Creepshow: Arrepio do Medo

Despite some major problems (mainly contained in Stephen King's uneven and often heavy-handed script), this is still a pretty fun attempt to bring 1950s EC horror comics to the big screen. One of the best things about it is director George ('Night of the Living Dead') Romero's creative, vivid direction, that captures the bright color schemes and comic book framing to a tee. Each tale has a different horror theme usually tempered with some comedy and ranging from a rich patriarch returning from the dead to get revenge on his obnoxious family to a meteor that causes an outbreak of vegetation to a fanged, ape-like creature that's been locked away in a crate for decades. All five of the tales presented, despite some missteps, offer up good gory fun. Some of the acting is good, too, particularly Adrienne Barbeau as a heavy drinking, obnoxious faculty wife who gets what she deserves, Hal Holbrook as her hen-pecked husband and E.G. Marshall as a wealthy, obsessively clean old jerk who is savaged in his futuristic apartment by a legion of cockroaches. Talk about flesh crawling! Tom Savini's special effects are great, as usual.

This was after Tales from the Crypt, however, Romero and King both where heavily influenced by these comics that they developed a movie that was sort of a satire/parody of Tales but in the same time a tribute to that comic book. In this movie there are four scary stories being told some written by Stephen King from his short stories and some written by Romero and SK. These stores, for that time, were pretty scary and freaked me out when they came in theaters. There are many great things about this movie that I enjoyed but there was, however, one huge things that I did not like about this movie. Regardless, it's about time for two horror geniuses to team up and do something good for a change.

First off, the movie itself is about a comic book similar to Tails and the four stories in the movie come directly from the Creepshow comic books. The reason why that this idea works in not only the principle of bringing a comic book to life but the way it was shot, edited and lit. The camera angles had very defined and geometrical angels, similar to those that you would see in a comic book. The lighting when something horrible happens turns red, or if somebody is screaming the background turns to a shattered red background, thereby giving each scene a more comic book-like feel to visual picture. It had choppy edits and quick cuts, which we all know that comic books have. So we have a visual perspective of a comic, the overall pattern and texture of a comic and now we have the quick stimulus of a comic.

Between each story there is a sub-story dealing with a young boy who finds the Creepshow comic book and how little by little he becomes more possessed by it. These intermissions also incorporate The Creep or our host for the evening. This character is by far the Crypt Keeper or the Vault Keeper to our mockup of Tales. Like the Crypt Keeper in the actual comic, he begins each segment with a scene setup and a conclusion, however he does not talk, he just blows around in the wind. With the beginning of each new story it starts out with a still scene of that story with heavy rotoscoping to make it look as if it is a comic book page, then fades out to a real-life still image and then begins. The same could be said about the ending. The clever technique gives the viewer a further illustration that this is a comic book come to life.

Though this movie strikes it rich on my scare-o-meter there is just one thing that took me out of the movie just a little. I know what they where going at when they decided this concept and I understand it was a good idea but it doesn't work when it gets put on film. The campy one-liners, the cheesy sub-story and the lame screams. Of course its predecessor did the same thing, I don't think that it works as well on film as it does on paper. I think it was a nice try though.

Overall I do believe that this is a horror/parody classic and that many horror fans, if not cult horror fans, would like this movie for what it is. I certainly enjoyed it, even now; I recommend this movie to anybody who loves the zombie king and the horror king. A movie worth buying a ticket for.

Creepshow (1982) was a horror fan's dream come true. Two of the masters in their respective fields joining forces to collaborate on a movie. Several tales filmed in an anthology style based upon the E.C. Comics that the two enjoyed reading in their youths. With Stephen King writing and George A. Romero directing plus Tom Savini creating the gory special effects how can you go wrong? You just can't and the aforementioned duo delivers the goods.

The story begins as a young kid is being punished by his overbearing and brutish father for reading "trashy filth" and is punished. During the night the tossed out comic book comes to life and plays out all the stories (in comic book form) with the "Creepshow Ghoul' leading the way. Black comedy has never been funnier.

