Tales From the Darkside: The Complete Series

If you watched syndicated television between 1983 and 1988, you probably saw Tales from the Darkside at least once while changing channels. Now viewers of basic cable channels such as Chiller or Syfy can also enjoy the program. Produced by horror icon George A. Romero, Tales from the Darkside was a weekly anthology show in the same style as The Twilight Zone or Tales From the Crypt, and everyone from Stephen King to Tom Savini got in on the action.

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Tales from the Darkside: The Complete Series is now available in one 12-disc collection. All 90 episodes of the show included. With a price of around $92, that averages out to about just $1 per episode.

Below is a brief synopsis of every episode included in Tales From the Darkside: The Complete Series.

Tales from the Darkside – Season One

• “Trick or Treat“ (Pilot Episode) – A debt-obsessed old man allows trick-or-treaters to search his house for their parents’ mortgages, but he gets a nasty Halloween surprise when a real demon shows up in costume. Written by George A. Romero.
• “The New Man” – An alcoholic meets a boy who claims to be his son, but the man has no knowledge of him. The younger man disagrees.
• “I’ll Give You a Million” – Keenan Wynn co-stars in this tale of two friends who start discussing the buying and selling of souls. Before you know it, a deal has been struck between them.
• “Pain Killer” – Suffering from horrible back pain, a man visit’s a doctor who claims to provide a miracle cure. It works, but the patient doesn’t realize the true cost of the treatment until later.
• “The Odds” – Danny Aiello appears in this tale of a bookie who never passes on a bet. But what happens when he encounters a gambler who never loses and seems intent on breaking the bookie?
• “Mookie and Pookie” – Justine Bateman and Tippi Hedren star in this story about a girl who finds that the spirit of her recently-deceased twin brother is residing in her computer.
• “Slippage” – David Patrick Kelly stars as a man who begins to slip out of existence.
• “Inside the Closet” – Tom Savini directs and Fritz Weaver co-stars in this tale of a young woman who rents a room in an elderly man’s house, only to discover that something is living behind the tiny door in the corner.
• “The Word Processor of the Gods” – Based on a Stephen King short story, this episode focuses on a writer with a special word processor: anything he writes about on it become real.
• “A Case of the Stubborns” – Christian Slater, Eddie Bracken, and Brent Spiner star in a tale about a grandfather who refuses to believe that he’s dead.
• “Djinn, No Chaser” – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar co-stars in this tale based on the short story from Harlan Ellison. When a couple find a genie’s lamp, they’re soon plagued by a multitude of problems courtesy of the pissed-off djinn.
• “All a Clone by the Telephone” – Harry Anderson stars as a television writer who starts getting career help from his intelligent answering machine.
• “In the Cards” – A tarot reader receives a new deck of cards that causes bad predictions to come true.
• “Anniversary Dinner” – A girl is rescued from her abusive boyfriend by an elderly couple. But there may be more to the old couple than first meets the eye…especially when it comes to their eating habits.
• “Snip, Snip” – A practitioner of black magic uses his powers in an attempt to win the lottery.
• “Answer Me” – A woman is driven to distraction by the constant ringing of her neighbor’s seemingly intelligent telephone.
• “The Tear Collector” – A meeting between a man who collects tears and a woman who can’t seem to stop crying.
• “The Madness Room” – Things don’t work out as planned when a woman and her pal attempt to frighten a wealthy man to death.
• “If the Shoes Fit…” – The world of a politician begins to take on a new appearance.
• “Levitation” – Disaster strikes when a once-famous magician tries to perform his greatest trick at the prompting of a teenager.
• “It All Comes Out in the Wash” – The tale of a special laundromat where customers can go to have their sins washed away.
• “Bigalow’s Last Smoke” – A smoker is imprisoned in his own home as part of a radical program to make him quit.
• “Grandma’s Last Wish” – When the family of an elderly woman wants to put her in a nursing home against her will, she makes one last request of them.
• “The False Prophet” – A psychic machine advises a woman to head to Texas, so she hops on a bus. But along the way, she encounters another machine that advises against her trip.

