Key Movies In My Life: Creepshow (1982)

(Originally Published on 10/11/17)

As a kid, Horror was king in our home. Yes, we were sci fi and fantasy buffs but Horror was my father’s first love so, in turn, it was mine as well. In the 80’s if you loved Horror, you loved Stephen King, not just because his books were insanely popular but also because most his books were being made into everything from Movies to mini series. King was…well…King. I guess Everything’s Eventual since he is popular again these days, and for good reason!

This is one of my favorite creepy and silly films ever. Marking the first screenplay by author Stephen King and also directed by the famous horror director George A. Romero, this movie will always have a place on my shelf, I give you: Creepshow.

Todays Key Movie:

Creepshow is an anthology film that features five stories penned by Stephen King all bound together with a book-ended story about an abusive father who doesn’t want his son to read horror comics. Each story is as follows:

Father’s Day: A story an evil woman named Bedelia and the story of her evil Father and how he just wants his Father’s Day cake…even if he gets if from the grave.

The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill: Starring King himself, this is the story of a lonely country boy and his fateful encounter with a meteorite.

Something To Tide You Over: A psychopath (played by Leslie Neilsen) gets revenge on his wife and her lover…but the sea abides.

The Crate: A Large crate is found in the basement of museum having remained lost for 147 years. Unfortunately there is something hungry inside.

They’re Creeping up on You: Have a fear of cockroaches? This one’s for you.

Why this movie?

80’s horror is the best. I’m not talking about the slasher films, although those are fun, I’m talking about those little gems that are both fun and scary. Creepshow brings back the old EC comics of old like Vault of Horror or Weird Science (yes, that is where that movie got its name). Back before the onslaught of the Comic Code Authority making it ‘illegal’ to have real horror in comics. This movie is in homage to those and man does it do them justice. King and Romero, two masters of the genre in their own right, pairing up to make what would be a cult classic for generations to see.

Each segment has it’s own unique flavor and I will be talking about them all here today. Ready? Let’s go.

Father’s Day: This one alone is worth it for the end segment. I won’t spoil it for you but it involves cake and a head. I mean seriously. It is an epic moment that really just gets things going. There is absolutely no one in this story that is redeemable and that is part of the payoff. A young Ed Harris is in it too playing a new member of the family who loses his head. The other thing that makes this segment so good are the visuals. From a bug crawling across a grave stone to a slight skull in the full moon, Romero NAILS the visuals on this one. So cool.

The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill: This one is a hoot. King plays a country bumpkin who comes into contact with a meteor. At first he thinks he’s rich but his insecurities get the best of him and he doesn’t even go for medical help. The segment is delightful as King really dives into his character. He is funny and sad all at once and it remains one of my favorite strange tales.

Something To Tide You Over: Leslie Nielsen gets to play a bad guy and when Ted Danson is involved, you know it will be a fun ride. This was probably my least favorite of the 5 stories when I was a kid but it has aged well and I appreciate it all the more now. Needless to say, SPOILER ALERT, it was also one that creeped me out the most when some of the characters return as waterlogged creatures.

The Crate: THIS ONE. My God man, this is THE single most iconic segment of this movie. When people talk about Creepshow, they always talk about ‘that Crate monster’! And for good reason. This is one of the coolest segments period. One cool tidbit is the crate itself reads : SHIP TO HORLICKS UNIVERSITY VIA JULIA CARPENTER ARCTIC EXPEDITION JUNE 19,1834. Catch the reference?

They’re Creeping up on You: if you have a fear of bugs, stop this movie before this one starts. It deals with a guy who is a germaphobe battling a roach infestation. Every aspect of this one is downright creepy and, to a kid, this one was believable. It still creeps me out to this day.

How did this translate to real life?

It doesn’t. It’s just one of those really cool films that kept my Horror fandom at full tilt. This also made me even more of a Stephen King fan. When shows like Creepshow, Tales From The Dark Side, Freddy’s Nightmares and more came out, I loved them because of movies like this. This was the movie that made me want more short form horror.

Okay, you like this film, but is it really a ‘good film’?

Yes, it is good. It’s dated but it is really good. If you like horror, if you like classic comics, if you like Stephen King, if you like George Romero, then do yourself a favor and see this one. It’s not award winning by any means but damn did they do an excellent job in the production of it. The music even has the John Carpenter feel to it. Synth and all.

Oh and there is a Creepshow 2. It’s not too bad either! I’ll be sure to discuss this one later.

OK, where do I get this movie?

You can get this one in pretty much any shop that videos are sold for anywhere from $5-$10. You’ve probably walked passed it a few times at your local department store. You can get it here for around $10.

and of course: the classic trailer.

 

Thank you for reading today. I hope you enjoyed the review. If you would like to read more reviews I have a weekly series called Key Movies Of My Life that comes out every Thursday.  We also have a fun Retro TV Review series in which we are currently reviewing the entire Star Trek The Next Generation Series, episode by episode.

As always, please feel free to comment below and share your experiences with these movies as well. If you just happened by, tell me what you think! Don’t Forget To Follow me if you like the blog!

Late To The Game 11/4/18