I grew up watching shows like 'The Twilight Zone', 'Night Gallery', and 'Tales From The Crypt'. Enjoying them every weekend through standard television, satellite, and cable. Each of them offering up an anthology of horror all their own. Small stories about morals, and the macabre. Sometimes taking inspiration from horror classics, and the short story compilations of famous or budding authors. Even further still giving way to freshly made tales of tantalizing terror for unsuspecting youth to feed their nightmares with.
For a lot of us it was the origin of our fear of the dark, or the boogeymen in our closets. To others it was eye candy of the most curious sort. Things we could tell friends about during recess hours at school. Making us the envy of the children of puritanical parents who restricted such things from their children's regular television consumption.
Much like these classic horror anthologies mentioned above 'The Mortuary Collection' weaves it's own stories while presenting them in segmented real time events through a haunting host, and an unsuspecting audience member. In a similar fashion as to the Crypt Keeper from 'The Tales From The Crypt', or Rod Serling from Night Gallery, and the Twilight Zone.
In this particular open ended origin story we find Raven's End Mortuary, and it's resident mortician Montgomery Dark. A gauntly librarian of sorts bound by mysterious guidelines to keep records of the passing away of local townsfolk. Between the occasional funeral service, and mortuary dealings he scarcely gets visitors. As it would turn out though one visitor, in particular, finds herself in the midst of Dark's presence seemingly by choice rather than by happenstance.
As the film opens up, pleasantries are put aside, and the business relations of the mystery female guest and her employer Montgomery Dark get underway stories of previously deceased are baited out one by one. Trying to impress, or rather play along with his new employee's odd curiosity Dark tells the tales of some of his most unusual cases. Cases that include a petty thief getting her comeuppance through Lovecraftian horror, a patriarchal college grad who sees what it's like to be a woman through birth via penis, an undying love between an unfortunately betrothed couple, and finally the mystery guest's own tale that ties into a dead young boy's slow journey to the mortuary's basement furnace. All ending up with a twist most won't see coming ...
At heart 'The Mortuary Collection' acts as a new generation's take on the horror anthology genre. It is very progressive in nature with underlying hints at current social trends, and political ideals. Things like the fall of patriarchy and the rise of feminism. That, and the death of the nuclear family.
If you don't read too deeply into it though it's a visually pleasing roller coaster ride with plenty of atmospheric scares, shock value, and an decent homage to horror of years gone by. Like the classics it harbors it's own take on the moral compass, or the lack thereof. Acting as a mixed message, and social commentary take as well as a means to preach karma to the kiddos.
For what it does in the time given it does exceptionally well. Dues given. Despite the online pisstakes about the ending, and the disdain thereof I felt 'The Mortuary Collection' struck all the right storytelling chords ... for the newer generation of horror fans. That being said it trails away from the moral compass often included in older anthologies, and leaves a lot to be desired for older fans of the genre.
I do understand there's points in history where the torch has to be passed down, and certain ideals discarded for newer ones, but this anthology's version of karma is a contradiction. As I previously hinted at. It gives the air of moral compass, but sweeps that moral compass under the rug for other ideals that should, in themselves, be subject to karma. Like a lot of the politics of today it treads upon the idea of change via the self-righteous ideas of others instead of a mutually and justly delivered righteous ideal. Simply flipping the tables instead of truly being morally just.
If you can get past the political angle there is plenty of enjoyment to be had in a viewing of 'The Mortuary Collection'. If, and only if you can look past those underlying themes. As it is, and against my better judgment 'The Mortuary Collection' lands a solid review rating of ...
RATING: "5 out of 5 🎃's"
The blu-ray comes with a slip cover, over 2 hours of BTS footage, and a reversible case cover.
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