Review of Creepshow (1982) by Lord N — 19 Oct 2010

I saw this one as a suggestion of an RT friend. I must say, it was a very enjoyable film. I was extremely entertained.

Acting: Great cast, Hal Holbrook, Leslie Nielsen, Stephen King, Ed Harris and the list goes on. I feel that the actors did very well as their respective characters. some of them went outside what I normally envision them as. This is particularly true of Leslie Nielsen. I normally imagine him in his role in the hilarious film Airplane! he had a much different character in this one. It was good stuff. 8/10.

Plot: Story #1: Interesting. I actually jumped a few times. I must say though, the event that set the whole thing in motion, I can't really blame the daughter for that. Sure the measures she resorted to were wrong but I probably would have snapped like that too.

Story #2: I have never seen Stephen King (yes the famous horror writer) act before and I rather liked his performance. Nothing Oscar winning but it was still decent. Good plot. ("Meteor s***!") It is certainly a Stephen King story. It has that air to it.

Story #3: Pretty sadistic character. I jumped with this one too. it's a messed up little story.

Story #4: This is another one where I cannot blame the main character for snapping and doing the things that he did. While it was wrong, I cannot blame him. I jumped here too. Aaah Fluffy. Common name for monsters I've noticed.

Story #5: Good plot, good characters. Although, this is the one plot that didn't really have an explanation as to why the things were happening. with the other four you pretty much knew why the things were happening but here that wasn't the case.

Prologue/Epilogue: Great opening and ending. Ties into the whole thing nicely. 8.5/10.

Screenplay: Pretty good for a horror film. It is all Stephen King stories so it can't be that bad. I found no glaring problems. Not too bad. 8/10.

Likableness: I really liked it. I was entertained throughout the whole thing and I really enjoyed myself. 9/10.

Final score: 33.5/40 83% (N).

TRIVIA TIME: 1. Cameos A. Joe Hill (son of Stephen King) The young boy featured in the beginning of the film (avid reader and collector of "Creepshow" comic books).

B. Tom Savini (makeup artist) Trash Man #2 in the end.

2. Stephen King carried a toy figure of the character "Greedo" from Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope on the "Creepshow" set for good luck.

3. The marble ashtray (which plays a major role in Creepshow's first story, "Father's Day") is featured in all five of the film's stories if you look closely.

4. Ted Danson, who played Harry Wentworth in "Something to Tide You Over", said in a T.V. interview that his daughter was on the set during the scene where his character returns from the dead encased in rotting flesh and seaweed. He purposely tried avoiding his young daughter out of fear of scaring her. Finally, despite his best efforts, she went up to him, looked at him and simply said, "Oh, hi Dad.".

5. It is rumored that Max von Sydow was originally slated to play Upson Pratt in Creepshow's final story, "They're Creeping Up On You!".

6. 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.

7. The housekeeper in the "Father's Day" sequence is Mrs.Danvers. The malevolent housekeeper in Alfred Hitchcock's suspense film Rebecca is also named Mrs. Danvers.

8. Stephen King had an allergic reaction to the makeup he had to wear for Jody Verill's transformation. He was subjected to shots and medication "so the work would be bearable.".