Tales from the QuadeaD Zone

Last updated
Tales from the QuadeaD Zone
Tales from the Quadead Zone cover.jpg
Original VHS cover
Directed by Chester Novell Turner
Written byChester Novell Turner
Produced byChester Novell Turner
StarringShirley Jones
CinematographyChester Novell Turner
Edited byChester Novell Turner
Music byChester Novell Turner
Production
company
Erry Vision Film Co.
Distributed byBC Video (VHS)
Massacre Video (DVD)
Release dates
1987 (VHS)
2013 (DVD)
Running time
62 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Tales from the QuadeaD Zone (also stylized TALES From The QuadeaD Zone) is a 1987 American anthology blaxploitation horror film written, directed, and produced by Chester Novell Turner. [1] [2] The film was originally released straight to VHS. VHS copies of the film have become collector's items due to the difficulty of locating them and the extremely limited quantities produced, with one copy selling for $2000 on eBay. [3]

Contents

Turner has expressed interest in creating a sequel and began writing the film's script in 2013. [4] Tales from the QuadeaD Zone was the only film produced by Erry Vision Film Co.

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. [5]

It was given a DVD release in 2013 through Massacre Video. [3]

Synopsis

The film is composed of two stories (plus a third wraparound story): "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 dinner 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.

Cast

Food For ?

  • W.J. Rider
  • Doug Daverport
  • Johnnie Tanguy
  • Chris Calloway
  • Kim Nichols
  • Tammy Nichols
  • Jeff Miza
  • Ronda Rider

The Brothers

  • Keefe L. Turner as Ted Johnson
  • Larry Jones as Oscar
  • Lawrence R. Jones as Moby
  • William Jones as Fred Johnson
  • Tommy L. Miller as Man in Coffin

Unseen Vision

  • John W. Jones as Daryl
  • Richard Tanguy as 1st Police Officer
  • Dan Kugler as 2nd Police Officer
  • Patrick D. Tanguy as Bobby's Voice
  • Jamar E. Bankhead as Bobby
  • Shirley L. Jones as Bobby's Mother

Production

Work on Tales from the QuadeaD Zone began three years after Turner completed his first film, Black Devil Doll From Hell, [6] which was initially intended to be one of the anthology's stories. [7] 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. [7]

Release

As Turner released the film 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. [7] [8] 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. [4] [7]

Reception and legacy

Horronews.net commented that although the video could be seen as a "complete and utter train wreck", the film 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". [9] Bloody Disgusting also reviewed the movie, stating that it was "a no-budget, SOV labor of mad love". [3] DVD Talk reviewed the movie as part of Massacre Video's box set and gave it a poor review, which they felt was weaker than Black Devil Doll From Hell. [10]

Over time the video achieved cult status and VHS copies became much sought after collector's items. [11] 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 . [8] [4] The winning bidder later sold his copy of the movie for twice the amount paid. [4]

The price reached an all time high when a copy was sold on eBay for $2000.

In 2013, Massacre Video released the movie as part of a DVD box set along with Black Devil Doll From Hell. [12] The box set features commentary from Turner and Jackson, a documentary about both films, and the director's cut of BlackDevil Doll From Hell, which upon release had been heavily edited from Turner's original version. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VHS</span> Consumer-level analog videotape recording and cassette form standard

VHS is a standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes invented in 1976 by the Victor Company of Japan and was the competitor to the ill-fated Sony Betamax system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Videotape</span> Magnetic tape used for storing video and sound simultaneously

Videotape is magnetic tape used for storing video and usually sound in addition. Information stored can be in the form of either an analog or digital signal. Videotape is used in both video tape recorders (VTRs) and, more commonly, videocassette recorders (VCRs) and camcorders. Videotapes have also been used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the data produced by an electrocardiogram.

