Tales from the Darkside Season 3
01. The Circus
A skeptical journalist travels on assignment to a sideshow. Seated in a small theatre, he is greeted by a perverse caretaker/M.C. who promises (in seemingly generic fashion) to unearth strange, horrible, and presumably fake creatures. The journalist nevertheless feels disgusted when he sees a demonic vampire devour an actual lamb. He chastizes the caretaker for endorsing such horrific "entertainment". However, when fully realizing that these are actual CREATURES, the startled journalist attempts to flee the circus and unknowingly retreats into the arms of the vampire. The caretaker subsequently transforms him into a new exhibit, currently on display for the faithful flock of sideshow attendants who DELIGHT in being frightened.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Ed French
Creature / Vampire
Kevin O'Connor
Bragg
Jacques Sandulescu
Nanoosh
David Thornton
Werewolf
George A. Romero
Writer
Sydney J. Bounds
Story
Michael Gornick
Director
Jon Fauer
Director of Photography
Scott Vickrey
Editor
02. I Can't Help Saying Goodbye
A young girl develops a talent for seeing the fate of those about to die and develops the habit of saying "Goodbye" to them when she does, and her family grows increasingly upset as a result.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Brian Benben
Max Smith
Loren Cedar
Libby
Helen Duffy
Flora
LaGloria Scott
Susie Allen
Jule Selbo
Writer
Jule Selbo
Writer
Ann MacKenzie
Story
John Strysik
Director
Joseph D. Urbanczyk
Director of Photography
Frank De Palma
Editor
03. The Bitterest Pill
A boy treated poorly by his parents gets the upper hand when an eccentric uncle shows up and tries to convince the parents to finance him to develop his newest invention - a pill that increases brain power and memory. He has a stroke and dies but not before the boy swallows the one and only prototype, and soon puts his parents into the same position he was before.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Mark Blankfield
Tinker
Joe Carafello
Harlan Bender
Catherine Battistone
Margery Bender
Jason Horst
Jonathan
John Marzilli
Officer Kopec
Michael P. Kube-McDowell
Writer
Jule Selbo
Writer
Jule Selbo
Writer
Bryan Michael Stoller
Director
Joseph D. Urbanczyk
Director of Photography
Greg Schorer
Editor
04. Florence Bravo
The ghost of a feminist torments the woman who buys her home.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Lori Cardille
Emily McCall
David Hayward
Dr. David McCall
Carol Levy
Juliann Hanratty
Lauren Klein
Florence Bravo
05. The Geezenstacks
A little girl, Audrey, discovers she can control her family by manipulating her doll family, the Geezenstacks, within her dollhouse.
Nancy Doyne
Teleplay
Fredric Brown
Short Story
Bill Travis
Director
Robert Draper
Director of Photography
Bill Pankow
Editor
Kristina Boden
Editor
06. Black Widows
Audrey Webster is concerned about her reclusive mother, but when she pursues the matter discovers exactly why her mother stays away from others, and what awaits Audrey on her own upcoming wedding night.
Michael McDowell
Writer
Karl Epstein
Director
Joseph D. Urbanczyk
Director of Photography
Greg Schorer
Editor
07. Heretic
A rich art collector buys a stolen painting from a thief. The painting portrays a man before the Spanish Inquisition. The collector, Harte, is soon visited by a mysterious man who begs him to repent of his sins and give up the wrongfully-gained picture. Harte ignores the warnings and finds himself sucked into the painting where he is to be tortured as a sinner and heretic. He recants to the Inquisitor, who lets him go. Once out of the painting, Harte refuses to give it up, and receives a personal visit from the Inquisitor in the real world. The thief returns to take the picture, and Harte is nowhere to be found...in this world.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Michael O’Hare
Roberts Blossom
Inquisitor
Bruce MacVittie
Harte
Dominic Marcus
Inquisitor's Assistant
08. A Serpent's Tooth
A kibbitzing mother, Pearl, warns her unlistening family but her warnings start to come true.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Renée Taylor
Pearl King
Louis Quinn
Myron
JoAnn Willette
Madlene King
Brett Marx
Marc King
Ron Sloan
Barry
Edithe Swensen
Writer
Frank De Palma
Director
Joseph D. Urbanczyk
Director of Photography
Greg Schorer
Editor
09. Baker's Dozen
Ruby Cuzzins, a New Orleans baker, sells "magic" cookies and gives unscrupulous Henry adman a sample of her wares. Convinced, Henry tries to get her to go into business with him but gets his comeuppance when she refuses.
