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Tales from the Crypt (1996) Season 2 Episode 3

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6.4

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 4/21/90

Realizing the town isn't big enough for the both of them, two rival high stakes gamblers face off against one another in deadly games of 'Russian Roulette' and 'Chop Poker'.

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Fan Episode Reviews (2)

Clever, funny and somewhat perfect

9.6

By Ishmaelbbc, Jan 23, 2011

This is surely one of the best episodes. Maybe the gathering of talent, with Hill, Henriksen and Tighe, made this one a winner.

It is always intriguing to see people gamble for more than just money, which is a reason why gambling movies are always so succesful, as rare as they are (see Cincinatti Kid, The Hustler, The Color of Money, Rounders). Here the concept is taken to its full extent as gambling is simply everything the two characters can do. It is not about money and it is not even about winning. It is all about playing the game, taking the risk and going for it all the way.

What makes it really work is the fact that those two guys could actually be friends. They know each other better than anyone else does and have got along for years. And when some poor guy interrupts their game of russian roulette, they team up to scare him away and it becomes very clear that the two are as much alike as two people can be.

But they are way too much into the gambling to realize any of this, even the signs of fate try to show them that they are bound to be together. The dice and the gun won\'t bend to determine a winner and in the end they lost as much as they can, but as the final shot shows they\'ll never be able to realize anything.

The effects during the poker game are very well done, the direction is effective and the score is a bit over the top (and we\'re talking James Horner here!).moreless
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Very funny watching the two guys try to outdo each other, a classic.

10

By redtexta2000, Jan 23, 2011

This episode made a nice change from the flavour of the preceding episodes, I hope to see more story's like this as the series progresses as the tongue in cheek worked wonderfully along with the gore. I think the series benefits from not trying to be too serious and this one brings it back in line.

Hernriksen is perfectly cast as one of the main characters, he's a fine actor and I was pleased to see him in this role. A funny story and top performances all round make this one a classic episode.

I don't see how this episode rated so low overall to be honest. A must see.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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John Kassir

voice of The Crypt Keeper

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Lance Henriksen	Reno Crevice	Guest Star
Kevin Tighe	Sam Forney	Guest Star
Roy Brocksmith	Bartender	Guest Star

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (4)
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- Music: Composed by James Horner.
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- [Spoiler Warning]
  [Obviously deliberate on the part of the original comic creators and the film makers to get a decent twist payoff].
  Goof: Cutting off a person's limb is extremely painful and one could pass out from loss of blood and pain and eventually die. There's no way Sam and Reno could have cut off that many limbs and still been able to continue playing poker, not to mention be able to hold the cards after the second finger was cut off, they would have passed out after the second limb was cut off as well, leading to possibly death. Plus the amount of blood around them would have been a bit messy.
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- In the opening wraparound segment, The Crypt Keeper does not say the title of the story.
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- Crypt Keeper Wardrobe: In the opening wraparound segment, the Crypt Keeper is dressed as a card dealer. In the closing wraparound segment, the Crypt Keeper is dressed in his traditional hooded robe cooking fingers in a frying pan.
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QUOTES (2)
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- Reno: Sorry, I took so long to answer the question. Which finger?
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- [Opening wraparound segment with the Crypt Keeper dressed as a card dealer and dealing cards.]
  The Crypt Keeper: You know kiddies after a night of slithering through the sickening slime of my crawly crypt, I take a little tip from the Marquis De Sade. He likes to unwind with a little red hot poker. Tonight's tale from my collection of terror tomes is about a couple of real sharpies who'll do anything for a stab at the jackpot. So ante up fellas. The game's about to begin.
  
  [Closing wraparound segment with the Crypt Keeper cooking fingers in a frying pan]
  The Crypt Keeper: I've heard of giving someone the finger, but this is ridiculous. But at the risk of going out on a limb, I've got to hand it to Crevice and Forney. They'd do anything to elbow their way to the top. Dinner time!
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NOTES (5)
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- EC Comic Connection: Story adapted from Tales From the Crypt #32, Oct-Nov 1952. Story by Al Feldstein with art by Fred Peters.
  
  In the comic story the gamblers names are Lou Crebis and Gus Forney, in the episode, their names are Reno Crevice and Sam Forney.
  
  Walter Hill actually used some of the original panels from the comic story to help storyboard this episode.
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- Cast Connection: This is third episode in a row to feature a cast member from the 1984 sci-fi hit, The Terminator. Lance Henriksen appears in this episode, Earl Boen appeared in "Dead Right" and Arnold Schwarzenegger and Rick Rossovich both appeared in "The Switch".
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- Walter Hill also directed the episodes, "The Man Who Was Death" and "Deadline".
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- Cast Connection: Lance Henriksen was also in the episode, "Yellow".
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- Cast Connection: Roy Brocksmith was also in the episodes, "The Man Who Was Death" and "The Switch".
  
  He plays a bartender in both this episode and "The Man Who Was Death".
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ALLUSIONS (0)
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