<i>The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh</i> 1977 American animated anthology film produced by Walt Disney Productions

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is a 1977 American animated musical anthology comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution. It is the 22nd Disney animated feature film and was first released on a double bill with The Littlest Horse Thieves on March 11, 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Band</span> American film director

Charles Robert Band is an American film producer and director, known for his work on horror comedy movies.

Bobby Jarzombek is an American musician of Polish and German ancestry who is currently the drummer for country music legend George Strait. Bobby also has been a drummer for: vocalist Sebastian Bach, and progressive metal band Fates Warning. Guitarist Ron Jarzombek is his younger brother.

<i>Motel Hell</i> 1980 US comedy horror film by Kevin Connor

Motel Hell is a 1980 American comedy horror film directed by Kevin Connor and starring Rory Calhoun, Nancy Parsons, and Nina Axelrod. The plot follows farmer, butcher, motel manager, and meat entrepreneur Vincent Smith, who traps travelers and harvests them for his human sausages.

<i>The Dub Room Special</i> 1982 American film

The Dub Room Special is a film produced by Frank Zappa for direct-to-video release in October, 1982. The video combines footage from a performance at the KCET studios in Los Angeles on August 27, 1974, a concert performed at The Palladium, New York City on October 31, 1981, some clay animation segments by Bruce Bickford, and interviews. The 1974 footage was originally conceived as part of the TV special A Token of His Extreme. The entire production was edited in the "Dub Room" at Compact Video, a post-production facility in Burbank, California. A few of the Compact Video staff members have brief appearances.

Nathan Schiff is a Long Island, New York filmmaker best known for low-budget horror features he shot in Super 8mm while in his teens. Image Entertainment, a leading DVD distributor, held these films in such high regard that they restored and released the films on DVD releases in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloria (Bulgarian singer)</span> Musical artist

Galina Peneva Ivanova, born 28 June 1973), known professionally as Gloria, is a Bulgarian singer, sometimes referred to as the "Prima of Bulgarian pop-folk music". She was awarded the title Singer of the year in 1999, 2000, 2003 and 2004, and Singer of the decade in 2007. Gloria is the only representative of the pop-folk genre with 4 independent concerts in Hall 1 of the prestigious National Palace of Culture in Sofia.

<i>Sorority House Massacre</i> 1986 film

Sorority House Massacre is a 1986 American slasher film written and directed by Carol Frank, and starring Angela O'Neill, Wendy Martel, Pamela Ross, and Nicole Rio. It follows a sorority pledge who experiences déjà vu in the sorority house when a murderer begins killing the residents over Memorial Day weekend. It is the second film in the Massacre franchise and a spin-off set in the same realm as The Slumber Party Massacre trilogy; like its predecessor, it was entirely written and directed by a woman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Line Home Entertainment</span> US home video company between 1990–2010

New Line Home Entertainment was the home entertainment distribution arm of the film production studio of the same name, founded in 1990. According to New Line's website, Misery was the first New Line Home Video release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wizard Video</span> American motion picture distribution company

Wizard Video was a home video distribution company formed by B movie producer Charles Band in the early 1980s. It was well-known for its detailed box art, especially during the time that it sold videocassettes in larger individual boxes. Its VHS releases included Zombi 2, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and I Spit on Your Grave.

<i>Never Say Die</i> (video) 1980 video by Black Sabbath

Never Say Die is a live video by heavy metal band Black Sabbath. It was recorded in June 1978, on the Never Say Die! tour, at London's Hammersmith Odeon. It was directed by Brian Wiseman and produced by Martin Baker.

