Scary Tales is a No Budget Production horror anthology, filmed on video with obviously a tiny budget and limited resources. I had never heard of it until I saw the Blu-ray in a recent sale (101 Films in the UK). I took a chance and am glad that I did. A ghostly character called simply The Story Teller, dressed in a black hooded robe, introduces each segment to - wait for it - a small audience of young children! Yes, this is very bizarre but I liked it. Each story is as follows - (1) "Satan's Necklace" A man out with a metal detector discovers a strange looking necklace, he wears it but it turns him into a bloodthirsty demon, ripping his wife's heart out, etc. My least favourite of the three but still an enjoyable "bad" watch, and check out those mullets, scariest things in the whole movie (ha, ha!) (2) "Sliced in Coldblood" A man discovers that his wife has been cheating on him so he goes out on a bloody and senseless killing spree. This was my favourite story, a very short and basic slasher flick with lots of kills. The special effects are very cheap looking but they are fun and I prefer this to horrible CGI any day of the week, a head split in half with a machete being my favourite gore scene. (3) "Level 21" A family man is obsessed with a video game, he tells his wife that he'll quit playing but he can't. Eventually he reaches Level 21, only to be dragged into the game itself, a land of sword, sorcery and Ninja! Again this was gory and fun but the end could've been better. I guess as horror anthologies go this is the polar opposite to say "Creepshow" (1982), as mentioned the budget is very very low, the plots are threadbare, it was shot on video and so the picture/sound quality reflects this, and the acting comes in various degrees of bad. But taking these limitations into account I think that they did a pretty good job, yes it is a BAD movie but I found it to be an enjoyable one. At only 70 minutes long it flies by, I will certainly be watching it again.
7 Reviews
SOV Gold Some Genuinely Great Effects
alexanderdavenport29 January 2021
As the title indicates, this is a shot in video gem that deserves, and requires being seen. It's basically the poor-man's Creepshow This is an ultimate low-fi production with some top notch gore, given what they seem to be working with. The acting isn't great, naturally, which makes it more fun. I will say, the cast does a great job of making the down moments entertaining to remember them.
Do yourself a favor and lick up the AGFA + Bleeding Skull release for as good of a transfer as you're able to get with a few extra features thrown in on top. Definitely a must see for fans of deep-cut or underground horror.
Do yourself a favor and lick up the AGFA + Bleeding Skull release for as good of a transfer as you're able to get with a few extra features thrown in on top. Definitely a must see for fans of deep-cut or underground horror.
You insipid twit!
Hey_Sweden7 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
"Scary Tales" wears its micro-budget status right on its sleeve. A cheap but fun horror anthology shot on video in Baltimore, its wrap around basically consists of a hooded figure with glowing eyes telling scary tales to a bunch of kids.
"Satan's Necklace" details what happens when a man with a metal detector finds the title jewelry buried underground, and is transformed into a demon by wearing it.
"Sliced in Coldblood" (yes, the title acts like "Coldblood" is one word) revolves a cuckolded husband who gets his revenge in brutal fashion, and then continues to act out his rage on every other unlucky person in the neighborhood.
"Level 21" is about a dude who *obsesses* over reaching the title level in a fantasy video game (shades of "The Bishop of Battle" from the '83 anthology "Nightmares"). He gets there, all right, with predictable results as he must then fight for his life.
Cheesy as hell, with some absolutely HILARIOUS bargain basement gore, and the acting & writing is of the most amateurish variety, but this is precisely what makes "Scary Tales" so very amusing. Granted, it does have some dull stretches (for a movie running barely over 70 minutes long), but in general there's enough to laugh at & enjoy here for fans of regional B horror movie-making.
Co-written and co-directed by Doug Ulrich & Al Darago, who both wore numerous other hats on this show, this is the kind of thing where I do have to respect & admire the filmmakers for getting this finished and released, any questions of quality aside.
Six out of 10.
"Satan's Necklace" details what happens when a man with a metal detector finds the title jewelry buried underground, and is transformed into a demon by wearing it.
"Sliced in Coldblood" (yes, the title acts like "Coldblood" is one word) revolves a cuckolded husband who gets his revenge in brutal fashion, and then continues to act out his rage on every other unlucky person in the neighborhood.
"Level 21" is about a dude who *obsesses* over reaching the title level in a fantasy video game (shades of "The Bishop of Battle" from the '83 anthology "Nightmares"). He gets there, all right, with predictable results as he must then fight for his life.
Cheesy as hell, with some absolutely HILARIOUS bargain basement gore, and the acting & writing is of the most amateurish variety, but this is precisely what makes "Scary Tales" so very amusing. Granted, it does have some dull stretches (for a movie running barely over 70 minutes long), but in general there's enough to laugh at & enjoy here for fans of regional B horror movie-making.
