Tales from the Crypt Episode 43: Beauty Rest

Technical Specs

Director: Stephen Hopkins

Writer: Donald Longtooth

Cast: Mimi Rogers, Jennifer Rubin, Kathy Ireland, Buck Henry, John Kassir, Robert Trebor, Anders Hove, Michael Wiseman, and Maria Pecci

Composer: Alan Silvestri

Air Date: 7/11/1992

 

Overview

Upon losing the opportunity to become a perfume company spokeswoman, aging model Helen (Mimi Rogers) resorts to drastic measures, i.e. murdering her roommate Joyce (Kathy Ireland) and rival Druscilla (Jennifer Rubin), in order to take first place in a beauty pageant.tales-from-the-crypt-beauty-rest While Helen succeeds in winning the contest, things don’t quite pan out as expected.

Marred by a nonsensical twist ending, “Beauty Rest” employs predictable storytelling devices while sacrificing the atmospheric tension and campy humor for which Tales from the Crypt is known. Mimi Rogers should, however, be commended for portraying Helen as a believably vicious and therefore compelling female antagonist.

 

Pros

tales-from-the-crypt-beauty-restBy carrying a chip on her shoulder at all times, Helen conveys a contemptible sense of entitlement and will thereby prompt the audience to root for her demise—an intentional result of her hateful characterization and one that becomes additionally effective due to Rogers’ realistic performance.

 

Cons

(Spoilers beyond this point)

Though similar in narrative structure to fan favorite “Top Billing” from season three, “Beauty Rest” fails to establish a logical foundation on which to supporttales-from-the-crypt-beauty-rest Helen’s bizarre fate as detailed in the final scene; thus, viewers will be left wondering why Helen is restrained, vivisected, and put on display after securing the title of “Miss Autopsy 1992” (also enigmatic are the dinner guests, who erupt with cheering and applause upon witnessing a meticulously crafted exhibit featuring the remains of Helen). The aforementioned “Top Billing,” in contrast, justifies a similar conclusion by explaining that all participants are actually patients in a facility for the criminally insane.

 

Analysis

tales-from-the-crypt-beauty-restAs indicated above, “Beauty Rest” puts a literal spin on the old cliché that what’s “inside” matters most.

 

Concluding Comments

“Beauty Rest” benefits from a shocking and borderline surreal revelation during Helen’s “award” presentation. That being said, horror fans who prefer suspenseful situations over raw shock value would be wise to avoid this offering.

 

Overall Quality: 5/10

 

If you enjoyed this post, please click the follow button or enter your email address in the subscription box to stay tuned for more updates.

Posted on
Categories: Season Four, Tales from the Crypt

Please note: Comments that are malicious, offensive, or excessively profane will be removed. Off-topic messages belong in the About section.

One thought on “Tales from the Crypt Episode 43: Beauty Rest”

  1. They could have done more to explain it, but they do hint at an explanation. The make-up guy says “I swear to God Gorge, this is the last year we’re doing this. This whole beauty pagent thing is enough to make me throw up. We should just pick em off the streets like the old days”.

    The implication is that they have long been killing women, and this is some kind of organization. The Beauty Pageant is just the lastest version of it. So my guess is a secret society of murderers who enjoy killing women and displaying their dead bodies.

    The whole thing ends up being ironic since she was killing people to win the title, and the title ends up killing her.

Comments are closed.