5.4 /10 1 Votes
Edited by Chester Novell Turner Release date 1987 (VHS)2013 (DVD) Running time 1h 2m Music by Chester Novell Turner Cinematography Chester Novell Turner | 2.7/5 Black Horror Movies Written by Chester Novell Turner Productioncompany Erry Vision Film Co. Director Chester Novell Turner Screenplay Chester Novell Turner Produced by Chester Novell Turner | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Distributed by BC Video (VHS)Massacre Video (DVD) Similar Black Devil Doll From Hell, Adjust Your Tracking, Black Devil Doll, Woodchipper Massacre, Splatter Farm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tales from the quadead zone
Tales from the QuadeaD Zone, also stylized TALES From The QuadeaD Zone, is a 1987 Blaxploitation anthology horror film and cult classic that was written, directed, and produced by Chester Novell Turner. The movie was originally released straight to VHS and was given a DVD release in 2013 through Massacre Video. Since its release Tales From the Quadead Zone has received several public screenings, one of which was a 2016 symposium at the Yale University Library, Terror on Tape.
Contents
- Tales from the quadead zone
- Tales from the quadead zone vhs review 1987 bc video
- Synopsis
- Production
- Release
- Reception
- References
VHS copies of the film have become collector's items due to their difficulty to locate and extremely limited quantities, with one copy selling for almost $700 on eBay. Turner has expressed interest in creating a sequel and began writing the film's script in 2013. Tales from the QuadeaD Zone was the only film produced by Erry Vision Film Co.
Tales from the quadead zone vhs review 1987 bc video
Synopsis
The film is composed of two stories, "Food For" and "The Brothers", both of which are narrated by a mother (Shirley L. Jones) reading the tales to her deceased son Bobby. "Food For" centers upon a family that is so poor that they are unable to afford food for every family member. Their only solution is to get rid of some of their family in order to increase the amount of supper for everyone else. "The Brother" follows two brothers who have hated each other their entire lives and have each made cruel jokes and attacks against the other. When one of them dies, the living brother tries to have the last laugh by stealing his brother's corpse and making him look like a circus clown. Little does he know that his brother's spirit has returned to his body, unhappy with his brother's plans.
Production
Work on Tales from the Quadead Zone began three years after Turner completed his first film, Black Devil Doll From Hell, which was initially intended to be one of the anthology's stories. Two of the film's stories, "Food for" and the wraparound story "Unseen Vision", were shot in Alabama while "The Brothers" was shot in Chicago.
Release
As Turner released the video on his own, along with star Shirley L. Jones, Tales from the Quadead Zone was released in an extremely limited amount, estimated to be at or less than 100 copies. The copies were only circulated in the Chicago area due to the cost of gas and travel required by Turner and Jones and it is believed that many of these copies have been lost.
Over time the video achieved cult status and VHS copies became much sought after collector's items. In 2011 one copy of the film sold for $665 on the online auction site eBay, a feat that was covered in the 2013 documentary Adjust Your Tracking. The winning bidder later sold his copy of the movie for twice the amount paid.
In 2013 Massacre Video released the movie as part of a DVD box set along with Black Devil Doll From Hell. The box set features commentary from Turner and Jackson, a documentary about the both films, and the director's cut of Black Devil Doll From Hell, which was heavily edited from Turner's original version.
Reception
Horronews.net commented that although the video could be seen as a "complete and utter train wreck", the movie was made during a point in time when amateur filmmaking would be cost prohibitive for the average person and the creation of Tales from the Quadead Zone was evidence of Turner's "heart and a dream to become a film maker". Bloody Disgusting also reviewed the movie, stating that it was "a no-budget, SOV labor of mad love". DVD Talk reviewed the movie as part of Massacre Video's box set and panned the film, which they felt was weaker than Black Devil Doll From Hell.