Tales from the Darkside Season 1
00. Trick or Treat
Town miser Gideon Hackles spends Halloween hiding IOU's in his house, which he then rigs as haunted and invites local kids to search for the IOU's so he can scare them. This year, he gets his comeuppance.
01. The New Man
A recovering alcoholic is disturbed to find a young boy who shows up at his office claiming to be his son Jerry. The man is further angered when the boy shows up at his house. While the other family members carry on as if Jerry is a regular member of the family, the man insists that he has never seen the boy before in his life. The man's wife assumes that he has begun drinking again and is harboring delusions brought on by his inebriated state. The family, disgusted by the father's unwillingness to acknowledge Jerry as his son, ultimately leaves him. Driven back to drinking by the ordeal, the previously sober father ends up in a state of emotional ruin. In the final scene, Jerry visits another man, claiming to be HIS son, as the nightmarish pattern continues.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Billy Jayne
Petey Coombs
Chris Hebert
Jerry
Kelly Jean Peters
Sharon Coombs
Vic Tayback
Alan Coombs
Paul Jenkins
Brad Johnson
Jon Jacobs
Roger
Mark Durand
Teleplay
Barbara Owens
Short Story
Frank De Palma
Director
Karen Grossman
Director of Photography
Frank De Palma
Editor
Christopher T. Welch
Editor
02. I'll Give You a Million
Two old, rich men like to wager among themselves on trivial matters for huge amounts. One of them, Williams, offers his friend a million dollars for his immortal soul. Blaine accepts but discovers that he is dying of cancer - frightened, he tries to buy his soul back. Williams holds out for more money, until it's too late - Blaine dies. Soulless, he comes back for his soul, shocking Williams into a heart attack...and the Devil comes to claim his due from both of them.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Keenan Wynn
Duncan Williams
George Petrie
Jack Blaine
Michael Freeman
Richards
Bradley Fisher
The Devil
Catherine Battistone
Jenny the Maid (voice)
Mark Durand
Writer
John Harrison
Story
David Spiel
Writer
John Harrison
Director
Karen Grossman
Director of Photography
William Flicker
Editor
03. Pain Killer
Harvey goes to Dr. Roebuck with back pains and Roebuck prescribes a miraculous cure. It's not until later that Harvey finds the price he must pay...
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Farley Granger
Doctor Roebuck
Peggy Cass
Nadine Turman
Lou Jacobi
Harvey Turman
Fay Sappington
Mrs. Anne Tracey
Haskell Barkin
Writer
Armand Mastroianni
Director
Ernest R. Dickerson
Director of Photography
Scott Vickrey
Editor
04. The Odds
Tommy Vale, a barroom bookie finds himself in a curious predicament: a man comes in who can't lose. As the story unravels, he finds out that his opponent is Lacey, a man who went broke gambling with Vale in the past. Now Lacey is back from the dead, with tips from the other side, and is unbeatable. In a final ghoulish wager, Lacey bets that Vale will die at a particular time, and he's never been wrong. But the clock chimes and Vale is still alive. Lacey is forced to depart, and Vale reveals that he set the clock ahead five minutes, then dies right on time.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Danny Aiello
Tommy Vale
Tom Noonan
Bill Lacey
Robert Weil
Horace Chadway
Anthony Bishop
Phil the bartender
Mario Todisco
Mafioso
Michael Quill
Lacey's Man
William Magerman
Drunk
Dave Johnson
Announcer
James Steven Sadwith
Writer
Carole Lucia Satrina
Story
James Steven Sadwith
Director
Ernest R. Dickerson
Director of Photography
Scott Vickrey
Editor
05. Mookie and Pookie
Twin siblings, Mookie and Pookie, are extremely close. But Mookie has a terminal illness. Later the scientific genius Mookie succesfully downloads his mind into the computer before he dies. But now that he's in there Pookie must convince her parents not to pull the plug.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Tippi Hedren
Ruth Anderson
Neil Kinsella
Delivery Man
Justine Bateman
Susan 'Pookie' Anderson
Ron Asher
Kevin 'Mookie' Anderson
George Sims
Harold Anderson
06. Slippage
A young ad-design artist begins to literally "slip" out of reality. Slowly but surely he seems to be fading out of existence: first his payroll checks disappear, then his high school not only fails to mail him about their reunion, but has no records of his existence. The artist soon realizes that since he's drifted through life, he's basically "slipping through the cracks". Even his mother has no memory of him. At the end, even his wife and best friend (now the woman's husband in this new reality) forget he ever existed.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Philip Casnoff
Chris Wood
David Patrick Kelly
Richard Hall
Kerry Armstrong
Elaine Anderson Hall
Harriet Rogers
Mrs. Hall
David Lipman
Mr. Blake
Ruth Miller
Secretary
Michael McDowell
Writer
Mark Durand
Teleplay
Michael Gornick
Director
Ernest R. Dickerson
Director of Photography
Scott Vickrey
Editor
07. Inside the Closet
A student takes a room with an abrupt, somewhat rude anthropology professor. He instructs her never to open the small door in the back of her closet. Hearing strange noises, she eventually opens the door and finds the chamber beyond occupied by a small, hairless-monkey sort of a creature. It kills her and goes after the professor...only to reveal that it is his deformed daughter, which he lovingly dotes on.
