Of the 666 or so horror anthologies made back in the day, CREEPSHOW is probably
the most well-known and the most entertaining. Is it also the best?
I would think so since the majority of them were just "Bleh!" Anyway,
horror legends George Romero and Stephen King got together to make a
light-hearted horror anthology as a homage to the EC horror comics from the
1950's and it works thanks to a quick pace, dope special effects and a seriously
impressive cast.
Father's Day
A small but wealthy family gathers together for their annual dinner and
bitchfest. They leisurely sit around smoking and drinking while recounting
old stories. Like the one where Great Aunt Bedelia beats her father to
death with a marble ashtray. Maybe next year they can tell the story about
how father came back from the dead and started fucking people up.
The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill
To me this is the highlight of the movie simply because I love watching Stephen
King's hilarious overacting as a backwoods lunkhead who sees a meteorite crash
near his shack. He rushes over to the crater and has a daydream about
selling the meteor to the local college's "Department of Meteors" for
two-hundred bucks. Then he gets some "meteor shit" on him and his
dream turns into a nightmare.
Something to Tide You Over
Another great story. This time around Ted Danson and Gaylen Ross get on
the wrong side of Leslie Neilson and end up acting out a pre-THE VANISHING (1988
version) roleplay on a beach. You'll never look THE NAKED GUN the same
ever again.
The Crate
The Crate is truly the highlight of the entire movie. Not only is it
straight-up unnerving and scary, but the acting is outstanding! I'm not
going to ruin it by giving away the story. Let's just say some people at
an old university find a crate hidden away under a staircase and it was hidden
for a reason! Great acting, great pacing, great character development,
great lighting, great special effects...The Crate is fucking swell.
They're Creeping Up on You!
I have some mixed feelings on this one. Not because it's bad, no it's an
excellent story, but it's too goddamn icky for me to enjoy. I still watch
it anytime CREEPSHOW is on, but I usually have my handsome face scrunched up
like a Taco Bell-eating billy goat just blasted thirteen dry-wet farts right up
my handsome nostrils. E. G. Marshall did a really good job in this segment.
The five stories are book-ended by a short prologue and epilogue featuring a
father talking mad shit to his young son about how horror comics are a bunch of
"horror crap". He throws away the comic, but the boy soon gets his
revenge for his dad being such a pain in the neck.
Yeah, CREEPSHOW is old as fuck, but it's still enjoyable. Honestly, the
only standout thing that I would change is a wider shot when garbage collector
Tom Savini throws that metal trashcan. Looks like he got some serious air on
it.
Part 2 - Creepshow 2 (1987)
Part 3 - Creepshow 3 (2006)