CREEPSHOW

US, 1982, 115 minutes, Colour.
Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, Fritz Weaver, Leslie Nielsen, E.G. Marshall, Ed Harris, Ted Danson, Stephen King.
Directed by George A. Romero.

Creepshow is a series of five short stories written by horror writer Stephen King (Carrie, Salem's Lot, The Shining). The film is directed by George A. Romero who achieved fame with his small-budget horror The Night of the Living Dead. He has made a number of other films including The Crazies, Martin, Dawn of the Dead.

The group of stories is very reminiscent of a group of British films written by such experts as Robert Bloch and directed by Freddie Francis and Roy Ward-Baker: Torture Garden, Tales from the Crypt, The House That Dripped Blood. This American collection does not have quite the impact of the English films although it has good technical production values and interesting performances. Reference is made to horror comics. They are condemned in the opening but have their revenge all the way through and at the end as a young boy pins the voodoo doll of his father, causing him agony in revenge.

Of interest is the second story about Jordy Verrill, which is performed (strangely) by Stephen King himself. A mixed horror creepshow.

1. The popularity of horror stories? People enjoying frights, nightmares? Shadow side of personality? Scare, shock, what if...? The title of this film and its invitation to scare and shock?

2. Stephen King and his reputation? His penning of these stories for fun? The work of George A. Romero - serious horror, comic horror? The quality of the blend of the talents? B-budget production, stars?

3. Production value: sets, locations, special effects, musical score?

4. The opening and the introduction to horror comics, their condemnation? The ironic use of their being in the garbage tin and collected by the rubbish collectors? The revenge of the comic strip? How seriously were the comics meant to be taken, how seriously the film? The animated interludes indicating the atmosphere of the comic strip and the invitation for us to enjoy the stories? The editing devices indicating parallels with comic strips, the variety of framings for various stories, time captions etc.? The beginning and ending of each story with the comic strip sketch? Comic strip images, acting and writing? The cinema equivalent of comic strips?

5. The atmosphere of the Halloween opening, the storm, the cranky father, the compliant mother? The boy and his horror comics, the paraphernalia of horror in his room? The morning after and the ridding of the comic strips? The ending with the garbage collectors, reading the comics, the voodoo doll and the agony of the father and the vindictiveness of the boy? The film's attack on those who disapprove of comics? Sticking pins in them!

6. Happy Father's Day: the briefest story. the effectiveness of its brevity, the introduction -to the family and its various types, callow and callous? The pseudo-refined Aunt Sylvia and her telling of the story, her aloofness, disapproval of the manners of the younger generation - yet her later letting her hair down? The young types and their dancing, listening to the story about the money, their fears? The story of Aunt Bedelia and its being told in flashbacks? Viveca Lindfors' appearance, style, driving, drinking, memories, abusing her father? Her meditation in the cemetery? The parody of Stephen King's cemetery sequence in Carrie? The father and his hand coming from the grave, frightening and throttling Bedelia to death? The gross monster? His murdering the young man and burying him? The death of the housekeeper, the twisting of Aunt Sylvia's head - and its becoming the birthday cake! The final terrorising of the brother and sister? The irony of passion, murder? Grim and gory humour? An exercise in style rather than content?

7. The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill: Stephen King's writing, the quality of his acting? Jordy Verrill as the simply eye-rolling slow type? His monologues? His imagining going to the professor, to the doctor? The TV continually playing - A Star Is Born and its hopes for America (Janet Gaynor version), the priest with his meditation? The boxing? The film as a piece of Americana? The satire on such stories as Close Encounters, The Day of the Triffids? The effect of the meteor on Jordy? Fingers, fear of them being cut off, not getting his money from the university? The gradual process of the growth all over him? His reaction to it? His father speaking to him from the mirror? The house and himself being overwhelmed during the night? His death? The ironic weather-forecaster's comment about the greening of America?

8. Something To Tide You Over: A story of revenge and menace? The irony of the title? The basic infidelity and vengeance story? Atmosphere of affluence, homes, beach properties, surveillance hardware, television and video? Richard confronting Harry and making him the victim? Playing Rebecca's voice? Taking him to the beach, threatening to shoot, putting him in the hole? The television of Rebecca and the tide? Harry and the tide and his trying to survive - holding his breath? The visuals of his drowning? Richard's madness, return home. surveillance? Growing edginess and fear? The ghosts and their having held their breath? The Creature from the Black Lagoon-style make-up? Their hounding Richard, burying him? Madness and guilt?

9. The Crate: The conventions of the university campus story, professors, socials, young students and their wives? Wilma and her caricature of the harridan professor's wife? Loudmouth? The parallel with the discovery of the crate? Dex and his helping Mike with opening the crate? Mike's being devoured? Dex's hysteric reaction? Charlie's disbelief, curiosity, his being devoured? The consultation with Henry? The discussion and Henry's decision? Drugging Dex, writing the note for Wilma? The anticipation of his action by his imagining shooting and strangling Wilma? Her accepting the story and coming while he cleaned up the blood? Their confrontation and the monster devouring Wilma (and the audience being glad!). Henry's calm return and telling the story to Dex, his packaging the crate, putting on the lock, getting rid of the monster? His hold over Dex and their quiet chess games for the future? The eyes of the monster as it got out of the trunk in the lake? An exercise in horror wishful thinking?

10. They're Creeping Up On You: A one-man performance by E.G.Marshall? The satire on the self-centred ruthless businessman? The irony of the morbid fear of cockroaches. obsessive cleanliness, washing, sprays etc.? The abuse of the black handyman (the irony of his name, Mr. White), and his reaction to Mr. Pratt)? The phone call to the manager in Florida? The phone calls - the news about the suicide, the suicide's wife and her abuse? The decor of the penthouse, surveillance, technology, the juke box? The exteriors of the city, culminating in the blackout? The continued intrusion of the cockroaches? Their invasion? Mr. Pratt isolating himself - and his discovery of them in the inner sanctum? Their bursting from him? The use of (and parody of) the animal menace disaster film?

11. The overall entertainment effect of these horror stories? Comic strip cinema?