This Day in Horror History: CREEPSHOW Opened in 1982
Mike Sprague
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On this day in horror history, George A. Romero and Stephen King’s horror-comedy anthology Creepshow opened in 1982.
Directed by Romero from a screenplay written by King, the film’s cast includes Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, Fritz Weaver, Leslie Nielsen, Ted Danson, E. G. Marshall, Viveca Lindfors, Joe King, Tom Atkins, Ed Harris, and King himself.
It tells five tales of terror: “Father’s Day,” “The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill,” “Something to Tide You Over,” “The Crate,” and “They’re Creeping Up on You!”
Two of the stories are based on King’s short stories, with the film bookended by a young boy (played by King’s son and NOS4A2 author Joe Hill) being punished by his abusive father (Tom Atkins, Night of the Creeps) for reading horror comics.
This film marked King’s his screenwriting debut.
It was mostly shot on location in Pittsburgh, including Monroeville, where Romero leased an old boys academy (Penn Hall) to build extensive sets for the film.
The film is an homage to the EC horror comics such as Tales from the Crypt, The Vault of Horror, and The Haunt of Fear. In order to give the film a comic book feel, Romero hired Tom Savini to replicate comic-like effects. It earned $21M in the U.S.
The flick sports a 73% approval rating over on Rotten Tomatoes with a Critics Consensus that reads: It’s uneven, as anthologies often are, but Creepshow is colorful, frequently funny, and treats its inspirations with infectious reverence.
How much do you love Creepshow?
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