Mini Review: Creepshow

Editor's Note:  One of my readers asked about Creepshow and my response was a little longer than I had planned, so here is a mini review of the flick:

Creepshow (1982)
Rated R (for violence)

Directed by George Romero

Starring:
Adrienne Barbeau
Leslie Neilsen
Ted Danson
E. G. Marshall

Creepshow  was King's and Romero's love letter to the horror comics of the 1950s, including Tales From the Crypt, and it's really a precursor to the "Tales From the Crypt" television show and other horror anthology shows like "Tales from the Darkside" (also a King/Romero collaboration). It borrows elements from the comics and the scares and gross-outs are mostly played for laughs. Because King wrote the screenplay, his influence is more obvious than Romero's and the flick is a little dated, but no more so than other films of that era. The movie is supposed to be campy, so the special effects (done by SFX veteran and Romero favorite Tom Savini) are exaggerated and B movie-esque.

The most effective vignettes are "Something to Tide You Over" and "They're Creeping Up On You", but I enjoyed "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" just for the novelty of seeing Stephen King act in something besides a two minute cameo. I would definitely recommend the movie for those that enjoy horror comedy and/or anthology tales, but if you're a horror purist, you may want skip it.

Geek of the Week: George Romero

Image from Famous Monsters of Filmland

  George Romero, the father of modern zombie flicks, just celebrated his 71st birthday on Friday, February 4th.  Romero made several commercial short films (including one for "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood") before forming Image Ten Productions with several friends.  Their low-budget cult classic Night of the Living Dead set a precedent for zombie movies of the future.  While his "Dead" series is his best known work, Romero has also made several other cult favorites including Martin and Creepshow (his anthology collaboration with horror writer Stephen King).

Romero's films are known for their social commentary and he has influenced other horror directors, as well as cultivating the entire zombie genre.  His name is synonymous with "zombie" and his films have been referenced in everything from Shaun of the Dead to Stephen King's novel The Cell.

Top Five . . . Horror Flick Documentaries

Netflix Instant Play has given me access to some pretty amazing documentaries, including several that focus on the horror genre.  Here are my Top 5 horror film documentaries available on Netflix:

5.  Bloodsucking Cinema

This documentary is a Starz feature centered on vampire films (no Twilight - only the real thing).  Everything from Nosferatu to Interview with a Vampire is featured (unfortunately even a few duds like Bloodrayne and Van Helsing) and there is some discussion about the different ways vampires are presented (ie. scary versus alluring).

4.  Zombiemania

Another hour long Starz documentary, this one is about zombie flicks and how they've influenced and changed our culture.  The documentary includes interviews with several big names in the genre, including Tom Savini (SFX veteran), Maitland McDonagh (film critic and horror fan), and the father of zombie films as we know them today: George Romero.  The doc is concise and explains a lot of the nuances of zombie films.  An added bonus: zombification of the experts by zombie portrait artist Rob Sacchetto.

3.  100 Years of Horror

Hosted by the amazing Christopher Lee, this doc goes to the very beginning of the genre and works its way through the late 90s when the film was made.  This is a perfect documentary for those that prefer the golden age of horror (including the iconic Universal movie monsters).  There are some amazing rarities, including home movies, outtakes, and previously unseen screen tests from some of horror's heavy hitters.

2.  Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film

This doc premiered on Starz, but is based on the book of the same name by Adam Rockoff.  It's an in-depth look at the slasher sub-genre, complete with gory clips and interviews with major people involved in the flicks.  Because it's a two hour special, Going to Pieces can focus on more minutiae than some of the other docs on my list.  Those being interviewed talk about the high and low points of the genre, acknowledging the strengths and definite weaknesses that slasher flicks present, thereby giving a fairly objective look at one of the more controversial genres of film.

1.  Fantastic Flesh

This is my favorite of the Starz docs, and other than a brief discussion of the makeup for Chronicles of Narnia, it focuses on some of the amazing practical effects shown in horror films.  Legendary SFX veterans are featured, including Dick Smith (The Exorcist), Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London), Tom Savini (the Romero films and Friday the 13th), and the incomprable Greg Nicotero.  For anyone interested in horror films and how they are made, Fantastic Flesh is facinating.