“Creepshow” is a 1982 horror anthology film directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King, based on King’s short stories. The film pays homage to the classic horror comics of the 1950s, presenting a series of five macabre tales, each with its own cast of characters.
The film is framed around the story of a young boy named Billy (played by Joe King), whose father, Stan (Tom Atkins), is an abusive figure. Stan punishes Billy for reading horror comics, leading to a recurring theme of horror literature throughout the movie. Despite Stan’s harsh actions, Billy finds solace in reading his Creepshow comic.
The five tales within the film are as follows:
“Father’s Day,” where we meet the wealthy Grantham family, who have a dark secret. Seven years ago, on Father’s Day, the matriarch Bedelia (Viveca Lindfors) murdered her abusive father. Now, she returns to his grave to confront the man she killed, and he rises from the dead, seeking revenge.
“The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill” Stephen King himself stars in this darkly comedic segment as Jordy Verrill, a rural farmer who discovers a meteorite that crash-lands on his property. However, when he touches it, the meteorite causes rapid plant growth on his body, leading to a grotesque transformation.
“Something to Tide You Over,” where Leslie Nielsen portrays the sadistic Richard Vickers, who seeks vengeance on his wife, Becky (Gaylen Ross), and her lover, Harry Wentworth (Ted Danson). He forces the two to bury themselves neck-deep in the sand on a beach, promising to release them once they have experienced a terrifying ordeal.
“The Crate”: Hal Holbrook plays a college professor, Henry Northrup, who discovers a long-forgotten crate beneath a staircase at his university. Inside the crate, he finds a deadly creature (remember Fluffy) that may be the key to solving his marital problems with his overbearing wife, Wilma (Adrienne Barbeau).
Finally, in “They’re Creeping Up on You,” E.G. Marshall stars as Upson Pratt, a wealthy and germophobic man who lives in a sterile, insect-free penthouse. However, on the night of a massive power outage, he becomes besieged by a relentless invasion of cockroaches.
Throughout these tales, the film maintains a comic book-style aesthetic, with vivid colors and dynamic transitions. The stories are darkly humorous and filled with gruesome and suspenseful moments, making “Creepshow” a beloved cult classic in the horror genre.
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