I can't believe this movie only ranks at a 6.6 on IMDb. Of course, even at the time of its release back in '82 there was skepticism toward it. Headed by horror legends George A. Romero and Stephen King, people seem to forget this movie exists to do one thing and one thing only: celebrate the macabre and the sick. Note the title itself you douches consider their taste in film to be of the upper crust. "Creepshow" doesn't have the nihilistic undertone of Romero's usual work or King's expected psychological torture because it is meant to simply be a fun experience.
If you're a horror buff, you know Romero has long credited the classic EC horror comics of the 50s (e.g. Tales From the Crypt) as his inspiration. This is basically the whole point of the film; to feel like a comic book brought to life. Hence, things are bound to be marvelously over-the-top in some regards. One of the best things about this film, to me its strongest aspect in general, is its visual style. It angles many shots as if they were cut outs from a comic, there is some awesome usage of hand drawn animation (I LOVE the opening credit scene) and there is some BAD-ASS use of extreme lighting shifts. To put this in perspective, one second the room is darkly lit but not out of the ordinary per say. Next thing you know the room and all its objects are bathed in a blood-like red, making the photography so well done in this picture.
Another aspect you have to embrace in order to fully appreciate the film is its tone. As I said before, this isn't aiming to be cryptic and challenging like let's say "The Shining" (which King also wrote) or as realistic and seriously-toned as "Night of the Living Dead". If anything this movie is a blend of horror and comedy. Thing is it's a brand of comedy most people to this day don't get: the dirty guilty pleasure of black humor. A zombie who wants his Father's Day Cake, a hillbilly assuming a meteorite will fetch him a mere $200, a man feeding his nagging-boozed up wife to a snarling beast; the tales drip with not just blood but a comical yet stinging look at banal archetypes.
And the cast, let me tell ya, is damn good. It's not like they're handing out Academy Award winning lines, but the acting is pretty well done. Tom Atkins is pretty great as the abusive father, Viveca Lindfore (Bedelia) was awesome and who can forget Mr. King himself as Jordy Verrill? Ted Danson, Fritz Weaver, Hal Holbrook (YES), E.G. Marshall and the always-stunning Adrienne Barbeau do spectacular jobs. My favorite performance would just have to be Leslie Nielsen. He was pretty awesome, let's face it.
Topping all this off is one of my favorite horror film scores by none other than John Harrison. He also composed for Romero's 1985 film "Day of the Dead". Synthesizers and pianos, not to mention an eerie chorus, the music is just great. And the effects work of Tom Savini, as always, astounds. From creating the walking dead (no pun intended), to vicious crated-yeti—beast to a horde of disgusting cockroaches, he excels in his line of work.
"Creepshow" is a damn classic and should be eternally revered by all means. My only gripe is that the U.S. DVD is crap seeing as it contains no special features aside a trailer. I haven't seen a DVD with this little effort since Sony Tristar released those awful '50th Anniversary special edition' Godzilla DVDs. If you truly appreciate horror, and as I intend to do, buy yourself a copy of the Region 2 DVD which comes with behind the scenes material, commentaries and interviews with the masters behind the masterpiece. And trust me, Region 2 DVDs should play on most blu-ray and DVD players. My region 2 Godzilla DVDs perform just fine on both.
"Where's my Father's Day Cake?"
If you're a horror buff, you know Romero has long credited the classic EC horror comics of the 50s (e.g. Tales From the Crypt) as his inspiration. This is basically the whole point of the film; to feel like a comic book brought to life. Hence, things are bound to be marvelously over-the-top in some regards. One of the best things about this film, to me its strongest aspect in general, is its visual style. It angles many shots as if they were cut outs from a comic, there is some awesome usage of hand drawn animation (I LOVE the opening credit scene) and there is some BAD-ASS use of extreme lighting shifts. To put this in perspective, one second the room is darkly lit but not out of the ordinary per say. Next thing you know the room and all its objects are bathed in a blood-like red, making the photography so well done in this picture.
Another aspect you have to embrace in order to fully appreciate the film is its tone. As I said before, this isn't aiming to be cryptic and challenging like let's say "The Shining" (which King also wrote) or as realistic and seriously-toned as "Night of the Living Dead". If anything this movie is a blend of horror and comedy. Thing is it's a brand of comedy most people to this day don't get: the dirty guilty pleasure of black humor. A zombie who wants his Father's Day Cake, a hillbilly assuming a meteorite will fetch him a mere $200, a man feeding his nagging-boozed up wife to a snarling beast; the tales drip with not just blood but a comical yet stinging look at banal archetypes.
And the cast, let me tell ya, is damn good. It's not like they're handing out Academy Award winning lines, but the acting is pretty well done. Tom Atkins is pretty great as the abusive father, Viveca Lindfore (Bedelia) was awesome and who can forget Mr. King himself as Jordy Verrill? Ted Danson, Fritz Weaver, Hal Holbrook (YES), E.G. Marshall and the always-stunning Adrienne Barbeau do spectacular jobs. My favorite performance would just have to be Leslie Nielsen. He was pretty awesome, let's face it.
Topping all this off is one of my favorite horror film scores by none other than John Harrison. He also composed for Romero's 1985 film "Day of the Dead". Synthesizers and pianos, not to mention an eerie chorus, the music is just great. And the effects work of Tom Savini, as always, astounds. From creating the walking dead (no pun intended), to vicious crated-yeti—beast to a horde of disgusting cockroaches, he excels in his line of work.
"Creepshow" is a damn classic and should be eternally revered by all means. My only gripe is that the U.S. DVD is crap seeing as it contains no special features aside a trailer. I haven't seen a DVD with this little effort since Sony Tristar released those awful '50th Anniversary special edition' Godzilla DVDs. If you truly appreciate horror, and as I intend to do, buy yourself a copy of the Region 2 DVD which comes with behind the scenes material, commentaries and interviews with the masters behind the masterpiece. And trust me, Region 2 DVDs should play on most blu-ray and DVD players. My region 2 Godzilla DVDs perform just fine on both.
"Where's my Father's Day Cake?"