By Melissa Antoinette Garza
Ever since Billy (Bobcat Goldthwait) was a child he wanted to be a ventriloquist. When he was 11, he met his idol Mr. Ingles (Don Rickles) who was the most popular in his profession. He used a puppet by the name of Morty and the act was gold. After the show, Billy went up to Mr. Ingles for an autograph. Ingles told Billy that if he ever needed anything to seek him out. That night, there was a fire after the show and Mr. Ingles never performed again claiming to have lost his hand in the blaze.
Fifteen years later, Billy finds Mr. Ingles and asks him to come to one of his performances. At first, Ingles refuses but Billy is desperate so Ingles agrees to watch one of his shows. Billy bombs. His lips move, his jokes are lame, and the crowd hates him. Ingles is disappointed and goes home with a prostitute. Billy comes by later and finds out that the woman Ingles left with is dead. Billy accuses Ingles, but Ingles swears he’s innocent, but he does know the identity of the killer. He claims it’s Morty.
Billy’s outrage turns to sympathy. He believes his hero has gone crazy and takes the puppet down from the shelf to show Ingles that he’s not real. That’s when Ingles shows Billy his Siamese twin which is attached to the lower part of his arm and is just a head with two small arms and hands. Billy is horrified and he teams up with Ingles to try and kill the evil twin.
Of course, like most episodes of Tales from the Crypt there is a twist and this one can be seen a mile away.
Though, this isn’t horrible, I am disappointed with this episode. First, I love horror having to do with ventriloquists. There is something genuinely creepy about those puppets and when done correctly, the results can make for great horror. Secondly, I don’t think that Rickles and Goldthwait were properly used. Both are capable of so much more. They’re funny and they’re good actors. If only they had more to work with but the writing was rather weak, the ending was lame, and the dialogue between the two main characters was unemotional.
It’s still worth a watch but not nearly as good as other work done by either lead.
On a side note, anyone who wants to see what Goldthwait is capable of should check out God Bless America (2011). He both wrote and directed it. It’s not only one of the best movies I’ve seen in quite some time, it’s intelligent and thought provoking.
Scared Stiff Rating: 3.5/10
