Question: What happens when three of the most influential creative minds in horror join forces for a rollicking collection of macabre and humorous stories? Answer: You get two of the greatest horror anthology movies ever created, Creepshow and Creepshow 2.

So grab a cocktail, put away the Venus fly traps, lock the doors, and settle in for some Father’s Day cake as we do a deep dive into the classic anthology series! After all…that’s why God made fathers, gang. That’s why God made fathers.

1“The Crate” (Creepshow)

Creepshow 1982 The Crate
Warner Bros. Pictures

“Just tell it to call you Billie.”

The fourth story in Creepshow, “The Crate,” tells the story of a mysterious wooden crate found by a janitor beneath the stairs in a university building while performing cleaning duties. Curious, he enlists the help of Professor Dexter Stanley (Fritz Weaver) in removing the crate and opening it to see what treasures may lie inside. To their surprise, the crate contains a blood-thirsty beast with a killer appetite.

The rest of the story deals with Stanley, along with the help of his henpecked college professor buddy Henry Northrup (Hal Holbrook), figuring out how to rid themselves of the monster before more lives are lost.

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While maybe not sustainable as a feature-length film on its own, “The Crate” comes closest and is the longest segment in the movie, deservingly so. Based on another King short story of the same name, everything about this story works. The terrific musical score, the incredible monster effects (some of Savini’s best work), the weaving in of the comic book elements, and of course, the movie-stealing performance of Adrienne Barbeau as Henry’s unbearable, uncouth, verbally abusive, and perpetually drunk wife Wilma (but you can call her Billie, everyone else does).

Before ultimately disposing of the crate and the creature contained within, Henry seizes the opportunity to also rid himself of Wilma. Barbeau’s performance is so terrific you almost don’t wanna see her go. It is a true masterpiece of horror storytelling.

2“Father’s Day” (Creepshow)

creepshow father's day
Warner Bros. Pictures

“Where’s my Father’s Day cake?”

“Father’s Day” is the first story in Creepshow, and it sets the tone for what’s to come in the film. Taking place on, well, Father’s Day, we learn during a gathering at the family estate that wealthy (and controlling) family patriarch Nathan Grantham (Jon Lormer) was murdered years ago by his daughter Bedelia for his incessant demands for his Father’s Day cake (amongst other, more sinister reasons).

While visiting Nathan’s grave site before joining the others, an angry and bitter Aunt Bedelia (Viveca Lindfors) inadvertently re-animates her deceased father’s corpse, who then emerges from the grave and proceeds to kill her. The now zombified, horribly decomposed Nathan begins his quest for his long-denied Father’s Day cake, and no one is going to deny him this time.

Perhaps more than any of the other segments in Creepshow, “Father’s Day” perfectly represents the film. It is equally horrifying and atmospheric while being comical and humorous at the same time. A young (well, young-ish) Ed Harris is excellent in his small role as Grantham family newbie/dance connoisseur/smash victim Hank.

The music and score, once again, are excellent, and the story culminates in a truly shocking yet satisfying, open-ended climax. This Father’s Day, please don’t forget the cake!

3“The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill” (Creepshow)

Warner Bros. Pictures

“That’s a meteor. I’ll be dipped in s*it if that ain’t a meteor!”

Author and screenwriter Stephen King absolutely shines here as dimwitted country bumpkin Jordy Verrill. For someone with virtually no acting experience, King is simply tremendous in carrying the segment and also incredibly hilarious.

Based on King’s short story “Weeds,” Verrill discovers a meteorite that has just landed on his farm. As he attempts to extract it with his bare hands from the crater it has formed, he burns his fingers. In order to handle the meteorite, he pours a bucket of water on it, causing it to instantly split open and spill out a glowing blue ooze.

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The contents of the extra-terrestrial rock then cause super-fast-growing weeds to sprout all along the property, his house, and Verrill himself. It doesn’t take long for Jordy to realize that he (and perhaps the rest of the earth) is doomed.

Definitely the most light-hearted and comedic of all the Creepshow stories, “Lonesome Death” is a lot of fun while also dealing with issues of self-worth, isolation, and failed expectations. It may be light on the scares, but it is highly entertaining and incredibly quote-worthy. Only a lunkhead could disagree.

4“The Raft” (Creepshow 2)

Creepshow 2 The Raft
New World Pictures

“I…beat…you. Whatever you are. I BEAT YOU!” 

The middle story in Creepshow 2, “The Raft,” starts as many ’80s teen adventures gone wrong usually do, with a group of teens headed to an idyllic location for a hedonistic good time. In this case, that spot is a secluded lake with a single wooden raft floating in the middle of it.

After swimming out to the raft, the group encounters a black, oil-slick-like floating blob. They soon learn that not only is the blob a living organism, but it is also a brutally dangerous one at that. One by one, the four teens meet their demise via the voracious entity. 

“The Raft” is almost a companion piece to “The Crate” in the first film in that it deals with a lethally hungry, mysterious creature bent on satisfying its appetite. They are both the anchor pieces in their respective movies and are more traditional, straightforward horror than some of the others. And they are both the best segments in each movie. Most importantly, it reminds us to always check twice for “no swimming” signs before taking the plunge!

