Body Bags (1993) (TV)

Directors:

John Carpenter
Tobe Hooper
(more)

Writers (WGA):

Billy Brown (written by) &
Dan Angel (written by)

Release Date:

8 August 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Horror | Comedy | Thriller

Tagline:

Zip yourself in tight!

Plot:

Three short stories in the horror genre The first about a serial killer The second about a hair transplant...

Plot Keywords:

Serial Killer | Transplant | Hair | Investigation | Auto Repair Facility

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

John Carpenter	...	The Coroner (segment "The Morgue")
Tom Arnold	...	Morgue Worker #1 (segment "The Morgue")
Tobe Hooper	...	Morgue Worker #2 (segment "The Morgue")
Robert Carradine	...	Bill (segment "The Gas Station")
Alex Datcher	...	Anne (segment "The Gas Station")
Peter Jason	...	Gent (segment "The Gas Station")
Molly Cheek	...	Divorcee (segment "The Gas Station")
Wes Craven	...	Pasty Faced Man
Sam Raimi	...	Dead Bill (segment "The Gas Station")
David Naughton	...	Pete (segment "The Gas Station")
George 'Buck' Flower	...	Stranger (segment "The Gas Station") (as Buck Flower)
Lucy Boryer	...	Peggy (segment "The Gas Station")
Roger Rooks	...	TV Anchorman (segment "The Gas Station")
Stacy Keach	...	Richard Coberts (segment "Hair")
David Warner	...	Dr. Lock (segment "Hair")
Sheena Easton	...	Megan (segment "Hair")
Dan Blom	...	Dennis (segment "Hair")
Attila	...	Man with Beautiful Hair (segment "Hair")
Kim Alexis	...	Woman with Beautiful Hair (segment "Hair")
Gregory Nicotero	...	Man with Dog (segment "Hair") (as Greg Nicotero)
Deborah Harry	...	The Nurse (segment "Hair")
Mark Hamill	...	Brent Matthews (segment "Eye")
Twiggy	...	Cathy Matthews (segment "Eye")
John Agar	...	Dr. Lang (segment "Eye")
Roger Corman	...	Dr. Bregman (segment "Eye")
Charles Napier	...	Baseball Team Manager (segment "Eye")
Eddie Velez	...	Baseball Player (segment "Eye")
Betty Muramoto	...	Librarian (segment "Eye")
Bebe Drake	...	Nurse (segment "Eye") (as Bebe Drake-Massey)
Sean McClory	...	Minister (segment "Eye")
Robert Lewis Bush	...	Man (segment "Eye") (as Robert L. Bush)
Gregory Alpert	...	Technician (segment "Eye") (as Gregory H. Alpert)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Martine LeBlanc	...	Zombie Cathy (segment "Eye") (uncredited)

Directed by
John Carpenter		(segments "Gas Station, The" and "Hair")
Tobe Hooper		(segment "Eye")
Larry Sulkis		(uncredited)

Writing credits (WGA)
Billy Brown		(written by) &
Dan Angel		(written by)

Produced by
Dan Angel	....	co-producer
Dan Angel	....	executive producer
John Carpenter	....	executive producer
Sandy King	....	executive producer
Sandy King	....	producer

Original Music by
John Carpenter
Jim Lang

Cinematography by
Gary B. Kibbe		(as Gary Kibbe)

Film Editing by
Edward A. Warschilka

Production Design by
Daniel A. Lomino

Set Decoration by
Cloudia Rebar		(as Cloudia)

Makeup Department
Rick Baker	....	coroner's makeup
Carolyn Elias	....	hair stylist
Greg LaCava	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Peter L. Bergquist	....	unit production manager
Steven Hewitt	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Christian P. Della Penna	....	second assistant director
Artist W. Robinson	....	first assistant director (as Artist Robinson)

Art Department
Scott M. Anderson	....	swing gang
Jason Bedig	....	lead man
Gary A. Brewer	....	swing gang (as Gary Brewer)
Todd Jensen	....	property maker (as Todd K. Jensen)
Curt Jones	....	propmaker (as Curtis B. Jones)
William W. King	....	property master
Frank Leasure	....	construction foreman
Todd R. Livingston	....	labor foreman
Steve Morey	....	propmaker
Craig Nycz	....	paint foreman
Norman 'Pepie' Tuers	....	assistant props
Michael Wright	....	construction coordinator (as Michael S. Wright)

