Bernard Hughes is well cast as a devious money lender who really enjoys wielding over poor farmers' heads the fact that they are in debt to him, their farms in jeopardy to him if tides don't turn. Gideon Hackles (Hughes) sets up, once a year on Halloween, a challenge to the children of the struggling farmers to find the IOUs bundled and hidden in a secret place—if a child is successful, his father will be debt-free. But Hackles is a nasty piece of work and enjoys scaring the hell out of the children, tricking up his house with spooky sounds and things that appear from the dark (like a bat on a string, or a bear, plus the sounds of thunder, the squawk of a crow). Hackles, however, will have a certain visitor who will literally *raise hell*. Written by George A Romero, directed by Christopher Guest alum Bob Balaban, "Trick or Treat" sort of sets the stage for the series as a whole, the way the stories, oftentimes mediocre or unremarkable, have moments of sheer strangeness. The end, as real ghouls come out to surprise Hughes, who deservedly gets his comeuppance for tormenting kids for kicks while their defeated parents can only hug apologetically for putting their offspring through such an exercise out of desperation, is kind of a "what the hell?", out of left field, sequence that doesn't really make a whole heck of a lot of sense. Hughes following his money into *The Devil's Playground* is all kinds of bizarre, though the make-up for his *welcoming party* is pretty decent. Hughes is a blast to watch as the despicable town "bank" that practically everyone owes money to, some more than others; the glee in his eyes and smile as he frightens the kiddies is so wonderfully repulsive to the point that you love to hate the old bastard. Balaban just loves to close his camera in tight to Hughes face so we can soak in all his nastiness. Certainly "Trick or Treat" is suitable fare for Halloween.
20 Reviews
Perfect viewing for this time of year!
Hey_Sweden28 October 2012
The Halloween spirit is alive and well in this pilot episode to the TV series, which is scripted by none other than zombie film master George A. Romero. Barnard Hughes, whom genre fans also know and love for his performance as Grandpa in "The Lost Boys", is devilish fun as greedy miser Gideon Hackles, a man to whom a great many people owe money. He relishes this fact and just lords it over them whenever he gets the chance, while referring to the select few who aren't in debt to him as the smart ones. Every Halloween, he allows the children of his town to enter his house and search for the I.O.U.'s which he hides; the parents of the lucky child to find these prized objects will have their debt forgiven. This Halloween, things go smoothly for him at first as he succeeds in scaring away various kids, until he receives his comeuppance from an unlikely source. Actor Bob Balaban, in one of his earliest directing gigs, does a fine job at creating a flavourful Halloween atmosphere, complete with all of the trappings of the season. This episode is short and sweet and very much gets to the point, and has that irresistible funhouse quality to it with every moment that is spent in Hackles's house. In addition to old pro Hughes, the cast features such familiar faces as I.M. Hobson, Max Wright, Eddie Jones, and Joshua Miller. Special makeup effects designer Ed Frenchs' creations are impressive, and he does double duty by also playing the Devil; Frances Chaney is a delight as the cackling witch. This was a good way to kick off the series; it starts out brightly, with some amusing dialogue, and ends in style; there's always a real satisfaction in stories that revolve around just desserts, and 'Trick or Treat' is no exception. Eight out of 10.
Trick or Treat
langdrdab4 January 2012
The pilot is not the greatest episode in the Tales from the Darkside series, but it did establish the tone of the series. It is a tale of an old man (Gideon Hackles) who owns a local store in a town where people have little to no money, so they have to purchase items from his store on a credit type system. Almost everyone in the town ends up owing him money. On every Halloween, Gideon hides the IOU's around the house and invites the children of the adults who owe him the money to search his house for them and erase their debts. There is a twist at the end of the episode, which became a common format for the rest of the series. Anyone who has ever seen a horror film can predict the ending of the episode, which eliminates any shock or surprise value to the viewer. At times the episode was more comical than scary, but it still is entertaining to watch.
A Tale Of Greed & Cruelty
ccthemovieman-13 October 2009
Warning: Spoilers
This pilot episode for "Tales Of The Darkside" was a fast-moving story about greed and hoarding up as much money as you can, at the expense of others. In the end, we see a tombstone which reads, "He Took It All With Him." Actually, he didn't.....and where he went was Hell, not Heaven.
