Rusty Cundieff’s Tales From The Hood has been terrorizing people for 30 years. Think of Tales From The Crypt on speed, and this is the movie’s total premise: scary stories from the most demented minds. These stories not only entertain you, but they also have a tint of social justice. This film was released only a few years after the L.A. riots. The points are very strong, making you think twice about what your future holds on your life path. This film is the ultimate revenge story. In the end, everyone gets what they deserve.
Synopsis
A funeral director (Clarence Williams III) tells four strange tales of horror with an African American focus. Three drug dealers run into his fuuneral home while running from trouble. Each casket in the home tells a horrifying story. Each tale delves further and further into madness. The teenagers must find a way out, however they can.
Tales From The Hood contains four of the most interesting stories I have ever seen. Anthologies are one of my favorite genres, and the reason isn’t a late-night horror show. This film’s ultimate goal is to make you think twice about how your story will end. It’s like a scared straight program that uses terror instead of convicts yelling at you for some extra food at meals. I can only imagine that these stories thought twice after seeing this film. Tales From The Hood doesn’t hold back on its message. In fact, the creators were quite happy to spread the word on being a good person. Let me delve into these stories for an honest opinion on each.
Rogue Cop Revelation
While conducting a routine traffic stop, police beat the driver who is a black rights advocate exposing racist policemen. After witnessing the brutal beating, Clarence Williams stood back. After leaving the police force, Clarence becomes a drunk, then the spirit of the beaten man uses Clarence to exact his revenge.
This is my favorite story out of the four. It focuses on a zombie looking to right a wrong in any way possible for the officers involved. I love this story because of the premise, aside from a zombie, it is a story that is very real for people of color. There are still many cases of police brutality that are hidden away forever, even when it is clearly the wrong thing to do. The ending scene got to me a bit as Clarence is locked away forever.
Boys Do Get Bruised
Walter Johnson (Brandon Hammond) is a quiet and sensitive boy who shows up to school one day with bruises around his cheek and eye. Walter’s caring teacher, Richard Garvy (Rusty Cundieff), notices the bruises and asks what happened; Walter claims that he was attacked by a monster. In the end they found out exactly who the monster is
This story is the story of safety. There wasn’t anything horrifying about it other than the premise. Instead, it’s another story about karma, done in a beautiful way. I found myself cheering when the enemy met their demise for doing something completely horrible. Another great story in Tales From The Hood
KKK Comeuppeace
Duke Metger (Corbin Bernsen) is an obnoxious and racist Southern senator (based on the real-life senator David Duke), and a former member of the Ku Klux Klan. The senator is in his office filming a campaign commercial when he sees protesters outside the office: Jewish and African-American groups have teamed up to protest against Duke for being a racist, a former Klansman, and for setting up his office at an old slave plantation. One individual, Eli (Art Evans), warns the reporter that the plantation is haunted by dolls animated by the souls of tortured slaves. Ignoring the warining, Duke has no intentions of leving the home. What happens afterwards is a story for the age.
I am from rural Pennsylvania, and there are a ton of secret members of the KKK, without daunting hoods and using only scare tactics. White people still dominate this area, but it isn’t good enough. I think that’s why I related so much to this story. Racism just makes me wanna fight it and erase the hate. I think Duke got exactly what he deserved for being such a horrible person. The fact that this is based on an actual member and leader of the Klan, who, of course, climbed up up the political ladder with top speed.
Hard Core Convert
Jerome “Crazy K” Johns (Lamont Bentley) is a violent gang member and homicidal psychopath who has killed many people mercilessly. He is driving down the streets of Los Angeles in his Mustang. Coming to a stoplight, he notices the car of an enemy he’s been trying to kill for a long time and follows him. Crazy K parks in a neighborhood and has a brief argument with the enemy, then shoots him.
In retaliation, three other men attack from a house nearby. The men shoot Crazy K, and just as they are about to kill him, the police arrive at the scene. Due to one of the shooters firing at the police officers, all three gunmen are shot and killed by the officers. Crazy K is badly injured but survives the attack. After facing a life sentence for the muders, Crazy K is placed in a cell with an ex white supremacist. Throught his stay, Crazy K is put through torturous levels to test if he can in fact, be a productive member of society.
I do think it’s funny to me that there were several attacks on white supremacy. Hate is baggage, and those who hate for no reason all end up explaining away their actions as a “recovering racist.” There is no way to explain away hate.
In The End
I absolutely adore this movie, I always have. To me, it was always more of a comedy. The big finish is staying a secret just in case no one’s seen the film. Tales From The Hood leaves us with a lot of life lessons. It’s a film that makes you question certain mindsets. If you are looking for a quick movie that will leave you cheering as despicable people get what’s coming to them. It also adds to the idea of being kind for me. So I guess in the end, this movie saves the good-hearted. It helps them right a wrong in their brain.
Whether you are shooting at each other or just looking at each other with hate, those ideas should be challenged by people.