Michael McDowell
Writer
Tom Savini
Director
Robert Draper
Director of Photography
Jeffrey Wolf
Editor
08. The Word Processor of the Gods
Richard Hagstrom is dismayed with the way life has treated him (a rude son, a shrewish wife). His nephew Jonathan gives him a birthday present: a homemade word processor. Hagstrom soon discovers that anything he types into the processor becomes real, and no one but him knows the difference. He begins with simple experiments, but then wipes out his son from existence. Even his wife is unaware of the changes. As the machine overheats into self-destruction, Hagstrom types in one last story: he makes sure that he and Jonathan's mother married and that Jonathan was his son. As the word processor destroys itself, Hagstrom's final wish becomes reality.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Bruce Davison
Richard Hagstrom
Karen Shallo
Lina Hagstrom
Patrick Piccininni
Seth Robert Hagstrom
Bill Cain
Tom Nordhoff
Jon Matthews
Jonathan
Miranda Beeson
Belinda
Michael McDowell
Writer
Stephen King
Story
Michael Gornick
Director
Ernest R. Dickerson
Director of Photography
Scott Vickrey
Editor
09. A Case of the Stubborns
In the backwoods, a family patriarch dies...only to come back, unaware that he's dead. The townspeople are up in arms, but the old man is too stubborn to admit he's dead, despite his rigor mortis, lack of appetite, and bad smell. His grandson Jody eventually goes to an old voodoo woman for a solution. Rather than magic, she provides him with a simple solution: pepper. Jody puts it in his grandpa's handkerchief. When the old man sneezes, his nose falls off, which finally convinces him to go lie down and give up life for good.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Bill McCutcheon
Dr. Snodgrass
Christian Slater
Jody Tolliver
Eddie Bracken
Grandpa Titus Tolliver
Brent Spiner
Reverend Peabody
Tresa Hughes
Voodoo Woman
Barbara Eda-Young
Ma Tolliver
Cynthia Windham
Woman #1
Harlan Ellison
Writer
Robert Bloch
Writer
James Houghton
Writer
Gerald Cotts
Director
Robert Draper
Director of Photography
Jeffrey Wolf
Editor
10. Djinn, No Chaser
A couple inadvertently buy a magic lamp that contains a genie. Unfortunately, the genie is anything but amiably. Confined in the lamp for thousands of years and still trapped, he refuses to grant wishes and instead terrorizes the couples with plagues, rains of frogs, etc. The husband finally has himself committed, but a few days later his wife brings him home. Their apartment is now richly decorated and they have plenty of money. The genie is now an amiable and willing wish-granter. The wife's solution to freeing the genie: a can opener.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Colleen Camp
Connie Squires
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
The Djinn, Jan Bin Jan
Charles Levin
Danny Squires
Nate Esformes
Mohandus Mukhar
Haskell Barkin
Teleplay
Shelley Levinson
Director
Karen Grossman
Director of Photography
Christopher T. Welch
Editor
11. All a Clone by the Telephone
Leon, a hapless TV writer, buys an answering machine that has a mind of its own - it initially helps him out by providing him with new material, but Leon soon finds that it's taking over his life.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Harry Anderson
Leon
Marcie Barkin
Dolores
Dick Miller
Seymour Furman
Thomas Newman
Quentin Karp
David Eastman
The Driver
Catherine Battistone