Veteran actor Barnard Hughes is very entertaining as the miser "Gideon Hackles" who has fun at the town's kids and parents every Halloween. You see almost everyone in town owes Hackles a lot of money and that's the way he likes it. He likes the power along with all the cash, which he has stored in his house since he doesn't trust banks.
On Halloween, he invites the kids - one at a time - to come into his house and if they can find the stack of IOU's their dad's will be totally free of debt forever. All I'll say is "Hackles" is a sadistic man, in addition to greedy and it's nice to see him get his just desserts.
What the old man does to the kids and other things, I'll let you watch and see for yourself. You won't find this scary but you should find this interesting and the half-hour will fly by.
Veteran actor Barnard Hughes is very entertaining as the miser "Gideon Hackles" who has fun at the town's kids and parents every Halloween. You see almost everyone in town owes Hackles a lot of money and that's the way he likes it. He likes the power along with all the cash, which he has stored in his house since he doesn't trust banks.
On Halloween, he invites the kids - one at a time - to come into his house and if they can find the stack of IOU's their dad's will be totally free of debt forever. All I'll say is "Hackles" is a sadistic man, in addition to greedy and it's nice to see him get his just desserts.
What the old man does to the kids and other things, I'll let you watch and see for yourself. You won't find this scary but you should find this interesting and the half-hour will fly by.
An enjoyable and somewhat creepy start to the show that honestly shows a lot of promise.
WhaDoYaGot25 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers
"Trick or Treat" (a quite fitting title for a horror series, if you ask me) is the first taste of what kind of horror Tales from the Darkside will productively portray. Straight off the bat, it's more fascinated with spooky creatures and ghouls than it is with atmosphere, and by no means is that bad. Really, nothing should be taken away from this episode, other than a few cheesy scares, and a somewhat worthy life lesson.
Written by Horror maestro George A. Romero, "Trick or Treat" follows wealthy old man Gideon Hackles at his favorite time of the year: Halloween. For a long time he's been providing certain townspeople money that leaves him with a stack of IOU's. You see, Hackles is rather cruel and what he does on Halloween night establishes that rather greatly. The man loves seeing the fear in people's eyes, and one way he does this is by inviting the children of parents' loaded with IOU's to visit his house. Somewhere Hackles has hidden the stash of IOU's, and whichever kid finds it, their parents are free of debt. It's not entirely explained how long this have been going for, but it's been a long time.
Barnard Hughes, or better known as Grandpa in the 80s horror classic The Lost Boys, is both humorous and despicable – a combination that rather works for him. I couldn't help but like his presence, even though his character is cruel to the max. His idea of this hunt gives him immense pleasure, which may raise the fact to why? All we know is he's an old wretched human being, but never does he admit to hurting a child. He only particularly hurts them with fear. As kids nervously word "trick or treat" at Hackles' door, their parent is watching them, urging them to go forward.
One by one, the kids fall victim to a manufactured scare by Hackles. Imagine him sitting in a secluded room, pulling strings and whacking buttons, throwing together an ultimate scare. Things take a turn, though, and a creepy-as-heck witch turns up at his door. This is where the episode gets absurdly fast. Basically, the witch scares Hackles by disposing the money from his safe all over the house, leading a paper trail towards a red lit room, suggested to be hell. It's quite neat to think that the old man wasn't entirely fearful of the flying witch, but rather over the fact that his money wasn't in his possession.
Oh, the life lesson? Don't be cruel to children. That's pretty much it.
Written by Horror maestro George A. Romero, "Trick or Treat" follows wealthy old man Gideon Hackles at his favorite time of the year: Halloween. For a long time he's been providing certain townspeople money that leaves him with a stack of IOU's. You see, Hackles is rather cruel and what he does on Halloween night establishes that rather greatly. The man loves seeing the fear in people's eyes, and one way he does this is by inviting the children of parents' loaded with IOU's to visit his house. Somewhere Hackles has hidden the stash of IOU's, and whichever kid finds it, their parents are free of debt. It's not entirely explained how long this have been going for, but it's been a long time.
