"Tales from the Crypt" Whirlpool (1994)

Director:

Mick Garris

Writers:

Gilbert Adler (teleplay)
A L Katz (teleplay)

TV Series:

"Tales from the Crypt" (1989)

Original Air Date:

31 OKTÓBER 1994 (Season 6, Episode 3)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Crypt | Crypt Keeper | Pun | Based On Comic Book | Terror

Cast

Blake Clark	...	Jerry
Ria Coyne	...	Velma
Michael Gregory	...	Cop
Roger Kabler	...	Roger
John Kassir	...	Crypt Keeper (voice)
A L Katz	...	Iggy (as Alan Katz)
Richard Lewis	...	Vern
Corin Nemec	...	Hal
Rita Rudner	...	Rolanda

Directed by
Mick Garris

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gilbert Adler		teleplay
A L Katz		teleplay

Produced by
Gilbert Adler	....	producer
Alexander B. Collett	....	associate producer
Richard Donner	....	executive producer
David Giler	....	executive producer
Walter Hill	....	executive producer
A L Katz	....	co-producer
Scott Nimerfro	....	associate producer
Robert Parigi	....	associate producer
Ed Rosen	....	associate producer
Joel Silver	....	executive producer
Robert Zemeckis	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Nicholas Pike

Cinematography by
Rick Bota

Film Editing by
Lou Angelo

Casting by
Victoria Burrows
Jean Scoccimarro

Production Design by
Gregory Melton		(as Greg Melton)

Art Direction by
Colin D. Irwin

Set Decoration by
Natalie Pope		(as Natali Pope)

Costume Design by
Warden Neil

Makeup Department
Donna-Lou Henderson	....	hair stylist
Daphne Lawson	....	hair stylist (as Daphne Stephon)
Todd Masters	....	special makeup designer

Production Management
F.A. Miller	....	production manager
Peter Worth	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Garry A. Brown	....	first assistant director
Nancy Henkle Green	....	second assistant director (as Nancy Green)

Art Department
Manuel Baca	....	assistant property master
William J. Blanchard	....	set designer
Steven B. Melton	....	property master
George Denes Suhayda	....	set designer
Bobby Thomas	....	leadman

Sound Department
John S. Coffey	....	sound mixer (as John Coffey)
Sean Garnhart	....	sound designer
Sean Garnhart	....	sound re-recording mixer
Patrick Giraudi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Daniel S. Irwin	....	adr supervisor
Scott Wolf	....	sound supervisor

Camera and Electrical Department
Antar Abderrahman Jr.	....	gaffer (as Antar Abderrahman)
Ziad Doueiri	....	first assistant camera
Rafael E. Sánchez	....	key grip

Casting Department
Lisa S. Beasley	....	extras casting (as Lisa Beasley)

Editorial Department
Glen Ebesu	....	assistant editor
Jonathan Posell	....	assistant editor

Music Department
James Burt	....	music editor
Danny Elfman	....	composer: theme music

Transportation Department
Dan Henley	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Matt Beckner	....	set production assistant
Dan Cracchiolo	....	production associate
J. Mills Goodloe	....	assistant: Richard Donner
Jennifer Gwartz	....	production associate
Jean Henley	....	location manager
Jerel Katz	....	medical consultant (as Jerel I. Katz)
Mary Montiforte	....	production accountant (as Mary Werwage-Montiforte)
Amy Quinn	....	assistant: Joel Silver
Lisa Sandoval	....	script coordinator
Dorothy Sidwell	....	production coordinator (as Dorothy M. Sidwell)
Ed Tapia	....	assistant: Gilbert Adler and A L Katz
Mary Wright	....	script supervisor

Produced by
Ramon Sanchez	....	consulting producer

Original Music by
Brad Fiedel
Merl Saunders

Casting by
Melissa M. Thomas
Paul Weber

Makeup Department
Richard Duell	....	special makeup designer
Michael Key	....	special makeup supervisor
David B. Miller	....	special makeup effects artist
Steven R. Soussanna	....	hair department head

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Karen Gaviola	....	assistant director
Marios Hamboulides	....	trainee assistant director
Steve Picerni	....	second unit director
Mic Rodgers	....	second unit director

Art Department
Mike Brooks	....	propmaker gangboss
Liz Chiz	....	on-set dresser
Louise Del Araujo	....	lead
Richard Bryan Douglas	....	carpenter
Dragon Dronet	....	props
Glenn Forbes	....	assistant property master
Robyn Jacobs	....	sculptor: opening sequence
Robyn Jacobs	....	set decorator: 'crypt keeper' sequences
Richard Ory	....	production artist
Joel Ross	....	lead man
Steven C. Voll	....	propmaker
Amy Vuckovich	....	scenic artist (as Amy Botefuhr)

