It's no surprise to horror fans that HBO's Tales From the Crypt was a huge success -- the UK's Amicus Productions was cranking out 4- and 5-story anthologies in the late 60's and early 70's. Utilizing veteran actors and cameramen who knew how to beautifully combine camp and horror, Vault of Horror was one of the best.
But you'd probably never know it, if you live in the US. Every version ever available on tape or on TV is cut, badly enough to almost totally destroy any payoff. A "Tale from the Crypt" is more dependent than most on a shocking ending; chop out the deliciously gory ending, or water it down, and you've got a big build-up to nothing. I first saw VOH in its hacked-up, PG version, and thought it pretty limp. It's so unfair: the last-minute hacks of a studio butcher (!) can render any carefully created piece of work into tepid mush, making the filmmakers appear incompetent.
Where can you find the uncut version in the US? Legally, nowhere. You'll need a friend in the UK who can lend you a copy, or possibly a Japanese import. This movie begs for release on DVD.
**UPDATE** The uncut version is finally available on DVD from Vipco (Britain). It won't play on most U.S. players, but may be played with some PC software such as WinDVD.
