This is my favorite episode apart from The man who was death from the 1st season. Saw this in the early 90s. Revisted it recently. While most of the episodes has dark humour n sometimes comedic stuff, this particular one was very creepy, brutal, scary n atmospheric. The episode starts with an awesome cinematography. Heavy snowfall outside with a water well totally covered with snow n an ax lying nearby. Its Christmas time n a young girl is waiting for the Santa to arrive. A man is brutally killed by his wife. On the radio it is announced that a deranged maniac has escaped from the asylum, dressed like Santa and killing woman in the area. The wife thinks of this as an opportunity to put the blame of her dead husband on the escaped lunatic. The maniac in the Santa suit is creepy looking. His teeth n the smile on his face was downright loony.
27 Reviews
Are You Naughty or Nice?
claudio_carvalho19 June 2012
On Christmas Eve, a mother (Mary Ellen Trainor) controls the anxiety of her little daughter Carrie Ann (Lindsey Whitney Barry) for Santa Claus and puts her to bed. Then she comes to the living room and kills her husband (Marshall Bell), hitting his head with a fireplace poker, expecting to receive his life insurance and stay with her lover.
While she is dumping his body on the yard, the dangerous patient of a mental institution dressed like Santa Claus (Larry Drake) attacks her but she succeeds to escape and lock the door. However, she is unable to call the police since the body of her husband is in the front yard. Out of the blue, Carrie calls her mother with an unexpected guest.
"And All Through the House" is the second episode of Tales from the Crypt with a great black humor story. Larry Drake is magnificent in the role of a dangerous lunatic and the conclusion is very funny. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "And All Through the House"
Note: On 01 January 2014, I saw this episode again.
While she is dumping his body on the yard, the dangerous patient of a mental institution dressed like Santa Claus (Larry Drake) attacks her but she succeeds to escape and lock the door. However, she is unable to call the police since the body of her husband is in the front yard. Out of the blue, Carrie calls her mother with an unexpected guest.
"And All Through the House" is the second episode of Tales from the Crypt with a great black humor story. Larry Drake is magnificent in the role of a dangerous lunatic and the conclusion is very funny. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "And All Through the House"
Note: On 01 January 2014, I saw this episode again.
Decent tale from the crypt.
poolandrews13 March 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Tales from the Crypt: And All Through the House starts on Christmas Eve as Elizabeth (Mary Ellen Trainor) kills her husband Joseph (Marshall Bell), she drags his body outside ready to throw it down a well but while doing so misses an important news bulletin on the radio that says a homicidal maniac (Larry Drake) dressed as Santa Clause has escaped from a local mental asylum & has already killed several women with Elizabeth next on his list but she has other ideas & tries to turn the seemingly dangerous situation to her advantage...
This Tales from the Crypt story was episode 2 from season 1, directed by the one of the show's regular executive producers Robert Zemeckis And All Through the House is a decent enough watch. The script by Fred Dekker was actually based on a story appearing in the comic 'The Vault of Horror' & was originally adapted to film as one episode from the Britsih horror anthology film Tales from the Crypt (1972) which starred Joan Collins as the murderous wife character here played by Ellen Trainor. This particular version is good enough but doesn't do anything different or special & is a bit too linear & predictable to be considered a classic. At only 25 minutes in length it certainly moves along at a good pace, the story is just about macabre enough & it generally provides decent entertainment & I quite liked the downbeat ending. This time there are Christmas themed opening & closing Crypt Keeper (John Kassir) segments complete with the usual puns.
Director Zemeckis does a good job & there's a nice winterly atmosphere with a hint of Christmas influence as well. There's not much gore here, someone has a poker stuck in their head, someone's face is cut with an icicle, someone's arm is cut with an axe & there's some blood splatter but generally speaking it's not that graphic. The acting by a small cast is pretty good.
And All Through the House isn't the best tale from the crypt but it's a decent one all the same, worth a watch but after the comic book story & original 1972 film version did we really need or even want this?
