If there’s one subgenre of horror that seems to bring out the most energy in filmmakers, it’s definitely the concept of the “horror anthology”. Shows like “Tales from the Crypt” and “American Horror Story” may be of fluctuating quality depending on the individual episodes, but both shows (and others) often attracted some of the most renowned and acclaimed actors, directors, and other such creators, and the common consensus among all who contributed to those shows and films seems to be that it was just plain fun to be a part of. There were arguably two catalysts of the “horror anthology’s” resurgence- the 1974 “Tales from the Crypt” film, and today’s subject- Creepshow. Released in 1982, the film is an anthology consisting of five short-subject horror films, and was a collaboration between Night of the Living Dead director George Romero and acclaimed horror writer Stephen King (who wrote the screenplay for each story). Each segment was inspired by (and filmed in the style of) EC’s pulp horror comics of the 1950’s, such as “Tales from the Crypt” and “Vault of Horror”, as the creators grew up with those stories and wanted to lovingly recreate the experience of reading them. Creepshow’s cinematography even goes so far as to emulate comic panels and transitions, in addition to the remarkable lighting tricks and practical effects. The film’s tagline promoted it as “the most fun you’ll have being scared”, and thanks to its creative energy and fun, creepy segments, Creepshow certainly delivers. However, rather than give the typical plot synopsis before the review proper (since the overarching story of an abusive father throwing his son’s horror comic is more or less a framing device), I’m instead going to attempt concise reviews for each of the short films within the larger film, starting with…
Father’s Day
The well-off family of a cruel, miserly and abusive old man (implied to be a mobster while he was alive) gets together for an annual family dinner shortly following the death of the patriarch on Father’s Day. Late to arrive is Aunt Bedelia, his daughter, who mudered him on father’s day after decades of domineering abuse, and really only showed up to the party in order to curse her father’s name. The catharsis is short-lived, however, when the old man rises from the grave, killing her and other relatives in search of the Father’s Day cake he never received.
This is probably my least favorite of the stories, but it at least does well to establish a fairly consistent tone with it’s macabre sense of humor and equally macabre sense of justice against Bedelia’s awful family. My biggest criticism is that the segment is somewhat slow, and it takes a while for the zombified father to arrive, but the ending is gruesome and amusing enough that the first impression isn’t necessarily a bad one.
The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill
A meteor crashes in the middle of the farm of a dopey, hapless yokel named Jordy Verrill (Stephen King), who expects to be handsomely rewarded for the glowing space rock. His plans go horribly awry, however, when the meteor cracks open, secreting goo that ends up on Jordy’s hand and on his land, causing a moss-like fungus to start growing everywhere at a rapid pace. Soon, the strange vegetation covers both the farmland and Jordy himself, all while he attempts (with tragically funny results) to stop the growth and the unbearable itching the plant has wrought.
This is easily the most lighthearted and funny of the segments, though that’s not to say it isn’t creepy in its own right. In fact, its impressive how vast the effects team were able to make the alien weeds, and the set design for the overgrown farm is spectacular. What makes the comedy end work so well, though, is the surprisingly hilarious performance of Stephen King himself. It’s amusing to see the writer of his own story ham it up like he’s channeling the likes of Jerry Lewis, and while it is as over-the-top as you could expect, his sympathetic, yet hopeless portrayal of the dimwitted, klutzy farmer is both on-point and hysterical. The dark nature of this one’s ending detracts a tiny bit from the comedy, but “The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill” is where Creepshow really comes into its own.
Something to Tide You Over
Yet another wealthy psychopath is a major factor in this story, in which an old, unhinged rich man (Leslie Nielsen) discovers that his wife is cheating on him with a younger man (Ted Danson). He stages an elaborate revenge against the two lovers by threatening them at gunpoint and forcing them to bury themselves up to their necks on the beach by his house, all while he retreats to his condo to watch the tide come in to end them. Even after the deed is done, however, old maniac is far from safe, as justice soon takes a horrifying form, and it arrives right at his doorstep on the night of the staged drownings…
“Something to Tide You Over” is actually my personal favorite of the segments, next to another later segment, and about 70% of the reasons are all rooted in Leslie Neilsen’s performance. It’s really a shame that his later comedic work, however good, became his defining ethos, since Neilsen’s had a long and storied career that should make his effortless charisma and intimidation a surprise to no-one here. Even when his character, Richard Vickers, makes a quip at the expense of his victims, Neilsen delivers it with a frighteningly approachable tone that makes the actual actions of the character seem even more deranged. Keeping in the tradition of the comics inspiring it, this segment also has a macabre twist ending that manages to be scary, hilarious, and even ambiguous in its own way, and the end result will also appeal to viewers with a dark sense of justice. “Something to Tide You Over” is a short subject I’d actually call perfect in its execution, much like the following…
The Crate
A college janitor finds the titular crate under a staircase in the school, somehow shipped there from the Arctic. This crate, retrieved from an expedition, contains a monstrous fanged creature resembling a mandrill, which proceeds to kills whoever finds it. The surviving professors leave it to rest under the stairs, leading a henpecked husband of a professor (Hal Holbrook) to discover it and gleefully use it to “deal” with his drunken, abrasive wife.
Next to the previous segment, “The Crate” is probably the best of the bunch, and its for those reasons that I’m being comparatively vague in my synopsis. The cinematography and comic-style presentation of this short is at its best here in terms the whole movie, and its sense of buildup and dark comedy are ingenious. In particular, the filmmakers made a wise decision to keep the monster concealed for much of the story, and its onscreen appearances are as terrifying as they are well-timed. Also, speaking of the presentation, certain shots of the movie have colorful backdrops and lighting in order to homage the aforementioned horror comics it’s trying to emulate, and while each segment makes expert use of them, this one is the best example of that expertise. The cast is also suitably unlikable, making the twists that happen at their expenses all the more hilarious. If ever there were a reason to see Creepshow, this and the third segment are definitely it.
They’re Creeping Up on You
Misanthropic, mysophobic and ruthless entrepreneur Upson Pratt (E.G. Marshall) is soon to be rewarded for his cruel, selfish life in the worst way imaginable. His isolated penthouse room is hit by a citywide blackout, and upon the return of electricity, it is utterly infested with cockroaches. Neither the duct work, nor the fridge, nor the panic room are safe from the swarm, and it soon becomes clear that Pratt is helpless to control them.
This segment gets the shortest synopsis for being the shortest and most concise of the five, and while the segment is quite successful in setting up Pratt as a reprehensible miser deserving of poetic justice, the payoff to this end may be a deterrent for more squeamish viewers. It says something when the end of the segment managed to make George Romero and Stephen King wince, so if you’re not a fan of roaches (and really not a fan of gore), you’re better off skipping this one in spite of how well it does to shock.
All in all, Creepshow could hardly be accused of being high-brow horror, but the love its creators had for the comics that inspired the movie in downright infectious, and for a well-made, scary popcorn movie to watch around Halloween, you couldn’t have many better choices. This comes with an enthusiastic recommendation.
Rich Reviews 