Hello there, boils and ghouls!
I grew up on TALES FROM THE CRYPT, the t.v. show and the comic-book (No I’m not 60 years old, the comic was reproduced in the 90s, right around the time the show was devilishly warping my mind on HBO.) To me it’s the quintessential mix of dark comedy and gross-out horror. It was never afraid to be over-the-top; it saw nothing wrong with nudging you with its elbow while bashing your brains in with a mallet. And the lead characters were, more often than not, villains and scumbags, which made it more fun when they got ironically f*cked over at the conclusion of their sordid tales.
Unfortunately, this article isn’t about TALES FROM THE CRYPT coming back to HBO (something that NEEDS to happen!) Or a feature-film of the same name (something I wouldn’t have a problem with as long as cool people were involved).
The mad genius who created EC Comics (publisher of Crypt, as well as Vault of Horror, Haunt of Fear, Two-Fisted Tales and others) and published MAD magazine for over 40 years, William Gaines, is getting THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLINT treatment, as Iron Mountain Media has picked up the rights to his life story.
The Hollywood Reporter says the story will revolve around the banding together of an anti-establishment group of comic book creators, led by a reluctant Gaines, as they produce their controversial yet hugely popular line of comic books like “Crypt,” which later led Gaines to face Senate subcommittee hearings over accusations of perpetuating juvenile delinquency.
How could you not love the guy? Joel Eisenberg, who wrote horror flicks HOLLYWOOD VAMPYR and OUT OF THE BLACK, is penning the screenplay. No director attached yet, but obviously someone in love with horror needs to be involved, since a simple bio-pic won’t do. George Romero, more than any other director, perfectly captured the feel of an EC Comic with CREEPSHOW, but he also has a talent for human drama and conflict. How bout him?