This Tales from the Crypt story was episode 2 from season 1, directed by the one of the show's regular executive producers Robert Zemeckis And All Through the House is a decent enough watch. The script by Fred Dekker was actually based on a story appearing in the comic 'The Vault of Horror' & was originally adapted to film as one episode from the Britsih horror anthology film Tales from the Crypt (1972) which starred Joan Collins as the murderous wife character here played by Ellen Trainor. This particular version is good enough but doesn't do anything different or special & is a bit too linear & predictable to be considered a classic. At only 25 minutes in length it certainly moves along at a good pace, the story is just about macabre enough & it generally provides decent entertainment & I quite liked the downbeat ending. This time there are Christmas themed opening & closing Crypt Keeper (John Kassir) segments complete with the usual puns.
Director Zemeckis does a good job & there's a nice winterly atmosphere with a hint of Christmas influence as well. There's not much gore here, someone has a poker stuck in their head, someone's face is cut with an icicle, someone's arm is cut with an axe & there's some blood splatter but generally speaking it's not that graphic. The acting by a small cast is pretty good.
And All Through the House isn't the best tale from the crypt but it's a decent one all the same, worth a watch but after the comic book story & original 1972 film version did we really need or even want this?
One of the best crypt episodes, and memorable for me it's the first one I saw!
blanbrn20 December 2006
"And All Through the House" is a special crypt episode not only because it's from the first season, but this episode was the first one I saw! I remember as a young man being on vacation with my parents that summer in 1989 in our hotel room in South Carolina on HBO I saw this episode and I was buried to the Crypt right then and forever! I had always been a fan of horror-suspense series and liked monster movies, and with this series started by HBO I again had fearful pleasure. This episode being the first one I saw is memorable for me and one of my favorites, it's just so enjoyable with a nice twist. "And All Through the House" has a nice cozy setting on a snowy Christmas Eve, which is a perfect way to get you relaxed for holiday chopping! Well anyway you have Mary Ellen Trainor(who by the way plays in several warner brothers works, usually small parts) as a greedy philandering wife who takes care of her hubby while waiting on some money and a new romance. Only like most horror series things take a turn for the worst and bad people get what they deserve. The odds are greatly stacked when a maniac dressed as Santa escapes from a local nut house, making for a late holiday chopping on Christmas Eve! As from the old E.C. comic lessons, you learn bad people get what they axe for! Well this tale ends with a perfect holiday scream! Also this tale was in the 1972 movie and featured Joan Collins, this is without a doubt one of my favorites and probably one of the classic crypt episodes of all-time!
He knows if you've been bad or good...
Hey_Sweden5 March 2013
Second episode for the great cable TV series tells the same story that formed a segment of the 1972 "Tales from the Crypt" feature film. On Christmas Eve, the night that a greedy, adulterous wife (Mary Ellen Trainor) has done away with her hated husband (Marshall Bell), an ultra creepy mental institution escapee (Larry Drake) is on the loose. And this lunatic just so happens to be wearing a Santa Claus costume.
This episode is really all about action, and there's plenty of it, as well as some delicious dark humour, courtesy of writer Fred Dekker (director of "Night of the Creeps" and "The Monster Squad") and director Robert Zemeckis, as the increasingly distraught wife fumbles about with her late husbands' dead body. There are also some fine stunts and a little bit of gore, as implements such as fireplace pokers and axes get utilized. The story unfolds quickly, with absolutely no filler.
The viewer may recognize actress Trainor as the psychiatrist in the "Lethal Weapon" franchise; in real life she was married to Zemeckis at the time and she does a good job in a rare lead role. Drakes' performance may call to the viewers' mind his similar performance in the 1992 slasher "Dr. Giggles". He's just lots of malevolent fun as the unhinged psycho Santa, and is rarely to be seen without an insane smile on his face.
This is overall a fun episode and worthy viewing for any time of the year, not just the Christmas season.
Eight out of 10.
This episode is really all about action, and there's plenty of it, as well as some delicious dark humour, courtesy of writer Fred Dekker (director of "Night of the Creeps" and "The Monster Squad") and director Robert Zemeckis, as the increasingly distraught wife fumbles about with her late husbands' dead body. There are also some fine stunts and a little bit of gore, as implements such as fireplace pokers and axes get utilized. The story unfolds quickly, with absolutely no filler.
