MovieChat Forums > Tales from the Crypt (1989) Discussion > Top Billing (Season 3)

Top Billing (Season 3)

posted 9 years ago by NeonManiac0
6 replies | jump to latest

This episode is usually well-regarded and rightfully so as it's an excellent episode from the top-notch third season. Well-acted and made with a Hell of a shocking twist that's still one of the best and most genuinely shocking and horrific of the series. Jon Lovitz is excellent in the lead role, making his character both sympathetic and sinister at the same time and showing he can do serious roles just as well as comedic ones. This episode is always a good watch and I'm sure most TFTC fans rate it highly, I know I do.

[–] Wildstyle26 9 years ago

It's not a favorite of mine. BUT I do agree with you about John.

near the end, when he finds out he's not playing Hamlet, you almost feel bad for him, and worse when he finds out what's really intended. It takes a good actor, or someone with good expression to make you feel sad for a killer who murders someone just for having a job they want.

The exact same thing was done in Beauty Rest. But I didn't feel sorry for the lead female at all during her demise.

[–] oddball_oddity-1 9 years ago

The exact same thing was done in Beauty Rest. But I didn't feel sorry for the lead female at all during her demise.

Me either. In Top Billing, you saw his life falling apart and the actor he murdered he had a genuine conflict with (not that it made murder ok, simply they represented to different philosophies about acting). There was an internal logic to the events that happened.

In Beauty Rests, she keeps slut-shaming with absolutely no evidence and is driven more by petty envy than any actual ideals. She basically spends the episode being completely full of it. Likewise, her demise isn't particularly satisfying either, since there's no real explanation to what the heck the point of Miss Autopsy is (they used to grab girls from the street, so why the pageant? who are these people?).

[–] Navaros 9 years ago

This is indeed a great episode, definitely top 5, or at minimum, top 10 material.

It's one of the few times when they made a "comedy" episode that is actually scary and horrific too. In many other episodes they screw up that formula by trying way too hard to be funny and thereby making the tone of those episodes silly which eliminates all horror aspects out of them.

[–] AgentBlue 9 years ago

It is a good episode I would put it in my top 5. That twist was both funny and very dark.

Lose the Game!!!!!!!

[–] TalesfromTheCryptfan 9 years ago

Great episode, one of my favorite episodes as it's dark and funny with a gruesome and funny ending too.

"Unicorn, mermaid, vampire,sorceress! No name you'd give her would surprise me i love whom i love"

[–] clint-b 8 years ago

Yep it's probably top 5 in the entire series. That ending is just amazing.