Person on Telephone (voice)
Haskell Barkin
Writer
Frank De Palma
Director
Karen Grossman
Director of Photography
Greg Schorer
Editor
Christopher T. Welch
Editor
12. In the Cards
A fake fortuneteller, Caterina, soon finds that every fortune she tells comes true...but she can only predict gruesome and horrific ends for her customers. She soon discovers that another cursed fortuneteller slipped her a cursed pack of cards, and Caterina can only get rid of them by giving them to another fake. She does so by slipping into another fortuneteller's parlor, asking for a fortune, and slipping her the cursed deck. Unfortunately the first fortune the new cursee reads is of Caterina's death...which rapidly comes true.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Dorothy Lyman
Catherine
Carmen Mathews
Madame Marlena
Teri Keane
Esther
Wood Romoff
Isaac
Johann Carlo
Iris
Arthur Pierce
Mugger
Theodore Gershuny
Teleplay
Carole Lucia Satrina
Story
Theodore Gershuny
Director
Robert Draper
Director of Photography
Jeffrey Wolf
Editor
13. Anniversary Dinner
A young girl fleeing her boyfriend finds herself in a small country home with a genial older couple. They take pity on her and invite her in, and even invite her to their special anniversary dinner. After getting her set up in the hot tub with plenty of wine, they start pouring vegetables in. As she passes out, the girl realizes exactly how the couple will be having her for dinner.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Alice Ghostley
Elinor Colander
Mario Roccuzzo
Henry Colander
Fredrica Duke
Sybil
Michael Cedar
Mark
James Houghton
Writer
D.J. Pass
Writer
John Strysik
Director
Gideon Porath
Director of Photography
Christopher T. Welch
Editor
14. Snip, Snip
A warlock and a witch get into a battle over a $10 million lottery ticket when each claims that the spirits gave them the winning number.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Carol Kane
Anne MacColl
Bud Cort
Abe North
Ed Kenney
The Announcer
Paul Micale
Phil
Michael McDowell
Writer
Terence Cahalan
Director
Gideon Porath
Director of Photography
Christopher T. Welch
Editor
15. Answer Me
Joan is apartment-sitting for a friend but finds herself tormented by a phone that won't stop ringing.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Jean Marsh
Joan Matlin
Michael McDowell
Writer
Richard Friedman
Director
Robert Draper
Director of Photography
Jeffrey Wolf
Editor
16. The Tear Collector
Prudence is a young woman who can't stop crying, but finds a peculiar way to make a profit when she meets Ambrose Cavender, a man who collects tears.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Jessica Harper
Prudence
Victor Garber
Ambrose Cavender
Eric Bogosian
Junkie
Linda Lee Johnson
Gretchen
Kay Walbye
Young Woman
John Rothman
Young Man
John Drimmer
Teleplay
Geoffrey Loftus
Teleplay
Donald Olson
Story
John Hayes
Director
Robert Draper
Director of Photography
Lisa Cain
Stunts
Edgard Mourino
Stunts
Jeffrey Wolf
Editor
17. Madness Room
Cathy Osborne brings her husband up to a previously-unknown room in their house and along with her friend Michael, relates the tale of how the room is the "madness room" from which no one has ever stayed the night...and survived. In reality it's a set up and Cathy and Michael plan to kill Cathy's husband by scaring him to death. They succeed by faking some supernatural activities, but soon find that the curse of the room is all too real...