The viewer may recognize actress Trainor as the psychiatrist in the "Lethal Weapon" franchise; in real life she was married to Zemeckis at the time and she does a good job in a rare lead role. Drakes' performance may call to the viewers' mind his similar performance in the 1992 slasher "Dr. Giggles". He's just lots of malevolent fun as the unhinged psycho Santa, and is rarely to be seen without an insane smile on his face.
This is overall a fun episode and worthy viewing for any time of the year, not just the Christmas season.
Eight out of 10.
Not as good as the Amicus version
kgwrote-854-10424016 December 2019
Although Larry Drake makes a scary-looking Santa Claus (and is the spitting image of the EC comics illustration), suspense is undermined by things like the woman being able to fight off her attacker a little too successfully. In the Amicus cinematic version there is no jokey overtones and the surprise ending comes off better.
Naughty...or Nice?
mattressman_pdl9 October 2008
Episode two of season one is a delightful holiday tale of love, betrayal,...and a homicidal, escaped lunatic dressed as Father Christmas.
A woman (Mary Ellen-Trainor)has just murdered her hubby on Christmas Eve for his life insurance. What begins as a perfect crime begins a struggle to survive as a deranged, Santa Clause suit wearing psychopath (Larry Drake, perfectly over the top) threatens her life...as well as her precious young daughters.
This episode is warmly remembered by even those casually acquainted with the program. By the way,this particular reviewer watches it every Christmas on routine. Most notable for it's escalating suspense and narrative twists, And All Through The Houst is among Tales From The Crypt's best.
A woman (Mary Ellen-Trainor)has just murdered her hubby on Christmas Eve for his life insurance. What begins as a perfect crime begins a struggle to survive as a deranged, Santa Clause suit wearing psychopath (Larry Drake, perfectly over the top) threatens her life...as well as her precious young daughters.
This episode is warmly remembered by even those casually acquainted with the program. By the way,this particular reviewer watches it every Christmas on routine. Most notable for it's escalating suspense and narrative twists, And All Through The Houst is among Tales From The Crypt's best.
Somewhat lacking
preppy-324 December 2012
A woman murders her husband for the insurance money on Christmas Eve. She drags the body outside to make it look like an accident. However there's a killer wandering around dressed as Santa and the woman's little daughter can't WAIT for Santa...
It's well done with amusing gore and LARGE doses of black humor...but it's missing something. I found it more boring than anything else. The acting is overdone, the set looks super cheap with the fakest-looking snow I've ever seen and it just wasn't scary. The comic book story was scarier and this was done better in the 1970 movie "Tales from the Crypt" (with a very young Joan Collins). So it just doesn't work for me.
It's well done with amusing gore and LARGE doses of black humor...but it's missing something. I found it more boring than anything else. The acting is overdone, the set looks super cheap with the fakest-looking snow I've ever seen and it just wasn't scary. The comic book story was scarier and this was done better in the 1970 movie "Tales from the Crypt" (with a very young Joan Collins). So it just doesn't work for me.
Best Christmas Horror You'll Ever Find
Pet_Rock27 December 2006
9/10- 30 minutes of pure holiday terror. Okay, so it's not that scary. But it sure is fun.
The Crypt Keeper (John Kassir) tales a tale of holiday FEAR, giving us all Christmas Goose... GosseBUMPS That is. Bwahahahahha. You should really be careful what you AXE Santa for. Have a Scary Christmas and a Happy New Fear. Okay I'll stop.
Okay, so in the story, a greedy wife (Best screamer in the world, Mary Ellen Trainor) kills her husband (Marshall Bell, the coach who gets towel whipped to death in ANOES 2) for the money. BUT, her plan is ruined when a crazy killer dressed in a Santa suit (Larry "Dr. Giggles" Drake) comes her way.
If you look it up on YouTube, you can watch it for free, but most of you have already seen this (my third viewing). But if you haven't seen it, I suggest you do.
The Crypt Keeper (John Kassir) tales a tale of holiday FEAR, giving us all Christmas Goose... GosseBUMPS That is. Bwahahahahha. You should really be careful what you AXE Santa for. Have a Scary Christmas and a Happy New Fear. Okay I'll stop.
