Tales from the Crypt #1

In "Survival... or Death!", two bored sailors on a cargo ship pass the time by building a cruel trap to test the instincts of rats—setting up a barrel with a floating platform and a teetering food lure, betting on which rat will survive the brutal fight for safety. When their ship sinks and they’re forced to face the same desperate struggle, they realize too late that humanity’s instincts aren’t so far removed from the animals they once mocked.

In the isolated woods of the Glades, a grieving father raises his deformed son in quiet seclusion after the mother’s death in childbirth. When a series of brutal killings shakes the community, the sheriff arrives at the man’s cabin, only to be deterred by a desperate father armed and afraid. As the man’s world unravels, he’s forced to confront a terrifying truth he can no longer deny—his son may be more than he ever imagined.

In "Kamen's Kalamity!", a nervous artist is pushed to embrace the darker side of horror after being told his work is too sweet. Inspired by the grim visions of his peers—each depicted in lurid, imaginative torment—he tries to channel his inner dread, only to drift into a surreal dream where he imagines a murderous moonlit return to his family. When his wife’s sudden scream jolts him awake, the line between nightmare and reality blurs.

In 1667 Germany, a greedy Duke rules with cruelty over his starving people, demanding payment from peasants for the "crime" of spilling a child’s blood on his carriage. When Johann is forced to pay the tax, he devises a plan to steal the Duke’s jewels—only to have his friend Emile volunteer in his place, only to be punished with the severing of his hands. Now, with vengeance in mind, Johann sets his own trap, turning the Duke’s greed against him.

In "The Execution!", a chance encounter on a snowy road sets off a chain of events that could cost a man his life. When a man helps a stranded motorist, he becomes the prime suspect in a murder that matches his description and the getaway car’s details—leaving him imprisoned and facing the electric chair unless the man he helped can come forward to clear him.

In "Murder the Lover!", a betrayed husband’s simmering rage takes a deadly turn when he lures his wife’s lover on a hunting trip, hoping to make the man’s death look like an accident. But as the wilderness closes in, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur—leaving one man to face a fate far more brutal than he ever imagined.

In "Murder the Husband!", a man consumed by obsession takes a deadly trip with his best friend, lured by a chance to eliminate the man who stands between him and the woman he loves. What begins as a moose hunting expedition quickly turns into a desperate struggle for survival when a fatal shot goes awry and sends both men plunging into the icy water.

In "Snooze to Me!", a tense evening at home takes a dark turn when Herbert returns late, only to be met by his suspicious wife, Nancy. After she accuses him of an affair and dismisses his excuses, she sends him away—then changes her mind and schemes to fake a suicide, hoping to lure him back. But when her maid, Edith, is drawn into the plan, the tables turn in a twist neither woman sees coming.

In "Paralyzed!", a marriage built on mutual resentment reaches a breaking point when a car accident leaves Gladys paralyzed—just as her husband Ernest, eager to escape, begins his long-overdue plan to finally be free. Forced to care for her, Ernest grants himself one night a week away, even giving Gladys a gun to protect herself while he’s gone. But when he returns, he finds her waiting—fully awake, fully aware, and far from helpless.