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The '90s were a great time to be a young horror-loving kid. There were several gateway horror shows and movies that made genre fans out of an entire generation, preparing kids for the horrors of the real world within the safe confines of a television set. It was a time of "Goosebumps" and of "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark," a time of "Aaahh!!! Real Monsters" and "Tales from the Cryptkeeper." Then there was "Courage the Cowardly Dog."

Though "Real Monsters" featured, well, monsters, it was still definitely a comedic show. "Courage the Cowardly Dog," though, even when it wasn't technically scary, it was always eerie and disturbing. The cartoon follows the eponymous dog Courage, who lives with an elderly couple in a farm in the middle of Nowhere, Kansas. They are constantly thrown into weird, often spooky situations. The series started with a pilot short titled "The Chicken from Outer Space,...

X-Men ’97 has been a huge success, and Marvel Animations has really engrossed fans with nostalgia in the show. There are several epic moments that are vividly astonishing and that run through several episodes. The continuation of X-Men: The Animated Series, the show brings almost all the original cast complementing the epic nostalgic vibe, it was certainly a treat for fans.

Magneto in X-Men ’97

The Marvel series for Disney+ also has some cool easter eggs that involve Michael Fassbender and Ian McKellen, who previously played different versions of Magneto, aka Erik Lehnsherr in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men franchise. The show also paid homage to the original X-Men: The Animated Series’ Magneto actor David Hemblen through the easter egg.

X-Men ’97 Easter Egg Featured Michael Fassbender and Ian McKellen

Magneto actors’ easter egg in X-Men ’97

Michael Fassbender and Ian McKellen, who played different, respectively, younger and older versions of Magneto,...

Animated horror TV shows cater to adult audiences with complex storytelling and innovative art styles. The medium of animation allows for terrifying visuals, making horror TV shows even scarier than movies. Shows like "The Owl House" and "Love Death + Robots" push boundaries in horror and fantasy storytelling.

Horror is a well-known genre that requires a particular type of storytelling, and it turns out some of the best horror TV shows are animated. Though animation brings to mind a younger audience, plenty of animated shows and movies aren't suited for children because they are made to frighten and intrigue adult audiences. If anything, horror always has a place in the animation genre because there are fewer limitations on what can be shown onscreen.

A quality horror television show must have innovative art styles, complex character development, and nuanced takes on morality and darkness.

Though horror films are often the most talked about,...

While most kids TV shows are pretty tame, a handful of entries into the genre managed to feature some genuinely creepy moments and frightening scenes. Broadly speaking, kids TV is largely devoid of serious scares. Even kids shows that have horror elements like Gravity Falls or Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated usually steer clear of anything that might keep child viewers up at night. This is often due to network censors cutting scenes that could be perceived as spooky, a policy that leaves a lot of writers unable to push their family-friendly efforts as far as equivalent big-screen kids horror stories like Coraline or ParaNorman.

However, this has not stopped some seriously creepy kids TV shows from slipping through the cracks. Over the decades, there have been a handful of kids TV shows that are as scary as any successful horror movie franchise. Some of these shows got away with their surprisingly...

We have some sad news to share today, as The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that writer/director Manny Coto – who is best known for directing the 1992 horror comedy slasher Dr. Giggles (watch it Here) – has passed away at the age of 62, following a thirteen month battle with pancreatic cancer.

Manuel Hector Coto was born in Havana, Cuba on June 10, 1961, then his family emigrated to the U.S. just a few months later. Coto and his siblings were raised in Orlando, Florida, and he was still a child when a fascination with Star Trek inspired him to start shooting short films with his father’s 8mm camera. After attending college in New Orleans, he moved out to Los Angeles in 1983 and started working in commercials. He eventually crossed paths with Tippi Hedren, who worked with Alfred Hitchcock on The Birds and Marnie, and was able to get her to agree to...

Who doesn't love a scary story? There's something so fun whenever Riverdale does a tale from the dark.

On Riverdale Season 7 Episode 5, Jughead was back at the typewriter helming four new horror stories.

Each tale was bloodier and campier than the next. This Tales from the Crypt-inspired chapter was a bloody good time!

"Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Two: Tales in a Jugular Vein" isn't the first time Riverdale has done short stories. There have been fictional stories or times where the plots were broken into separate segments, like Riverdale Season 2 Episode 7.

I love this format because it keeps the tales concise and the pacing straight to the point. No distractions, all climaxes. This chapter was no exception.

And framing it in a Tales from the Crypt style warmed my horror-loving heart.

The scary stories, particularly the cartoon (Tales from the Cryptkeeper), were a mainstay of my childhood. Not many people can...

Real-world journalism comes with some occupational hazards, but usually death isn’t one of them. In the horror genre, on the other hand, members of the press find themselves in danger every time they get a hot lead on something weird and unexplained. Their tenacity never does them any good; one minute they’ve found the story of their career, the next they’re never heard from again.

Journalists often get in over their heads in horror. Something goes wrong in their investigation, and they end up becoming the story. As these five TV-anthology tales illustrate, digging for the truth can also mean digging your own grave.

Out of the Unknown (1965-1971)

Deathday

Out of the Unknown was one of several BBC anthologies from the ’60s and ’70s. And like others from this era, this show was almost entirely scrubbed from existence. It was common practice to erase series back then,...

Very sad news has just come in as legendary filmmaker Richard Donner has reportedly died. The world-famous director-producer, best known for directing movies like Superman, The Goonies, and the Lethal Weapon series, was 91 years old at the time of his passing. As of now, a cause of death hasn't been revealed, nor is it clear exactly when the filmmaker passed. His death was confirmed through his production company, per Variety.

Donner was born Richard Donald Schwartzberg on April 24, 1930, in New York. Initially set on becoming an actor, Donner got his start directing commercials for Desilu in the 1950s. This led to directing classic television dramas like Wanted: Dead or Alive with Steve McQueen and The Rifleman with Chuck Connors. As a TV director, Donner wound up working on many other well-known shows from classic television like The Fugitive, Get Smart, The Wild Wild West, Gilligan's Island, Tales from the Crypt,...

Giler was also a screenwriter on films including ‘Alien3’ and ‘The Money Pit’.

David Giler, a producer and writer on the Alien franchise, has died aged 77. He had been suffering from cancer and died at his home in Bangkok on December 19.

Walter Hill, his long-time producing partner with whom he co-wrote the story for Aliens and screenplay for Alien3, said: “If you knew David, you knew he was special.

“The magic of his personality is hard to describe: funny, angry, extremely knowledgeable, extremely well read; it was my privilege to write and produce with him, and more importantly, to have...

David Giler, a writer and producer known for his work on each film in the “Alien” franchise, died at his Bangkok home on Dec. 19. He was 77 years old.

His longtime friend, “Alien” producer Walter Hill, said in a statement, “If you knew David, you knew he was special. The magic of his personality is hard to describe: funny, angry, extremely knowledgeable, extremely well read; it was my privilege to write and produce with him, and more importantly, to have his close and deep friendship for nearly 50 years.”

Giler got his first major writing credit in 1962 when he wrote the teleplay for an episode of ABC’s “The Gallant Men.” Throughout the 1960s he continued to write episodes for series including “Burke’s Law” and “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.”

Having written the screenplay for 1970’s “Myra Breckinridge,” Giler also got the chance to try his hand at production, though he remains uncredited...

David Giler, a writer, producer or both on some of the most high-profile films of the 1970s and ’80s, from the controversial Myra Breckinridge to the immensely popular Alien franchise, died of cancer Dec. 19 at his home in Bangkok. He was 77.

His death was announced by spokesman Jeff Sanderson.

“If you knew David, you knew he was special,” said director Walter Hill, his longtime writing and producing partner. “The magic of his personality is hard to describe: funny, angry, extremely knowledgeable, extremely well read; it was my privilege to write and produce with him, and more importantly, to have his close and deep friendship for nearly 50 years.”

Giler’s screenwriting credits include The Parallax View (1974), Fun With Dick And Jane (1977) and The Money Pit (1986). He has writing or story credits for both Aliens (1986) and Aliens 3 (1992), and was a producer of the original Alien (1979) and its seven sequels, up to 2017’s...

