Grim Prairie Tales

Brad Dourif (the voice of Chucky) and James Earl Jones (the voice of Darth Vader) play two heavily contrasted travelers in the nineteenth century who end up camping together and telling scary stories. Dourif Plays Farley Deeds, a naive clerk who is on his way to see his wife who is visiting his ill mother-in-law. Jones plays a gruff bounty hunter who is attempting to cash in on the corpse that hangs off the end of his horse. Together, they are a priceless pair with some of the most humorous and interesting exchanges in film lore. The tales are overshadowed by the two star's immense talent and their unusually great chemistry.

GRIM PRAIRIE TALES: HIT THE TRAIL TO TERROR is a mixed genre western / horror anthology film. Two strangers (Brad Dourif and James Earl Jones) meet in the open prairie, antagonize each other, and Jones' character begins to spin spooky tales.

Tale #1- A man decides to ride through an Indian "burial ground". This turns out to be a big mistake.

Tale #2- A traveling man happens upon a mysterious woman. They set up camp, one thing leads to another, and bizarre horror ensues.

Tale #3- A family of homesteaders arrive at their new property, where the young daughter learns a very dark secret about her parents.

Tale #4- A gunslinger competes for the top position in a small town. He just might be too perfect for his own good. This tale is the better of the four, and includes a creepy animated dream sequence.

The wraparound story closes with some nice humor. Mr. Dourif and Mr. Jones are great together, making their interactions fun to watch. The tales are enjoyable, with the last one being the best.

An obscure movie worth a viewing...

It's true, none of the stories told in this strange campfire chat are particularly scary. Jones' tales of vengeful Indians, mysterious pregnant drifters, and undead gunslingers fail to chill the marrow, with only the middle tale of the three providing a certain "gross-out" factor. Dourif's single tale of family and bigotry shows true horror can lie not in the supernatural but in everyday life.

However, it's the play-off between these two great actors that gives the greatest joy in this film. The contrast (and unlikely rapport) between prim clerk Dourif and grizzled bounty hunter Jones - the latter playing against type in a way that'll surprise those used to his supporting roles in, say, the Jack Ryan films - makes them a "buddy" pairing to rival Riggs and Murtaugh. Give them their own series!

I think this is a "lost" film that never truly found its audience. It was billed as a mainstream horror film, but it actually transcends true genre classification. This is more of a thinking man's movie. The terror is almost entirely psychological, but it is more of a quirky drama than horror.

This is a real overlooked gem. I don't want to build it up too much because I realize it isn't everyone's cup of tea. Just read a few reviews from dim-witted critics and you will see that generally this film was not well received. Maybe those reviewers should have stuck with classics such as "Face-Off" or "Armageddon". No need to use that brain if there are enough explosions.

I can tell you that "Grim Prairie Tales" is one of those movies that I have to watch every so often because it sticks with me. It has a winning combination of high-caliber writing, directing, cinematography, and acting that really gets in the back of my mind and emerges at times. There is just something memorable about it. Dare I say it – it is haunting.

The film stars James Earl Jones as a want-to-be bounty hunter who encroaches upon the camp of a schoolteacher (Brad Dourif of "Chucky" fame) in the middle of the desert. Soon, sitting under a still moonlight night by the fireside gives rise to some strange tales (making this an anthology film). It seems that the two share little in common, except for a love of great storytelling.

The first yarn is from Jones' character, Morrison. It is about an old man and his fear of dying, which manifests itself as religious intolerance and some general crotchety-ness. While I believe this is the weakest tale of the movie, it does employ some clever devices that broach the subject of mortality. My main problem with this segment is that it uses day-for-night shots unsuccessfully. I have a hard time getting past a technical shortcoming such as that. Don't judge the movie solely on this aspect, though.

Deeds (Dourif) is impressed with the craft and mechanics of the story, but not its shock value. Morrison takes it as a challenge to make a stronger impact with a more intense story. He relates another tale designed to both titillate and disgust the schoolteacher on the surface. Lurking beneath those still waters is a narrative that raises questions about the more base nature of even the most pious man.

The next segment stars none other than Jimmy Olsen – Marc McClure. He plays Tom, a wayward husband on his way to meet his wife. Along the way, he meets Jenny - an attractive pregnant woman. Tom decides to act as her guardian. The woman reluctantly agrees, and that night the campfire reveals that her "pregnancy" was only a trick to try and protect herself from potential assault. She writhes in ecstasy, and while her mouth is gently whispering "no" her eyes are begging for Tom to have his way with her. Without spoiling too much, what follows is one of the most intriguing "encounters" ever filmed. To my knowledge, it is entirely unique and original (albeit disturbing).

Upon completion of the story, Deeds is thoroughly disgusted. Morrison suspects that Deeds was, in fact, excited by the tale and was forced to cover-up his reaction by masking it with disdain. Deeds then must redirect with his own campfire story.

Similar in theme with Morrison's last tale regarding underlying sin, Deeds spins a yarn that also involves an idyllic pioneer life that is not quite as it seems. It is a new beginning where Arthur (William Atherton from Die Hard), an upstanding and religious man, marries a woman nobody else would have as she was pregnant out of wedlock. Life looks promising. That is until Arthur's stepdaughter sneaks out to see how her new father is helping the community.

The innocence of the daughter is permanently marred as she witnesses true hatred and betrayal. The family unit continues, despite the sojourn through evil. The most shocking part is how the daughter can bury the atrocities in her mind to gain some semblance of normality.

Morrison is astounded. The well-crafted tale gets the wheels turning. Now the gauntlet has really been thrown. He can't let Deeds have the best story of the night. Finally, after some soul-searching, Morrison attempts to top his story-rival.

The last story is the most visceral of the quartet, both visually and psychologically. It is about a gunslinger contest to be the best in the west. The favorite is the focus and the story is about his reconciliation of conscience and actions. There is an animated dream sequence that, while entertaining, feels tacked-on. Otherwise, this story is one of the best tales. "One bullet!" - great line.

Deeds concedes the victory to Morrison. As the sun rises in the east, both must continue their very different journeys. The tale ends with another interesting twist, as well.

I am hoping that this gets released to DVD soon, and hopefully with some sweet extras. As it is now, you can only get used VHS copies of it. If you like thinking about the film you are watching, and don't really go into the film expecting to see a horror film, then you might really enjoy "Grim Prairie Tales".

The pleasure of the horror anthology is that of brevity. No story can really out-stay its welcome or be forced into unnecessary padding. And if one episode fails to work, never mind, there will be another one along in a minute.

James Earl Jones and Brad Dourif are both excellent as the contrasting storytellers and make the linking storyline into a highlight itself. Their tales are a mixed bunch. The opener about an Indian curse is rather slight. However the second tale about a helpful young man and a mysterious pregnant girl finishes on such a disturbing, horrific note that the viewer might not recover for the rest of the film! Especially if they're male. Definitely it is the moment that will be talked about afterwards. Deliberately, the third story concerns a more cerebal horror. A girl discovers a shocking truth about the father she idolises. Yet it emerges as probably the most satisfying tale of the night with a haunting punchline. Finally the concluding tale of vengeance beyond the grave is fair, its highlight being an animated nightmare sequence.

The Western trappings bring a welcome original atmosphere to these Tales from the Crypt refugees, making this a worthwhile diversion for the jaded horror fan.