I’m not sure when I’ll be releasing this post but at the time I’m writing it I actually thought I was done look at all the memorable episodes of Tales from the Crypt. THEN….a great writer by the name of Stephanie Crawford posted the latest entry into this Tales from the Crypt retrospective she’s been doing over at Dread Central. As I write this she’s currently working her way through the third season and it just so happens her favorite Tales from the Crypt episode in the show’s entire run is a third season episode I looked over.
Just my fucking luck right? I’ve written 100+ Halloween posts, very few people are thankfully being kind enough to read them and for whatever fucking reason I’m putting so much time and effort into this shit than I ever would in something that doesn’t involve me typing out my stupid opinion to a cyber brick wall. You know what? If you happened to click on this just skip on over to what Stephanie had to say about this particular episode because unlike this post it’s someone with a valuable opinion talking about Tales from the Crypt.
If you went with the worst option in this Choose Your Own Adventure, follow me as I ramble on about Undertaking Palor.
This episode is a rather interesting detour from what feels like the original Tales from the Crypt formula. As a means of switching things up and keeping the show fresh, this episode steers towards the kind of story that feels very much of its time with these four kids straight of a Stephen King story accidentally coming across a sketchy ass scheme between an undertaker and a pharmacist. When you think about films like The Goonies and The Monster Squad, this episode with four teen boys saying shit like, “Y’know, maybe they’re right about masturbation, huh? Maybe it does rot your brain” is just the kind of thing that 100% captures the kind of juvenile adventure story that was so popular at the time.
Speaking of The Goonies, Jonathan Ke Quan is in this episode playing a normal teenager which I find truly incredible. Ke Quan is also known for playing one of the most degrading roles when it comes to the way Asians are depicted on film, Short Round in Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom. The Indiana Jones films are supposed to be a reboot of the type of adventure serials from the 1930s-1940s and o boy is that a film that captures some good ol fashioned racism your D.W. Griffith loving great grandpa ate up before a Klan rally. Props to Jonathan Ke Quan though for beaten out Mickey Rooney for this episode’s role.
A bit off topic here but 1984 alone was a fucking brutal year in film for Asians. Not only did you have Short Round but you also had fucking Takashi in Revenge of the Nerds and of course…….fucking Long Duk Dong in Sixteen Candles. It’s like Hollywood gathered in a room that year and said to themselves, “How can we tell the Asian community to go fuck themselves? Personally I think the ending to A Christmas Story wasn’t enough of a punch to the face.” So yeah, really loved the way Ke Quan got to play a normal teen in this episode. If you want something else where Asians aren’t treated like a fucking punching bag, check out Searching. Perfect movie.
Jonathan Ke Quan being one of the most recognizable names in this episode is also an example of Undertaking Palor being a little more humble than some other episodes of Tales from the Crypt really swinging its dick when it comes to casting. The adults that appear in this episode are some minor character actors who you’d look at and say “ah that guy” and there’s a kid who went on to be recognizable in the Star Trek universe. Quite minor compared to something like fucking Top Billing where this show brings in Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest for maybe a minute.
Overall Undertaking Palor is a rather fun and cute episode. If this was the 90s and some kid who was a huge fan of Tales from the Cryptkeeper was looking for the perfect episode that could serve as a bridge over to the adult show, I’d probably suggest this episode.
It's Emilio Amaro's Blog 