Deadtime Stories (film)

Lore & Background

Deadtime Stories was co-written and directed by Jeffery Delman in his directorial debut. Principal photography took place in New York City in 1984 under the working title Freaky Fairy Tales, with post-production completed in 1985. The title was briefly changed to Deadtime before settling as Deadtime Stories. The film was screened at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival and later acquired for distribution. It was released on November 26, 1986, in the Southeastern United States, and premiered in Los Angeles on February 20, 1987. The film earned $708,112 on its opening weekend in 255 theaters and grossed $2.7 million during its theatrical run.

Reader's Guide

Deadtime Stories is notable as Jeffery Delman's directorial debut and for its anthology structure that reimagines classic fairy tales as horror stories. The film's three segments draw from 'Little Red Riding Hood' and 'Goldilocks', while the first story involves a slave and two witches attempting to resurrect their sister. The film's release history includes multiple home video editions, including a VHS release in 1987 and a DVD release by Mill Creek Entertainment in 2015 that was discontinued after being mistaken as public domain. A shorter DVD version by Image Entertainment ran 12 minutes less than the original. Scream Factory released a Blu-ray and DVD combo pack on February 28, 2017. The film's international titles include Freaky Fairy-Tales and The Griebels from Deadtime Stories.

Did You Know?

• The film was originally titled Freaky Fairy Tales during production in 1984.
• It was screened at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival.
• The third story is based on 'Goldilocks' and features three escaped mental patients sharing a hideaway with a murderess.
• A DVD release by Mill Creek Entertainment was discontinued after the film was mistakenly believed to be in the public domain.