Creepshow (1982)

Director:

George A. Romero

Writer:

Stephen King (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 November 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The Most Fun You'll Ever Have... BEING SCARED!

Plot:

Inspired by the E.C. comics of the 1950s, George A.Romero and Stephen King bring five tales of terror to the screen.

Plot Keywords:

Stephen King | Death | Terror | Father's Day | Meteor

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Hal Holbrook	...	Henry Northrup (segment "The Crate")
Adrienne Barbeau	...	Wilma Northrup (segment "The Crate")
Fritz Weaver	...	Dexter Stanley (segment "The Crate")
Leslie Nielsen	...	Richard Vickers (segment "Something To Tide You Over")
Carrie Nye	...	Sylvia Grantham (segment "Father's Day")
E.G. Marshall	...	Upson Pratt (segment "They're Creeping Up On You") (as E. G. Marshall)
Viveca Lindfors	...	Aunt Bedelia (segment "Father's Day")
Ed Harris	...	Hank Blaine (segment "Father's Day")
Ted Danson	...	Harry Wentworth (segment "Something To Tide You Over)
Stephen King	...	Jordy Verrill (segment "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill")
Warner Shook	...	Richard Grantham (segment "Father's Day")
Robert Harper	...	Charlie Gereson (segment "The Crate")
Gaylen Ross	...	Becky Vickers (segment "Something To Tide You Over")
Jon Lormer	...	Nathan Grantham (segment "Father's Day")
Don Keefer	...	Mike the Janitor (segment "The Crate")

Also Known As:

Cuentos de ultratumba (USA: Spanish title)
Stephen King's Creepshow (International: English title) (long title)

Runtime:

120 min | USA:130 min (approx.) (Original Workprint)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Canada:18A (Ontario) | Singapore:PG (cut) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Netherlands:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Norway:18 (video premiere) (1984) | Norway:(Banned) (video) (1986) | Norway:(Banned) (1983-2003) (cinema release)

Filming Locations:

Fox Chapel, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Creepshow Films Inc.

Trivia:

Two of the characters featured in the film, Tabitha and Richard (The new professors at the faculty reception at the beginning of the fourth segment, "The Crate"), were named after Tabitha King (Stephen King's wife) and Richard Bachman (his ghostwriting name), according to the author.

Goofs:

Continuity: In "They're Creeping Up On You," Upson Pratt smashes a cockroach with the butt of his gloved fist (in a close-up), and in the next shot his white glove is clean as he looks at it.

Quotes:

Henry: Just tell it to call you Billie, you bitch!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Andy Richter Controls the Universe: Grief Counselor (#1.2)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

Gaudeamus Igitur

Stephen King meets George A. Romero!!

Creepshow (1982) was a horror fan's dream come true. Two of the masters in their respective fields joining forces to collaborate on a movie. Several tales filmed in an anthology style based upon the E.C. Comics that the two enjoyed reading in their youths. With Stephen King writing and George A. Romero directing plus Tom Savini creating the gory special effects how can you go wrong? You just can't and the aforementioned duo delivers the goods.

The story begins as a young kid is being punished by his overbearing and brutish father for reading "trashy filth" and is punished. During the night the tossed out comic book comes to life and plays out all the stories (in comic book form) with the "Creepshow Ghoul' leading the way. Black comedy has never been funnier.

All the stories are excellent and well directed. The set pieces are very well designed and are brilliantly executed. You have to love the lighting schemes. The cast is a mixture of new actors and classic ones. George A. Romero stated that he finally got to work with Fritz Weaver and Hal Holbrook and E.G. Marshall. Leslie Nielsen, Adrienne Barbeau, Ted Danson and Ed Harris co-star as well. A couple of Romero regulars such as his wife Christine, Tom Savini and who can forget Stephen King as Jordy Verill.

Creepshow is a true modern day horror classic. I have enjoyed this as a child and I still consider this movie one of my favorite horror films. Sadly the two could never capture the magic they once had. Maybe they'll work together directly in the near future. This movie was near flawless in design. They set out to recapture the old E.C. Comics aura and they succeeded. Followed by a absolutely bad sequel.

Highly recommended!