Voice actor David Hemblen, known to longtime Marvel fans as the voice of Magneto on X-Men: The Animated Series, has sadly passed away. While the cause of death isn't clear, the actor's obituary states that he died earlier this month on Nov. 16. He was 79 years old. The X-Men: The Animated Series Twitter account, maintained by writers Julia Lewald and Eric Lewald, have also addressed Hemblen's passing with a post online.

"This horrible, heart-breaking year continues... Our #Magneto," the post reads.

David Hemblen was born on Sept. 16, 1941, in London, England. He'd grow up in Toronto, Canada, taking an early interest in theatre and performing. While attending college, Hemblen took to the stage and began working consistently as an actor, starting in the 1960s. He'd go on to appear in several dozen stage productions at major Canadian theatres, at one point earning a Dora nomination for Best Leading Actor for his role as Dr.

The clock is ticking, kids! Halloween is now officially less than a week away, and one of my favorite October traditions is indulging in all sorts of Halloween-themed TV specials, both new and old. So, if you’re someone who enjoys all the seasonal offerings from the small screen, I’ve updated my annual list of Halloween TV specials and classic horror series that are currently streaming on a variety of platforms.

Happy Streaming, everyone!!

Halloween Foodie Finds:

Halloween Baking Championship (Multiple Seasons)

You can stream the first four seasons currently on Hulu.

Halloween Wars (Multiple Seasons)

You can stream seasons 3 through 8 currently on Hulu.

Classic TV Series:

Elvira’s Movie Macabre (Season 1)

You can stream season 1 on Peacock.

Tales From the Cryptkeeper (Multiple Seasons)

You can stream all three seasons currently on Tubi TV.

Chillers (Season 1)

You can currently stream season 1 on The Roku Channel.

Masters of Horror (Multiple Seasons...

It’s almost time, dear readers! Halloween is less than two weeks away, and I don’t know about you, but the one thing that always got me primed for October 31st were all the Halloween-themed TV specials that would come out every year. And if you’re someone who enjoys all the seasonal offerings on the small screen as well, here’s a look at a ton of different specials and classic horror series that are perfect to binge for the rest of October.

Enjoy!!

Classic TV Series:

Tales From the Cryptkeeper (Multiple Seasons)

You can stream all three seasons currently on Tubi TV.

Chillers (Season 1)

You can currently stream season 1 on Amazon Prime.

Masters of Horror (Multiple Seasons)

Every episode from season 1 and season 2 is currently available on Tubi TV.

Dark Shadows (Multiple Seasons)

You can stream multiple seasons currently on Hulu & Amazon Prime.

Bump in the Night...

Welcome to the fifth season kiddies! It’s latter-day Tales now, and the stakes are high. The Cryptkeeper was getting even hotter, and things were getting weird. This gory, often mean-spirited series spun-off a children’s cartoon show, Tales from the Cryptkeeper, about two weeks before the premiere of season five, where a cute animated Cryptkeeper introduced […] The post Exhuming Tales From The Crypt: Sowing Death… Forever appeared first on Dread Central.

Stephen Harber Sep 18, 2019

Gather 'round, kiddies. It's time to remember Tales from the Cryptkeeper, the most hair-raising cartoon from your childhood.

Hello, kiddies. In case you’ve gotten a lobotomy in the past two decades, we thought we’d take the time to remind you that there’s was an animated series based on the Tales from the Crypt franchise called — wait for it — Tales from the Cryptkeeper. It ran on CBS, the Corpse Butchering Station, throughout the 1990s, giving the little ones goosebumps long before a certain dweeb named R.L. Stine did.

Not as memorable as the classic HBO series it spun off from, Tales from the Cryptkeeper was aimed at the young whippersnappers who had the balls to wake up early enough on Saturday morning to face the horror-themed parables that the mischievous ancient corpse would throw their way. Therefore, no, it wasn’t really that scary. Creepy?...

One of the best parts about growing up was plopping my lazy ass down on a couch every Saturday for some Saturday Morning Cartoons. It was a ritual that brought me some classics like “Tales From the Cryptkeeper”, “The Pirates… Continue Reading →

The post Cybertronic Warrior’s Latest Video is a Love Letter to 80’s Sci-fi Cartoons appeared first on Dread Central.