Co-written and co-directed by Doug Ulrich & Al Darago, who both wore numerous other hats on this show, this is the kind of thing where I do have to respect & admire the filmmakers for getting this finished and released, any questions of quality aside.
Six out of 10.
Total unexpected gem
jonahs-4326021 August 2022
I honestly was not expecting a whole lot of this movie.
It's shot on video & it's something that I never really heard of before.
I took a chance & bought it on the Vinegar Syndrome website & I was pleasantly surprised. It's acting is for a majority very believable for something that was totally new for pretty much everyone on board.
The effects are cheap but they work, it's shot on video so it's going to have cheap effects. The thing that this movie has going for it is how humble & charming it is.
It's so earnest & it's just a joy to watch.
All three stores are well done & entertaining. It's just so obscure yet it's just so fun.
If you can aquire a copy it's worth your time.
It's shot on video & it's something that I never really heard of before.
I took a chance & bought it on the Vinegar Syndrome website & I was pleasantly surprised. It's acting is for a majority very believable for something that was totally new for pretty much everyone on board.
The effects are cheap but they work, it's shot on video so it's going to have cheap effects. The thing that this movie has going for it is how humble & charming it is.
It's so earnest & it's just a joy to watch.
All three stores are well done & entertaining. It's just so obscure yet it's just so fun.
If you can aquire a copy it's worth your time.
Adorable and inspiring
dylancorbeill14 March 2021
Despite its bland title, Scary Tales is pretty much like the legendary "Who Killed Captain Alex" (except it's an American horror film) in the sense that the people involved merely wanted to entertain their (non-existent) audience and have a good time doing so.
Now obviously this film isn't the least bit scary and the acting is awful, but at times it's smartly written and the special effects for a no-budget film are impressive for what they are. Most importantly though, it's entertaining and adorable to watch a group of friends make their own version of "Tales From the Crypt" or "Creepshow", therefore making it worthy of your time and money.
My only complaint is that the first and last segments overstay their welcome a bit, and the interludes with the "host" aren't as long as they should be, but all in all, a good z-grade film. Also, the AGFA/Bleeding Skull blu-ray comes with the directors' follow-up film "Darkest Soul" as a bonus!
Support this film and make it the next "Captain Alex"!
Now obviously this film isn't the least bit scary and the acting is awful, but at times it's smartly written and the special effects for a no-budget film are impressive for what they are. Most importantly though, it's entertaining and adorable to watch a group of friends make their own version of "Tales From the Crypt" or "Creepshow", therefore making it worthy of your time and money.
My only complaint is that the first and last segments overstay their welcome a bit, and the interludes with the "host" aren't as long as they should be, but all in all, a good z-grade film. Also, the AGFA/Bleeding Skull blu-ray comes with the directors' follow-up film "Darkest Soul" as a bonus!
Support this film and make it the next "Captain Alex"!
Barely watchable no-budget home-made horror
kastrino18 February 2024
A few weeks ago I bought the new Blu Ray of this forgotten DIY anthology horror mainly based on the reviews here at IMDb and Amazon. Generally, most point at a forgotten but worthy low budget horror and I'm all for this kind of movies so I had relatively big expectations before I put this in my Blu Ray player. Unfortunately, I found the movie to be barely watchable, totally forgettable and unoriginal in most respects. The acting is laughable most of the time, but that is not an issue for a horror fan that tries to find other redeeming qualities in such movies. Personally, apart from some successful practical effects that stand out in the no-budget atmosphere and the relative interest in the plot of a couple of the stories, I didn't find much else to like in this movie. The Blu Ray image is VHS quality also, but this is another story altogether.
Enjoyable horror anthology obscurity
Woodyanders24 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
A sinister hooded figure relates three tales of terror. First and most goofy story, "Satan's Necklace" - An ancient evil necklace takes gradual possession of a man's soul. Boasting a freaky sex scene and some crude demon make-up f/x, this one proves to be more silly than scary. Second and most outrageous vignette, "Sliced in Cold Blood" - A guy goes off the psychotic deep end after he discovers his wife's infidelity. Boy, this honey sure doesn't skimp on the excessive explicit splatter! Third and most entertaining yarn, "Level 21" - A man becomes so obsessed with a video game that he can't stop playing it to the point in which he finds himself literally caught up in the world of said game. The inspired visualization of the video game's dangerous medieval world along with the primitive computer graphics and clumsily staged fight set pieces ensure that this particular segment rates as a lot of wild fun to watch. Sure, this baby ain't exactly a sophisticated work of pure cinematic art, but the enthusiastic amateur acting from a game no-name cast, hilarious profane dialogue, and cheesy gore all combine together to make this micro-budget omnibus outing well worth a watch for fans of scrappy shot-on-video indie fare.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