Tales from the Darkside – Season Two

• “The Impressionist” – When the government fails to communicate with an alien, they bring in a comedian to try his luck.
• “Lifebomb” – Bill Macy stars as a sickly executive who’s offered a life-saving medical device. But at what price?
• “”Ring Around the Redhead” – As he sits on Death Row, a convicted killer weaves a tale about a redhead from another dimension.
• “Parlor Floor Front” – When a woman learns that one of her tenants is a believer in voodoo, she resolves to drive them out.
• “Halloween Candy” – Tom Savini directs this tale of an old man who torments kids during Halloween. Then he gets a visit from a goblin who wants some candy.
• “The Satanic Piano” – Lisa Bonet co-stars in this tale of a piano player who purchases a machine that converts thoughts into music. But the price for this miraculous device may be more than he’s willing to pay.
• “The Devil’s Advocate” – Jerry Stiller stars as an acerbic late-night radio host who finds himself trapped in his studio and receiving calls from the past.
• “Distant Signals” – A director is approached by an investor who wants him to complete a TV series that was cancelled 20 years prior.
• “The Trouble with Mary Jane” – Phyllis Diller co-stars in this tale about a family who offers $50,000 to anyone who can rid their daughter of the demons that are possessing her.
• “Ursa Minor” – When a little girl receives a new teddy bear, she comes to believe that it’s alive.
• “Effect and Cause” – The strange tale of a woman who lives out events before they actually happen.
• “Monsters in My Room” – Seth Green stars in this tale of a boy who fears that a demon, octopus, and a living buzzsaw are hiding in his room with sinister intent.
• “Comet Watch” – Fritz Weaver stars in this tale of a man and his nagging wife who receive visitors from the distant past on the night that Halley’s Comet appears.
• “Dream Girl” – The actors at a theatre find themselves forced to act out the dreams of a stagehand.
• “A New Lease on Life” – In exchange for providing his landlady with garbage, a man gets the apartment of his dreams.
• “Printer’s Devil” – A writer desperate for success finds an agent who can ensure his popularity…for a series of animal sacrifices.
• “The Shrine” – Lorna Luft stars in this tale of a woman and a little girl competing for the attention of another.
• “The Old Soft Shoe” – The tale of an amorous salesman and his difficulties with members of the opposite sex.
• “The Last Car” – While riding in the last car of a train, a college student encounters a series of unusual passengers.
• “A Choice of Dreams” – Abe Vigoda stars as a dying mob boss who’s offered the opportunity to dream after death.
• “Strange Love” – Marcia Cross co-stars in this tale of a doctor who makes a late-night house call and encounters a vampire couple.
• “The Unhappy Medium” – A preacher vows to send his family a sign from beyond the grave.
• “Fear of Floating” – Yeardley Smith co-stars in this tale of a man who begins to float whenever he lies.
• “The Casavin Curse” – A family learns that they’re cursed thanks to the actions of their great-grandfather.

