As we slip into the season of the witch it's probably quite appropriate to revisit such a classic blend of horror and comedy. After all, the combined talents of Stephen King and George A. Romero are what bring us this outing into the macabre. The idea to simultaneously create a throwback to the old style anthology movie while at the same time writing a fond love letter to EC Comics from the 1950s is pretty much a master-stroke. It's a winning combination of elements even before we look at the cast listing which features plenty of period talent and familiar faces for anyone into kind of thing. So get yourselves comfy as we turn the pages and enter a world of people turning into weeds, zombies demanding cake, and mysterious boxes under the stairs.
In terms of structure this is generally pretty flawless although the quality of each chapter varies throughout. None of them are duds but it seems as though the length and tone of each one contributes to how successful each story is. Not all of them are quite as effective in terms of running time or story ideas. After a classic bit of lousy parenting, a foul mouthed father (Tom Atkins) throws out his son's comic book Creepshow, which blows around in the October wind and comes to life as a Crypt Keeper like figure appears at the window. Here we're are treated to the five tales of terror, each with a different flavour. But they all have a similar dark sense of humour, and each retains the use of comic panels and crazy primary coloured lighting effects to generate a heightened pen and ink style reality.
The opening story Father's Day is about a family getting together for a meal on the anniversary of the household's elderly patriarch being brutally murdered. It's a twisted tale but the pace is a little laid back for such a simple series of events. The makeup effects are great, and so is some of the disco dancing from new family addition Hank (Ed Harris). Look at him go. However it's just the start of the film and you really get a taste of what is to come with part two, The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill. It's the most overt diversion into comedy as a farmer (Stephen King) discovers a meteor in his field which contains a mysterious kind of plant life. He does a lot of mugging and daydreams about a nonsensical Department of Meteors at the local college where he hopes to be paid for the discovery. However things get a lot weirder and darker as soon as he tries to put this plan into action.
The two middle segments here are easily the best - just long enough to have more tension and narrative than the others, and with the best casting. In Something to Tide You Over we get a scarily serious performance from Frank Drebin himself Leslie Nielsen, who enacts a sinister plan of revenge against his wife and her lover (Ted Danson). It's a straight up tale of human narcissism and is generally pretty dry and suspenseful, though there is a fantastical reveal in the last couple of minutes. Just beating this to the top spot is The Crate, a story of marital strife and creepy wooden boxes. The central players this time are all genre regulars as suffering professor Henry (Hal Holbrook) fantasises about being free of his obnoxious wife Wilma (Adrienne Barbeau) while his colleague Dexter (Fritz Weaver) finds the eponymous container late one night at the university. These three performances, the great creature idea, and the bleak sense of humour - it's a perfect recipe.
The finale brings us to They're Creeping Up On You, a skin crawling caper about a miserly corporation owner (E.G. Marshall) who has an obsession with keeping his high-tech apartment clear of all germs - something that will soon become an impossible task. This is almost a one actor tale beyond the voices over his intercom and a building employee at his front door spyhole, but it has a lot of in terms of wit and even more in terms of grotesque insect spectacle. It's a suitably itchy feeling conclusion, before we reach the epilogue where the comic fan finds a way to teach his father a lesson. The conclusion with two garbage men finding the comic also provides a fun cameo to really complete the package.
Ultimately this is just as varied, colourful, gross and sadistic as it should be. It keeps things interesting without repeating itself - although a certain voice modulator effect gets used once too often for different unrelated characters. There's some fun animation, a great 80s score, and plenty of silliness to balance the mean spirited moments (unlike the sequel which is missing Romero's touch). For anyone into the anthologies produced by Amicus or for those who are just fans of the film makers and actors involved it's a must see. A quintessential five part fun house with something for everyone.
4/5
