Alan Katz on "Tales from the Crypt": Writing, Producing, and Developing the Crypt Keeper

Before The Sopranos or The Wire, there was Tales from The Crypt. In this episode of Let's Talk Media, host Vedant Akhauri hears untold stories with Alan Katz (frequently credited as A L Katz), the writer, producer, and legendary "Keeper of the Franchise" for HBO’s Tales from the Crypt.Alan takes us on a wild ride through what he calls the Hollywood excess-era of the 1990s, revealing how a show with no bible became a cultural phenomenon that pioneered prestige TV. Alan shares the untold war stories that could only happen in the golden age of television creative freedom.In this episode, we discuss:Inventing an Icon: How Alan created the Crypt Keeper’s little Groucho Marx personality and backstory because the producers had a puppet but no planHollywood Chaos: The Meatloaf Incident, convincing Tim Curry to skip Mardi Gras and play three roles in an episode, the cancellation of their movie (Dead Easy) and the production of the movie, Bordello of BloodCONTENT WARNING: We delve into mental health and childhood trauma. Listener discretion is advised.Whether you are a horror fanatic or a creator trying to find your own voice, this is an insightful listen.Alan's podcast is called The How NOT To Make a Movie Podcast and is available on all major platforms.If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow us on Instagram @letstalkmedia.