Home of the Grave

E. C. Comics’ vintage ‘50s “Tales from the Crypt”--ghoulish and darkly humorous--are being dusted off by HBO and attracting the likes of directors Walter Hill, Bob Zemeckis and Richard Donner and producers Joel Silver and David Giler.

Supervising producer Bill Teitler told us three episodes will be produced as an HBO special for airing next May and theatrical release in foreign markets. The cable network also has the option to turn it into a series.

Last week, Zemeckis completed the first episode, “All Through the House,” about a woman who kills her husband on Christmas eve--and runs into an asylum escapee dressed as Santa Claus while attempting to dispose of the body. The segments by Hill and Donner will be shot next March.

“There’s a catalogue of about 500 stories, so we’re not terribly concerned about running out of ideas,” Teitler said. “Ideally, they’ll have a lot of suspense leavened with humor. The thing about this type of material is that it remains frighteningly contemporary.”