They really did love the devil in TFTD. It seems ever 3 or 4 stories focuses on the big red guy. This one isn't the worst or the best, it'd fall somewhere in the middle. Although the tail they give to the devil character has to be worst tail ever seen on a screen. It's a like a stiff piece of cardboard. You'd be embarrassed to wear it as part of a Halloween costume, let alone in a network TV show. Just shocking how stuff like that made the final cut. Overall average.
6 Reviews
Another average Tales from the Darkside episode.
poolandrews30 May 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Tales from the Darkside: The Deal starts as aspiring screenwriter Tom Dash (Bradley Whitford) receives yet another letter of rejection, all he wants is to get a deal & get one of his ideas turned into a film. Luckily for Tom his next door neighbour Donald (Allen Garfield) just happens to be the Devil who offers Tom the change to get whatever he wants in exchange for his soul, Tom agrees but finds out being a soulless entity isn't as fun as it sounds & wants to go back on the deal but once the Devil has your soul he doesn't let it go easily...
Episode 12 from season 4 this Tales from the Darkside story originally aired in the US during February 1988, directed by the show's regular producer T.J. Castronova this is yet another mind numbingly average episode that has a dig at cynical heartless 80's money making business & those who run it & get rich on it's profits. The script by Granville Burgess & Allen Coulter is your basic morality tale about how being greedy corrupts you, how it's not good for you, how you become a soulless unlikable entity that no-one likes & all that sort of clichéd bile that lets face it, isn't true & has no real basis in reality. Maybe there's a touch of jealously here, I mean wouldn't we all like to be rich, work in our own private office that is bigger than most apartments by itself & actually have some power? Why does that automatically make these successful people horrible & worthless? Is being poor really any more noble or fulfilling? I am poor & I hate it, I wish I had bags of money so I could go where I want whenever I want rather than have to stay in all the time & watch telly because I simply can't afford to do anything else. Give me the choice of being rich & powerful or poor & a complete loser I know which one I would choose & I suspect most people would be the same. At only twenty odd minutes in length at least it's short, it tells a story & the twist ending is actually quite good if not exactly used to it's full potential.
Unbelievably there is actually more than one location in this Tales from the Darkside episode, both are fairly standard sets but what the hell two sets instead of one is worth a mention. The Deal also features probably the worst Devil tail in either telly or cinematic history. There was a great nod to special make-up effects man Tom Savini in this episode, a director says that he knows someone in Pittsburgh who can make fake blood so good you can taste it! You might recognise Robert Costanzo here from small roles in films such as Total Recall (1990) & Die Hard 2 (1990).
The Deal is your typical attack on 80's greed & business Tales from the Darkside style, average at best really & largely saved by a decent if underplayed twist ending.
Episode 12 from season 4 this Tales from the Darkside story originally aired in the US during February 1988, directed by the show's regular producer T.J. Castronova this is yet another mind numbingly average episode that has a dig at cynical heartless 80's money making business & those who run it & get rich on it's profits. The script by Granville Burgess & Allen Coulter is your basic morality tale about how being greedy corrupts you, how it's not good for you, how you become a soulless unlikable entity that no-one likes & all that sort of clichéd bile that lets face it, isn't true & has no real basis in reality. Maybe there's a touch of jealously here, I mean wouldn't we all like to be rich, work in our own private office that is bigger than most apartments by itself & actually have some power? Why does that automatically make these successful people horrible & worthless? Is being poor really any more noble or fulfilling? I am poor & I hate it, I wish I had bags of money so I could go where I want whenever I want rather than have to stay in all the time & watch telly because I simply can't afford to do anything else. Give me the choice of being rich & powerful or poor & a complete loser I know which one I would choose & I suspect most people would be the same. At only twenty odd minutes in length at least it's short, it tells a story & the twist ending is actually quite good if not exactly used to it's full potential.
Unbelievably there is actually more than one location in this Tales from the Darkside episode, both are fairly standard sets but what the hell two sets instead of one is worth a mention. The Deal also features probably the worst Devil tail in either telly or cinematic history. There was a great nod to special make-up effects man Tom Savini in this episode, a director says that he knows someone in Pittsburgh who can make fake blood so good you can taste it! You might recognise Robert Costanzo here from small roles in films such as Total Recall (1990) & Die Hard 2 (1990).
The Deal is your typical attack on 80's greed & business Tales from the Darkside style, average at best really & largely saved by a decent if underplayed twist ending.
How many times can they tell the same story?