Sound Department
Rick Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Dick Alexander)
Tim Boggs	....	sound editor
William C. Carruth	....	supervising sound editor
Derek Casari	....	dubbing engineer
John Chalfant	....	sound effects editor
John Chalfant	....	sound re-recording mixer
Marty Church	....	adr mixer
Les Fresholtz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Larry Goodwin	....	foley mixer
Gregory Hainer	....	sound designer
Jason King	....	sound effects editor
Doug Madick	....	foley artist
Derek Marcil	....	adr mixer
Phillip W. Palmer	....	sound utility
Vern Poore	....	sound re-recording mixer
Lisa M. Risen	....	assistant sound editor (as Lisa Risen)
Steve Scoville	....	dialogue editor
Cathie Speakman	....	sound editor
Robert Ulrich	....	sound editor
Kelly Vandever	....	sound re-recording mixer
Marc Vanocur	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Yarek Alfer	....	miniatures crew
Joel P. Blanchard	....	special effects technician
Tod Ryan	....	lab technician
Ramon Sanchez	....	special effects
Michael Spatola	....	special effects makeup

Visual Effects by
Leslie Ekker	....	miniature crew chief: opening sequence
Evan Jacobs	....	miniatures: title sequence
David Jones	....	model shop supervisor: opening sequence (as David M. Jones)
Ziad Seirafi	....	visual effects producer

Stunts
Rick Avery	....	stunts
Gregory J. Barnett	....	stunt coordinator
Charlie Brewer	....	stunt double
Ronald Jaynes	....	stunt performer
Lane Leavitt	....	stunts
Ray Nicholas	....	stunt double
Jimmy N. Roberts	....	stunts
Pat Romano	....	stunts
Paul E. Short	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Steve Adcock	....	first assistant camera
Loren Corl	....	key grip
Brian Dzyak	....	additional camera loader
Lisa Guerriero	....	assistant camera
Dan Kneece	....	Steadicam operator
Jon Kranhouse	....	crypt keeper sequences director of photography
Eric H. Lasher	....	still photographer
Chris Lombardi	....	first assistant camera (as Chris Lombardy)
Darin Miller	....	film loader
Gary Molyneux	....	dolly grip: "b" camera
Rick Tiedeman	....	Steadicam operator
Larry Watson	....	still photographer

Animation Department
Patrick A. Ventura	....	animation director
Patrick A. Ventura	....	character designer

Casting Department
Sherry Sims	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tricia Gray	....	costumer
Randall Thropp	....	wardrobe supervisor (1992-1994)

Editorial Department
Julia Gray	....	assistant film editor
William J. Meshover	....	assistant editor (as Bill Meshover)
Vartan Nazarian	....	apprentice editor (season 2)
Lewis Schoenbrun	....	assistant editor
Paul M. Wagner	....	assistant editor (as Paul Wagner)

Music Department
Tim Boyle	....	score mixer
Steven Scott Smalley	....	orchestrator
Jacqueline Tager	....	music editor

Other crew
Gilbert Adler	....	crypt keeper sequences director
Pamela Alessandrelli	....	assistant to producer
Rick Bota	....	director: crypt keeper sequences
Barbara Casner	....	production secretary (season 6)
Nan Garcia-Wood	....	set medic
Mecki Heussen	....	crypt keeper puppeteer
Steven E. Housewright	....	location scout
Derek Hurd	....	key craft service
Luca Kouimelis	....	script supervisor
Liz Matthews	....	assistant location manager
Eve McCornick	....	assistant production accountant
Page Ostrow	....	coach: Marilyn Hassett
Jason Roberts	....	assistant: Richard Donner
Mary Anne Seward	....	script supervisor: crypt keeper sequences
Shaun Smith	....	puppeteer: Crypt Keeper (season 7)
Ladd Vance	....	assistant: Joel Silver (as Ladd Rosenberg-Vance)
Mike Vosburg	....	cover art: comic book

"I wouldn't line a bird cage with this story." Really poor tale from the crypt.

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Tales from the Crypt: Whirlpool starts in the tales from the crypt comic book offices where artist Rolanda (Rita Rudner) has her latest strip called 'Whirlpool' rejected by her demanding editor Vern (Richard Lewis), to add insult to injury Vern fires her as well for being rubbish. However the next morning Rolanda wakes up to find she is starting the day again, again she is fired & things happen in exactly the same fashion but but this time things don't quite end in the same way...

This Tales from the Crypt story was episode 3 from season 6, directed by Mick Garris I thought Whirlpool was a poor excuse for a tale from the crypt. The script by the show's regular producer Gilbet Adler & A L Katz was based on a story from 'The Vault of Horror' comic book & is pretty bad, for a start I would really struggle to call Whirlpool even horror themed, it lacks any dark sense of humour & the story is a complete mess. The basic premise of setting it in the Tales from the Crypt comic book offices has already done in season 2's Korman's Kalamity & the fact that what one of the artist's strips becomes reality was also the basis for Korman's Kalamity but without the horror, the fun, the gore or any sort decent twist ending. I mean the fact that this whole Tales from the Crypt episode just turned out to be a comic strip from the latest issue is not amongst the show's best twist's & it's revealed in a somewhat convoluted way.

This one is a period piece that looks to be set during the 50's & has decent enough production values, there's no gore, swearing or nudity in this one apart from the closing Crypt Keeper (John Kassir) segment when he reveals a decapitated head. Another thing I noticed about Whirlpool is that it has to be the shortest Tales from the Crypt episode so far, it runs for a few seconds over 20 minutes compared to the usual 30 odd minutes but even then it felt dull & boring.

Whirlpool is one of the lamest Tales from the Crypt episodes that I have seen although it's still not quite as bad as season 5's King of the Road.