Tales from the Crypt (TV Series) Korman's Kalamity (1990) User Reviews

One of the silliest episodes to date

[SleepTight666 · 7/10 · 3 July 2009]

One of the silliest episodes to date, but also very fun to watch. The episode could have just as much been a B-rated film hit.

It is almost like a nerd's wet dream. It is about a guy with an abusive wife. He works as a comic book designer and everything that he draws comes to life. That is how he meets this hot cop lady that falls in love with him after he draws them having a dinner date together.

His wife finds out but is destroyed by a monster-version of herself. The episode is very much like a comic book. Very silly, but also pretty fun and cute. Definitely another good Season 2 episode.

The most charming bit was the part with the little boys. Reminded me of an 80's family comedy.

Nice little episode that pays homage to the series start as a comic book!

[blanbrn · 7/10 · 14 March 2007]

This 1990 "Tales From The Crypt" episode titled "Korman's Kalamity" is neat and well done, with plenty of funny and nice moments. This however isn't one of the better episodes that has fright and it doesn't really teach payback and moral lessons like many others, it just pays homage to itself. Funny man and TV comic veteran Harry Anderson stars as a struggling comic book artist for you guessed it "Tales From The Crypt", and he has pressure and stress from everyone his boss and including his witch of a wife who never gives him a good word. No one really believes in his drawings, but Korman himself yet he stays humble when he hears stories that his monster drawings have came to life! Really it turns out that these monster drawings serve good purpose by showing up at the right time from stopping a laundry mat attack of an off duty female cop, and also these monsters work well in running away kid mischief, and the big surprise is this episode ends in death for someone! Overall a good episode that is funny with a little fun and surprise, but mostly this was done to remind people that the crypt series started as a comic book, and it was nice to feature that type of plot in an episode.

Entertaining comic episode

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 23 February 2011]

Without a doubt one of the softer and sillier stories from the superior second season, this particular show nonetheless sizes up as a very funny and enjoyable romp. Meek nice guy cartoonist Jim Korman (a fine and engaging performance by Harry Anderson of "Night Court" fame) takes some experimental fertility pills which give him the ability to make the various funky monsters he draws come to life. Pretty soon said creatures start popping up all over the city. Director Rowdy Harrington, working from a cheerfully zany script by Terry Black, relates the plot at a constant zippy pace, brings an appropriately splashy and colorful comic book style to the wacky proceedings (the occasional turned page scene transitions are an especially nifty and inspired touch), and maintains an amusingly goofy sense of broad humor throughout. The cast play their parts with real zest: Anderson makes for a charming lead, the insanely dishy Cynthia Gibb contributes a winningly radiant turn as fetching lady cop Lorelei Phelps, and Colleen Camp almost steals the whole show with her marvelously bitchy portrayal of Jim's naggy and overbearing shrew wife Mildred. The cool array of creatures add immensely to the tongue-in-cheek fun (the grotesque wife beast in particular is a gnarly hoot!). David Kitay's robust score and Shelly Johnson's bright cinematography are both up to speed. But it's the way this episode pays loving homage to the program's comic book origins which gives this tale its considerable sweetly loopy appeal.

That's a Really Weird Idea...

[mattressman_pdl · 31 August 2011]

Comedic actor Harry Anderson plays Korman, a put-upon comic book artist whose art is about to become a little too interactive. Forced to take experimental potency pills by his cruel wife, Korman's horror illustrations have begun to come to life...and terrorize people in the city. This one is played for laughs, don't look for complex characters or any real horror in this one. The humor works well and the monsters on display here are old-school and very aesthetically pleasing. Collen Camp is delightfully over the top as Korman's demanding wife. This episode is also significant for being sublimely self-referential. It's not for everyone, surely, but it's just camp enough to be a hit.

The energetic pills has collateral effects !!!

[elo-equipamentos · 7/10 · 26 August 2019]

Amusing episode on black humor as usually, a workaholic designer working in small publisher on weird comic book, has been pushed by his evil wife to find a better job calling him a loser, also imposing to take an energetic pills, nonetheless those pills has side effects, all his drafts becomes into a living monsters, having an affair with a beauty cop who are inquiry over such similarity between the monster with the latest editions of the comics books, he has been caught by his jealous wife, then he has a marvelous idea to draft her as a ugly monster, the results is predicable, who care!!! Funniest and enjoyable!!!