Barnard Hughes, or better known as Grandpa in the 80s horror classic The Lost Boys, is both humorous and despicable – a combination that rather works for him. I couldn't help but like his presence, even though his character is cruel to the max. His idea of this hunt gives him immense pleasure, which may raise the fact to why? All we know is he's an old wretched human being, but never does he admit to hurting a child. He only particularly hurts them with fear. As kids nervously word "trick or treat" at Hackles' door, their parent is watching them, urging them to go forward.
One by one, the kids fall victim to a manufactured scare by Hackles. Imagine him sitting in a secluded room, pulling strings and whacking buttons, throwing together an ultimate scare. Things take a turn, though, and a creepy-as-heck witch turns up at his door. This is where the episode gets absurdly fast. Basically, the witch scares Hackles by disposing the money from his safe all over the house, leading a paper trail towards a red lit room, suggested to be hell. It's quite neat to think that the old man wasn't entirely fearful of the flying witch, but rather over the fact that his money wasn't in his possession.
Oh, the life lesson? Don't be cruel to children. That's pretty much it.
Just a bit silly.
TOMNEL2 August 2006
This is one of my favorite shows, however the pilot didn't do much for me. It's about an old man who owns the deeds to almost everyone in the neighborhood's house. On Halloween he lets kids come in and if they can find them without being scared the papers are theirs. So of course a bunch of kids get scared, yada yada yada, and it all leads to a really silly ending. It's not a very scary episode, nor is it a very entertaining one, but I guess this pilot sold the series so it did something good. Also noted is this episode was directed by TV/Movie character actor Bob Balaban.
My rating: OK episode. 21 mins. TV PG
My rating: OK episode. 21 mins. TV PG
Not too bad.
poolandrews14 September 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Tales from the Darkside: Trick or Treat is set in a small American town on Halloween where a local businessman & hard-nosed scrooge named Gideon Hackles (Barnard Hughes) virtually owns the entire town with almost all of the residents owing him money. However never let anyone call Hackles unfair because every Halloween he challenges the children of those who owe him money to search his house for the I.O.U. slips & if they find them all of their parents debts will be wiped out in one go, sounds fair right? Well it would be but Hackles takes great delight in scaring the kids half to death & sending them away with nothing, however this particular Halloween Hackles gets a visit from some unexpected guests...
According to the IMDb Trick or Treat is episode 0 from season 1, well I suppose it is but it would be closer to the truth to call it a pilot episode since the next story The New Man (1984) didn't air until 11 months later. Originally airing at the end of October 1983 (presumably because of Halloween) this was directed by Bob Balaban & was a fairly low key way to try & get a new series off the ground, having said that it must have done something right or attracted a lot of viewers as it did spawn a series that ran for a further 90 odd episodes over four years. The script by Franco Amurri & George A. Romero follows the horror anthology series/film rules as it has a decent build up & a reasonable twist ending although I couldn't really work out any reason for why what happened did, if that makes sense. The character's are OK as is the dialogue but the story & situations are a little silly. A perfectly OK way to pass 20 odd minutes but it's not something that will stay with you for that long.
Apart from the spin-off film Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990) I had never seen an episode from this series & I guess the very first one was a reasonable place to start, the opening titles have this annoying narration like The Twilight Zone (1959 - 1964) did although it's far less affective here & the horrible video generated title card looks pants. In fact the entire opening sequence is bland & dull when the title sequence of a TV show should be attention grabbing. This was a kids show & therefore the violence & gore is none existent, there are some scares though & some neat monster including an impressive looking Witch. It's well made I suppose with decent performances so I have no complaints there.
Trick or Treat is a nice enough way to spend 20 minutes if you enjoy these horror anthology show's which I do, it's not the greatest program ever but it ain't too bad. Worth a watch to pass the time for sure.
According to the IMDb Trick or Treat is episode 0 from season 1, well I suppose it is but it would be closer to the truth to call it a pilot episode since the next story The New Man (1984) didn't air until 11 months later. Originally airing at the end of October 1983 (presumably because of Halloween) this was directed by Bob Balaban & was a fairly low key way to try & get a new series off the ground, having said that it must have done something right or attracted a lot of viewers as it did spawn a series that ran for a further 90 odd episodes over four years. The script by Franco Amurri & George A. Romero follows the horror anthology series/film rules as it has a decent build up & a reasonable twist ending although I couldn't really work out any reason for why what happened did, if that makes sense. The character's are OK as is the dialogue but the story & situations are a little silly. A perfectly OK way to pass 20 odd minutes but it's not something that will stay with you for that long.
