How Long Is “Dead Time Stories”?

Inspired by traditional fairy tales, this trio of gruesome and darkly-comic vignettes is framed by the story of a lethargic uncle who can't seem to alleviate his bratty young nephew's fear of the dark, trying his hand at a few warped, testosterone-fueled versions of his favorite bedtime tales. The first installment, "Peter and the Witches," tells the story of a young fisherman (Scott Valentine) enslaved by two shape-shifting witches who are trying to bring their sister back to life; he later rebels against his masters after falling in love with the virgin they've captured as a sacrifice. The goofy second chapter involves "Little Red Running Hood" -- a somewhat shapelier modern version of the classic heroine -- whose jog to Granny's house leads to a showdown with a pill-popping weirdo whose anti-werewolf remedy got switched with Granny's prescription. Still unable to satisfy the demanding tyke, the exhausted uncle pulls out all the stops for the final tale, in which the Three Baers -- a family of murderous crackers -- encounter the telekinetic Goldi Lox, a malevolent cutie who shares the Baers' penchant for death and dismemberment. Originally titled Freaky Fairy Tales, this plodding, pedestrian film wandered in distribution limbo until Valentine's role in "Family Ties" lent some degree of marquee value. The cynical closing (in which the nephew's fears turn out to be justified) is rather satisfying, though.