Wow, I just never get tired of watching that classic magical intro that gets you in the right mood for and takes you into the gleefully macabre world of the show every time. Always loved to watch this series as a kid, which was once a week late Friday night if I remember correctly - it totally blew my mind man! One of the absolute worst nightmares imaginable is realised in this astonishingly suspenseful and frightening tale, which has a certain startling element of realism to it. And rather than the gore that's actually seen which isn't all that much, most of it's done through the power of suggestion. It's kinda morbid and f****d-up, but awesomely scary because it could just be true... I mean who's to say if you can feel or sense anything after you're dead? They've been cases of people on the operating table where the anaesthetic has somehow failed and they've been able to feel the entire experience. And you know one day guys, we're all gonna find out. We're all gonna be like that. But enough of that depressing s**t, this is a review of a Tales From the Crypt episode, so ya know let's lighten up! It's all good!!! This one's all about a brother who enacts a cruel and ruthless revenge on his younger sibling for a twisted practical joke that went horribly wrong years earlier, and let's just say that he one-ups him to say the least! Once again, it's one amazingly chilling plot device, and I could see how some fans view this as the scariest episode, but for me personally I've found that when you've seen it before and you know what the complex twist at the end is, that everything that happens has merely been another sick prank by Marty to get his revenge on Carl, it doesn't have the same level of impact to it, but it doubtless remains a gripping tense blast of an episode that makes you think twice about what practical jokes can lead to. The disorienting camera movements excellently convey the perspective and building dread of the man and the hellish position that he finds himself in. And despite verging on being annoying and corny at points, I thought Tony Goldwyn did a fine job with his role, which must have been some kind of challenge because of course for most of the time he's in a death-like state and his performance is the inner-monologue thoughts in his head, and he was very effective because when you think about it it's really him that sells the concept of the story and keeps you interested. And even though the proceedings turn out to have been faked, it still serves the purpose of adding to the payoff of the very final scene where he really is about to be eviscerated alive. And the ending's the creepiest part, even if you've seen it a hundred times. (That's what you get for hiring a Hispanic mugger to kill Patrick Swayze!) Still a lot of fun and disturbing as hell, Abra Cadaver is a hair-raising experience of a tale that creeps up on you, grabs on and does not let go - not even after the tale's over! Fantastic, and practically guaranteed to make you ~squirm!!!~
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