Apart from the spin-off film Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990) I had never seen an episode from this series & I guess the very first one was a reasonable place to start, the opening titles have this annoying narration like The Twilight Zone (1959 - 1964) did although it's far less affective here & the horrible video generated title card looks pants. In fact the entire opening sequence is bland & dull when the title sequence of a TV show should be attention grabbing. This was a kids show & therefore the violence & gore is none existent, there are some scares though & some neat monster including an impressive looking Witch. It's well made I suppose with decent performances so I have no complaints there.
Trick or Treat is a nice enough way to spend 20 minutes if you enjoy these horror anthology show's which I do, it's not the greatest program ever but it ain't too bad. Worth a watch to pass the time for sure.
The very first episode of the series, and it's spooky, creepy, and it has a nice witch twist ending!
blanbrn13 August 2008
"Trick or Treat" the very first "TFTD" episode really kicked off the series with a nice feel of fright as this episode is at least to me plenty spooky and creepy. And as would be the theme for so much of the series episodes it takes a nice twist as it shows bad people will get their comeuppance. It stars Barnard Hughes as Gideon Hackles an old and grumpy and cold miser who runs an antique type store shop for a living, and this old man is greedy and only concerned about making another dollar. Many of the customers he sells to are poor people and many of them owe debts, therefore he treats them only worse, this story is set around the Halloween season and his plan is for any of them to become debt free their kids must face the pressures and traps of Halloween night when they trick or treat at his store. And the lucky kid who can find the hidden debt stack of bill slips will be the lucky one that will set their family debt free. Only one by one this old man is a master of putting off spooks thru his store in the form of hidden gadgets and button trickery as one by one each little kid is frightened off. Only this episode will take an odd twist as this old miser will get what he deserves and some respect and free debt will be returned to the poor customers. The scene of the witch was right spooky to me even though some may find it light. Nice way to end it as comeuppance was served. Overall great way to start a horror television series as this episode had all the themes and spooky twist that helped pave the way for the series success.
This Time The Trick Is On You, Mr. Hackles.
buckikris30 April 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I recently purchased Tales From The Darkside, Season 1. I loved the series as a kid and know I own it. Trick Or Treat is about Mr. Hackles( Barnard Hughes). He is the town Bookkeeper, he keeps the loans of every citizen. Mr Hackles forgives the parent's loans for the child who finds there loans hidden in his home every Halloween. Mr Hackles puts on a show every Halloween that usually scares the S**T out of them. One of the children almost finds the stack of bills until he gets scared and runs for his life. When Mr. Hackles gets ready to go to bed, there is a knock at the door. It's a witch who comes to his door, she gives him a taste of his own medicine.
The Devil in Charge
kapelusznik1812 October 2016
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILER*** Pilot episode of the series "Tales from the Dark Side" ironically released two days-October 29, 1983-before Halloween has to do with trick or treating by the local kids who's parents are deep in hock to the miserly Gideon Hackles, Barnard "Bernie" Hughes, who uses their IOU's for him to play this sadistic little game of his "If you find them your debts will all be forgiven". Of course over the years non of the trick or treaters ever found the hidden IOU's but this time there's a new kid in town whom Hackles is to confront who's got a few new tricks up his sleeve. And he like the greedy and cagey Hackles is playing for keeps!
It's sad to watch even a low life like Gideon Hackles get all that's coming to him the worst in having all the money owed to him disappear right out of his greedy hands. It was when Hackles thought that he won this crazy and sadistic game he was playing on the people in town that the Devil made his long awaited guest appearance and drove the crazy old man up the wall as into the nearest loonie bin.
One of the scariest of all the TFTDS episode that set the stage for all those to come that kept the show to stay on the air for four years and end up even rivaling series like the both old & new "Twilight Zone" and "One Step Beyond" before and after, in the case of the new "Twilight Zone", it. The episode made to look like it was filmed or video taped like a morning soap opera really came alive when the Devil showed up on the scene and made Hackles scare tactics lose their effect on his victims, the trick or treat kids, compared to what the Devil had in store for him. A real gem of an episode that kicked off the series back in 1983 and never bothered to look back.
