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| Credits |
Director: George A Romero
Starring: Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, Fritz Weaver, Leslie Nielsen, Carrie Nye, EG Marshall, Stephen King
Screenplay: Stephen King
Country: USA |
Add George A. Romero to Stephen King, and you know things will be cool. When you make it in the context of an EC comics-style anthology horror flick, it's definitely going to be a winner, and no mistake.
Lit in a garish way with lurid reds and blues, Creepshow delivers great boo-scares just as old comics such as Tales from the Crypt and Vault of Horror used to, loaded with poetic justice from beyond the grave, and before it, as well as alien invasion and amped-up Twilight Zone-weirdness. Creepshow provides old school horror nostalgia with an early 80s mean-spiritedness and Savini gore.
Where's my cake?
Father's Day: this tale of vengeance from beyond the grave features truly terrifying dancing from Ed Harris, as well as some great Savini re-animated corpse special effects work. Nathan Carmichael, murdered by his daughter Bedelia in revenge for the death of her beau in a
'hunting accident', is an unquiet sleeper, shall we say, with some rather nasty designs on the living on his mind…
Urgh…meteor shit!
The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill: a retarded cracker farmer (played by horror maestro Stephen King, mugging it for all that he's worth, positively chomping on the scenery) has a run-in with the contents of an unwelcome outer space visitor, and things get a bit hairy shall we say, from that point on… And why didn't George Romero play the doctor, I have to ask at this point?
I can hold my breath, for a looooong time!
Something to Tide You Over: My pick for the best of these tales, this story of watery vengeance stars a nasty, sadistic Leslie Nielsen, a surprisingly good pre-Cheers Ted Danson, and the always yummy Gaylen Ross.
Oh Henry, what would you do without me?,
The Crate: My close second, this Lovecraftian nasty stars an alcoholic, awfully gauche Adrienne Barbeau, and a hen-pecked Hal Holbrook (character-actor genius). A delightfully evil story of revenge, this is a barbaric tale of why you should be nice to your lover, and what bloodily happens when you're not...
Only the ones who, if you'll pardon the expression, fucked up.
They're Creeping Up On You: EG Marshall in raving loony obsessive-compulsive mode, terrified of bugs, but with little idea of what they're really capable of. Not one for those easily scared by cockroaches…
Above all, this film shows why it's unwise to throw away a child's comic books. After all, as we all know, comics make you into a better person.
As a paean to the old horror comics of the 50s, before the Comics Code crucified 'em, this is without parallel; at the same time nostalgic and vicious. As a fine example of 80s horror with a dash of pitch-black comedy, it can't be beat. I can't tell you how much I love this film. |