Tales from the Darkside – Season Three

• “The Circus” – When an investigative journalist goes to debunk a circus’s claim of real monsters, he gets more than he bargained for. Starring William Hickey and written by George A. Romero.
• “I Can’t Help Saying Goodbye” – Brian Benben and Alison Sweeney star in a tale about a young girl who can sense a person’s impending death.
• “The Bitterest Pill” – An abused boy takes a special pill developed by his uncle and tries to escape the clutches of his parents.
• “Florence Bravo” – When a couple move into a house where the former resident was murdered by his wife, events from the past begin to repeat themselves.
• “The Geezenstacks” – A little girl is given a dollhouse, but whatever happens to the dolls inside seems to play out in the real world.
• “Black Widows” – Theresa Saldana co-stars in this tale of a woman who learns a disturbing family secret on her wedding night.
• “Heretic” – An art collector buys a painting from the Spanish Inquisition and discovers a world inside the canvas.
• “A Serpent’s Tooth” – The warnings of a mother are ignored, at least until it’s too late.
• “Baker’s Dozen” – The story of a bakery run by a voodoo practitioner.
• “Deliver Us From Goodness” – A morally just woman gets tired of being so damned good all the time.
• “Seasons of Belief” – E.G. Marshall co-stars in this story about two obnoxious kids who hear a very different kind of Christmas story.
• “Miss May Dusa” – An amnesiac who unintentionally brings death everywhere she goes begins to learn about her past after meeting a saxophone player.
• “The Milkman Cometh” – Robert Forster and Chad Allen star in a tale about a milkman who can grant wishes (although it’s best to be very specific about what you want).
• “My Ghostwriter – The Vampire” – A horror novelist and a vampire team up to write a best-selling novel.
• “My Own Place” – When a yuppie moves into his first apartment, he’s surprised to find an unexpected roommate.
• “Red Leader” – A scumbag businessman makes a deal with Satan.
• “Everybody Needs a Little Love” – Jerry Orbach stars in this story of a man who becomes obsessed with a mannequin. Based on a short story by Robert Bloch.
• “Auld Acquaintances” – Two witches resume their centuries-old feud over an amulet.
• “The Social Climber” – By walking in their shoes, a shoemaker’s assistant finds that he can live out the lives of other people.
• “The Swap” – Things don’t work out for a woman who plans to murder her wealthy husband.
• “Let the Games Begin” – After a man passes away, an angel and a demon battle over his soul.
• “The Enormous Radio” – When a couple buys a new radio, they find that it broadcasts the private conversations of their neighbors.

Tales from the Darkside – Season Four

• “Beetles” – When the warnings on a sarcophagus are ignored, an Egyptologist lets loose a horrific curse. Written by Robert Bloch.
• “Mary, Mary” – The strange tale of a shut-in who’s obsessed with her dolls.
• “The Spirit Photographer” – Things get crazy when a photographer decides to take pictures of the spirit world.
• “The Moth” – Debbie Harry stars as a woman who believes her soul will become trapped in a moth when she dies.
• “No Strings” – When a mobster kills his rival, he forces a ventriloquist to make the corpse into a puppet and put on a show.
• “The Grave Robber” – When an ancient mummy is unearthed by archeologists, he makes them compete for the right to live.
• “The Yattering and Jack” – Based on the short story by Clive Barker, this comical tale documents the test of will between a virtuous man and a demon.
• “Seymourlama” – Divine co-stars in the story of a young boy who’s named the new religious leader for an entire country.
• “Sorry, Right Number” – Stephen King penned this tale about a woman who receives a distressing phone call.
• “Payment Overdue” – After driving a client to the grave, a debt collector gets a taste of his own medicine.
• “Love Hungry” – When an obese woman goes on a crash diet, she finds herself more attached to food than ever before.
• “The Deal” – Bradley Whitford stars as a screenwriter who makes a deal with Lucifer.
• “The Apprentice” – After taking a job with a museum, a woman is transported through time and forced to work like a slave.
• “The Cutty Black Sow” – A dying woman enlists the help of her great-grandson to keep a Celtic demon from getting her soul.
• “Do Not Open This Box” – When a package is delivered to the wrong address, a greedy woman ignores the warning that reads “Do not open this box.”
• “The Family Reunion” – Patricia Tallman stars as a mother who wants to be reunited with her sick son, despite the overprotective father having sole custody. Directed by Tom Savini.
• “Going Native” – An alien poses as a photographer in order to study the behavior of humans.
• “Hush” – When his mother complains about noise, a child builds a machine that sucks out sound. Unfortunately, it also has a habit of killing the things it silences.
• “Barter” – When an alien shows up at a family’s door asking for ammonia, a hilarious parody of I Love Lucy is set in motion.
• “Basher Malone” – Vic Tayback plays a crooked fight promoter who’s involved with infernal forces. He’s opposed by a religious wrester and the grappler’s tough-as-nails mother.

If you’re a fan of horror and dark humor in the vein of The Twilight Zone, you’ll enjoy Tales From the Darkside: The Complete Series.

See also:

1. The Fox 75th Anniversary Collection Boxed Set
2. The Tales from the Crypt Boxed Set
3. The Hollywood Musicals Collection Boxed Set
4. America Lost and Found: The BBS Story Boxed Set
5. David Lynch Box Set
6. Alien Box Set
7. Clint Eastwood Box Set
   

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