Tales from the Darkside: Family Reunion starts as Robert Perry (Stephen McHattie) has been on the run with his young son Bobby (Daniel Terrence Kelly) for six months, after a recent spate of gruesome murders the local community lives in fear. Every night Bobby changes into a Werewolf & only his loving father can prevent him from hurting other's & find a cure, however Bobby's mother Janice (Patricia Tallman) is desperate to find her son for an emotional is somewhat sinister family reunion...
Episode 16 from season 4 this Tales from the Darkside story originally aired in the US during May 1988, directed by special make-up effects man Tom Savini at least Family Reunion is a straight horror themed episode. The script by Edithe Swensen could have been expanded to fill a longer time slot & wouldn't have looked out of place as an episode of Tales from the Crypt (1989 - 1996), the only real problem with Family Reunion is that the title gives the twist ending away & in that sense it's a touch predictable. At only twenty odd minutes in length it moves along at a decent pace, the story has a point & actually builds up to a twist ending that isn't the most original or surprising but does round the programme off nicely enough.
Director Savini has fun with a few horror film references, Bobby is seen reading an issue of Fangoria with Day of the Dead (1985) as the cover story while there's a Creepshow (1982) poster on his wall both of which were directed by Goerge A. Romero & for which Savini provided the special make-up effects. Here there's some pretty good Werewolf make-up effects although as usual for this show there's no gore or extreme violence. The acting is alright & the cast do OK.
Family Reunion is a good solid horror themed Tales from the Darkside episode that is actually worth watching, it's nothing amazingly original or surprising but it passes twenty odd minutes harmlessly enough.
Episode 16 from season 4 this Tales from the Darkside story originally aired in the US during May 1988, directed by special make-up effects man Tom Savini at least Family Reunion is a straight horror themed episode. The script by Edithe Swensen could have been expanded to fill a longer time slot & wouldn't have looked out of place as an episode of Tales from the Crypt (1989 - 1996), the only real problem with Family Reunion is that the title gives the twist ending away & in that sense it's a touch predictable. At only twenty odd minutes in length it moves along at a decent pace, the story has a point & actually builds up to a twist ending that isn't the most original or surprising but does round the programme off nicely enough.
Director Savini has fun with a few horror film references, Bobby is seen reading an issue of Fangoria with Day of the Dead (1985) as the cover story while there's a Creepshow (1982) poster on his wall both of which were directed by Goerge A. Romero & for which Savini provided the special make-up effects. Here there's some pretty good Werewolf make-up effects although as usual for this show there's no gore or extreme violence. The acting is alright & the cast do OK.
Family Reunion is a good solid horror themed Tales from the Darkside episode that is actually worth watching, it's nothing amazingly original or surprising but it passes twenty odd minutes harmlessly enough.