It's sad to watch even a low life like Gideon Hackles get all that's coming to him the worst in having all the money owed to him disappear right out of his greedy hands. It was when Hackles thought that he won this crazy and sadistic game he was playing on the people in town that the Devil made his long awaited guest appearance and drove the crazy old man up the wall as into the nearest loonie bin.
One of the scariest of all the TFTDS episode that set the stage for all those to come that kept the show to stay on the air for four years and end up even rivaling series like the both old & new "Twilight Zone" and "One Step Beyond" before and after, in the case of the new "Twilight Zone", it. The episode made to look like it was filmed or video taped like a morning soap opera really came alive when the Devil showed up on the scene and made Hackles scare tactics lose their effect on his victims, the trick or treat kids, compared to what the Devil had in store for him. A real gem of an episode that kicked off the series back in 1983 and never bothered to look back.
Fun pilot for this enjoyable anthology series
Woodyanders4 January 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Mean old miser Gideon Hackles (a marvelously persnickety performance by Barnard Hughes) spends Halloween hiding IOU's from various townspeople indebted to him in his reportedly haunted house. Hackles invites the local kids into his home to try and find said IOU's. However, this year Hackles gets his comeuppance in the form of several unexpected late-night visitors. Director Bob Balaban, working from a tight and to the point script by Franco Amurri and George Romero, relates the entertaining story at a snappy pace and astutely nails the spooky ooga-booga atmosphere of the Halloween season. A cast of familiar faces that includes Eddie Jones, Max Wright, and Joshua Miller adds immensely to the overall entertainment value. Frances Chaney contributes a winningly robust'n'wicked turn as a grotesque cackling witch. Ed French not only provides some gnarly make-up, but also plays the Devil. However, it's Hughes' deliciously nasty portrayal of one detestable old goat that makes this episode hum; it's a real treat to see this hateful bastard receive his just desserts at the end. Strongest sequence: Hackles mercilessly torments the brave, but frightened Timothy Muldoon (well played by Patrick Wilcox). A sound start for this neat show.
Nice Pilot show for this classic horror anthology.
b_kite28 October 2018
The local town miser Gideon Hackles (Barnard Hughes) 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. The twist is that if the kids can find them then there families debt is instantly wiped out. As usual our miser played excellent by Barnard Hughes gets his in the end. The whole episode moves at a super fast pace, and theirs some nice atmosphere. On the other hand, its pretty much played on a lighthearted note and you can defiantly see were this could have been made for children back in the day. Every time I view it it seems to come off more and more underwhelming every time. However I caught it during Halloween when I was in the mood so its defiantly a pretty good episode from this series which was notable hit and miss.
Tales from the Darkside pilot
Leofwine_draca22 July 2015
TRICK OR TREAT is the pilot episode of the TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE and it sets off the format ably, with twists, turns, a creepy atmosphere, and a flesh-and-blood fiend. Thematically it's very similar to the later episode HALLOWEEN CANDY, which I happened to watch first, in which somebody who hates trick or treaters finds themselves getting their just desserts.
Well, I hate trick or treaters too, so I can hardly engage with the sentiments here, but this is a fun episode nonetheless. It seems to have a bigger budget than 'regular' episodes and the plot is also more of a complex one. There are plenty of scare scenes, genuine and otherwise, and lots of the heavy moralising that one has come to expect from the series. The show itself would go on to occasionally exceed the expectations set here, but for the most part the episodes were distinctly average.
Well, I hate trick or treaters too, so I can hardly engage with the sentiments here, but this is a fun episode nonetheless. It seems to have a bigger budget than 'regular' episodes and the plot is also more of a complex one. There are plenty of scare scenes, genuine and otherwise, and lots of the heavy moralising that one has come to expect from the series. The show itself would go on to occasionally exceed the expectations set here, but for the most part the episodes were distinctly average.
The Beginning
gavin694211 November 2017
Town miser Gideon Hackles (Barnard Hughes) 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.
Exactly why "Tales From the Darkside" is not as celebrated today as "Tales From the Crypt" is beyond me. As a child, "Darkside" (and its successor "Monsters") were the far superior, scarier choices. Even the theme song is much more disturbing.
