UTG’s 31 Days Of Halloween: ‘Creepshow’

Of all the holidays celebrated worldwide, no single day is more loved by the UTG staff than Halloween. With the arrival of October, the time has finally come to begin rolling out a plethora of features and special announcements we have prepared in celebration of our favorite day, including the one you’re about to read.

31 Days Of Halloween is a recurring daily feature that will run throughout the month of October. The hope and goal of this column is to supply every UTG reader with a daily horror (or Halloween themed) movie recommendation that is guaranteed to amplify your All Hallows’ Eve festivities. We’ll be watching every film the day it’s featured, and we hope you’ll follow along at home. If you have a suggestion, contact us and we may include your favorite scarefest in an upcoming column!

Day 10: Creepshow (1982)

I haven’t yet found all the late night TV and movies that turned me into a young lover of horror, but every now and then I’ll stumble upon one and fall in love all over again. A few examples include: Buffy the Vampire SlayerBeyond Belief: Fact or Fiction (fostered a still-strong terror of manikins), and Creepshow. I can’t remember what channel actually showed this Stephen King-penned, George Romero-directed anthology, but rediscovering the 80s gem a decade later was a true delight

The horror anthology is no easy trick, as evidenced by uneven recent attempts (The ABCs of Death, V/H/S). When they do work, though, they are among the most delightful movie experiences that can be had. Much like Trick ‘r Treat, the best of the more recent horror anthologies, Creepshow‘s various segments are loosely stitched together by animated sequences featuring a comic book. These explicit homages to 50s E.C. and D.C. horror comics, combined with the oh-so-80s vibe of the film, create a sort of dual nostalgia that further power the fun and cheekiness of the film.

The balance of silliness and horror tips in the latter’s favor as Creepshow goes on, but both abound throughout. Revolving around stories concerning the greater of two evils getting its comeuppance – with the silly, wonderful, King-starring segment, “The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill,” being the one exception – the film is all fun and (deadly) games. It wants you to laugh, to have a good time, and to maybe get spooked a time or three along the way.

Though not all the segments age well – the villainous nagging wife “character” of the fourth (and my young self’s favorite) segment, “The Crate,” is more than a little uncomfortable – the film has retained its joyous camp through the decades. The cast is superb, and full of names. Leslie Nielson has a blast as the wronged, vengeful husband. Stephen King proves to be a not terrible actor, managing to make his backwoods dimwit Verrill the most sympathetic character amongst Creepshow‘s comically villainous bunch. E.G. Marshall shines in the final segment as a delightfully terrible germaphobe CEO who gets his comeuppance in a most gruesome manner. That goes without even mentioning Ed Harris, Ted Danson, Hal Hoolbrook, and a number of others.

Dated Creepshow may be, but it’s all the more fun for it. Also, a young Joe Hill! How far he’s come.

 

Editorial written by: Tyler Hanan
Last year’s Day 10 film: Slither

Tyler Hanan
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