George Romero's "Creepshow" was one of the earliest Stephen King adaptations to hit the big screen and to this day it remains one of the better ones. Following the now-classic adaptations of the novels "Carrie" & "The Shining", this movie was a bit of a departure in that it presented a series of five standalone stories. A couple of them had previously appeared in print form while three were newly written for this project. The common thread between the stories was their source of inspiration: the often lurid horror comics of the pre-Comics Code Authority 1950's.
For those unfamiliar with the comics of E.C. and their competitors, their stories were chock full of dark comedy and twist endings imbued with a sense of poetic justice. King's stories are a pretty good approximation of this approach and, as a result, the movie has a lighter feel than "Carrie" or "The Shining". To be sure, as with any anthology film, the stories aren't uniform in quality but even the worst of them aren't all that bad, just a bit slight or predictable.
The cast differs from segment to segment and is studded with a number of recognizable actors and actresses. Some of the standouts include Leslie Neilsen (cast against type as a bad guy), Hal Holbrook & E.G. Marshall. The movie also features early appearances by Ted Danson & Ed Harris, plus Stephen King himself. All in all, I'd say that the cast is better than average for a horror movie, particularly one with a comedic bent.
Horror veteran George Romero obviously had an affinity for this type of material, as is illustrated by some of the directorial choices that took their cues from the comics. While I probably could have done without some of the more garish visual touches I can't really complain about his direction overall. The gruesome special effects by Tom Savini are, of course, another crucial element in the movie's look.
While I suspect that the movie's approach & format isn't likely to appeal to everyone, "Creepshow" is a quality homage to the horror comics that Romero & King grew up with. If you're a fan of the "Tales From the Crypt" television show then this will be right up your alley. Others, such as those looking for something a bit more serious, will probably be less receptive.
For those unfamiliar with the comics of E.C. and their competitors, their stories were chock full of dark comedy and twist endings imbued with a sense of poetic justice. King's stories are a pretty good approximation of this approach and, as a result, the movie has a lighter feel than "Carrie" or "The Shining". To be sure, as with any anthology film, the stories aren't uniform in quality but even the worst of them aren't all that bad, just a bit slight or predictable.
The cast differs from segment to segment and is studded with a number of recognizable actors and actresses. Some of the standouts include Leslie Neilsen (cast against type as a bad guy), Hal Holbrook & E.G. Marshall. The movie also features early appearances by Ted Danson & Ed Harris, plus Stephen King himself. All in all, I'd say that the cast is better than average for a horror movie, particularly one with a comedic bent.
Horror veteran George Romero obviously had an affinity for this type of material, as is illustrated by some of the directorial choices that took their cues from the comics. While I probably could have done without some of the more garish visual touches I can't really complain about his direction overall. The gruesome special effects by Tom Savini are, of course, another crucial element in the movie's look.
While I suspect that the movie's approach & format isn't likely to appeal to everyone, "Creepshow" is a quality homage to the horror comics that Romero & King grew up with. If you're a fan of the "Tales From the Crypt" television show then this will be right up your alley. Others, such as those looking for something a bit more serious, will probably be less receptive.