For this pilot episode, George A. Romero brought together an interesting crew. He co-wrote the script with Franco Amurri, who seems to makes only Italian television... with the exception of writing and directing "Monkey Trouble" (1994). In the director's chair is veteran actor Bob Balaban (Close Encounters of the Third Kind) making his directorial debut -- and he does a fine job!
Exactly why "Tales From the Darkside" is not as celebrated today as "Tales From the Crypt" is beyond me. As a child, "Darkside" (and its successor "Monsters") were the far superior, scarier choices. Even the theme song is much more disturbing.
For this pilot episode, George A. Romero brought together an interesting crew. He co-wrote the script with Franco Amurri, who seems to makes only Italian television... with the exception of writing and directing "Monkey Trouble" (1994). In the director's chair is veteran actor Bob Balaban (Close Encounters of the Third Kind) making his directorial debut -- and he does a fine job!
Weak Script still plays to director's strengths
nick12123515 June 2018
An excellent choice of script for Balaban's oddly visionary sensibilities. Bob Balaban's strengths lie in creating a tangible atmosphere of dread using precise imagery- as we saw in his 1989 film Parents. Parents too had a story that focused on social faults and drew something dark and weird from them. The script isn't the best, but I do think that giving it to Balaban was the best thing they could have done with it because he's able to lend his artist's touch to things that would otherwise be banal. One thing I noticed was the off-key and sometimes messy editing which was also rampant within Parents; it works really well for both of them.
I found it to be effectively creepy
callanvass30 October 2013
Warning: Spoilers
An old miser puts the fear of the lord into the town residents. If they can't pay cash, they must give him IOU's on a simple piece of paper. Every year on Halloween, it becomes mandatory for him to hide the IOU's in his creepy old house, and try and let the kids of the parents seek out the IOU's. He cheats by using scare tactics to run the kids off, but this year might be a little bit different.
I saw the movie Tales from the Darkside many years ago, but I've never seen one single episode of this show. I thought I'd start from the very beginning, with this pilot. I was quite entertained by this episode. It's drenched in creepy atmosphere, with an original plot as well. It does look a little cheap at times, but they make up for it with solid storytelling and great atmosphere. The house is especially creepy. It's a big old, dark house, and with Barnard Hughes up to his tricks, that makes it even scarier. If I had a dad who was in this situation, I definitely would find it increasingly difficult to try and find the IOU's, simply because the house is so eerie. The twist ending is certainly interesting, but it's rather illogical. We have no idea why Mr. Hackles is being terrorized, despite the fact that he deserved his comeuppance. I will give credit where it's due. Yes. It is illogical, but that witch is one of the eeriest things I've seen in all my years of watching anything horror related. Even though it doesn't make much sense, the fact that Mr. Hackles is such an evil, old man, I found it to be very fitting. Kudos to Barnard Hughes for playing such a cynical prick, you'll hate him. I also thought it has a strong message as well. It proves that greed results in karma, and you should always try to treat your fellow man with respect. I liked it overall, and definitely recommend it, especially on Halloween season! It's bound to deliver a few frights
7.5/10
I saw the movie Tales from the Darkside many years ago, but I've never seen one single episode of this show. I thought I'd start from the very beginning, with this pilot. I was quite entertained by this episode. It's drenched in creepy atmosphere, with an original plot as well. It does look a little cheap at times, but they make up for it with solid storytelling and great atmosphere. The house is especially creepy. It's a big old, dark house, and with Barnard Hughes up to his tricks, that makes it even scarier. If I had a dad who was in this situation, I definitely would find it increasingly difficult to try and find the IOU's, simply because the house is so eerie. The twist ending is certainly interesting, but it's rather illogical. We have no idea why Mr. Hackles is being terrorized, despite the fact that he deserved his comeuppance. I will give credit where it's due. Yes. It is illogical, but that witch is one of the eeriest things I've seen in all my years of watching anything horror related. Even though it doesn't make much sense, the fact that Mr. Hackles is such an evil, old man, I found it to be very fitting. Kudos to Barnard Hughes for playing such a cynical prick, you'll hate him. I also thought it has a strong message as well. It proves that greed results in karma, and you should always try to treat your fellow man with respect. I liked it overall, and definitely recommend it, especially on Halloween season! It's bound to deliver a few frights
7.5/10
Show starts off really strong....
shellytwade13 January 2022
Dark Side!
