Tales from the Crypt (TV Series) Let the Punishment Fit the Crime (1994) User Reviews

Nicely dark Tales form the Crypt episode.

[poolandrews · 7/10 · 7 November 2007]

Tales from the Crypt: Let the Punishment Fit the Crime is set in the upstate New York town of Stueksville where greedy obnoxious lawyer Geraldine Ferrett (Catherine O'Hara) has been arrested for driving a car with a five digit license plate which is illegal as the minimum is six digits. At first Geraldine isn't bothered as she thinks she can just pay the paltry fine & forget about it but what she doesn't realise at first is that the town of Stueksville are very strict when it come to upholding the law, however she soon finds out that the punishment fits the crime in the harshest possible way...

This Tales from the Crypt story was episode 1 from season 6, the third of four Tales from the Crypt episodes to be directed by Russell Mulcahy I really liked this clever & amusing swipe at the American legal system. The script by Ron Finley was based on a story from 'The Vault of Horror' comic book & was a great way to kick off season 6 of the series. It plays on the traditional clichés of greed & corruption of the legal system & turns in an entertaining little horror short. There's not much of a twist at the end but there's still plenty to enjoy here. It includes various allusions & parallels to the culture in America towards suing people purely to make quick money which are amusing to watch in their own right, Let the Punishment Fit the Crime is also one of the shorter Tales from the Crypt episodes clocking in at just over 20 minutes excluding the opening & closing titles.

As usual the production values on this episode are really good with a nice 50's period feel, it's well made with good production values. Gore wise there's a shot of a guy with his nose cut off & some gory zombies including one with a hole in it's chest. The acting is good & there's nice over-the-top performances from O'Hara & Peter MacNicol as the nervy defence lawyer Austin Haggard.

Let the Punishment Fit the Crime is just a really good, fun, gory & clever Tales from the Crypt episode. I guess your enjoyment of this story will depend on whether you 'get it' & what it's trying to say as it were, if you do you should enjoy it.

Clever episode

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 13 July 2012]

Shameless, predatory, and obnoxious ambulance chasing lawyer Geraldine Ferrett (the always great Catherine O'Hara in splendidly spirited form) finds herself trapped in the remote town of Stuecksville after she gets busted for a moving violation. Ferrett initially thinks that she can simply resolve the situation by paying a fine, but soon discovers that the folks in Stuecksville have a very odd and strict concept of justice. Director Russell Mulcahy, working from a crafty script by Ron Finely, relates the amusingly off-kilter story at a brisk pace, does an ace job of creating and sustaining a quirky and surreal nightmarish atmosphere, delivers a few nice bits of gore, and tops everything off with a darkly funny sense of inspired coal black humor. The enthusiastic cast really sink their teeth into the oddball material: O'Hara has a field day in her juicy lead role, Peter MacNicol makes the most out of his meaty supporting part as meek and ineffectual twerp defense attorney Austin Haggard, and Joseph Mahler does well as a trio of ruthless judges. The supremely ironic surprise ending is a corker. Moreover, this episode illustrates in a shrewd and imaginative manner how the dismal consequences of one's shameful past actions can come back to haunt you down the line. Rick Bota's sharp cinematography provides a neat glossy period 50's look and boasts a load of crazy camera angles that enhance the overall bizarre mood. A worthy starter for the sixth season.

Quite a letdown and grating

[bellino-angelo2014 · 6/10 · 9 July 2021]

Geraldine Ferrett (Catherine O'Hara) is a lawyer that at the beginning arrives in the border town of Stueksville since she has been arrested for driving a car with a five digit license plate (and they were illegal). At first she thinks that she can simply pay the fine and go, but little does she know that the town of Stueksville is very strict even with small crimes, and she will find out that the punishment fits the crime in the worst case ever...

During the first half I was liking the episode but as it progressed in the second half I thought it was lacking of seriousness and she didn't deserved that end. Not a disaster but a bit messy thanks to a lazy script and grating performances by Catherine O'Hara and Peter McNicol who basically shriek their lines... if you see it you'll see what I mean.