Unveiling the Chilling Secrets of Romero’s ‘Creepshow’: A Horror Anthology Like No Other!

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#8 in my ranking of George A. Romero’s filmography.

George Romero and Stephen King shared a deep friendship and mutual admiration, which transcended into collaborative endeavors beyond King’s brief appearance in Romero’s film, “Knightriders“. They both had a soft spot for the EC series, “Tales from the Crypt“. With no formal rights acquisition, these two creative minds conceived an imitation anthology series that bore strong visual resemblance to Dario Argento’s giallo cinema. This Italian film style undeniably influenced their production, and it’s also likely that Romero’s fondness for The Archers’ work in films like “The Red Shoes” and “The Tales of Hoffmann” played a role. As is common with anthology films, “Creepshow” offers a diverse collection of stories – a mix of hits and misses.

“Something to Tide You Over” and “The Crate”.

1. “Something to Tide You Over”: This story features Leslie Nielsen as a wealthy man who buries his wife’s lover up to his neck on a beach, watches him die, and then is haunted by both lovers afterwards. The narrative is straightforward but effectively delivered, with a good dose of tension thanks to Nielsen’s convincing performance.

2. “The Crate”: This longer story revolves around a professor (Hal Holbrook), his annoying wife (Adrienne Barbeau), and another professor (Fritz Weaver) who discovers a strange crate in an empty university hall. The crate houses a mysterious Arctic monster, complete with references to John Carpenter’s “The Thing”. This monster kills everyone, providing Holbrook the opportunity to fulfill his fantasies by murdering his wife and feeding her to the creature. This tale also offers a sense of tension, along with some dark humor, though it may not be particularly deep. However, it does conclude with an ironic twist that is both unexpected and fitting.

– The first two stories, “The Grantham Family’s Father’s Day” and “Jordy Verrill’s Lonesome Death”, are the best among the bunch. They offer enjoyable campy horror elements. However, the rest of the stories aren’t as good, though they have their moments.

– The first story, “Father’s Day”, is filled with too much exposition and multiple characters that slow down the narrative flow. Despite an interesting ghoul, it lacks momentum for a considerable period. But when it picks up, it delivers some decent scares.

– “The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill” features an eccentric performance by Stephen King and seems to unfairly portray its protagonist, Jordy. It’s either too simplistic or overly critical of him, leading him down a disastrous path.

– Lastly, “They’re Creeping Up on You” is mostly E.G. Marshall’s one-man show, and he delivers admirably. However, it’s rather predictable, but at least Marshall plays an unsympathetic character who gets his comeuppance. The final scene of bugs bursting out is quite gruesome yet fitting.

Anthology films are challenging as they demand the narration of diverse tales, each one needing to resonate effectively. This collection offers a good mix, but having two ghoul/zombie stories might not be ideal. Yet, there seems to be a recurring theme of irony that links the five narratives. The wraparound story stands out the most, featuring a son defying his father due to the latter’s disapproval of his horror comic collection, specifically Creepshow.

This project seems more like an enjoyable experiment for Romero and King, serving as a departure from their usual style. The unique elements such as intense use of lighting gels in key scenes, coupled with less natural acting performances, distinguish it within Romero’s filmography. Essentially, it appears to be a fun, impromptu endeavor, almost like a whimsical creation to amuse themselves. It’s pleasing that the final product turned out well, but truthfully, many of these stories could have benefited from further revisions.

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2025-02-28 15:30