales From The Darkside, and they never beat my time spent with the Cryptkeeper. It became a ritual for me because each episode contained a lot of humor. I didn’t feel scared; I felt like a super fan. It gave me a warm, comfortable time with something less serious. I’ll admit that even though I loved all these horror movies but yeah, some scared me a little at first. The Cryptkeeper, however, was a great host, with his little introductions and segments. I was never afraid of monsters anymore; I soaked all of it right in. I was a fiend of horror from this point on, except for a very small hiatus for personal reasons.
In the end, Tales From The Crypt spawned a legacy. The show is like the peas and carrots of horror. It is also a really great cartoon and even a toy line for the cartoon. The cartoon wasn’t even a big hit, But I still love everything about this show. It was a different time, with different interests, and I don’t want to argue about this. The madness of this show made me laugh, cry, and, yeah, a little anxious
This is my favorite TV show intro ever
When Tales From the Crypt was released, their first episode was about a killer Santa. I loved it so much. I never looked back from that point on. It’s still one of my favorites. The show also has the best intro ever and closes with the Cyptkeeper doing something funny. His goofiness is on point, just like mine, but I am an ancient monster. The Keeper came to life as a puppet with multiple people manning him and was voiced by John Kassir. As for the “You can’t watch this” logic, they could do anything they wanted and took full advantage of it. It was one of the first shows to be developed with no rules or standards. You saw a lot of sex, bad words, and graphic kills.
Tales From the Crypt aired from June 10, 1989, to July 19, 1996. It was a great time, and I missed the thrill of watching it and the stories. So, I got into more extreme movies, which could also be very funny. Nothing will beat the legendary scenes in the show. So many great moments, one-liners, and great stories from this show. I remember wearing a Cryptkeeper mask for several Halloweens. My love for this show still feels like a safe space for me, like many movies do. For me it always comes down to this show and a small collection of one or two movies that can make me feel the same way.
It also spawned a cartoon and game show. What could be any cooler?
This show made Saturday mornings great!
We wish the entire cast and crew a happy 35th anniversary. Thanks for all the memories, being silly, and helping me through the dark times. I will mention a gripe, and you may not agree: I wasn’t too fond of the season in the UK. Otherwise, thank you again.
Tales From The Crypt is not currently available to stream, but you can get the complete series on DVD for around $35 on Amazon and from other online retailers!
