Everybody loves a good horror anthology nowadays. The likes of the V/H/S and The ABCs of Death franchises (not to mention the Halloween-themed Trick ‘R Treat) have brought back the telling of short, scary, and interconnected tales and this October will see the release of another anthology: Tales of Halloween, featuring shorts from some of the best contemporary horror directors, including Neil Marshall (The Descent) and Lucky McKee. The film will also remember to nod to its influential forebears with the addition of cameos from some major horror filmmakers and stars.
Tales of Halloween recently added some big names to the cast. There will be cameos from horror greats Joe Dante, John Landis, Stuart Gordon, and Mick Garris. Rocky Horror Picture Show’s Barry Bostwick will also appear, along with a bevy of recognizable genre performers. The addition of these cameos certainly reminds us of the horror greats of yesteryear, though how many of us will actually recognize the faces of directors like Gordon and Garris is an open question.
While it’s exciting to hear that Tales of Halloween will reference its roots, I confess that I would much rather have some of these great horror directors actually directing some tales for the film. Neil Marshall might have directed The Descent, but that’s chicken-feed compared with the men who produced films like An American Werewolf in London, Gremlins, and Re-Animator.
For those who don’t know, Tales of Halloween will center around a small American town one scary Halloween night, as monsters, villains, ghosts, and ghouls terrorize everyone in their path. If that sounds familiar, it’s because Trick ‘R Treat did the exact same thing back in 2007. Still, one can never have too many good Halloween films, so hopefully this one will not disappoint.
Tales of Halloween will hit theatres in October 2015, just in time for…well, Halloween.