5“Something to Tide You Over” (Creepshow)

creepshow 0
Warner Bros. Pictures

“I can hold my breath for a long, long time!”

Anger. Jealousy. Betrayal. Vengeance. These are all central themes of “Something to Tide You Over.” In what may come as a bit of a shock to those familiar with his slapstick work in the Naked Gun films, Leslie Nielsen stars as Richard Vickers, a wealthy, cold-blooded television executive hell-bent on punishing his wife and her lover by burying them up to their necks in sand and letting the incoming tide slowly drown them.

We learn of his evil revenge plot as he slowly unfolds it to Harry Wentworth (Ted Danson, who also starred in a debuting Cheers that year), the man his wife Becky (Gaylen Ross) has been having an affair with. Although he succeeds in drowning the two, Richard soon realizes that revenge is not a one-way street.

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As you might expect with a couple of well-known actors, the acting here is pretty stellar, particularly Nielsen. His character is so starkly different from those he would go on to be associated with later in the ’80s and ’90s, but he is incredibly entertaining nonetheless. The makeup work on the returning, vengeful couple, now water-slogged, seaweed-covered zombies, is pretty extraordinary.

This segment is really well-paced and a ton of fun. Just remember to hold your breath!

6“Old Chief Wood’nhead” (Creepshow 2)

creepshow 2
New World Pictures

“This hair’s gonna get me paid ‘n laid!”

An interesting choice to kick off Creepshow 2, “Old Chief Wood’nhead,” is slower-paced than any of the segments in either movie. It also feels more like a Tales From the Darkside episode than a Creepshow story, not that that is necessarily a bad thing.

Stuck in a dead-end town (appropriately named Dead River), Sam Whitemoon (Holt McCallany) has big plans to leave for the bright lights of Hollywood, believing that his movie star looks will make him an actual movie star. Before doing so, Sam enlists his two knucklehead friends to aid him in robbing the town’s general store to secure funds for the move.

Of course, things don’t go as planned, and the elderly store owners (George Kennedy) are shot and killed in the process. The trio thinks they have gotten away scot-free, but before they can blow town, they are each hunted down and punished by the store’s wooden Indian guardian, Old Chief Wood’nhead.

Although it feels a bit out of place, “Wood’nhead” is actually quite enjoyable. The performances are strong, particularly McCallany and Kennedy, and the dialogue is sharp (“We’re outta here for good!…No more eatin’ dust for a living. There ain’t no dust in Hollywood, man.”) Although fairly predictable, the story is still engaging. The tone is dark as we all anticipate the warpath of the Old Chief. And when it comes, the vengeance enacted on the thugs is oh-so-satisfying. 

7“The Hitch-hiker” (Creepshow 2)

New World Pictures

“Thanks for the ride, lady!” 

The closing segment of Creepshow 2 is the most aggressive and gory of the three. A wealthy businesswoman, Annie Lansing (Lois Chiles), realizes that she has spent too much time visiting her gigolo and must now speed home to arrive before her attorney husband does. In the process, she hits and kills a hitchhiker (Tom Wright).

Wanting to avoid manslaughter charges (and, more importantly, having to answer her husband’s questions), she drives off, seemingly leaving the dead hitchhiker behind. She soon discovers that is easier said than done as the mangled man continues to reappear, hell-bent on showing her his “gratitude” for the ride. 

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More straightforward horror than any of the Creepshow segments, “The Hitch-hiker” is quite an adrenaline rush. The makeup effects of the increasingly decimated hitchhiker are very well done and quite gruesome. And as tends to be the case in these stories, we find ourselves rooting for the aggrieved victim as they seek vengeance on those who have done them wrong.

Oh, and keep an eye out for a great cameo by Stephen King as a semi-truck driver (“Whaddaya think happened? A guy got creamed. It happens all the time.”)

8 “They’re Creeping up on You” (Creepshow)

Warner Bros. Pictures

“G**damned bugs!” 

I’m not gonna lie: I hate this segment. Not because of the acting, dialogue, or story. It’s because I have always had a fear of cockroaches. And they are on full display here. Boy, are they ever. Real roaches. Ugh! 

The story is fairly simple. Upson Pratt (E.G. Marshall) is a germophobic, heartless businessman who lives in a sterile, sealed New York apartment. He treats people like he treats bugs, squishing them with no remorse. He almost seems to take a perverse pleasure when he hears of the suicide of one of his colleagues, seemingly caused by his cruel ways.

When a blackout hits the city, the apartment’s defenses against insects, roaches in particular, are lowered, allowing the creepy crawlies into his sanctuary. Pratt gets his comeuppance as his worst fears about bugs come true. 

The production used live cockroaches to achieve the effects here (which reportedly cost $125,000), and it is too much to take, at least for me. As they overwhelm Pratt and eventually emerge from his lifeless body, the visuals are simply disgusting. This segment, the last of the five in Creepshow, was cut in the edited-for-TV version, and I would often do the same when watching on VHS/DVD, skipping ahead to the epilogue. 

While this is the final segment on our list, it is nonetheless enjoyable and well-executed, demonstrating that you can’t go wrong with either anthology classic!

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