Creepshow (1982)

George Romero and Stephen King team-up for the first time to bring us five sordid tales of terror in the classic styling of the EC comics! A crazed Aunt Bedelia meets up with the ghosts of her past when dear old dad returns from the grave in "Father's Day." Nunkhead Jordy Verrill discovers a meteor out on the old family farm, but his dreams of riches are dashed when the stone cracks open and begins to envelop everything in a deadly green moss in "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill." After burying his wife and her lover neck-deep in sand as the tide slowly draws in, the conniving Richard Vickers thinks he has gotten away with the perfect crime, but the torn lovers return for revenge in "Something to Tide You Over." Henry Northrup finds an interesting way to get rid of his loud-mouthed wife, Wilma, when a ferocious beast is discovered hidden beneath the stairs of the local university in "The Crate." Finally, loathsome businessman and germaphobe Upson Pratt is overcome by a swarm of filthy cockroaches in "They're Creeping Up On You!"

CREEPSHOW is indisputably the best omnibus feature to come out of the 1980's, rivaling even the finest efforts put forth by Britain's Amicus Productions throughout the 1960's and 70's. Romero adds several nice touches to give the film the look and feel of a living comic book: unnatural blue and red coloring, odd angles, animated transitions, and framed paneling, all of which contribute to the unique aesthetic in the end. He has also assembled a fine cast for each of the stories, with wickedly entertaining performances from Viveca Lindfors, Leslie Nielsen, Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, and E.G. Marshall. Stephen King even turns up as the witless Jordy Verrill in the second silly short. Like in the EC comics, King's stories add a touch of irony with plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor. The first and third are rather straightforward tales of revenge, although Nielsen's watery torture devices are really quite memorable. "The Crate" is always a fan favorite thanks to the lively characters and terrifying beast held within. "They're Creeping Up On You" is a lot of fun as well, and is sure to get under your skin. Tom Savini's special effects are top-rate as always, and George Romero creates an even balance between the humor and horror.

With five equally-entertaining entries to shock and dismay, CREEPSHOW lives on as a cult-classic of the 1980's!

Rating: 9/10.

Movies like CREEPSHOW:
CAT'S EYE, TALES FROM THE CRYPT, THE VAULT OF HORROR, DEADTIME STORIES, THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD, FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE, DEAD AND BURIED.