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Stuart Whitman
Edward Osborne
Nick Benedict
Michael Fox
Therese Pare
Cathy Osborne
Thomas Epperson
Writer
John Hayes
Director
Karen Grossman
Director of Photography
Christopher T. Welch
Editor
18. If the Shoes Fit...
Fast-talking politician Bo Gumbs finds himself in serious trouble when he arrives for a meeting and waits at a nearby hotel.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Dick Shawn
Bo Gumbs
Harry Goz
Louie Farnum
John Zarchen
Peter
Catherine Anne Hayes
Mimi
David Gerrold
Writer
Louis Haber
Story
Armand Mastroianni
Teleplay
Armand Mastroianni
Director
Ernest R. Dickerson
Director of Photography
Scott Vickrey
Editor
19. Levitation
A teenager enraptured with magicians goes to a flee-bitten circus to seek out one of the greater: Kharma. However, Kharma now does cheap magic for the crowds, and none of the great illusions the teenager believes him capable of. When Kharma refuses to do them, the kid heckles him until Kharma relents and uses the boy as a subject for his greatest feat of levitation. However, Kharma dies of a heart attack, and the boy simply keeps on levitating...up into the sky and out of sight.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Joe Turkel
Kharma
Brad Cowgill
Frank
Cynthia Frost
Flora
Anthony Thompkins
Ernie
John Marzilli
The Carny
David Gerrold
Writer
Joseph Payne Brennan
Short Story
John Harrison
Director
Karen Grossman
Director of Photography
Christopher T. Welch
Editor
20. It All Comes Out in the Wash
Henry, a greedy developers, stumbles upon a Chinese laundry that offers a unique service - it can "wash out" guilt. Henry employs their services but soon finds there is a unpleasant price to pay.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Vince Edwards
Henry Gropper
James Hong
Chow Ting
Ellen Winthrop
Ginger
Philip Roth
Sam Larchmont
Harvey Jacobs
Writer
Frank De Palma
Director
Gideon Porath
Director of Photography
Christopher T. Welch
Editor
21. Bigalow's Last Smoke
Mr. Bigalow, a lifelong cigarette smoker, wakes up to find that his windows have bars on them and his door is sealed shut. A mysterious figure appears on Bigalow's television, informing him that he will quit smoking. Bigalow scoffs at this notion and reaches for a morning cigarette. As soon as he lights up, a deafening alarm sounds, demanding that he extinguish the cigarette immediately. Bigalow is subjected to various endurance tests and is further tempted to smoke when thousands of cigarettes materialize in the room, only to disappear. After being driven to the edge of sanity, he wakes up to find that he no longer has a desire to smoke. Believing that the whole ordeal was a dream, Bigalow reaches for a cup of coffee, at which time the mysterious figure reappears on the television screen, insisting that Bigalow now work on his caffeine addiction.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Richard Romanus
Frank Bigalow
Sam Anderson
Dr. Synapsis
Howard Dayton
Matthews
Catherine Battistone
Talk Show Hostess
Michael McDowell
Writer
Craig Mitchell
Story
Kenneth Wayne Hanis
Story
Timna Ranon
Director
Gideon Porath
Director of Photography
Christopher T. Welch
Editor
22. Grandma's Last Wish
Given one last wish to enliven her days before she is moved into the Tranquil Gardens retirement home, elderly Grandma sees to it that her self-centered family finds out what it's like to grow old.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Gregory Itzin
Newton
Jane Connell
Grandma
Kate McGregor-Stewart
May Rollins
Kelly Wolf
Greta Rollins
Paul Avery
Frank Rollins
Jule Selbo
Writer
Warner Shook
Director
Ernest R. Dickerson
Director of Photography
Scott Vickrey
Editor
23. The False Prophet
Cassie Pines is a woman travelling on her own who believes in astrology, tea leaves...everything. She comes into a diner with a most unusual mechanical fortune teller named Horace X. "Horace" is uncanny with his predictions but Cassie soon finds that Horace is demanding and possessive - despite her misgivings she enters the booth one more time...and disappears.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Ronee Blakley
Cassie Pines
Justin Deas
Heat Jones
Ann Hillary
Wanda Sue
Bill Fiore
Horace X (voice)
Larry Fulton
Story
Jule Selbo
Teleplay
Gerald Cotts
Director
Robert Draper
Director of Photography
Jeffrey Wolf
Editor