BandSAboutMovies4 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
"Man lives in the sunlit world of what he believes to be reality. But...there is, unseen by most, an underworld, a place that is just as real, but not as brightly lit...a dark side."
Back in the mid-80s, the success of Creepshow led to the thought of making a continuing TV series. The problem was that Warner Bros. Owned part of that film, so Laurel Entertainment just changed the name and avoided the comic book look of the movie while basically making a weekly live-action E. C. Comic-themed TV show, something HBO wouldn't even consider until 1989.
Syndicated weekly by Tribune Broadcasting, with most stations airing it after midnight - it aired at the witching hour on Sundays and sometimes even later, keeping me awake and frightened before middle school - it played throughout the 80s and is now owned by CBS Television Distribution.
There are some great episodes of this show, with episodes based on stories by Stephen King, Frederik Pohl, Harlan Ellison, Clive Barker and Robert Bloch. And because it was executive produced by George A. Romero, Richard P. Rubinstein and Jerry Golod, it attracted some great talent. And yes, like most anthologies, there are some real stinkers. There are also some great episodes as well and hey - they're only 20 minutes each, so you aren't wasting much time.
This pilot episode aired on the very appropriate date of October 29, 1983 and tells the story of shopkeeper Gideon Hackles (Bernard Hughes, Grandpa from The Lost Boys), who puts the town through his Halloween fun. All year long everyone runs up huge debts buying his supplies and on October 31, their children try to pay those debts by finding the IOUs hidden in his house of horrors, always disappointing their parents.
Hackles hates the town he lives in, hates the people and has one night of joy, a night of abusing children. He's turned generations into slaves to his general store and also ones that are left with nightmares of the scares that live within his home. One child has been coached by his father all year long, only to fail. But one other has promised himself that he will free his family from the crushing yoke of owing, owing, owing. I get it. Trust me, I get it. I'd go into any number of haunted homes to try and get out from under all that we owe.
Written by Franco Amurri (the Italian director of Flashback and Monkey Trouble, as well as the writer of the Jodie Foster-directed episode "Do Not Open This Box" which was part of the Stephen King's Golden Tales VHS release that collected all of that author's stories on this show) and Romero, this episode is directed by Bob Balaban, the director of My Boyfriend's Back and an actor you may remember as Dr. Theodore W. Millbank, III in Best In Show, Jonathan Steinbloom in A Mighty Wind and Lloyd Miller in Waiting for Guffman.
The pilot was a big ratings hit and the show was on the air. Future episodes may not have had this one's budget or quality, but the fact that we had a weekly horror show to watch was a big deal back in the early 80s. And hey - Tales from the Dark Side: The Movie is the movie that Creepshow 3 should be.
Stay tuned - now that Circle of Fear/Ghost Story is done, I'll be watching a new episode every week. Would you like to cover one? Just let me know!
Back in the mid-80s, the success of Creepshow led to the thought of making a continuing TV series. The problem was that Warner Bros. Owned part of that film, so Laurel Entertainment just changed the name and avoided the comic book look of the movie while basically making a weekly live-action E. C. Comic-themed TV show, something HBO wouldn't even consider until 1989.
Syndicated weekly by Tribune Broadcasting, with most stations airing it after midnight - it aired at the witching hour on Sundays and sometimes even later, keeping me awake and frightened before middle school - it played throughout the 80s and is now owned by CBS Television Distribution.
There are some great episodes of this show, with episodes based on stories by Stephen King, Frederik Pohl, Harlan Ellison, Clive Barker and Robert Bloch. And because it was executive produced by George A. Romero, Richard P. Rubinstein and Jerry Golod, it attracted some great talent. And yes, like most anthologies, there are some real stinkers. There are also some great episodes as well and hey - they're only 20 minutes each, so you aren't wasting much time.