Seems like a good marriage. On one side of the aisle: M. Night Shyamalan, a filmmaker who made a name for himself by crafting spooky, grown up tales like The Sixth Sense, Signs, and The Village. On the other end, walking down the aisle with a lovely veil on, a brand new take on Tales From The Crypt.

We've known that Shyamalan was working on relaunching the series, which began its life as a comic book in the 1950s, became a film in 1972, then found new life as an anthology horror show on HBO in 1989. The weekly series, hosted by a decrepit corpse known as The Cryptkeeper, told a different, scary story every week. It attracted all kinds of stars, led to a couple of other films, and an animated children's series- Tales From The Cryptkeeper that ran for six years.

Shyamalan, who spent some time trying to stretch his...

Two-time Emmy winner Larry Drake, who portrayed the mentally-challenged Benny Stulwicz on NBC's hit drama series L.A. Law, passed away today at the age of 66. While no cause of death was given, TMZ reports that the actor did have recent health problems pertaining to his weight, but his health issues weren't thought to be terminal. The actor was found in his Hollywood, California home by a friend at approximately 1:30 Pm today.

Larry Drake was born on February 21, 1950 to Lorraine, a homemaker, and Raymond Drake, a drafting engineer for an oil company, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma and originally wanted to be a teacher before studying acting. He landed a variety of small roles throughout the 1970s and 1980s in movies like Date with a Kidnapper and The Karate Kid, and TV shows such as Hardcastle and McCormick and Hunter. In 1987, he landed the role of Benny Stulwicz,...

2014 marked the end of many traditions that pop culture fans hold dear. One of the most surprising announcements was the official heralding of the death of Saturday morning cartoons. In September, the CW network’s parent company, Warner Bros., officially ended their run of morning long schedules of animated series, and reverted to cheaper educational programming in a time slot that barely filled three hours.

The CW was the last holdout in what was once a large race by television networks for advertisers, toy companies, and food corporations to win over young audiences. Once upon a time before cable television and the Internet every Saturday morning was a feast of animation and occasional live action fare for kids to enjoy.

Back in 1988, I fondly remember waking up very early on a Saturday to watch cartoons, and would officially pack up and prepare for the day the minute twelve drew near...

I don't think that anyone reading this right now will disagree with me when I say that there simply aren't enough board games based on horror movies in existence, with very few films over the years making the transition to the board. Thankfully, horror fans are always eager to step in and take matters into their own hands, which is precisely what Hellraiser super fan Brian Sharp recently did, fusing together his love for the film with perhaps the most popular board game of all time.

As we spotted over on Horror Homework, Sharp hand-crafted this incredible Hellraiser-inspired version of Monopoly, which allows you to bargain with souls rather than money, and even includes game pieces sculpted in the likeness' of Pinhead and his Cenobite friends. The board itself is of course modeled after the iconic Lament Configuration Box, and destinations include the various levels of the fiery depths. In other words,...

Horror always had a strong foothold in the history of television. That's a natural progression from horror's dominance as a genre people turned to during the radio days. But it seems like, in years past, horror on television was full of wit, macabre humor, and a sense of fun that we don't see anymore. Naturally something as spooky and fun as a great old horror TV show would deserve its own board game - so today, we take at look at five of our favorite old board games based on spooky shows!

The Addams Family Game (1974)

We can't talk about horror television without talking about The Addams Family. The seminal horror comedy made its television debut as a sitcom from '64-'66, then a 1973 animated series, then a 1992 animated series, and then it went on to have several remakes, a few movies, and tons of other franchised wonders. And while...

When it comes to a thirst for all things horror, some people are born into darkness, while others require some terror training wheels. Looking at me now, you may not believe that I was once a big scaredy cat. I wanted nothing to do with anything remotely spooky, and even the slightest shift in music would see me running to turn the television off. But, like most kids of my generation, I was eased into the genre with bite-sized scares. In an era where there was a plethora of tailor-made chills for children, it took no time for me to convert from hiding under the blankets into a full-fledged fright fanatic. Here at FEARnet, we have a great fondness for the bygone days of creepy kids’ TV, as evidenced by our Funhouse block, which features an archive of episodes from some spooky Saturday mornings of yesteryear. In fact, when reflecting...

