Creepshow

Creepshow is a 1982 horror movie directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King. It consists of five short vignettes: "Father's Day", "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill", "Something to Tide You Over", "The Crate" and "They're Creeping Up On You". They are tied together by animated segments and the plight of a young boy (played by Stephen King's own son, Joe King) who is a dedicated fan of a fictitious comic book titled "Creepshow". The film is a homage to the EC Comics of the 1950s.

Related Topics:
1982 - Horror movie - George A. Romero - Stephen King - Comic book - Homage - EC Comics - 1950s

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Two of the stories were published as separate short stories:

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The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill (originally titled Weeds) is a darkly humorous story about a backwoods hick who finds himself overcome by a rapidly spreading plant-like organism that arrives in a meteorite. Stephen King himself plays the doomed protagonist. (shown as second story)

Related Topics:
Hick - Meteorite - Stephen King

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The Crate is a classic monster story of a mysterious, extremely lethal creature unknowingly freed from its crate. Famed "scream queen" Adrienne Barbeau stars as a deserving victim of the beast. (shown as fourth story)

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The other three stories were written by King expressly for the film:

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In Something to Tide You Over, Leslie Nielsen stages a terrible fate for his unfaithful wife and her lover, (played by Ted Danson) only to have them repay a supernatural revenge back upon him by burying him up to his neck in a beach just before the tide comes in. (shown as third story)

Related Topics:
Leslie Nielsen - Ted Danson

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Father's Day is a standard horror tale of a deceased father choosing "his day" to return from the grave and exact final vengance on his inept, feuding family. Ed Harris appears as a naive and ill-fated in-law. (shown as first story)

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They're Creeping Up On You tells of a cruel, miserly landlord (brilliantly played by screen legend E.G. Marshall) who is terrified and disgusted by the roaches and other assorted insects that are suddenly pervading his supposedly antiseptic, germfree apartment. (shown as final story)

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The film was later adapted into a comic book illustrated by Bernie Wrightson. A sequel to the film, called Creepshow 2, was made in 1987.

Related Topics:
Comic book - Bernie Wrightson - 1987

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Incidentally, the moderate success of Creepshow sparked interest in a television series in the same mold. After a few changes, Laurel Productions renamed the television version Tales from the Darkside. This series lasted four years (1983-87) before being replaced by a virtually identical series named Monsters, which itself lasted three years (1988-91).

Related Topics:
Tales from the Darkside - 1983 - 87 - Monsters - 1988 - 91

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