Exclusives
No Crypt Keeper In New ‘Tales From the Crypt’!? (Exclusive)
We were cackling in excitement with today’s news that TNT was teaming with M. Night Shyamalan to revive “Tales From the Crypt.”
That is until we heard some disconcerting Intel.
While we haven’t confirmed this, our trustworthy insider tells us that the new incarnation of “Tales From the Crypt” will not feature the Crypt Keeper that was voiced by John Kassir because HBO owns the rights. In fact, Kassir himself tweeted, “…Crypt Keeper as we know him is more popular than ever & it’d be a sham/shame not to have him host the show,” furthering suspicions that this is how the series will play out.
Instead, the new show will be highlighted by an old man with a cane, wearing a hood, and keeping warm by a fireplace. This is more in tune with the original EC comic (see below), and even resembles the Old Witch quite a bit.
The Crypt Keeper that we all know and love was created for the HBO series, and has become the spirit of the franchise, but reinventing him isn’t necessarily sacrilegious. With that said, I’m not exactly sure I want to see a fresh take on the character. We saw what happened with Freddy Krueger.
Anyways, here’s where it gets extra meh.
The original plan, whether it’s changed or not, was to film it “American Horror Story”-style, and have 13 episodes of one storyline per season.
Oh, it gets worse. Not only will there be no weekly “anthology” story, but we’re told the first season has nothing to do with the actual comics. Not to mention it’s scripted by the writers behind the awful “Hemlock Grove.”
And if you’re curious, what we heard is that it will be about voodoo in New Orleans (“True Blood” and “American Horror Story” have both tackled this).
So, get ready for the return of “Tales From the Crypt” in name only. I’m preparing myself for disappointment so the shock won’t kill me come the series premiere.
I'll go on record, "Crypt Keeper as we know him is more popular than ever & it'd be a sham/shame not to have him host the show!!!!!
— John Kassir (@JohnKassir) January 7, 2016
Exclusives
‘The Haunting of Pennhurst’ Exclusive Clip Trains Scare Actors For Historic Haunt in Tribeca Doc
The past and present collide in haunting, poignant ways in the genre documentary The Haunting of Pennhurst, which sees a Halloween haunt serve as a reclamation of true historic horrors.
Ahead of its world premiere at the 25th Tribeca Film Festival, we have an exclusive clip that sees scare actors in training for the Halloween season. The catch? This haunt is opening at the historic Pennhurst State School & Hospital site, a facility that caused immense harm to its disabled patients over decades of its operation.
In the documentary, “For over seventy years, Pennhurst State School & Hospital was called a place of care. What happened inside killed over half its population. It closed in 1987, leaving behind unmarked graves and an unresolved history. Today, on those same grounds, disabled performers – many living with the same conditions that once sent people to Pennhurst – put on their makeup, pull on their costumes, and prepare to scare people for a living.
“Through grit, compassion, and buckets of blood, the eclectic performers of the Pennhurst Asylum haunted attraction are wrestling with a space that is at once a lucrative business and a gravesite.”
The upcoming documentary hails from directing trio Nathan Stenberg, Mike Attie, and Katarina Poljak, who explore their socially-relevant subject through archival footage, first-hand accounts, and an immersive verité.
“Pennhurst has haunted us since we first passed through its dragon-tooth gates; the horrors of the institution echo through the site today. We are so grateful to bring this film to the Tribeca Festival, particularly the Escape from Tribeca section, which feels right for a story where past and present bleed together. We hope audiences leave unnerved and asking the same uncomfortable questions we did,” Attie, Stenberg, and Poljak said in a statement.
Watch the clip below that sees disabled and neurodivergent scare actors learning the ropes of a Halloween haunt, reclaiming the site’s grim history in the process.
Tribeca Screenings:
- Public 1 (Premiere) Screening – Friday, June 5 at 9:15PM at Village East by Angelika
- Public 2 Screening – Sunday, June 7 at 3:15PM at Village East by Angelika
- Public 3 Screening – Tuesday, June 9 at 6:15PM at Village East by Angelika
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