Horror and animation go together remarkably well. Heavy Metal was a major blast. The Haunted World of El Superbeasto was one of Rob Zombies true prize moments. Dead Space is absolutely wicked. But there are some really enjoyable animated television series as well and Tales from the Cryptkeeper is one of them. Heres a full season one breakdown. Its a quick slice of animation that works wonderfully as a homage piece and produces a wealth of eyecandy. The Cats Away is an absolute winner that even we old folk can sink our teeth into and its an awfully fine introduction to this fun series.

Most of us grew up spending Saturday mornings with the TV, enjoying animated classics and a few live-action shows as well. Well, FEARnet remembers those days, too, and is getting ready to launch "Funhouse" on August 18.

From the Press Release:

FEARnet, cable’s premier destination for horror, suspense, and thriller content, is adding a new two-hour weekend programming block starting August 18. The morning segment, dubbed “Funhouse,” features half-hour animated programs “The Real Ghostbusters” and “Tales from the Cryptkeeper,” as well as live-action suspense dramas “Eerie, Indiana” and “Dark Oracle.” The “Funhouse” block will be broadcast Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Et and re-aired the next day, Sunday, in the same time period on the linear TV channel.

FEARnet’s new “Funhouse” lineup marks the first time that the emerging cable network has broadcast both animated and live-action acquired series in a combined themed block of time. In fact,...

‘Tales From The Cryptkeeper’ As Well As Live-action Series ‘Eerie, Indiana’ And ‘Dark Oracle’ When It Adds The ‘Funhouse’ Weekend Programming Block Saturday, August 18 From 10 Am To 12 Pm Et

FEARnet, cable’s premier destination for horror, suspense and thriller content, is adding a new two-hour weekend programming block starting August 18. The morning segment, dubbed “Funhouse,” features half-hour animated programs “The Real Ghostbusters” and “Tales from the Cryptkeeper,” as well as live-action suspense… More...

"The Real Ghostbusters" is returning to TV for the first time in 13 years. FEARnet has acquired the rights to the classic cartoon based on the cult-hit "Ghostbuster" flicks.

Starting Aug. 18, "The Real Ghostbusters" will be joined by "Tales from the Cryptkeeper," "Eerie, Indiana" and "Dark Oracle" as part of a new weekend morning block of programming titled "Funhouse."

“Our director of programming, Sarah Shannon, and I are constantly looking for rare gems like foreign films, independents or shorts programming that our rabid and loyal fan base will enjoy, but haven't seen, or maybe haven't seen in a while," Peter Block, president and general manager of FEARnet, said in a statement. "We designed the 'Funhouse' block because FEARnet fans love their genre, but they also relish their nostalgia: shows that hooked them as kids still entertain them, and maybe now their own kids too. ‘Funhouse’ opens great opportunities for us to...

"The Real Ghostbusters" is returning to TV for the first time in 13 years. FEARnet has acquired the rights to the classic cartoon based on the cult-hit "Ghostbuster" flicks.

Starting Aug. 18, "The Real Ghostbusters" will be joined by "Tales from the Cryptkeeper," "Eerie, Indiana" and "Dark Oracle" as part of a new weekend morning block of programming titled "Funhouse."

“Our director of programming, Sarah Shannon, and I are constantly looking for rare gems like foreign films, independents or shorts programming that our rabid and loyal fan base will enjoy, but haven't seen, or maybe haven't seen in a while," Peter Block, president and general manager of FEARnet, said in a statement. "We designed the 'Funhouse' block because FEARnet fans love their genre, but they also relish their nostalgia: shows that hooked them as kids still entertain them, and maybe now their own kids too. ‘Funhouse' opens great opportunities for us to...