Sound Department
Bruce Bell	....	foley mixer
Gary Blufer	....	sound effects recordist
Mark Bovos	....	sound mixer
Rickley W. Dumm	....	assistant sound editor (as Rickley Dumm)
John Michael Fanaris	....	sound effects coordinator
Hector C. Gika	....	sound editor (as Hector Gika)
Larry Hoki	....	sound recordist
Joseph Holsen	....	sound editor
Jeffrey A. Humphreys	....	cable person
Kurt Kassulke	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Kwiatkowski	....	sound editor (as John Kwaitkowski)
James LaRue	....	sound mixer (as James S. LaRue)
Lee Lemont	....	adr editor
Blake Marion	....	sound effects coordinator
Anthony Milch	....	sound editing supervisor (as Anthony R. Milch)
Jay Nierenberg	....	sound editor
Jeffrey Perkins	....	supervising re-recording mixer
Scott Sherline	....	boom operator
Becky Sullivan	....	supervising adr editor (as Becky Coblentz)
Shawn Sykora	....	sound editor
Robert Wald	....	sound mixer (as Robert Allen Wald)
Donald L. Warner Jr.	....	sound editor
J.R. Westen	....	adr mixer
Michael Miller	....	re-recording projectionist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Howard Berger	....	special makeup effects
Howard Jensen	....	special effects
Todd Jensen	....	propmaker (as Todd K. Jensen)
Robert Kurtzman	....	special makeup effects
Gregory Nicotero	....	special makeup effects (as Greg Nicotero)

Visual Effects by
Michael F. Hoover	....	digital artist

Stunts
Tony Brubaker	....	stunt coordinator
Jeff Imada	....	stunt coordinator
Henry Kingi	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Jack Bauer	....	company grip
Mark Bolin	....	dolly grip (as Mark A. Bolin)
Jon Timothy Evans	....	gaffer
Joe Garcia	....	electrician
Lisa Guerriero	....	camera loader (as Lisa A. Guerriero)
Albert Hood	....	electrician (as Al Hood)
Brian Kibbie	....	second assistant camera (as Brian Kibbe)
Elliott Marks	....	still photographer
Jeffrey Norvet	....	first assistant camera (as Jeff Norvet)
John Owens	....	electrician
Gordon Paschal	....	camera operator
Craig Peiffer	....	second grip
Harry Rez	....	key grip
Jason Rez	....	best boy grip
J.B. Richner	....	best boy electric
Joseph A. Unsinn	....	video operator (as Joe A. Unsinn III)
Brian Bibbe	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)

Animation Department
Jim Danforth	....	animator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robert Lewis Bush	....	costume supervisor: men (as Robert Bush)
Robert Iannaccone	....	set wardrobe

Editorial Department
Angie Luckey	....	apprentice editor
Sharon McGeeney	....	negative cutter
Paul C. Warschilka	....	first assistant editor: film

Transportation Department
Tim Abbatoye	....	driver (as Timothy B. Abbatoye)
Mike Berdrow	....	driver
Peter R. Chittell	....	driver
Harold R. Davis	....	transportation captain
Kenneth L. Hardman	....	driver
Ron Hardman	....	transportation coordinator
Bob Hendrix	....	driver (as Bob L. Hendrix)
Maxwell R. Johnson	....	driver (as Maxwell Johnson)
Gary Kincaid	....	driver (as Gary E. Kincaid)
Harold G. Muehlig	....	driver
William Prevatte	....	driver
Sherman Raney	....	driver
Lenny Scaletta	....	driver
Raymond Van Holtan	....	driver

Other crew
Gregory Alpert	....	assistant location manager
Elizabeth Broeker	....	assistant accountant
Cary Conway	....	production assistant
Karin Costa	....	assistant to producers
Steve Dellerson	....	production assistant
Joy Ewing	....	production accountant
Ken Lavet	....	location manager (as Kenneth Lavet)
Matt Merritt	....	assistant production coordinator (as J. Matt Merritt)
Cheryl Miller	....	production coordinator
Jesse W. Quiroz	....	craft service
Steven Jay Rubin	....	unit publicist
Michael Salven	....	production assistant
B.J. Smith	....	first aid
Paul Sterling	....	production assistant
Hope Williams	....	script supervisor
Michael Burnett	....	special properties (uncredited)
Michael Burnett	....	stop motion puppets (uncredited)
Jim Danforth	....	logo designer: 187 Corporation (uncredited)