Leofwine_draca1 July 2015
I swear the scriptwriters of these '80s horror anthology shows like THE NEW TWILIGHT ZONE, TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE, and MONSTERS are obsessed with writing stories about scriptwriters making a deal with the Devil in return for Hollywood fame and glory. THE DEAL is yet another twist on the same old tale, with a struggling scriptwriter who gets a knock on his apartment door one day. His visitor is a guy with a very special deal, but will the scriptwriter accept?
THE DEAL is predictable in the extreme and hardly enlivened by a generally lacklustre feel to the production, a going-through-the-paces quality to the direction, and some less than stellar performances. It's a highly missable episode.
THE DEAL is predictable in the extreme and hardly enlivened by a generally lacklustre feel to the production, a going-through-the-paces quality to the direction, and some less than stellar performances. It's a highly missable episode.
Just plain a fun episode.
TOMNEL3 August 2006
With Bradley Whittford, Allen Garfield and Robert Costanzo.
For some reason, most consider this a bad episode. I think it's funny, and it is clever, and it even has a funny twist ending. I love this episode! It's about a struggling writer Tom Dash (Whittford) getting help from his neighbor (Garfield), who promises to help him become famous. We soon find out that his neighbor is the Devil and his soul is up for grabs. In order for him to not go to Hell, he must find someone to replace him. This episode just was really great. It had tongue in cheek performances by everybody, and it just worked really well. Allen Garfield was great playing Satan and many other characters too. This is what I'd call an overlooked comic classic. Can be found on Tales from the Darkside volume 3.
My rating: Excellent episode. 21 mins. TV PG
For some reason, most consider this a bad episode. I think it's funny, and it is clever, and it even has a funny twist ending. I love this episode! It's about a struggling writer Tom Dash (Whittford) getting help from his neighbor (Garfield), who promises to help him become famous. We soon find out that his neighbor is the Devil and his soul is up for grabs. In order for him to not go to Hell, he must find someone to replace him. This episode just was really great. It had tongue in cheek performances by everybody, and it just worked really well. Allen Garfield was great playing Satan and many other characters too. This is what I'd call an overlooked comic classic. Can be found on Tales from the Darkside volume 3.
My rating: Excellent episode. 21 mins. TV PG
Make a deal with the devil then when he takes your soul, he goes after a another soul this one a beauty!
blanbrn29 November 2014
Just watched this "TFTD" episode from the last season of 1988 called "The Deal" and it was indeed one! Bradley Whitford is Tom Dash a lonely and out on his own struggling want to be screenwriter who lives in a crap like apartment, yet it's tough to know the right people in Hollywood to get you going. So Tom's luck changes one day or does it when a messenger shows up at the door to deliver good news only it's a deal with the prince of darkness himself. This strange character has promised him a lead good Hollywood read for a feature film is this to good to be true? Only slowly but soon Tom sees the darkness and the game it's real even with those strange horns, soon after Tom's soul is taken this dark master moves on to another this time it's an up and coming beauty! It's one deal one soul taking at a time, wow neat and clever episode that teaches and proves a good moral message and that's be careful of the devil.
Inspired comic episode
Woodyanders30 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Desperate down and out screenwriter Tom Dash (a solid and likable performance by Bradley Whitford) would do anything to sell a script in Hollywood. His friend Donald (an excellent portrayal by always reliable character actor Allen Garfield) helps Dash achieve his goal through nefarious means.
Director T.J. Castronovo keeps the enjoyable story moving along at a quick pace, maintains an engaging lighthearted tone throughout, and milks a good deal of laughs from the amusing sense of witty humor. The clever script by Allen Coulter and Granville Burgess pokes sharp fun at the greed, corruption, and emphasis on commerce over art that are intrinsic rotten components of life in Hollywood. The spirited acting from the enthusiastic cast gives this episode an extra dynamic kick: Garfield has a ball in his multiple roles, Robert Costanza contributes a hilariously smarmy turn as sleazy studio boss Vincent Dessari, and Elyssa Paternoster does well as struggling actress Cassie Smith. A delightful show.
Director T.J. Castronovo keeps the enjoyable story moving along at a quick pace, maintains an engaging lighthearted tone throughout, and milks a good deal of laughs from the amusing sense of witty humor. The clever script by Allen Coulter and Granville Burgess pokes sharp fun at the greed, corruption, and emphasis on commerce over art that are intrinsic rotten components of life in Hollywood. The spirited acting from the enthusiastic cast gives this episode an extra dynamic kick: Garfield has a ball in his multiple roles, Robert Costanza contributes a hilariously smarmy turn as sleazy studio boss Vincent Dessari, and Elyssa Paternoster does well as struggling actress Cassie Smith. A delightful show.
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