Okay, so in the story, a greedy wife (Best screamer in the world, Mary Ellen Trainor) kills her husband (Marshall Bell, the coach who gets towel whipped to death in ANOES 2) for the money. BUT, her plan is ruined when a crazy killer dressed in a Santa suit (Larry "Dr. Giggles" Drake) comes her way.
If you look it up on YouTube, you can watch it for free, but most of you have already seen this (my third viewing). But if you haven't seen it, I suggest you do.
Not so original, but good.
DirkDiggler8826 February 2021
Better than the 1972 version?
shellytwade1 March 2022
The big question about this episode is....is it better than the 1972 adaptation of the same story? I sway back and forth depending on the year. Either or, the power of this story can't be understated. This may be the most classic Christmas horror tale ever told. It's best to go in cold. No pun intended.
Happy holidays
BandSAboutMovies13 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
It's hard for me to be objective about this episode as this story - which originally appeared in Vault of Horror #35 - is also my favorite part of Amicus' Tales from the Crypt movie. No matter how good this is, I mean, I wrote a song once called "What Are Those Purple Bruises On the Throat of Joan Collins"?
"Ho, ho, ho, kiddies! Just your old pal the Crypt Keeper having a little holiday fun. Why else would I be in this getup...unless there was a Claus in my contract? In fact, I've got some Christmas goose for you...goose bumps, that is. Yes, indeedy. A little terror tale, chock-full of holiday fear...I mean cheer, of course. So get a gander of a Yuletide yelp-yarn that goes a little something like this 'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house."
Elizabeth Cayman - not named Joanne Clayton from the original movie version, while the comic story's protagonist is unnamed - is played by Mary Ellen Trainor, the mom from The Goonies and the kidnapped woman who sets Romancing the Stone in action) has just killed her husband (Marshall Bell) and is keeping it from her daughter (Lindsey Whitney Barry). What she doesn't know is that a killer (Larry Drake) has escaped the mental home and is considered extremely dangerous. She's pretty rough herself, much more capable than the other two versions of the character even if they share the same fate.
Directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Fred Dekker and Steven Dodd, this episode is actually closer to the comic - Elizabeth is blonde - than Amicus was. There's even a reference to EC publisher Willam Gaines - it takes place in Gaines County - and the cop's name is Feldstein, which is for Al Feldstein, the reason for so many EC Comics stories.
Perhaps the best part of this episode is the Crypt Keeper dressed as Santa, which is something that has gotten me through so many holidays.
If you're wondering why it looks so good, just look to who did the cinematography. Dean Cundey.
"Ho, ho, ho, kiddies! Just your old pal the Crypt Keeper having a little holiday fun. Why else would I be in this getup...unless there was a Claus in my contract? In fact, I've got some Christmas goose for you...goose bumps, that is. Yes, indeedy. A little terror tale, chock-full of holiday fear...I mean cheer, of course. So get a gander of a Yuletide yelp-yarn that goes a little something like this 'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house."
Elizabeth Cayman - not named Joanne Clayton from the original movie version, while the comic story's protagonist is unnamed - is played by Mary Ellen Trainor, the mom from The Goonies and the kidnapped woman who sets Romancing the Stone in action) has just killed her husband (Marshall Bell) and is keeping it from her daughter (Lindsey Whitney Barry). What she doesn't know is that a killer (Larry Drake) has escaped the mental home and is considered extremely dangerous. She's pretty rough herself, much more capable than the other two versions of the character even if they share the same fate.
Directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Fred Dekker and Steven Dodd, this episode is actually closer to the comic - Elizabeth is blonde - than Amicus was. There's even a reference to EC publisher Willam Gaines - it takes place in Gaines County - and the cop's name is Feldstein, which is for Al Feldstein, the reason for so many EC Comics stories.
Perhaps the best part of this episode is the Crypt Keeper dressed as Santa, which is something that has gotten me through so many holidays.
If you're wondering why it looks so good, just look to who did the cinematography. Dean Cundey.
Not among the show's best and badly written
bellino-angelo20145 June 2021
A woman murders her husband on Christmas Eve with a poker for having all the dead husband's money and spend the holidays with her lover. However, as she is about to put her husband's dead body in the snow outside she has the misfortune of receiving the visit of a madman escaped from the asylum dressed as Santa Claus that has a penchant for women. After some trouble in calling the police since she didn't remembered her address, she accidentally remains stuck for a while in the closet as the madman climbs his way to her daughter's room and when she finally flees from the closet she sees that her daughter let the mad Santa in!