Production Companies

• 187 Corp.
• Showtime Networks

Distributors

• Arcade Movie Company (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS) (horrorbox with "Night of the Demons 2" and "Rumpelstiltskin")
• Artisan Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Ascot Video (199?) (Germany) (VHS)
• Bridge Entertainment Group (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Malofilm Home Video (????) (Canada) (VHS)
• Republic Pictures (II) (200?) (USA) (video)
• SBS6 (200?) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Showtime Networks (1993) (USA) (TV)
• Splendid Film (1998) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (1994) (Germany) (VHS)
• Works Editora (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Effects Associates (stop motion animation: hair creatures)
• K.N.B. Effects Group
• The Garden of Allah (digital animation: hair creatures)

Other Companies

• Cinnovation Inc.  coroner's makeup
• International Recording  re-recording
• K.N.B. Effects Group  special make-up effects
• Knobworld  music recording
• Pacific Title  titles
• Rainbow Casting Service  extra casting
• SoundStorm  sound editing
• The Backseat Casting Company  casting

Also Known As:

"John Carpenter Presents 'Mind Games'" - USA (cable TV title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality and horror violence

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Germany:18 (cut) | Argentina:13 | Australia:R | UK:18 | USA:R | Spain:18 | Finland:K-18 (2002) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1994) | Iceland:16 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Company:

187 Corp.

Trivia:

Was made as the pilot episode for a proposed anthology series to air on Showtime, but Showtime pulled the plug.

Quotes:

Pete:I forgot my credit card.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Midnight Movie Review: Body Bags (#2.71)" (2011)

Soundtrack:

ALMOST CUT MY HAIR

"I think we got time for one more body bag"

John Carpenter presents "Body Bags", in which it reads true as he plays very-well looking coroner (well he might not be as what he seems) late at night fooling around in a morgue, while spitting out macabre jokes (visual and verbal) and then introducing us to three buoyant little stories. They range from horrific, humorous and simply bizarre with a "Tales from the Crypt" spin to them. In this low-budget TV production Carpenter would direct the first two; "The Gas Station" and "Hair", but the third story "The Eye" would be fronted by director Tobe Hopper. Carpenter and Hooper wouldn't be the only recognizable names, as the cast line-up is rather mouth-watering. You got Stacy Keach, David Warner, Mark Hamill, David Naughton, Robert Carradine, Deborah Harry, Twiggy, George Buck Flower, Charles Napier, John Agar, Roger Corman and a minor cameo from Tom Arnold. Also some horror participants have tiny parts; Sam Ramini, Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper and make-up/special effects maestro Gregory Nicotero.

The first story; "The Gas Station" starring Alex Datcher, Robert Carrdine and David Naughton is probably my favourite of the lot. It's the most straight-forward, but effectively atmospheric (very well photographed with its encroaching angles) and suspenseful, which sees a lady on her first day of the job looking over an isolated gas station late one-night night, where she becomes a target of a satanic serial killer. Quite high-tempo with its grounded cat-and-mouse layout. You really do feel the growing unease displayed by Datcher's character and the tension that unfolds from its eerily forlorn backdrop, but this exercise into familiarity just works. Some fruity characters also helps, and it's not without its parodying humour either to balance it out.

"Hair" the second story, starts off with a natural fear before becoming quite an offbeat and quirky entry which sees Stacy Keach being plagued by the fear of losing his hair. After trying everything to combat it, he seeks treatment from a specialist doctor. It works --- lovely long hair, but at what cost. Keach is a blast in the lead and he shares terrific on-screen chemistry with the likes of Sheena Easton, David Warner and a colourful Debbie Harry. Witty dialogues and a nice sense of wicked cruelty in a revelation that's just plain crazy.

Finally we end off with Hooper's "The Eye". A brooding supernatural tale that has Mark Hamill an up-and coming baseball player in a terrible car accident, where he loses his right eye. However a doctor offers him the chance to get that sight back in an eye transplant but there's no guarantee it will work. However it does, but soon he's plagued by headaches and visions --- dark and disturbing ones. This one takes on a more serious approach compared with the previous outings with an excellently confident Mark Hamill with good support by Twiggy. The story might be predictable, but it's well-paced where the inflicted transformation of our edgy central character is suitably pitched. Some ghastly shocks moments show up too.

Joining it up is the enjoyably warped wrap-around segment with Carpenter (where Rick Baker did the make-up for) and this sees the cameo turns of Hooper and Arnold at the end. The dialogues might be what you most remember, but some of the decors on show in this segment are amusingly executed.

As a whole it's a complete package with the stories perfectly complementing each other. They might not be spectacular, but I liked the three.

Good, fun comic horror anthology opus by Carpenter and co.