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Tales from the Darkside: The Movie 1990

In this macabre anthology, a resentful student summons an ancient curse, a hit man is tasked with offing a feline menace, and a struggling artist makes a pact with darkness to satiate his artistic ambitions. As the veil between worlds blurs, terror and chaos ensue in these three unsettling tales of revenge, murder, and supernatural reckoning.

In this macabre anthology, a resentful student summons an ancient curse, a hit man is tasked with offing a feline menace, and a struggling artist makes a pact with darkness to satiate his artistic ambitions. As the veil between worlds blurs, terror and chaos ensue in these three unsettling tales of revenge, murder, and supernatural reckoning.

Does Tales from the Darkside: The Movie have end credit scenes?

No!

Tales from the Darkside: The Movie does not have end credit scenes. You can leave when the credits roll.

Meet the Full Cast and Actors of Tales from the Darkside: The Movie

Explore the complete cast of Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, including both lead and supporting actors. Learn who plays each character, discover their past roles and achievements, and find out what makes this ensemble cast stand out in the world of film and television.


Ratings and Reviews for Tales from the Darkside: The Movie

See how Tales from the Darkside: The Movie is rated across major platforms like IMDb, Metacritic, and TMDb. Compare audience scores and critic reviews to understand where Tales from the Darkside: The Movie stands among top-rated movies in its genre.


Metacritic

54

Metascore

6.2

User Score

Rotten Tomatoes
review

%

TOMATOMETER

review

0%

User Score

IMDb

6.2 /10

IMDb Rating

TMDB

62

%

User Score

Take the Ultimate Tales from the Darkside: The Movie Movie Quiz

Challenge your knowledge of Tales from the Darkside: The Movie with this fun and interactive movie quiz. Test yourself on key plot points, iconic characters, hidden details, and memorable moments to see how well you really know the film.


Tales from the Darkside: The Movie Quiz: Test your knowledge on the chilling narratives and characters from 'Tales from the Darkside: The Movie'.

What university role does Bellingham aspire to achieve?

Full Plot Summary and Ending Explained for Tales from the Darkside: The Movie

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Read the complete plot summary of Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, including all major events, twists, and the full ending explained in detail. Explore key characters, themes, hidden meanings, and everything you need to understand the story from beginning to end.


The film unfolds through three interconnected vignettes that revolve around a witch named Betty (Deborah Harry), who has kidnapped a young boy named Timmy (Matthew Lawrence). Betty holds Timmy captive with sinister plans to roast him and serve him at a dinner party for her fellow witches. To occupy himself during his confinement, Timmy is given an old, hefty book titled “Tales From the Darkside.” When Betty reveals her dreadful intentions, Timmy cleverly begins to stall her by reading the stories from the book.

The first story he shares is titled “Lot 249.” Set within the walls of a prestigious university, it follows a marginalized student, Bellingham ([Steve Buscemi]), who is tormented by two affluent peers, Susan ([Julianne Moore]) and Lee ([Robert Sedgwick]). The situation shifts when Andy (Christian Slater), Susan’s brother, intervenes to help Bellingham with an ancient mummy that has arrived in the archaeology department. Bellingham discovers a scroll that possesses the power to resurrect the mummy, turning it into his servant. Fueled by vengeance for being denied a teaching position that involved both Susan and Lee, Bellingham brings the mummy to life to exact revenge. The mummy hunts down Lee in his apartment, brutally killing him, and later attacks Susan before they both meet their grim fates.

As tragedy befalls the rich students, Andy grows suspicious of Bellingham. He discovers Bellingham with the mummy and, after a confrontation, manages to incapacitate him. A chaotic battle ensues, and Andy burns the scroll, seemingly putting an end to Bellingham’s dark ambitions. However, the story takes a chilling twist when Andy finds himself face-to-face with re-animated mummies of Susan and Lee.

Back in Betty’s kitchen, her patience wears thin as she confronts Timmy about his attempts to stall his inevitable demise. Timmy, resourceful as ever, convinces her to listen to another tale, “Cat From Hell.” This narrative tells the story of Halston ([David Johansen]), a hitman tasked by an elderly man in a wheelchair, Drogan ([William Hickey]), to eliminate a supposedly malevolent black cat. The cat is believed to be vengeful, having previously caused the deaths of Halston’s sisters. As Halston encounters a series of misfortunes while attempting to kill the cat, it eventually turns the tables on him in a shocking, gruesome climax.

The final story explored is “Lover’s Vow,” featuring an artist named Preston ([James Remar]) plagued by a creative block. A chance encounter with a beautiful woman, Carola ([Rae Dawn Chong]), leads him down a new path of inspiration and love. However, his dark past haunts him—as he once witnessed a murder by a gargoyle, and the promise he made to remain silent has dire consequences. After ten long years, when Preston finally reveals the truth to Carola, she transforms into the very beast he had once encountered, resulting in a devastating recognition that their children share the same fate.

In a dramatic return to the witch’s kitchen, Betty grows increasingly restless as she approaches Timmy with frightening intent. Desperate, Timmy improvises, using marbles to trip Betty, allowing him a critical opportunity to escape his confines. In a twist of fate, he manages to overpower Betty, shoving her into her own oven, thus turning the tables on his captor. With a victorious grin, he humorously interacts with the audience, asking, “Don’t you just love happy endings?”

Uncover the Details: Timeline, Characters, Themes, and Beyond!

Watch Trailers, Clips & Behind-the-Scenes for Tales from the Darkside: The Movie

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Watch official trailers, exclusive clips, cast interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage from Tales from the Darkside: The Movie. Dive deeper into the making of the film, its standout moments, and key production insights.


Tales From The Darkside: The Movie - Trailer

Tales From The Darkside: The Movie (1990) - Official Trailer (HD)

Cars Featured in Tales from the Darkside: The Movie

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Explore all cars featured in Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, including their makes, models, scenes they appear in, and their significance to the plot. A must-read for car enthusiasts and movie buffs alike.


Cadillac

1981

Seville

Checker

1980

Taxicab

Chevrolet

1987

Caprice

Chevrolet

1981

Impala

Ford

1975

Econoline

Ford

1983

LTD Crown Victoria

Honda

1988

Prelude

Jeep

1988

Cherokee

Plymouth

1984

Gran Fury

Porsche

1979

911 SC

Movie Themes and Keywords

Discover the central themes, ideas, and keywords that define the movie’s story, tone, and message. Analyze the film’s deeper meanings, genre influences, and recurring concepts.


killer catanthologyhitmansecretgargoylemummywraparound storybreaking the fourth wallcatrevengetransformationhusband wife relationshipscared to deathcat attackblack catcorpsebloodmansionreanimationmonsterartistcannibalismwitness to a murderdeath of sisterwheelchairfalling down stairsbargorebookovenwoman wears only a man's shirtmultiple protagoniststhrowing a booklittle boynarrated by charactercollegeuniversitywitchknifelasersightscrollbraingrindhouse filmomnibus filmtelephone callportmanteau filmbased on short storyamerican literature on screenamerican horror literature on screenbritish horror literature on screen

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