Tales from the Crypt: Bordello of Blood is a 1996 horror comedy film based on the popular HBO television series, Tales from the Crypt. It was directed by long-time collaborator on the series, Gilbert Adler. And stars Dennis Miller, Chris Sarandon, Erika Eleniak, Corey Feldman, and Angie Everhart. The film was released on August 16th, 1996 to some lukewarm reviews but great numbers at the box office. I am going to be watching the 1996 MCA Universal Home Video release. It’s a decent enough transfer that doesn’t have any features or trailers.

Synopsis

Rafe Guttman is a witty and wise-cracking Private Eye that is hired to investigate the disappearance of Caleb Verdoux and his friend. This leads him to a strange funeral home that turns out to be a Bordello run by sexy vampires.

Analysis

The beginning of the movie is good. I like the Tales from the Crypt cut-in during the title scene. The intro scene with the Cryptkeeper and a Mummy is funny and entertaining. Interesting note, long-time Tales from the Crypt cast member, William Sadler, appears as the mummy in these scenes.

The comedy is corny and predictable. And sometimes it just doesn’t work at all. I am thinking about the Whoopi Goldberg scene in particular. The same can be said for the movies fear factor. It’s non-existent. The odd nature of the comedy and acting doesn’t translate well into the horror genre. At least not for an entire full-length feature film.

Dennis Miller is an odd choice for a leading man. His comedy is funny, but it doesn’t fit. It feels like he is just adlibbing material from a stand-up routine. His emotions don’t translate well. Miller does better in bit parts like his radio jockey in Joe Dirt. A role that is far more quotable than Rafe Guttman.

Angie Everhart doesn’t do the film any justice either. Her lines are hilariously bad and she just doesn’t fit in that role. But the acting wasn’t all horrible. Chris Sarandon as the preacher, and Phil Fondacaro as Vincent Prather have some of the better roles. But they don’t do much in the picture. It’s a shame.

The art-direction is a plus. I always appreciate the practical effects and blood. But you could tell that the filmmakers were trying to save some money. The minimal amount of CGI that’s used looks poor. Thankfully, we don’t get much of it.

Overall

Tales from the Crypt: Bordello of Blood is a horror comedy that lands really far from the mark. It could be a decent television episode. But it can’t hold up for the length of a feature film. It fails at mixing comedy and horror. Dennis Miller was clearly a wrong choice. And the story line is virtually non-existent. It’s a shame that they couldn’t do better with the resources the filmmakers had.