Resume:

First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7

"What a monster!"

[Foreverisacastironmess123 · 7/10 · 15 February 2012]

Experimental fertility drugs make a comic artist's imaginary creations come to life! One of the most lighthearted episodes, Korman's Kalamity is one manic, strange little tale. There is no dead serious horror here, just mainly a humorous and zany tone. It's a very comedic episode, most of them have humour but it's just on the wicked side. I wasn't very interested in any half-baked romance nonsense, I just like this episode for the genuine monsters, something you actually didn't see all that often on the show. If nothing more, three nifty Scooby-Doo esc monsters make it good and memorable. I always love the supernatural comic monsters angle, it's such a cool and fun idea that you don't see enough of. They did another episode kind of similar with season six's whirlpool, but unlike this tale, that one was awful. It does mess with whatever fragile reality the show has, but I like that, it was "meta" way before there was such a thing! I liked Harry Anderson's performance as the mild mannered comic artist, particularly the humorous touch of his wimpy character expressing quiet contempt for his wife by caricaturing her as a bloated rubbery ogre. Of the three monsters in the story, the wife doppelgänger is definitely my favourite! I also enjoy Colleen Camp's performance as Mr Korman's not very nice at all wife, sure it was over the top and kooky as all hell, but it worked in the campy context of the weird world of the episode. What an awesome striped dress. Ya gotta love it when horrible people get their's! This tale is just a lot of silly fun compared to really grim episodes and that's fine, It's just an enjoyable bit of horror fluff. Odd, but it works well, I miss things like this. A bit of a kalamity, but a good one!

Funny episode that parodies the show itself

[bellino-angelo2014 · 9/10 · 14 June 2021]

During the introduction the Crypt Keeper lets the viewer know that some of the show's episodes are based on the comic of the same title. Then we move to the story.

Jim Korman is a cartoonist that has problems with his wife and hopes to divorce her. In the meanwhile policewoman Lorelei Phillips goes to a laundry and is assaulted by a mugger. However, a monster comes out from the washing machine and kills the mugger. When the police arrive they say that they heard of similar stories (such as a dinosaur found in a car) and the next day Lorelei notices passing near a newsstand the TALES FROM THE CRYPT comics with the stories that she heard from the police. She even goes to the comic book studio and she meets Jim, but he says that he knows nothing about the monsters' apparition. In the meanwhile he draws a slimy ogre and he appears in an underground parking lot while some kids are playing war. During the night he draws a monster with his wife's dress and when the wife arrives, the monster comes and Jim goes on a date with Lorelei.

It was a funny episode full of surprises and I really rooted for Jim. Another must see in the series.

Korman

[BandSAboutMovies · 6/10 · 10 February 2024]

"Oh... Hi there fright fiends. How do you like my rancid rendering? Not bad for an amateur. Hopefully it will give you an inkling of what tonight's fungusy photo-play is about because long before my eerie offerings appeared on your silver screen, they were a magazine called, get a load of this, Tales From the Crypt. So tonight, let's take a behind the screams look at a struggling artist named Jim Korman who one day got a little too drawn into his work."

Jim Korman (Harry Anderson) is dealing with his wife Mildred (Colleen Camp) to get over his inability to give her a baby and start taking fertility pills which give him new creative energy. Then characters right from his comic book start killing people, which brings Officer Lorelei Phelps (Cynthia Gibb) into his life, as she believes that it's his fault after a monster that looks like a reptile he drew saves her from a rapist.

This episode was directed by Rowdy Herrington, who also made Striking Distance and Roadhouse. It was written by Terry Black, who wrote five episodes of the series and Dead Heat as well as Steven Dodd, who gets a credit on every episode.

The art in this episode is from Mike Vosberg, who drew all of the covers for the comic in the series.

This is based on "Kamen's Kalamity!," a story that ran in Tales from the Crypt #31. It's nothing like what's in this TV show, as it's a meta story about Al Feldstein and William Gaines - who wrote it - abusing Jack Kamen - who drew it - for being too nice.

"That doesn't sound like brain-sucking to me." Decent tale from the crypt.

