Creepshow Review

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Neil W

Well-Known Member
May 27, 2008
1,203
2,592
Isle of Wight UK
Creepshow is the first of the Stephen King anthology movies.

Directed by George Romero, this collects four King short stories from the Night Shift era and tells them within the format of one of the EC horror comics of the 50s. The stories are all very much that kind of thing - short, pithy, punchy, and with tongue very much in cheek.

The comic framework extends to the bookend sequences for each episode, which is animated. King, who so often cameos in filmed adaptations of his work, is here given the central role in one of the segments, and does a decent job as the gormless and ill-fated Jordy Verill.

This is a decent set of stories and an entertaining, if unexceptional, movie.
 
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Neesy

#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
May 24, 2012
61,289
239,271
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Creepshow is the first of the Stephen King anthology movies.

Directed by George Romero, this collects four King short stories from the Night Shift era and tells them within the format of one of the EC horror comics of the 50s. The stories are all very much that kind of thing - short, pithy, punchy, and with tongue very much in cheek.

The comic framework extends to the bookend sequences for each episode, which is animated. King, who so often cameos in filmed adaptations of his work, is here given the central role in one of the segments, and does a decent job as the gormless and ill-fated Jordy Verill.

This is a decent set of stories and an entertaining, if unexceptional, movie.

Unexceptional? I beg to differ! I saw this in the theatre in 1980 (or 81?). Anyway, it was not at all what I expected. I loved it!

It was so campy and over the top. I would love to record this movie so my son could see it. Leslie Nielson? Adrienne Barbeau? Okay I will admit the special effects with the cockroaches
bursting out of that man's chest
were not the greatest. At the time I felt it looked fake.
But, overall I thought it was much better than just "unexceptional".
 

skimom2

Just moseyin' through...
Oct 9, 2013
15,683
92,168
USA
Unexceptional? I beg to differ! I saw this in the theatre in 1980 (or 81?). Anyway, it was not at all what I expected. I loved it!

It was so campy and over the top. I would love to record this movie so my son could see it. Leslie Nielson? Adrienne Barbeau? Okay I will admit the special effects with the cockroaches
bursting out of that man's chest
were not the greatest. At the time I felt it looked fake.
But, overall I thought it was much better than just "unexceptional".

It brought the fun and camp back to horror--at the time, they were trending to the overly serious, teen slashers. I loved CREEPY comics (still do), so I really liked it. And cockroaches are one of the only things that horrify me to my core (yes, I know they can't hurt me but *shudder*), so that bit still gives me the willies.
 

Neil W

Well-Known Member
May 27, 2008
1,203
2,592
Isle of Wight UK
Don't get me wrong - I completely got where it was coming from (and I have the Bernie Wrightson comic adaptation of it, just to drive the point home), but it was primarily fun, which is great, but a little bit lightweight as a result.
 

guido tkp

Well-Known Member
Oct 1, 2009
2,632
480
outside the dome
great movie...perfect in almost every b-movie, campy, cheesy, wonderful way...

easily one of my all-time favorite king movies...

and, to the best of my meager knowledge, it may be the single only great movie-style rendidtion of those great, old comics i grew up with

a total labor of love on the parts of messers king and romero...and everyone involved...genius !!
 
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Scratch

In the flesh.
Sep 1, 2014
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It brought the fun and camp back to horror--at the time, they were trending to the overly serious, teen slashers. I loved CREEPY comics (still do), so I really liked it. And cockroaches are one of the only things that horrify me to my core (yes, I know they can't hurt me but *shudder*), so that bit still gives me the willies.

Absolutely. I would rather be covered in snakes than roaches. And CREEPY was my favorite then EERIE then 1984 then UNKNOWN WORLDS OF SCIENCE FICTION then VAMPIRELLA then VAMPIRE TALES then ZOMBIE TALES then WEIRD WAR then UNEXPECTED then HEAVY METAL then HOUSE OF MYSTERY then WEIRD MYSTERY then... lets just say I took to restoring old trunks for a reason.
From my wall-
CREEPY 026.JPG
I loved Creepshow. The family and I were in Memphis airport when I noticed Hal Holbrook seated across from us. I was all excited and trying to explain who it was and I burst out with "just call her Billy- everybody does" when I noticed him look up from his paper in mild disgust. Poor guy probably thought it was the only thing I remembered him in. I would have said All the Presidents Men but everybody knew immediately when I said Creepshow.

I still say "do it noooooow" on occasion though few get the reference.
 
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