Whilst enjoying "Tales from the Hood", my horror pal and I concluded that good 90s horror does exist; you must only look for it. Granted, decades like the 70s and 80s brought forward a lot more genre classics and fan-favorites, but there's also great stuff from the nineties. This is one of them, and - moreover - every self-respecting horror fanatic loves anthologies!
"Tales from the Hood", produced by none other than Spike Lee, is "Creepshow" meets "Boyz 'n the Hood", with four segments that are pure horror but nevertheless feature heavy racial themes and relevant social topics. The first story is even painfully recognizable, as it revolves around racist white-trash coppers beating a black political activist to death! He - Martin Moorehouse - comes back as a zombie to extract his bloody vengeance; - now that's how a Black Lives Matter stories should end! The plot is a bit derivative and predictable, but the over-the-top performances (especially from Wings Hauser as psychotic cop) are terrific. The second story is maybe the weakest of the four, but still enjoyable and featuring a rare villainous role David Alan Grier. The third story is - hands down - the coolest, with Corbin Bensen as megalomaniacal Southern politician who provokes the black community by moving into a former plantation mansion. Many slaves died at the house, and their souls transferred into little voodoo dolls that come to life. Great stuff, this short tale, with excellent stop-motion effects and Bensen as the ultimately loathsome racist. The fourth and final story is more experimental, has a storyline like "A Clockwork Orange", and is most remarkable for its montage of shocking and disturbing photographs from the Ku Klux Klan era. The last story also neatly links back to the wraparound, in which Clarence Williams III is having the best time of his life as flamboyant owner of a funeral home.
"Tales from the Hood", produced by none other than Spike Lee, is "Creepshow" meets "Boyz 'n the Hood", with four segments that are pure horror but nevertheless feature heavy racial themes and relevant social topics. The first story is even painfully recognizable, as it revolves around racist white-trash coppers beating a black political activist to death! He - Martin Moorehouse - comes back as a zombie to extract his bloody vengeance; - now that's how a Black Lives Matter stories should end! The plot is a bit derivative and predictable, but the over-the-top performances (especially from Wings Hauser as psychotic cop) are terrific. The second story is maybe the weakest of the four, but still enjoyable and featuring a rare villainous role David Alan Grier. The third story is - hands down - the coolest, with Corbin Bensen as megalomaniacal Southern politician who provokes the black community by moving into a former plantation mansion. Many slaves died at the house, and their souls transferred into little voodoo dolls that come to life. Great stuff, this short tale, with excellent stop-motion effects and Bensen as the ultimately loathsome racist. The fourth and final story is more experimental, has a storyline like "A Clockwork Orange", and is most remarkable for its montage of shocking and disturbing photographs from the Ku Klux Klan era. The last story also neatly links back to the wraparound, in which Clarence Williams III is having the best time of his life as flamboyant owner of a funeral home.