‘Creepshow’ is Still the King of Horror Anthologies [4K Review]
Anthony Arrigo
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Combine the assured direction of George A. Romero, the writing prowess of Stephen King, and the FX work of the legendary Tom Savini and the end result is one of the greatest anthologies in all of horror, Creepshow . Comic book-based movies dominate the box office these days, yet Romero’s film still stands as one of the only features to capture the look and feel of actually watching those stylized illustrated panels. With punched-up colors, vibrant gel lighting, Dutch angles, transitions and wipes that feel pulled from pulpy pages, and an eccentric cast of characters Romero and King delivered an EC comic come to life. The movie is dripping with creativity in every frame.
Now this classic can be seen in stunning clarity because Scream Factory has delivered a new 4K Ultra HD release that buries the special edition they put out five years ago. If you haven’t gone 4K, or aren’t much of a videophile, that prior release is still more than sufficient. However, for those who want an ocular overload of vivid violence, this disc ought to be creeping into your players.
The feature kicks off with a wraparound starring the legend himself, Tom Atkins, as a hard-assed father who hates to see his son, Billy (Joe King), reading “horror crap” – i.e. Creepshow – which he tosses in the trash. Billy curses his dad and is pleased to see the Creep appear at his window and present the tales within his cursed comic. “Father’s Day” features a Gothic mansion, foggy cemetery, and family of elites who have come together to remember their late patriarch. But nobody knows daddy dearest is about to rise from his resting place, intent on getting the Father’s Day cake he never received. The zombie design is a classic, like something right out of a ‘50s B-movie. When danger approaches, bright red lighting fills the frame. With thrills, chills, and wry humor, this story sets the stage for what’s the come.
“The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill” is the goofiest of the bunch, starring Stephen King (not the wisest casting) as a dimwitted farmer who finds a fresh meteorite on his property. When it cracks open, revealing a liquid inside, Jordy touches the “meteor shit” and so begins the slow takeover of his land and body by an alien weed. Much of the tale is Jordy fantasizing about selling the meteorite and getting “rich” (he wants a whopping $200) but the story turns tragic in its final moments, offering up a haunting ending.
Leslie Nielsen plays a fiendish and witty character, Richard, in “Something to Tide You Over.” He’s the rich, controlling husband of Becky (Gaylen Ross), who has been having an affair with Harry (Ted Danson). Consumed by jealousy and inspired by madness, Richard torments both her and her lover by burying them each in a hole on the beach and allowing the high tide to do the work for him. But these waterlogged lovers won’t wash out to sea until Richard has paid for his crimes. This is the most unsettling story in the film because Richard is disarmingly casual about the entire affair; he doesn’t feel affection for his wife so much as he doesn’t want Harry to possess something he “owns.” Nielsen is a total psychopath, making his comeuppance all the more sweet.
On to the best, “The Crate”. Prof. Henry Nothrup (Hal Holbrook) has a comfortable job at Horlicks University and an uncomfortable life with his wife, the alcoholic Wilma – but just call her “Billie” like everyone else does. He often fantasizes about ending her life, which would be to the delight of himself and anyone who has met Billie. One afternoon on campus the janitor discovers a crate hidden beneath a stairwell and alerts Prof. Dexter Stanley (Fritz Weaver). Inside they find a hairy, ape-like creature with huge fangs that immediately kills and eats the janitor. It then eats another student before Dexter runs off to his friend Henry’s house, confessing all that has happened. Henry agrees to help him… but he also considers this crate monster might be the ticket to getting Billie out of his life for good. Tom Savini’s work on this segment is legendary, and the crate creature attacks are fierce and bloody. Henry’s daydreams of killing his wife add some gallows humor, and Holbrook does outstanding work as a long-suffering husband who is about to get his ultimate wish.
Finally, “They’re Creeping Up on You” is the odd tale of Upson Pratt (E.G. Marshall), a mysophobic who lives in an impeccable apartment that is hermetically sealed off from the rest of his building. It is austere and sterile, looking less like a place someone lives and more like a display room. Upson is crotchety and terse, treating everyone in his life with indifference and cold. Despite his best efforts, though, he finds a cockroach in his dwelling. Then another. Then more. And they just keep coming. This was never my favorite story but it’s grown on me in recent years because it’s so odd. I love the aesthetic of Upson’s place, and the bespoke gadgets he has to keep it clean and orderly are neat future tech.
Scream Factory’s previous 4K-sourced Blu-ray was praised for being a clear upgrade over WB’s ages-old disc. This new 4K release comes from a fresh 2023 scan of the original camera negative and it’s a stunner. The warmth of skin tones, the depth of color, the black levels, the intimate details in the frame – every facet of the picture has been finely tuned resulting in vibrant visuals that are, indeed, a noticeable and impressive upgrade over the last edition. The only rough spots come from optical effects and those won’t ever look any better than they do here. It felt like I was watching the film with fresh eyes; almost like seeing it for the first time.
In addition to the new scan the film’s audio also receives a boost in the form of an English Dolby Atmos track, joining the previous DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 stereo mixes. Atmos might seem like overkill for a movie mixed in stereo but the additional channels improve the immersion and add height and depth to a track brimming with sound effects and spooky electronic scoring. John Harrison’s soundtrack is a triumph, and one of my favorites of all time. Each tale has its own unique cadence yet all are unmistakably the work of one man. Harrison pulled double duty on the film, also acting as the first assistant director. What’s wild is he did only two film scores in his career, this film and Day of the Dead (1985), which is another score I hold in ridiculously high regard. I wish he’d done more. Subtitles are available in English SDH.
Scream Factory ports over all of the extras found on their last release, with nothing new added, and if you want to know more about them I’m just going to link to my previous review of that edition here.
Special Features:
- BRAND NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE (2023)
- NEW DOLBY ATMOS TRACK
Audio:
- DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
- Audio Commentary With Director George A. Romero And Special Make-Up Effects Creator Tom Savini
- Audio Commentary With Director Of Photography Michael Gornick
- Audio Commentary With Composer/First Assistant Director John Harrison And Construction Coordinator Ed Fountain
- Terror And The Three Rivers – A Round Table Discussion On The Making Of Creepshow With John Amplas, Tom Atkins, Tom Savini, And Marty Schiff
- The Comic Book Look – An Interview With Costume Designer Barbara Anderson
- Ripped From The Pages – An Interview With Animator Rick Catizone
- The Colors Of Creepshow – A Look At The Restoration of Creepshow With Director Of Photography Michael Gornick
- Into The Mix – An Interview With Sound Re-recordist Chris Jenkins
- Mondo Macabre – A Look At Mondo’s Various Creepshow Posters With Mondo Co-Founder Rob Jones And Mondo Gallery Events Planner Josh Curry
- Collecting Creepshow – A Look At Some Of The Original Props And Collectibles From The Film With Collector Dave Burian
- Audio Interviews With Director Of Photography Michael Gornick, Actor John Amplas, Property Master Bruce Alan Miller, And Make-up Effects Assistant Darryl Ferrucci
- Tom Savini’s Behind-The-Scenes Footage
- Horror’s Hallowed Grounds – A Look At The Original Film Locations Hosted By Sean Clark
- Deleted Scenes
- Theatrical Trailers
- TV Spot
- Radio Spots
- Still Galleries – Posters, Lobby Cards, And Movie Stills
- Still Galleries – Behind The Scenes Photos
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Creepshow
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Special Features
Summary
If you love Creepshow then owning this disc should be a no brainer. The video quality is outstanding, the audio upgrade is a winner, and the wealth of extras can’t be beat.
