Every year in October, I like to watch some creepy movies or even some that I just associate with Halloween for some reason. The movies I watch this time of year vary in how scary and suspenseful they are. I recently watched a creepier movie, Creepshow.
Creepshow isn't a traditional movie. It is a collection of five different creepy stories that were supposed to be stories in a horror comic book called Creepshow. The tone of the stories and they way they were presented reminded me of Tales from the Crypt. When I was double checking some information on the movie, I learned that it was inspired by the E.C. horror comic books from the 1950's, including Tales from the Crypt. Stephen King wrote the stories, a few which were original for the movie. George A. Romero, already know for his zombie movies, directed.
The stories featured in Creepshow were connected by the short segments between them that showed images from the comic book, including the creature called the Creeper and some interesting ads. The movie had a short segment before and after the stories were shared featuring a young boy Billy who was in trouble for reading the comic book, which his father threw out. Billy saw a ghoulish thing at his window that was the Creeper. After the last story, the movie returned to Billy and his parents, showing them the next morning and how Billy was getting his revenge for his comic book being thrown out.
Father's Day - Four members of the Graham family were waiting for Aunt Bedelia to arrive on father's day. The family told the newest member, Cass's husband Hank how Aunt Bedelia had killed her father Nathan on father's day seven years earlier. Every year since, Bedelia would visit her father's grave on father's day before making it to the house for dinner. The family comes to learn that Nathan was still determined to get his cake for father's day.
The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill - A not so smart guy who lives in an isolate area saw a meteorite and went to investigate it. He had visions of selling it to the local college. Things didn't work out like he wanted and he ended up being slowly covered by a strange green plant like organism that came from the meteorite.
Something to Tide You Over - Richard Vickers had a unique way of dealing with learning that his wife Becky had been having an affair with Harry Wentworth. Richard buried both of them up to their necks on the beach during low tide and then set up video cameras to record their deaths. Richard found out that night that his plan hadn't worked exactly as he had hoped.
The Crate - A janitor at a college discovered a locked crate in the basement of the science building. The janitor reported it to Professor Dexter Stanley and the two men open the crate to discover something very dangerous inside. When another professor, Henry Northrup, heard about the crate, he decided it would be the perfect way to get rid of his domineering, alcoholic wife Wilma.
They're Creeping Up on You - Upson Pratt was a cruel business man who hated dirt, germs, and bugs so much that he had a sterile penthouse created. Upson freaked out when he spotted first one and then more cockroaches in the penthouse.
None of the stories told in Creepshow were very long, so they weren't as developed. That didn't bother me and I felt there was enough story and character development for each story since. If the stories had been longer, more development would have been needed for them to work. The stories weren't complex or complicated, so people shouldn't have any problems keeping up with what was going on in them. I did think that all the stories were entertaining, though I didn't like The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill as much as the others.
All five stories had odd plots and were spooky or creepy. The supernatural played a big part in what was going on throughout Creepshow, so people who don't care for those types of movies shouldn't bother with this one. There was a bit of violence in some of the stories, but most of it wasn't that graphic. The creepiest thing that happened in the movie was in They're Creeping Up on You. The last minute or so showed something really nasty that creeped me out more than anything else from the previous stories. That was probably the more graphic thing shown. The movie was rated R and isn't for children to see.
Each of the stories featured different characters and all of them were basically flat characters. That didn't bother me since they were only being included in short stories instead of full length movies. None of the people in the family from the first movie seemed likable. Hank, the new husband, seemed slightly better than the others. Ed Harris played that part with more hair than I've ever seen him with, so he did look kind of strange to me.
Adrienne Barbeau handled the part of Wilma, the horrible wife, well. She made the character very annoying, so it was believable why her husband wanted her gone. Hal Holbrook was fine as her husband, a very different type of part than I'm use to seeing her in. Jordy was the only character featured in the second story. Somehow I missed it that Stephen King played the part when I saw the movie before. King shouldn't quit his day job. Upson was really the only character in his story as well, though a few others were heard on the phone or through his door. He was not a nice guy at all, so I didn't really feel bad for him with how things worked out for him. E.G. Marshall played the part very well.
Richard seemed fine at first, but it quickly became clear that he was not a nice guy. It was really strange to me to see Leslie Nielsen in a part like this since I'm use to seeing him in silly comedies, but he was really good in the part. I also thought that Ted Danson was good in his part of Harry. Richard's wife Becky really wasn't shown, so Gaylen Ross didn't have much to do. None of the other characters stood out as much to me. Billy and his parents were only in the two short sequences, so they really didn't have much to do.
Main Cast
Adrienne Barbeau - Wilma Northrup Ted Danson - Harry Wentworth Ed Harris - Hank Blaine Hal Holbrook - Henry Northrup Stephen King - Jordy Verrill E.G. Marshall - Upson Pratt Leslie Nielsen - Richard Vickers
George A. Romero - Director
DVD Information
I picked up the DVD for Creepshow several years ago when I found it for $5. One side of the disc has the widescreen version of the movie and the other side has the full screen version. The theatrical trailer was included and that was it for any sort of extras.
Creepshow was an entertaining, creepy movie that I enjoy watching around Halloween. It isn't as graphic or gory as newer horror movies, which might disappoint some viewers. People who liked Tales from the Crypt may enjoy the movie since it is similar to the show.
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