George A. Romero
Writer
Scott Edelman
Story
John Harrison
Director
Joseph D. Urbanczyk
Director of Photography
10. Deliver Us from Goodness
Valeria is a saint - literally - and finds it more then she can bear. She seeks out a way to fall from Grace but is unable to do so no matter how hard she tries.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Kaiulani Lee
Mrs. Valeria Cantrell
Albert Macklin
Young Priest
Steve Vinovich
Julian Cantrell
Bill McIntyre
Mr. Tabbitt
Jane Adams
Charlotte Rose Cantrell
Jule Selbo
Writer
Jule Selbo
Writer
Suzette Haden Elgin
Story
Warner Shook
Director
Steven Ross
Director of Photography
Scott Vickrey
Editor
11. Seasons of Belief
On Christmas Eve, a couple decide to preoccupy their restless children by telling them a fable concerning a massive, winged creature called "The Grither". The children initially balk at the story, which describes the creature as a proud, hateful beast who becomes enraged when it hears its name being spoken aloud. Although it lives at the North Pole, its humongous ears allow it to hear its name being spoken from anywhere in the world, and the parents assure the children that The Grither is well on its way to their house to kill them. The children become progressively more frightened as the story continues, eventually to the point of utter hysteria. Finally, in an effort to calm their children, the parents reveal that the story is make believe. At that moment, the huge arms of The Grither smash through the windows of the house and break the necks of the parents as the children look on in horror.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Jenna von Oy
Stefa
E.G. Marshall
Father
Margaret Klenck
Mom
Sky Berdahl
Jimbo
Mark Capri
Uncle Michael
Michael McDowell
Writer
Michael Bishop
Story
Michael McDowell
Director
Steven Ross
Director of Photography
Scott Vickrey
Editor
12. Miss May Dusa
A robber accidentally brings a mannequin to life - its gaze turns him into a statue. The now-living mannequin flees into the night, unaware of her powers or the harm she can bring.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Sofia Landon Geier
Miss May Dusa
Gary Majchrazak
Jimmy James
Yolanda Childress
Bag Lady
Steve Tracy
Robber
Richard Blackburn
Writer
Richard Blackburn
Director
Robert Draper
Director of Photography
Bill Pankow
Editor
13. The Milkman Cometh
A man, Garry, hears from his neighbor a bizarre tale of how the unseen neighborhood milkman grants wishes to anyone who leaves their request in the empty bottles to be picked up. Garry tries it for himself and soon finds his every wish granted. His final wish is for a daughter, and his curiosity is too great and he tries to confront the milkman. Garry gets a glimpse of a deformed mutant creature before it disappears and then realizes exactly how the "milkman" will fulfill his wish - by impregnating his wife.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Robert Forster
Garry Cooley
Chad Allen
Sandy
Barbara Sloane
Edna
Shannon Wilcox
Ruth Cooley
14. My Ghostwriter: The Vampire
Hack writer Peter, writing worse and worse vampire stories, buys a coffin for inspiration and finds it occupied by Count Draco. Peter manages to protect himself, and the two strike a deal: Draco will supply new inspiration based on his life experiences, and Peter will write the books. Peter becomes wealthy, but refuses to share the proceeds. With the aid of Peter's secretary, Draco manages to get the drop on the writer and kill him, and the vampire and secretary strike up a new arrangement.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Roy Dotrice
Vampire Count Jeffrey Draco
Jillie Mack
Jayne
Chi Chi Navarro
Carla, Cleaning Lady
Scott Edelman
Story
Peter O'Keefe
Teleplay
Frank De Palma
Director
Joseph D. Urbanczyk
Director of Photography
Seth Gaven
Editor
15. My Own Place
Laura, a desperate woman, tries to get an apartment by herself but is forced to take in Ram, an immigrant from Calcutta. When Ram dies partly due to her involvement, Laura finds that she has inherited an entire family of ghostly Hindus.
Theodore Gershuny
Writer
Perry Lang
Writer
Theodore Gershuny
Director
Robert Draper
Director of Photography
Scott Vickrey
Editor
16. Red Leader
A crooked tycoon makes a deal with the Devil in return for power and wealth.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Joe E. Tata
Alex Hayes
Carmine Caridi
Jake Caine
Brioni Farrell
Amanda Caine
Peter Bromilow
Red Leader
Joseph Della Sorte
Minion
Edithe Swensen
Writer
John Harrison
Director
Joseph D. Urbanczyk
Director of Photography
Greg Schorer
Editor
17. Everybody Needs a Little Love
Robert, a lonely divorced man, fixated on a mannequin, but the question soon becomes - is the mannequin alive?
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Jerry Orbach
Roberts
Richard Portnow
Curtis
Philip Lenkowsky
Detective
Teresa L. Jones
Estelle
18. Auld Acquaintances
Two long-lived witches, Elizabeth and Mary, vie once more over an amulet in the modern day that they agreed to share hundreds of years ago.
Edithe Swensen
Writer
Richard Friedman
Director
Steven Ross
Director of Photography
Scott Vickrey
Editor
19. The Social Climber
A shoemaker's apprentice discovers a strange power when he finds he can step into other peoples' lives simply by putting on their shoes.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
Robert Romanus
Rob the Apprentice
Talia Balsam
Gail
Leslie Chain
Laura Grant
Irene Roseen
Maid
Ellen Sandhaus
Writer
Armand Mastroianni
Director
Joseph D. Urbanczyk
Director of Photography
Christopher T. Welch
Editor
20. The Swap
Anna Belle's plot to murder her husband to gain his money backfires with unpleasant results.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
James Wlcek
Claude Altoose
Charles Ludlam
Bubba
Maria Manuche
Annabelle
Timothy Jenkins
Judge Jean Baptiste
21. Let the Games Begin
When Harry Carson has a heart attack, an angel and a devil fight for who will get his soul and it's up to Harry to make the right choice.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
David Groh
Angel / Aldo Anderson
Earl Hindman
Harry Carson
Jane Summerhays
Devil / Doris Kramer
Willie Reale
Bellhop
Peter O'Keefe
Writer
John Lewis
Director
Jack Donnelly
Director of Photography
Bruce Paul Barbour
Stunts
Scott Vickrey
Editor
22. The Enormous Radio
Irene and Jim discover that a new radio they buy lets them overhear the neighbors, but Irene soon turns paranoid as she wonders whether they can hear her.
Paul Sparer
Narrator
John Rothman
Jim
Kate O'Toole
Clare
Christine Estabrook
Irene
Peter Webster
John
John Cheever
Story
Guy Gallo
Teleplay
Bill Travis
Director
Robert Draper
Director of Photography
Bill Pankow
Editor