[poolandrews · 6/10 · 17 March 2007]

Tales from the Crypt: Korman's Kalamity starts as Tales from the Crypt comic book artist Jim Korman (Harry Anderson) hands in his latest strip, he also gets a mouthful from his abusive wife Mildred (Colleen Camp) as she forces him to take an experimental drug to help his 'sexual' problems. Later that night in a laundrette he meets policewoman Lorelei Phelps (Cynthia Gibb) before he heads off home, shortly after Lorelei is about to be raped when a huge green monster steps out of a washing machine & bite's the rapist's head off. No one believes her even though there has been a strange spate of odd reports coming from people who claim to have seen various monsters, while walking past a news stand Lorelei notices a Tales from the Crypt comic & the huge green monster on the front cover seems very familiar to her...

This Tales from the Crypt story was episode 13 from season 2, directed by Rowdy Herrington I thought Korman's Kalamity was an OK episode but nothing particularly special. The script by Terry Black was based on a story appearing in the 'Tales from the Crypt' comic book & it has the really neat idea of setting a story around the actual creation of the original Tales from the Crypt & The Vault of Horror comic books along, it's a nice touch including two employees who sit around arguing about ridiculous ideas for the next issue but I wish the premise of the story was better. This particular episode seems to border on fantasy as much as horror or suspense, the notion that Korman's drawings were coming to life is established early on & not that much is made of it until the end when he accidentally uses the ability to get rid of his horrid wife & land the girl of his dreams in Lorelei. As a whole this story doesn't really stand out as anything great, the twist if you can call it that isn't even worth mentioning, not that much happens, the build up is lacklustre & the story never really explained itself to any degree of satisfaction although even average Tales from the Crypt are still usually worth watching.

This episode features some truly horrendous clothes, from Korman's horrible shirts to his wife's garish dresses although this was probably deliberate. Apart from a severed head that gets bitten off there's no gore in this one although there is a cool looking zombie & gross fat monster at the end that's played for laughs. This one isn't scary & overall lacking in atmosphere. The forgettable cast is alright but Anderson as Korman is a bit dull.

Korman's Kalamity isn't the best tale from the crypt although it was a cool idea to set it around the Tales from the Crypt comic, it's a shame that the story wasn't better.

Sigh.

[Dodge-Zombie · 3/10 · 8 August 2022]

Another one about someone having an affair. With overacting and a bad script.

The more of these that have affairs the more boring they become. At this rate I won't make it much further before giving up.

Self referential fun.

[shellytwade · 7/10 · 1 April 2022]

This isn't a great episode by your standards means of measurement but because of all the self referential jokes about Tales From The Crypt it makes it a lot more fun than it should be. As far as intention goes you could really give this episode a 10 because it knew exactly what it was trying to make, but overall it stands at a 7 for me.

You're getting too cute...

[callanvass · 4/10 · 12 October 2014]

The "Tales From The Crypt" writer, Jim Korman (Harry Anderson) has to deal with his repugnant overbearing wife (Colleen Camp) bothering him at work. While experimenting with fertility pills, Jim starts to suffer from bizarre side effects. His monsters come to life and wreak havoc all over the city! Things get even more complicated when rookie cop, Lorelei Phelps (Cynthia Gibb) witnesses one of the monsters murdering a rapist she was trying to track down.

They were starting to get over elaborate & too cute at this juncture. Not only does it fail miserably, but it bored me to tears in the process. Setting a story around the actual Tales from The Crypt creation was potentially creative, but it doesn't work. The storyline is borderline fantasy and full of the patented black humor you'll find in this show. I found it to be extremely awkward and far too cartoonish. This isn't the only episode to be like that, though. A lot of the second season became haywire and seemed to forget what made the show such a success in the first season. I'm really not sure if casual watchers will get this, can't say as I would blame them. I got it and found it to be very stupid. The "cantankerous" female subplot is starting to become a big cliché. It happens too frequently in this series, now. Harry Anderson is boring as our hero. I found him to be wimpy and lacking in charisma. His romance with Cynthia Gibb felt forced. Cynthia Gibb is certainly sexy, but off and on performance wise. Colleen Camp gives a deliciously OTT performance as the embittered wife! Too bad I didn't care. Not much gore aside from a bitten off head.

I'd avoid this one if I were you! TFTC fans may find it plodding

4/10