My problem with the episode is that I thought the lady was very dumb as she murdered her husband in the worst possible circumstance and after a while I really didn't cared at what happened to her (when the door closed thanks to a gust of wind or when she remained in the closet). I really thought it was a letdown compared to the pilot THE MAN WHO WAS DEATH and it's not even funny as a show to watch on Christmas.
My problem with the episode is that I thought the lady was very dumb as she murdered her husband in the worst possible circumstance and after a while I really didn't cared at what happened to her (when the door closed thanks to a gust of wind or when she remained in the closet). I really thought it was a letdown compared to the pilot THE MAN WHO WAS DEATH and it's not even funny as a show to watch on Christmas.
Naughty and nice
ctomvelu124 January 2010
I have watched this episode more often than any other TFTC episode, it is that enjoyable. And it is quite scary, but all in good, ghoulish fun. A woman kills her 2nd husband but runs into a problem when an escaped maniac in a ragged Santa Claus outfit decides to pay her and her little girl a visit at that very moment. Mary Traynor, who I seem to remember from SNL or some other TV comedy skit show, is the evil wife, and Larry Drake plays the lunatic in the dingy Santa outfit. I had forgotten Santa was played by Drake over the years. His Santa is an unstoppable force and quite frightening at times. You can probably guess how Santa finally gets into the house. The episode is played for laughs, but it also can be pretty intense at times.
"Santa did it!"
Foreverisacastironmess12324 December 2012
'Tis the season to be slaughtered!(Fa-la-la-la-la!!) There's just something so horrifically magical to me about the notion and image of Santa with an axe, it's just one of those unlikely macabre combos that go together so beautifully, like it's somehow meant to be! So, oh my but what a wonderful seminal crypt episode they made in this classic, as it's one of the very best they ever put out and for me is the damn definitive killer Santa story! I especially enjoy it at this time of the year and always make a point to watch it, as it actually makes me feel more Christmassy than a 1000 of those sappy TV Xmas movies. The beautiful opening shots are positively drenched with festive spirit, and for me capture the essence of the classic image of Christmas. The the blizzard outside, the decorated tree, roaring fire and the holy music that is playing, it all serves to create a sense of warm security...that doesn't last for too long at all! You can tell there's something off about this ideal picture as soon as the husband opens his mouth and turns out to be an asshole. A good horror tale needs a defining opening scene, and this one has what is quite possibly the best of the entire series. We meet the first greedy murderous wife, a real milestone for the series, in Mary Elizabeth Trainor. She's kind of interesting because after seeing just how ruthless she is when she spectacularly offs her unsuspecting jerk of a husband with that poker, you can't exactly feel too sorry for her as she is a murderer and far from a helpless victim just waiting to die. At least until the end(!) Of course, committing both adultery and matricide is a sure way of getting on Santa's naughty list, especially in the realm of the Crypt, and then the fun begins... The confrontations between the lady and the maniac are simple but wonderfully effective. There's a great sense of nonstop pace, rising panic and momentum, and this is a thrilling and tense little entertainer of a tale from start to finish. Larry Drake steals the show in a role he was born to play! I'm a big fan, The man could play crazy demented creep like no other. I love how he plays it crazy but it's a very manic loony-toons crazy that's nothing too unpleasant that takes the fun out of this holiday yarn of a murderess trying her best not to get hacked apart on Christmas Eve! He's very larger than life and super-animated but still scary and threatening at the same time and he was terrific and that's why Drake's axe-wielding Santa is my favourite bad guy in the series. The tone goes from silly to creepy and thrilling, but is never horrible. Take the little girl for instance. As the Cryptkeeper helpfully informs, she doesn't die, which would be the line! You've got to feel just a little for the woman. There she is, almost got everything right, the cops are on the way, Santa's gonna take the rap for her hubby and she's in the clear, and then the sweet little unsuspecting daughter merrily lets him in through the dang front door! That's why you should never tell your kids that Santa's real, they'll go and let a killer right into your house! Some find all the screaming at the end annoying, I think it rolls with that great closing very well. Drake delivers his one line pitch-perfectly. This is the first episode that I ever saw as a kid also. In many respects I find that "And All Through the House" feels like a much more proper pilot and introduction to the world of the show than "The Man Who was Death." It's certainly the strongest of the initial three episodes, all of which were aired on the same night. It feels like something of a mission statement for the series, offering a rough outline of all the key concepts it would become famous and beloved for: The bad deed, the game of cat and mouse, they think they're home free, and the last minute final twist and sweet just desserts. It's put together with such flair and confidence that to me it's practically perfect. It admirably set the tone for one fantastic and legendary series that is too fun and scary to ever be forgotten... Classic Crypt macabre magic at its finest! X.
