Michael J. Fox Directed And Acted In An Episode Of This Classic Horror Series

When it was at its peak, "Tales from the Crypt" had television A-listers and big Hollywood movie stars lining up to appear in episodes. While some nabbed guest-starring roles, there was a select handful who jumped at the chance to take on behind-the-camera roles in one of the best horror anthologies of all time — including "Family Ties" star Michael J. Fox.

In June 1991, "Tales from the Crypt" aired "The Trap" as part of its Season 3 premiere block — an episode directed by Fox himself. The story follows Luigi "Lou" Paloma (Bruce McGill), a belligerent slob who hatches a scheme to fake his own death so his wife, Irene (Teri Garr), can cash in on a half-million-dollar life insurance policy. He blackmails his timid coroner brother, Billy (Bruno Kirby), into staging a fake break-in where a burglar supposedly kills him. But things go sideways when Irene and Billy fall for each other and double-cross him. Fox also makes a funny cameo appearance as a shrewd prosecutor in the trial scene, reuniting him with his "Back to the Future" costar James Tolkan.

During a behind-the-scenes segment on Entertainment Tonight, Fox opened up about making his directorial debut with the "Tales from the Crypt" installment. "For me, it's really great," Fox shared. "I have such a short attention span, and I get bored so easily. This is like the perfect job for me because you're never allowed to get bored."

Fox further described to Entertainment Tonight the pressure he felt as a director: "You realize that it's about everything. It's about a prop here, or about a light there, or about someone in the background crossing over there. And you realize the potential for disaster that lurks around every corner."

While it was never hailed as one of the best "Tales from the Crypt" episodes, "The Trap" currently sports a moderate 6.9-star average rating on IMDb, drawing a mixed response from fans of the show. One user, named TalesfromTheCryptfan, called it "a very well written and nicely paced episode that isn't scary or a horror but really more of a dark thriller comedy," adding that Fox "does a nice directorial job with this episode."

Another user offered a more critical take, writing, "I thought this was a disappointing opener to season 3. ... Generally speaking 'The Trap' is a pretty straight forward crime thriller with the usual 'Tales from the Crypt' twist at the end which really isn't that surprising."

For fans looking to revisit the HBO anthology, "Tales from the Crypt" is now available to stream on Shudder, marking the first time the series has ever been available to stream in its uncut glory.