All the stories are excellent and well directed. The set pieces are very well designed and are brilliantly executed. You have to love the lighting schemes. The cast is a mixture of new actors and classic ones. George A. Romero stated that he finally got to work with Fritz Weaver and Hal Holbrook and E.G. Marshall. Leslie Nielsen, Adrienne Barbeau, Ted Danson and Ed Harris co-star as well. A couple of Romero regulars such as his wife Christine, Tom Savini and who can forget Stephen King as Jordy Verill.

Creepshow is a true modern day horror classic. I have enjoyed this as a child and I still consider this movie one of my favorite horror films. Sadly the two could never capture the magic they once had. Maybe they'll work together directly in the near future. This movie was near flawless in design. They set out to recapture the old E.C. Comics aura and they succeeded. Followed by a absolutely bad sequel.

Highly recommended!

This movie is divided in five stories, conducted by a leading segment where the stressed father of a boy that loves horror comic books throws his Creepshow magazine in the garbage. The wind changes the pages and discloses the tales listed below.

"Father's Day" - While waiting Aunt Bedelia (Viveca Lindfors) for a dinner party, the greedy family recalls that she killed her own father seven years ago. Now her undead father returns from the grave as a zombie expecting to eat his cake. This segment is weak, and it is curious to see Ed Harris performing a minor role. (6).

"The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" - The redneck farmer Jordy Verrill (Stephen King) finds a meteor in his property in Castle Rock County and dreams on selling it for the local university and raising a large amount. However he is affected by the meteor and strange weeds grow-up on his body. This segment is the silliest and the greatest curiosity is Stephen King performing the lonely farmer. (5).

"Something to Tide you Over" - Harry Wentworth (Ted Danson) is forced by the revengeful Richard Vickers (Leslie Nielsen), who is the former husband of his woman Becky Vickers (Gaylen Ross), to go to Comfort Point beach and to bury himself in the sand. Then he brings a television and a VCR to show Becky buried in the same conditions. With the high tide, their heads are submerged for the pleasure of the insane Richard. However, on the next night, he is visited by a couple of zombie lovers. This dark and claustrophobic segment is the scariest one and the only flaw is the lack of previous development of the characters. (9).

"The Crate" - When the janitor of a university finds a crate hidden below the stairs, he reports his findings to Professor Dexter Stanley (Fritz Weaver). They open the container and soon Dexter finds that there is a hunger creature inside that devours the janitor and another scientist. When the disturbed Dexter tells to his colleague and friend Henry Northrup (Hal Holbrook) what happened, Henry sees the chance to get rid of his bitch wife Wilma Northrup (Adrienne Barbeau). This segment is the funniest, and the situations of Henry imagining killing Wilma are hilarious. (8).

"They're Creeping up on You!" - The mean and selfish Upson Pratt (E.G. Marshall) lives in an expensive bug-proof penthouse and treats his employees like garbage. During a blackout, his fancy apartment is infested by coach roaches driving Pratt to a tragic end. This gruesome tale is simple but nasty, with many coach roaches. (7).

The lead segment ends with the boy using a voodoo doll to provoke pain in his father.

This is the third time that I watch these entertaining horror tales, now on DVD. I only regret that there are no sequels of these great stories. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Creepshow"

Note: On 27 Aug 2020, I saw this film again.

When I was about 13 years-old, I tried to rent this on VHS several times. Unfortunately, my mother kept walking in during a particularly violent segment and made me turn it off. It was a long time before I finally saw the whole film.

If you watch the accompanying Just Desserts documentary on the double-disc DVD, you'll see how lovingly crafted this film really was. Not only so, but this truly transcends the schlock horror of its E.C. origins. The acting is first rate and the plots surprisingly thoughtful, considering how short each segment is. For example, watch Aunt Bedelia's tortured graveside monologue in Father's Day, or the curious interplay between Henry and Dex in The Crate. E.G. Marshall totally nails it in They're Creeping Up On You, the segment most loaded with subtext.

Tom Savini's make-up effects are excellent and he doesn't scrimp on the gore. The one segment I dislike is Something To Tide You Over, as it's a particularly nasty and sadistic story (despite the just desserts moral).

Overall, this has a worthy place in the annals of 80s horror and will always hold fond memories for me; a young boy who just wanted to see that crate monster tear his victims apart like sour bread.