There's a clause in his contract!
kapelusznik1827 February 2016
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILERS**** This heart warming night before Christmas story is brought to us by the friendly and decomposing "Crypt Keeper",John Kassir, about a scheming and murderous wife Mary Ellen Trainer who does in her husband David,Marshall Bell, in with a fireplace poker as he's getting himself good and drunk to welcome in as well as get into the holiday spirit. As this is happening a homicidal lunatic,Larry Drake, has escaped from th local madhouse for the criminally insane wearing a Santa Clause outfit and has already murdered, with an ax, three women.
With Mary now in danger of being caught red handed as she tries to dump her what she at first thought dead husband in a well he suddenly comes to life causing her to finish him off with a couple of swings of her own ax. It's Mary's daughter Carrie Ann, Lindsey Whitney Barry,who's waiting for Santa to come down the Chimmity and bring her presents who in fact lets the deranged Santa into the house as Mary is fighting him off to keep him from doing his "Thing" on her. Santa will end up giving Carrie Ann her Christmas presents as well as have Mary pay for the crime, in murdering her husband, that she just committed.
A nice but bloody twist to the saying "Crime does not Pay" in how it took a mass murderer himself to bring justice as well a joy to the world in doings in the murderous husband killer Mary in which was, not to disturb those of us watching, in fact off camera. That was also not to shock those kiddies watching this "Tales from the Crypt" episode to develop any ill feelings or bad thoughts about Santa. In fact all the killings and chopping up bodies on screen or camera was reserved for Mary who in her being naughty not nice ended up getting everything that she so rightfully deserved.
With Mary now in danger of being caught red handed as she tries to dump her what she at first thought dead husband in a well he suddenly comes to life causing her to finish him off with a couple of swings of her own ax. It's Mary's daughter Carrie Ann, Lindsey Whitney Barry,who's waiting for Santa to come down the Chimmity and bring her presents who in fact lets the deranged Santa into the house as Mary is fighting him off to keep him from doing his "Thing" on her. Santa will end up giving Carrie Ann her Christmas presents as well as have Mary pay for the crime, in murdering her husband, that she just committed.
A nice but bloody twist to the saying "Crime does not Pay" in how it took a mass murderer himself to bring justice as well a joy to the world in doings in the murderous husband killer Mary in which was, not to disturb those of us watching, in fact off camera. That was also not to shock those kiddies watching this "Tales from the Crypt" episode to develop any ill feelings or bad thoughts about Santa. In fact all the killings and chopping up bodies on screen or camera was reserved for Mary who in her being naughty not nice ended up getting everything that she so rightfully deserved.
An axellent second installment
SleepTight66626 June 2009
Warning: Spoilers
An axellent second installment that manages to be just as good as the first.
Once again, the casting is just wonderful. I like how the first and second episode have nothing in common except for the wit and cleverness.
The second episode is just very funny, very silly and very enjoyable. It is the very first Christmas episode, about a woman who is tormented by a serial killer dressed as Santa after having killed her own husband. Just like the first episode; karma.
The most humorous scene is a tie between the murder of her husband and her phone call, first faking her fear until it becomes real.
Once again, the casting is just wonderful. I like how the first and second episode have nothing in common except for the wit and cleverness.
The second episode is just very funny, very silly and very enjoyable. It is the very first Christmas episode, about a woman who is tormented by a serial killer dressed as Santa after having killed her own husband. Just like the first episode; karma.
The most humorous scene is a tie between the murder of her husband and her phone call, first faking her fear until it becomes real.