This pilot episode aired on the very appropriate date of October 29, 1983 and tells the story of shopkeeper Gideon Hackles (Bernard Hughes, Grandpa from The Lost Boys), who puts the town through his Halloween fun. All year long everyone runs up huge debts buying his supplies and on October 31, their children try to pay those debts by finding the IOUs hidden in his house of horrors, always disappointing their parents.
Hackles hates the town he lives in, hates the people and has one night of joy, a night of abusing children. He's turned generations into slaves to his general store and also ones that are left with nightmares of the scares that live within his home. One child has been coached by his father all year long, only to fail. But one other has promised himself that he will free his family from the crushing yoke of owing, owing, owing. I get it. Trust me, I get it. I'd go into any number of haunted homes to try and get out from under all that we owe.
Written by Franco Amurri (the Italian director of Flashback and Monkey Trouble, as well as the writer of the Jodie Foster-directed episode "Do Not Open This Box" which was part of the Stephen King's Golden Tales VHS release that collected all of that author's stories on this show) and Romero, this episode is directed by Bob Balaban, the director of My Boyfriend's Back and an actor you may remember as Dr. Theodore W. Millbank, III in Best In Show, Jonathan Steinbloom in A Mighty Wind and Lloyd Miller in Waiting for Guffman.
The pilot was a big ratings hit and the show was on the air. Future episodes may not have had this one's budget or quality, but the fact that we had a weekly horror show to watch was a big deal back in the early 80s. And hey - Tales from the Dark Side: The Movie is the movie that Creepshow 3 should be.
Stay tuned - now that Circle of Fear/Ghost Story is done, I'll be watching a new episode every week. Would you like to cover one? Just let me know!
The Stingy Man
claudio_carvalho9 March 2022
The lonely and stingy Gideon Hackles is a rich man in town where most residents owe money to him. He does not spend any money with him despite his wealthiness. In the Halloween night, he hides IOUs in his house and invites the kids of his debtors to search for them. While the children are looking for the IOUs to forgive the debts of their parents, he scares them. But this night, he has a surprising visitor.
"Trick or Treat" is the pilot of the TV series "Tales from the Darkside", with a good and funny storyline of a stingy man that has his deserved punishment in the end. The master George A. Romero is one of the writers of this tale. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Contos da Escuridão" "Trick or Treat"
"Trick or Treat" is the pilot of the TV series "Tales from the Darkside", with a good and funny storyline of a stingy man that has his deserved punishment in the end. The master George A. Romero is one of the writers of this tale. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Contos da Escuridão" "Trick or Treat"
I love 80's
Bored_Dragon25 October 2017
While I was searching through Clive Barker's filmography to find what is left for me to see, I ran into TV series Tales from the Darkside for which he did one episode. Although I already follow too many TV series and I definitely have no time to squeeze more, I simply couldn't resist. 80's horror is my weak spot, so because of one episode made by Barker I ended up watching 90 episodes. Fortunately, episodes are just around 20 minutes long.
Pilot tells us story of old miser who owns most of the town by having almost everyone in debt. Every Halloween he invites town kinds to come to his house and find papers with their parent's debts. If they find them debts will be forgiven. He plays fair by having papers relatively easy to find, but his house is turned into very scary house of horror and for many years he succeeds to scare all kids away before they find the papers. But this year things don't follow his plans...
Plot is satisfying, acting too. Effects are good for 1983. and atmosphere is just right. It's far from masterpiece, or from horror, more like Gremlins and similar 80's movies, but it's worth watching, especially if you are fan of 80's B production.
There's bunch of known actors guest starring in this show, and in pilot episode we have Max Wright, Willie Tanner from legendary Alf.
6/10
Pilot tells us story of old miser who owns most of the town by having almost everyone in debt. Every Halloween he invites town kinds to come to his house and find papers with their parent's debts. If they find them debts will be forgiven. He plays fair by having papers relatively easy to find, but his house is turned into very scary house of horror and for many years he succeeds to scare all kids away before they find the papers. But this year things don't follow his plans...
Plot is satisfying, acting too. Effects are good for 1983. and atmosphere is just right. It's far from masterpiece, or from horror, more like Gremlins and similar 80's movies, but it's worth watching, especially if you are fan of 80's B production.
There's bunch of known actors guest starring in this show, and in pilot episode we have Max Wright, Willie Tanner from legendary Alf.
6/10
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