<i>Black and Blue</i> (video) 1981 video by Black Sabbath and Blue Öyster Cult

Black and Blue is a live video by hard rock bands Black Sabbath and Blue Öyster Cult filmed during their 1980 co-headlining tour of the United States, known as the "Black and Blue Tour". The film was originally released to theaters in 1981 as a concert film. It was later released on VHS, Betamax and laserdisc video format, but has not been officially released on DVD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Winters (choreographer)</span> American choreographer

David Winters was an English-born American actor, dancer, choreographer, producer, distributor, director and screenwriter. At a young age, he acted in film and television projects such as Lux Video Theatre,Naked City; Mister Peepers,Rock, Rock, Rock, and Roogie's Bump. He received some attention in Broadway musicals for his roles in West Side Story (1957) and Gypsy (1959). In the film adaptation of West Side Story (1961) he was one of the few to be re-cast. It became the highest grossing motion picture of that year, and won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

<i>The Devils Carnival</i> 2012 American film

The Devil's Carnival is a 2012 American musical horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and starring Sean Patrick Flanery, Briana Evigan, Jessica Lowndes, Paul Sorvino, Emilie Autumn and Terrance Zdunich. The film marks the second collaboration of Bousman and writer/actor Terrance Zdunich, their previous work being the musical film Repo! The Genetic Opera. The film also brings back several of the cast members of Repo!, such as Sorvino, Alexa Vega, Bill Moseley and Nivek Ogre. The Devil's Carnival has Aesop's Fables and other folklore at the core of its story, with the main characters each representing a fable. Flanery's character John represents "Grief and His Due", Evigan's character Merrywood represents "The Dog and Its Reflection", and Lowndes' character Tamara represents "The Scorpion and the Frog", an animal fable that seems to have first emerged in Russia.

<i>Black Devil Doll from Hell</i> 1984 film by Chester Novell Turner

Black Devil Doll from Hell is a 1984 American blaxploitation horror film written, produced, and directed by Chester Novell Turner, in his directorial debut. The film stars Shirley L. Jones.

Chester Novell Turner is an American filmmaker known for his blaxploitation horror films Black Devil Doll From Hell and Tales from the QuadeaD Zone. Since their releases in the 1980s, Turner's movies have developed cult followings and are considered to be much sought after collector's items. A copy of Black Devil Doll From Hell is currently archived by the Yale University Library and Turner's other movie was featured as part of a horror film symposium hosted by Yale University in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shot-on-video film</span> Type of film shot on camcorder

A shot-on-video (SOV) film, also known as a shot-on-VHS film or a camcorder film, is a film shot using camcorders and consumer-grade equipment, as opposed to film stock or high-end digital movie cameras.

References

  1. ↑ Ziemba, Joseph A. (June 1, 2005). "From Betacam to Big Box: Shot-on-Video Trash in the 1980s (Part II)". Bleeding Skull. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  2. ↑ Ziemba, Joseph A.; Choi, Annie (January 2, 2022). "Bleeding Skull 50: The Best Shot-on-Video Films". Bleeding Skull. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Cooper, Patrick (2013-12-06). "[DVD Review] Massacre Video Resurrects the 'Films of Chester Novell Turner'". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Borrelli, Christopher (January 21, 2014). "Horror director Chester Turner's career back from dead". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  5. ↑ "Terror on Tape: An Interdisciplinary Symposium on the History of Horror on Video". Yale University Library. April 21, 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  6. ↑ Kroes, Eli (September 10, 2013). "WEIRDO FLICKS: 'Tales from the Quadead Zone'". WTAQ. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "RETURNING TO THE QUADEAD ZONE: THE RESURRECTION OF CHESTER N. TURNER". Daily Grindhouse. October 11, 2013. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  8. 1 2 Rothman, Lily. "The Surprising Story Behind the World's Rarest VHS Tape". Time. ISSN   0040-781X . Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  9. ↑ "Film Review: Tales From The Quadead Zone (1987)". Horrornews.net. 2014-02-08. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  10. ↑ Gibron, Bill (November 12, 2013). "Black Devil Doll From Hell / Tales From The Quadead Zone Boxset". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  11. ↑ "You should have kept your VHS collection". News.com.au. January 22, 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  12. ↑ Piepenburg, Erik (2013-11-14). "Chester Novell Turner and 'Black Devil Doll' Are Back". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2016-08-16.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.