Larry Drake as a superb sicko Santa decks the halls with bits of bodies
Woodyanders23 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Ho, ho, homicidal maniac! This spirited tour-de-force adaptation of a great EC Comics horror tale is undoubtedly one of the best episodes of the cable TV series ever made. Director Robert ("Back to the Future") Zemeckis makes the most out of a witty script by Fred ("Night of the Creeps," "The Monster Squad") Dekker which centers on a ruthless two-timing housewife (well played by Mary Ellen Trainor, who was married to Zemeckis when she starred in this episode) who kills her jilted jerk of a husband (a nice cameo by Marshall Bell) on Christmas Eve by whacking him upside the head with a fire-poker. Complications ensue when a deranged murderous madman dressed up as jolly Kris Kringle escapes from a nearby asylum and decides to pay Trainor a decidedly unfriendly visit. Alan Silvestri's spooky, stirring score and Dean Cundey's typically polished cinematography further enhance the macabre fun. And Larry Drake (the sweet gentle giant Benny on "L.A. Law"!), with his creepy hiccuping guffaw, a demented twinkle in his bright green eyes, and a leering, truly wicked grin, makes for a sensational sanguinary Saint Nick.
A must-see for Christmas horror fans!
rcollins207 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Based on the story "And all through the House" from the 1972 film "Tales from the Crypt" which was based on the 1954 Comic book "Vault of Horror" Vol 1 #35. Although different from the unforgettable 1972 version, HBO's 1989 interpretation is still fantastic. Larry Drake stars as the story's lunatic killer Santa and is truly creepy and memorable, while Marshall Bell makes a brief appearance as a murdered husband. This one is very nostalgic for anyone who grew up with the Tales from the Crypt tv series and is a perfect watch for anyone interested in having themselves a scary little Christmas!
Watch the film-version instead.
theanomaloushost29 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This is a remake of the same story told in the 1972 anthology film. And despite a few bits I did enjoy from it, it loses a lot of its tension because of the the woman's ability to hold her own against the lunatic in the Santa outfit. She successfully fends him off on more than one occasion. And we're supposed to think it's all over for her at the end when Santa finally makes it inside the house? She could just run upstairs and get that red-herring gun and blow him away! But no, she just sits there screaming her head off in defeat, completely out of character from how she was throughout the rest of the film.
At least in the movie, it not only never showed her being able to fend off this guy, thus indicating she probably wouldn't be able to do so if she did come face-to-face with him without some form of physical barrier between them; but it ends with him strangling her, heavily indicating that she is defeated.
The helplessness and irony of the situation is conveyed far better in the film version than it is in this episode, which makes this a big misfire.
At least in the movie, it not only never showed her being able to fend off this guy, thus indicating she probably wouldn't be able to do so if she did come face-to-face with him without some form of physical barrier between them; but it ends with him strangling her, heavily indicating that she is defeated.
The helplessness and irony of the situation is conveyed far better in the film version than it is in this episode, which makes this a big misfire.
Think it's better than the film adaption
farihab-055743 October 2021
Essential Christmas viewing
clarkew-6104024 July 2021
And All Through The House
a_baron29 November 2014
Warning: Spoilers
What does a woman do if she is attacked by an escaped lunatic on Christmas Eve dressed in a Santa Claus outfit who already has blood on his hands? The obvious answer is phone the police, but what if she has just murdered her husband and is in the process of dumping his body down the well? This is the dilemma facing Mary Ellen Trainor. To add to her problems, her young daughter is in bed upstairs, and is reluctant to go to sleep. Oh, and an officer of the law is on his way, just in case.
As might be expected, she is in a rural location, and the snow is if not thick on the ground, then mounting. There is not much in the way of plot to this episode, but there doesn't need to be between a blow or two of her poker and her screaming sessions. Will she manage to turn the tables on the fiend? Alas, that is what is called a rhetorical question.
As might be expected, she is in a rural location, and the snow is if not thick on the ground, then mounting. There is not much in the way of plot to this episode, but there doesn't need to be between a blow or two of her poker and her screaming sessions. Will she manage to turn the tables on the fiend? Alas, that is what is called a rhetorical question.