FearNet is expanding its programming slate. The home for horror has acquired the rights to four series -- animated series The Real Ghostbusters, Tales From the Cryptkeeper and live-action dramas Eerie, Indiana and Dark Oracle -- for a two-hour block on Saturday and Sunday mornings, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively. The "Funhouse" block will launch Saturday, Aug. 18 at 10 a.m. and targets viewers in the 18-34 demographic as three of the four series will be broadcast for the first time in more than a decade with Dark Oracle yet to air stateside. "While some cable networks

read more...

Back in 1989, a series called Tales from the Crypt debuted on HBO and would continue to run until 1996. The series was based on the 1950s EC Comics title of the same name, which also spawned a 1972 anthology movie, three feature films in Demon Knight, Bordello of Blood, and a third much less–know title, Ritual, as well as the still–strange–to–think–about Saturday morning cartoon, Tales from the Cryptkeeper, and a kid's game show called Secrets of the Cryptkeeper's Haunted House. The Cryptkeeper (voiced by John Kassir) himself was a pop culture horror icon, known for his unsettling appearance and oddly appealing cheesy sense of humor. Even I as a child had a Cryptkeeper mask for Halloween!

Now comes word of a proposed revival of the series now being planned. Gil Adler, a producer on the original HBO series, along with Andrew Cosby, a co–creator of Syfy's...

Amazon's Gold Box Deal of the Day is the complete series of Tales from the Crypt (seven seasons) for $99, 63% off the $267 list price. As with any of the Gold Box Deals, this price will only be valid until midnight. Based on the legendary and gruesome EC Comics from publisher William Gaines, this horror anthology featured stories of murder, the super natural, gore and humor and always had a twist ending of sorts. Some of Hollywood's biggest names took part, either working in front or behind the camera. Hosting duties fell to everyone's favorite decaying corpse, the Cryptkeeper. The success of this series spawned a Saturday morning cartoon series (Tales From the Cryptkeeper), a short-lived Saturday morning game show on CBS (Secrets of the Cryptkeeper's Haunted House) and lots of merchandise. Two feature films (Demon Knight and Bordello of Blood) were also produced and released in the late 90's. The TV...

In the spirit of bringing you the latest in home horror entertainment through the Fangoria Chopping list, we're now bringing you the news on the best in Family-Friendly Frights!

The Monster Times Family Fright list presents all the monster goodness to share with your own demon spawn!

Here's what's hitting retail on October 6!

6Teen: Dude Of The Living Dead!

After staying up late to watch an all-night monster movie marathon, Jude arrives to find some very weird things are happening at the mall. One by one, patrons and staff alike are succumbing to an unknown virus and acting very strange. The customers at The Khaki Barn seem much pastier than usual. Wyatt finds a human thumb in his taco. Coach Halder has taken to biting customers, and Caitlin s new boyfriend has turned pasty gray and has really nasty breath - eww! And we won t even mention what becomes of poor Pokey the Panda.

TORONTO -- Opening a new retail frontier, Canadian broadcaster Corus Entertainment and U.S. partner Comcast Corp. on Thursday said they would shortly launch a new video-on-demand service to provide Nelvana library product to households with kids aged six to 12 years. Toronto-based Corus, which owns and operates cartoon producer Nelvana Ltd., indicated the new Vortex on Demand service would launch in mid-July at no cost to Comcast digital cable customers and would be made available as part of Comcast's On Demand kids and teens programming offerings. As part of their agreement, Comcast will tap hundreds of titles from the Nelvana library, including Jacob Two-Two, Tales From the Crypt Keeper, Pippi Longstocking, and Elliot Moose.

TORONTO -- Canadian broadcaster Corus Entertainment said Thursday it has launched a home entertainment division by securing U.S. and British licensing deals for its Nelvana animation library. Toronto-based Corus said FUNimation Productions has agreed to release 44 back-catalog Nelvana titles in the U.S. market on home video and DVD, including Redwall, Tales of the Crypt Keeper, and Molville Mysteries, and that Texas-based FUNimation will become a potential strategic partner on new anime productions and co-productions. At the same time, British home entertainment distributor Maverick acquired the home video and DVD rights to 33 Nelvana library titles, including Little Bear, Timothy Goes to School and Maggie and the Ferocious Beast.. Maverick also has options on new releases. Nelvana has about 2,400 titles in its animation library.