Perversions of Science

1 9 9 7 (USA)
10 x 30 minute episodes

This science fiction/horror anthology – a spin-off from Tales From The Crypt (1989 – 1996) – ran for just ten episodes on cable channel HBO in 1997. Episodes were based on the Weird Science, Weird Fantasy, and Incredible Science Fiction comic books by EC Comics.

Episodes were introduced by a computer-generated cybernetic female seductress named Chrome (voiced by Maureen Teefy), who accessed story files from her breastplate.

Chrome also concluded each episode with a comment about the story, usually laced with sexual innuendo and not-so-veiled double entendres (“Perfection like mine doesn’t come easy. Of course, I don’t like it when things come easy”).

Chrome (voice)
Maureen Teefy

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Dream of Doom

40-year-old divorced but childless English professor Arthur Bristol (Keith Carradine) cannot wake from his dreams.

Each time he awakes, he finds himself in yet another dream, frequently featuring a topless Lolita Davidovich.

Arthur Bristol
Keith Carradine
Doctor/Arthur’s Wife/Arthur’s Daughter/Hooker
Lolita Davidovich
Receptionist/Arthur’s Wife/Student/Stripper
Gretchen Palmer
Paul Danko
Adam Arkin

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Anatomy Lesson

Billy Rabe (Jeremy London), the psychotic son of small-town coroner Stan Rabe (Jim Metzler), has the desire to kill, but a strange bearded man (Jeff Fahey) always interferes with his plans.

On his eighteenth birthday, Billy decides to finally take down the mysterious stranger.

Billy Rabe
Jeremy London
Bearded Man
Jeff Fahey
Mrs Rabe
Joanna Gleason
Stan Rabe
Jim Metzler
Linda
Devon Odessa
Little Billy Rabe
Justin Chapman

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Boxed In

A space pilot (Kevin Pollak) has spent years in an eroding fighter with a female android named Emmy (Heather Elizabeth Parkhurst).

He has kept his promise to be faithful to his fiance, loopy space cadet Dulcine (Melanie Shatner), who is also the daughter of a pompous Admiral (played by Melanie’s real-life father, William Shatner).

When he finally gets to see her, he discovers the Admiral has fitted her with an electronic chastity belt.

So the pilot finally gives in and decides to have sex with his android, Emmy, instead.

William Shatner also directed the episode.

Emmy
Heather Elizabeth Parkhurst
Pilot
Kevin Pollak
Dulcine
Melanie Shatner
Admiral Kornfeld
William Shatner

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The Exile

Set in the future, a sadistic amoral scientist (Jeffrey Combs of Re-Animator fame) who turns into a serial killer in his impurity-purging experiments is arrested and tried.

Brilliant psychiatrist Dr Nordhoff (David Warner) attempts to rehabilitate the prisoner – dubbed 50557 – who is also coached by 40132 (Ron Perlman), a successfully rehabilitated murderer himself, who is waiting to be placed back into a society he is now ready for.

Unfortunately, 50557 kills him too and is sentenced to be “exiled” from the world.

As 50557 is transferred down to the surface of the exile planet, a technician asks: “What about the inhabitants of the planet?”. Dr Nordhoff replies: “Oh, I wouldn’t worry. He’s just one man. How much damage could he possibly do?”

You can probably guess the rest.

50557
Jeffrey Combs
Dr Nordhoff
David Warner
40132
Ron Perlman
Investigator
Brian Brophy
Judge
Jeff Corey
Lupita
Craig Olsen
Coopersmith
Jae Woo Lee
Adolf Hitler
Christopher John Fields

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Given the Heir

Lisa Gerou (Yancy Butler) reshapes her body to perfection. She then participates in an experiment where she is sent ten years into the past where she meets Nick Boyer (William McNamara), a man also obsessed with perfection.

Unfortunately, he fails to understand the situation, and things go very wrong as the phrase, “Go fuck yourself” takes on a whole new meaning.

Lisa Gerou
Yancy Butler
Nick Boyer
William McNamara
William Tilbrook
David Leisure
Dr Mueller
Paul Williams

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Planely Possible

Grieving widower Walter (George Newbern) volunteers to be the subject of an experiment by an ex-NASA scientist (Vincent Schiavelli) where he will be sent to other planes of existence where his murdered wife, Ruth (Elizabeth Berkley) may still be alive. The other realities turn out to be the stuff of nightmares.

Famous psychologist and advice columnist Dr Joyce Brothers co-starred.

Walter
George Newbern
Scientist
Vincent Schiavelli
Therapist Bethany Wolf
Dr Joyce Brothers
Ruth
Elizabeth Berkley
Gwen
Nicole DeLaina

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Panic

In the 1930s, Bob (Jason Lee) and John (Jamie Kennedy) are among a number of people at a Halloween costume party trying to deal with the panic caused by the infamous radio broadcast of the Orson Welles Mercury Theatre production of The War of the Worlds.

All hell breaks loose, and people start turning up dead.

Spaceman Bob
Jason Lee
Spaceman John
Jamie Kennedy
Becky
Laraine Newman
Farmer
Harvey Korman
Farmer’s Wife
Edie McClurg
Carson Walls
Chris Sarandon
Bed Sheet Ghost
Bryce Ingman
Cheerleader
Tracy Middendorf
Gorilla
Steve Monroe
Vampiress
Kira Reed Lorsch

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Snap Ending

The captain (Jennifer Hetrick) of a small spaceship and her mixed-gender crew (Wil Wheaton, Sean Astin and Kathleen Wilhoite) have trouble controlling their anxieties when they are sent to study a new planet.

Their ship detects an unknown viral infection and activates lockdown mode – which also starts the self-destruct sequence.

Captain
Jennifer Hetrick
Bryan
Wil Wheaton
Taylor
Sean Astin
Paula
Kathleen Wilhoite
Ship’s computer (voice)
Deborah Carlisle

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Ultimate Weapon

Shapeshifting aliens assume a human form (Paolo Seganti) in order to mate with young Earth housewife Lou Ann Solomon (Heather Langenkamp), who is also dealing with her moody husband, Matt (Mitchell Whitfield), her drunk girlfriends Selena and Tess (Kim Myers and Maria Cina), and her visiting parents (Jennifer Darling and Steve Kahan).

Lou Ann Solomon
Heather Langenkamp
Matt Solomon
Mitchell Whitfield
Mike Calderone
Paolo Seganti
Selena
Kim Myers
Tess
Maria Cina
Lou’s Mother
Jennifer Darling
Lou’s Father
Steve Kahan

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The People’s Choice

In the near future, a suburban family (Patrick Cassidy and Maxine Bahns) gets caught between groups of warring robots.

When one of their robots is damaged every night, a robot repairman suggests that they buy a new one: a red, white, and blue patriot.

Barry Williams (Greg from The Brady Bunch) co-starred.

Todd Sorensen
Patrick Cassidy
Betty Sorensen
Maxine Bahns
Neighbour
Barry Williams
Gorn
Richard Riehle
Jenna Sorensen
Olivia Hack
Nanna
Betty Murphy
Glenda 6
Katherine Gaskin
Liberty 1
Roger W. Morrissey
Alien #1
Debbie Lee Carrington
Alien #2
Gary Friedkin

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