When you've seen one episode about an axe-wielding Santa, you've seen 'em all.
planktonrules2 July 2021
"And All Through the House" is an episode of the "Tales from the Crypt" television series that is actually taken from the 1972 British film "Tales from the Crypt". In the original, it starred Joan Collins and was about 15 minutes long. In the remake it's a bit longer.
The episode is set on Christmas Eve. As a family is preparing for Christmas, out of the blue, the wife bludgeons her husband to death. However, soon after this, an escaped maniac arrives in the neighborhood...and he's dressed like Santa. Can the wife manage to hide the body AND avoid the faux Santa? And, after doing this dirty deed, is she now on Santa's naughty list?
In pretty much every way, this episode is inferior to the 1972 film. In too many ways, the writing is just too stupid to be realistic....and it really took me out of the story. First, when the wife knocks out the murderous faux Santa, she goes in the house...she does NOT finish him off...thus allowing him a chance later to kill her. Who would do this?! And, since she killed her husband, she obviously COULD kill! Second, the writer kept writing in dumb coincidences...such as the door shutting on itself and locking the woman outside, the doorknob that falls off as she goes into the closet AND the gun that's only inches away from her reach! Additionally, the woman phones the police and hangs up. Later, she calls and tells them there's a maniac in the home trying to kill her...and they keep asking her WHERE she is calling from...even though by 1989 they did have technology to tell them where 911 phone calls originated. Overall, a sloppy and bad episode...one that you will realize is bad when you see the movie version. A huge misfire and not at all intelligently written.
The episode is set on Christmas Eve. As a family is preparing for Christmas, out of the blue, the wife bludgeons her husband to death. However, soon after this, an escaped maniac arrives in the neighborhood...and he's dressed like Santa. Can the wife manage to hide the body AND avoid the faux Santa? And, after doing this dirty deed, is she now on Santa's naughty list?
In pretty much every way, this episode is inferior to the 1972 film. In too many ways, the writing is just too stupid to be realistic....and it really took me out of the story. First, when the wife knocks out the murderous faux Santa, she goes in the house...she does NOT finish him off...thus allowing him a chance later to kill her. Who would do this?! And, since she killed her husband, she obviously COULD kill! Second, the writer kept writing in dumb coincidences...such as the door shutting on itself and locking the woman outside, the doorknob that falls off as she goes into the closet AND the gun that's only inches away from her reach! Additionally, the woman phones the police and hangs up. Later, she calls and tells them there's a maniac in the home trying to kill her...and they keep asking her WHERE she is calling from...even though by 1989 they did have technology to tell them where 911 phone calls originated. Overall, a sloppy and bad episode...one that you will realize is bad when you see the movie version. A huge misfire and not at all intelligently written.
Santa kills again
Scarecrow-885 March 2007
Warning: Spoilers
The perfect murder is foiled when a wife(played by Mary Ellen Trainor, once the wife to director Robert Zemeckis, who helmed this episode), who murders her husband with a poker, has the misfortune of receiving a visitor as she is about to move the body outside..an escaped insane madman dressed in a Santa Claus suit(played by a deviously hideous Larry Drake). She fends for her life while trying to find a way of hiding her husband's corpse. She decides to use an ax, once she downs the Santa killer who misses several chances to chop off the woman's head, to frame the killer for her husband's murder. Santa killer locks her in a closet and pursues the woman's daughter as she tries desperate to free herself to save the child.
This episode of TALES FROM THE CRYPT just recycles tired material involving the old "Santa kills" theme while also adding the oft-used(add nauseum)woman-murders-her-husband-for-a-man-she's-been-cheating-with routine. It's essentially Trainor trying to find a way to avoid being caught with a dead body she kills while also keeping a safe distance from a maniac. There's nothing refreshing or new about this plot which pretty much goes through the motions. Not one of the show's highlights.
This episode of TALES FROM THE CRYPT just recycles tired material involving the old "Santa kills" theme while also adding the oft-used(add nauseum)woman-murders-her-husband-for-a-man-she's-been-cheating-with routine. It's essentially Trainor trying to find a way to avoid being caught with a dead body she kills while also keeping a safe distance from a maniac. There's nothing refreshing or new about this plot which pretty much goes through the motions. Not one of the show's highlights.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
