Deadtime Stories-1986

Director Jeffrey Delman 

Starring Scott Valentine, Nicole Picard, Cathryn de Prume

Scott’s Review #1,512

Reviewed January 19, 2026

Grade: B-

My expectations for Deadtime Stories (1986), a horror anthology with a fairy-tale focus, were loftier than the final product, which had an overall amateurish quality. I anticipated a glossier, perhaps gorier, and certainly a more compelling experience.

As far as film anthologies go, there are far better ones, like Tales from the Crypt (1972) and Vault of Horror (1973), which are much, much better. These are suggested first and foremost.

By the end credits, Deadtime Stories is largely forgettable.

Nonetheless, it’s marginally recommended for those seeking a late-night offering of an 1980s genre film type, with one of the three chapters, a take on Little Red Riding Hood, as the standout.

We are introduced to a somewhat creepy uncle who attempts to calm his restless nephew by telling him three horror stories to help him fall asleep without worrying about monsters coming to get him.

The first story involves a boy slave (Scott Valentine) used by two witches, who are attempting to resurrect their sister.

The second story is based on “Little Red Riding Hood”, where a teenage girl (Nicole Picard) mistakenly picks up a werewolf’s medicine for her grandmother.

The third story, based on “Goldilocks”, tells about three escaped mental patients who share their hideaway with a murderess (Cathryn de Prume).

The sequences between the uncle and nephew lay the foundation for what’s to come. The quality, though quite 1980s, is well-lit and dark, so the audience believes the kid is terrified of falling asleep. And who doesn’t have memories of wondering what or who is lurking in their bedroom closet?

Though bratty, the uncle shows patience and returns to the room again and again to introduce yet another story. A clever, dark, comical twist in the last shot makes this vignette satisfying.

The first story is the weakest. Said to be from medieval times, the costumes and makeup worn by the witches are the only things that impress. One witch is more grotesque than the other, with jagged, rotting teeth and a resting sneer that is more comical than scary.

Actor Scott Valentine is likable, and the romance between the young damsel in distress is nice, though there is hardly any time for it to go anywhere.

The premise of a handsome young man being sold as a slave to resurrect another witch is impressive, but the follow-through is weak, and the tale never fully satisfies.

The second story is very well thought out.

Nicole Picard as Rachel is clad in a sexy Little Red Riding Hood outfit and debates having sex with her boyfriend, who finds a dingy shed for them to make love in. Before this, she accidentally picked up a prescription for her grandmother, which was switched for one for a werewolf.

The most suspenseful and entertaining portion is when the werewolf breaks into the grandmother’s house. The acting is wonderfully bad, which makes for a delightful experience and a cat-and-mouse quality.

When a character surprisingly turns into a werewolf at the end, it is exciting and unexpected, making the chapter the best of the bunch.

Making Goldilocks a female serial killer is a terrific idea, and the macabre humor in this story is clever. The final sequence in a pizza restaurant is deliciously evil.

The rest, though, is lackluster and difficult to follow. The mental patients who escape with the help of MaMa Bauer (Melissa Leo) seem to endlessly drive around town in their dated white Chevy, crashing into objects and people.

The tale has a John Waters campy vibe, which is inspired, but the story never reaches a satisfying conclusion, other than occasional bits and pieces.

The attempt by Jeffrey Delman to make fables into horror vignettes is impressive, but unfortunately, Deadtime Stories (1986) only hits the mark now and then.