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Cast

Clarence Williams III
as Mr. Simms

Joe Torry
as Stack

Wings Hauser
as Strom

Anthony Griffith
as Clarence

Michael Massee
as Newton

Tom Wright
as Martin

David Alan Grier
as Carl

Brandon Hammond
as Walter

Corbin Bernsen
as Duke Metger

Roger Guenveur Smith
as Rhodie

Rosalind Cash
as Dr. Cushing

Lamont Bentley
as Crazy K

Don Dowe
as Cell Orderly #1

De'aundre Bonds
as Ball

Chris Edwards
as Ty

Samuel Monroe Jr.
as Bulldog

Duane Whitaker
as Billy

Tim Hutchinson
as Councilman Rogers

Bobby McGee
as Limo Driver

Rusty Cundieff
as Richard

Darin Scott
as Top Cop

Paula Jai Parker
as Sissy

Mark Christopher Lawrence
as Prison Guard

Art Evans
as Eli

Rick Dean
as Tattooed Man

Ryan Williams
as Gangster #1

Moon Jones
as Cell Orderly #2

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Critic Reviews for Tales From the Hood

Audience Reviews for Tales From the Hood

• Sep 25, 2011

  Mr. Simms: This ain't no funeral home! It ain't the Terror Dome, neither! Welcome to Hell, motherfuckers!  "Where nightmares and reality meet on the streets." Tales from the Hood is actually a fairly decent little horror anthology. There's just enough humor to make all the stories go over pretty well. There are some recognizable faces including Corbin Bernsen(In the most ridiculous of all the stories) and David Allen Grier.  After three gangsters descend upon a funeral home in order to get their "shit" a mortician begins to tell them stories. The first story is of a black activist who is bringing down the crooked cops. The second is of a young student who is being tortured by a monster. The third is a former KKK member is running for office and is living in a house where a huge massacre of slaves occurred. Now the slaves souls live on in little dolls. The fourth is of a gangster who has killed many of his brothers and is treated to the same sorta of deal that Alex was in A Clockwork Orange. Rating these stories from best to worst; I'll go with the young student as the best, crooked cops in second, A Clockwork Orange storyline third and the dolls in fourth.  The best part of the anthology is actually when stories aren't being told and we are in the funeral home with the crazy mortician and the three gangsters. The start and ending are both really cool. The ending is hilarious, as is a lot of the movie. It's definitely worth a watch if you're into horror anthologies. As far as those go, Tales from the Hood isn't all that bad.
  Melvin W Super Reviewer
• Jul 23, 2011

  This film tries for an overall moral lesson while also trying to be a cool horror film. It, unfortunately, doesn't succeed and just comes off as cheesy.
  Sarah P Super Reviewer
• Oct 12, 2010

  Tales from the Hood's narrative is broken up into four short stories that tell haunting tales of child abuse, police brutality, racism, and black on black violence. The movie is an anthology horror movie like Creepshow or Tales from the Darkside with a central hub storyline tying together several stand alone narratives. The producer for the film is Spike Lee and it stars Clarence Williams III (Samson), Joe Torry, De'Aundre Bonds, and Samuel Monroe Jr. The main storyline follows three gang bangers who have been called to a local mortuary to retrieve a cache of drugs the mortuary's owner, Mr. Simms, has found. However, before Mr. Simms will agree to hand over the drugs to the three gangsters he forces them listen to a number of horror stories, each one with a moral. There is an African American cop who wants to turn the tables on some dirty cops that killed a prominent leader in the community, there is a story that deals with an abusive step-father who turns into a monster and beats his wife and step-child, there is a story of a corrupt politician who is a former member of the KKK and lives in a plantation home, and the last story is about a gang banger that gets busted and is sent to an extreme rehabilitation program. Each story ties into the main storyline somehow which is pretty cool. The writing and acting in this movie are really awesome. The first three stories are the best ones, with the last story being the weakest and weirdest. My favorite is the tale of the abusive step-father with David Allen Grier acting like you have never seen him act before. He gets really hardcore. The failing factor here is that the monsters in the movie are all exaggerations of real life people and situations; which kind of transforms this movie from being a horror film to a sort of public service announcement. The movie is really well done and the effects are spectacular, however the movie is not scary and I think it goes about one story too long. They could have cut out either the racist politician story or the rehabilitation story; which would have made the movie more concise and enjoyable. I am going to give this movie a 4 of 10. I still really like the movie, but I don't think that it merits anything over a 5. This ain't the Terror Dome, This is Hell! S!D
  Brandon S Super Reviewer
• Aug 15, 2010

  Despite poor writing, uneven direction, an overabundance of ridiculous heavy handed symbolism and awkward performances, "Tales from the Hood" is not only not a bad film, but is often an admirable (more so for what it doesn't do than for what it does) one. Examples of what it doesn't do: 1. Glorify violence, drug dealing or the more unsavory aspects of "hood life" that have been glamorized so thoroughly in rap songs and movies. 2. Litter the film with hip hop songs in an effort to "appeal" to its "base" (the score is by Christopher Young and the soundtrack only uses rap when a character is specifically listening to it. Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit", on the other hand, is featured prominently). 3. Present african-american neighborhoods as hellish dens of violence, degradation and degradation where "kill or be killed" is the sole way of life. 4. Focus entirely on gun-toting, drug dealing, ebonics using young men. Only one story, in fact, features them. Despite its unfortunate title, a "hoodsploitation" film this is not.
  Eduardo C Super Reviewer

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