The Horror Show
Terror Tales
by Jimmy Lee Combs
I love anthology films. I’ve seen and reviewed so many of them that I am literally out of snappy opening lines to set up a new anthology review. They make my heart happy, my mind all a flutter. I love watching the little segments, especially when perfectly wrapped up all cozy-like in the blanket of a good frame story. The latest film of this style that I have sunk my teeth into is a new film called Terror Tales.
Terror Tales opens with a family (husband, wife, daughter) driving down the road when their car is taken out of commission Hills Have Eyes style with some road spikes. The family is then abducted by a mysterious lunatic who locks the wife and daughter in the trailer and takes the man up front. He threatens the life of the man’s family unless he does everything he is told. And, on the way to do Satan knows what with the family, the sinister antagonist regales the man with several frightful tales of murder and mayhem. I felt this setup was strikingly quick and to-the-point. It was a bit jarring, but at the same time I’ll never really criticize an anthology film for getting to the segments quickly and avoiding letting the frame story drag.
The first tale, titled By Proxy centers around an author who has recently lost her son to an act of self-inflicted violence. After a series of events that put her own life into peril, a horrific creature takes the woman on a journey, highlighting what has lead her to this point. It’s an interesting concept and well-structured for the most part, though I did find it confusing at times and admittedly it gets a little muddled here and there. Overall, however, there is at least a good amount of creativity and neat visual effects being showcased.
After this first tale we return to the frame story, with the dangerous stranger playing with the innocent man more and more. This wraparound story really has a lot going on and really feels like a full-fledged tale in and of itself. It kind of reminded me of The Hitcher, but with enough originality to make the over-arching story its own thing. It all genuinely intrigued me and I was pulled in to seeing where it was all heading. However, there were more stories to see unfold.
The stranger begins telling the second story. This tale is entitled Radical Video and has a much different tone and feel than the first. I appreciated this as it gave the film a fun atmosphere that also aided the unpredictability. This segment takes place in the golden age of video rental and centers around a video store run by a young couple. They seem to be doing quite well in the emerging market and have plenty of patrons. One customer, however, will prove to be quite the danger to the others. You see, there is a killer on the loose and no one who rents from the video store is safe.
All the while, a troubled cop on the case is doing all he can to bring down the person responsible for these brutal slayings. I liked this tale better than the first, personally. It has a lively way about it as well as a comedic edge that makes the whole segment enjoyable.
After a little more frame story work, Terror Tales moves into the third and final tale. This one is called Epidemic and is definitely the most far-scoping of them all. By this I mean that it has less of a grounded feel and delves more into the world of good vs evil and the whole world being in danger. It centers around a fallen-from-grace preacher who is given the opportunity to save his daughter and the fate of humanity when demons begin infecting the population. It’s a solid segment overall, settling somewhere in the middle of the serious first tale and more comedic and zany second one. It jumps around a lot which leads to the pacing feeling somewhat off at times, but overall is a commendable tale for its ambitiousness. One compliment I have for Terror Tales in general is that it gets the order of stories exactly right, and this includes making the right choice by having Epidemic as the third tale. It’s a nice sendoff that allows the film to flex a little before leading us back to the frame story and ultimate conclusion.
The frame story, and therefore the film itself, comes to a close in a way that is at least partially complete. I can’t help but feel like some questions go unanswered and that leaves some dissatisfaction, especially considering the intrigue the core concept of the wraparound tale brings up throughout the film. It’s a fun conclusion however, and I don’t find myself too hung up on what was missing.
The movie isn’t perfect, but definitely has a lot going for it. For one thing, Christopher Showerman gives a memorable performance as the nefarious stranger, antagonizing the family throughout the film. While the character is written in a way that occasionally wanders into well-tread territory and I still wish he was more fleshed out, Showerman himself gives the role his all and adds a wild and unpredictable flair to the running time. Cast wise, the film also showcases some familiar veterans, particularly in the third story, such as Felissa Rose and “First Jason” Ari Lehman.
All in all, although I have my complaints, I enjoyed Terror Tales. It has some uneven effects and unnecessary moments, but ultimately proves itself to be an entertaining and enthusiastic anthology film. While it could have been a little more polished, it understands what works for the type of film it is and never plays it safe or simple. So, I say give it a go if you’re curious. It has a lot of good ideas at work and they deserve to be seen.
Horror Metal Sounds received a screener of this film from High Octane Pictures in exchange for review.
P.J. Griffin, HMS
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