I'm a huge lover of Amicus' anthology films and this is one of the better entries in the series. I'd had a DVD--acquired from eBay—for sometime and was only able to watch up to the beginning of the third story before the disc froze. Infuriating to say the least, but a year down the line, I'm now the proud owner of the newly-released disc from 20th Century Fox on a double bill with its companion piece, VAULT OF HORROR.
As Amicus anthologies go, they can sometimes be a hit-and-miss affair, though hitting more often than they miss. TALES FROM THE CRYPT comprises five wonderful shorts, each a worth entry, rather than filler. The opening tale of Joan Collins being stalked by a maniacal Santa Claus is a great pull into a hugely entertaining film. The other stories included here are all good, with Peter Cushing's centre piece being my favourite due to his heart-felt (and heart-breaking performance).
The DVD has no extras (at least not on the TALES disc. The VAULT platter has yet to see the inside of my player) but is presented in anamorphic widescreen and in what appears to be the original ratio. With the release of this double bill and Warner's forthcoming FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE due at the end of the month, it's a great time for Amicus completists.
