Ah, I could never get enough of our ol' pal, The Cryptkeeper. He's undoubtedly one of the most recognized horror icons. With "imp-provised" puns and "fang-tastic" quirks, The Cryptkeeper presided over the "Tales from the Crypt" TV series which aired from 1989 to 1996. I'm currently watching season 4 and for those who are not familiar with the series, let me tell you, it's definitely worth checking out. It's based off one of the four horror/suspense series published by EC comics that appeared through the '40s to mid 1950s'. I got my hands on one of the volumes and you could expect a nice little review sometime soon.
The television show aired on HBO which allowed an impressive amount of gore, nudity and otherwise frowned upon "mature" themes. Thankfully, the show was popular enough to span seven seasons and the list of big names to have appeared on the show is downright staggering. I mean, where else can you see Christopher Reeve and Meatloaf in a knife fight? The director line-up is nothing to scoff at either. You've got William Friedkin on one end and Arnold Schwarzenegger on the other: FIGHT!
Come to think of it, the show is insane. And speaking of insanity, today I review one of my favorite episodes: Cutting Cards. This gem is directed by Walter Hill and tells the story of two rival gamblers, beautifully portrayed by Kevin Tighe and my main-man: Lance Henriksen. Anyway, the two have faced off before and needless to say, Vegas ain't big enough for both of them. The chips are no longer enough to satisfy their quarrel and the two begin a series of games that end up costing them a tad more than some loose change. Tighe plays Sam Forney, a big suit who's cleaned out every fat cat that chucked the die his way one too many times while Henriksen comes walking into town as the slick, dressed-all-in-black, cowboy-hat-wearing: Reno Crevice.
The two are a perfect fit. You'll find yourself smirking more than once or twice at the quick repartee displayed by both actors. Here's an example:
Reno Crevice: "You know the difference between you and me? You've got no character."
Sam Forney: "I've got a .44 out in the glove compartment of my car."
Or the following which, in my humble opinion, earns Reno Crevice a spot on my list of bonafied badasses:
Sam Forney: "You gettin' nervous, Reno?"
Reno Crevice: "Fuck that. I'll take a .44 shot!"
It's one of those episodes where you can't help but to imagine yourself somewhere in the background, thinking "WTF?!" as these two ante-up from one deadly gamble to the next. You'll laugh at the absurdity but you'll also bite your nails as you wonder what kind of insane bet they'll make next. The stakes are high when the two start betting digits in a game aptly called "Chop Poker." I found myself laughing maniaclly more than once as the battle of wits continues right up until the very last scene. The theme that follows our favorite gamblers around is also somewhat cool and reminiscent of '50s pulp/noir jives. "Cutting Cards" is something you'll want to watch over and over again, if only to memorize the highly quotable material scattered throughout 20-minutes of pure goodness.
Here's a little taste of card-cutting bliss:
Until next time Boils and Ghouls,
Pleasant Screams!
No comments:
Post a Comment