Tales from the Rotting Side: Creepshow (1982)
Before Tales from the Crypt hit TV, Creepshow brought comic book horror to the big screen with a vengeance. Directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King, this five-part anthology is a technicolor nightmare of revenge, rot, and radioactive regret.
Each segment is framed by animated comic panels and a ghoulish host known as The Creep, setting the tone for a ride that’s equal parts grotesque and gleeful.
📚 Segment Breakdown
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Father’s Day
A murdered patriarch rises from the grave for his long-overdue cake. Ed Harris dances. Heads roll. -
The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill
Stephen King stars as a dim-witted farmer who touches a meteor and slowly turns into a moss-covered monstrosity. Inspired by Weeds, one of King’s short stories. -
Something to Tide You Over
Leslie Nielsen buries Ted Danson and Gaylen Ross up to their necks in sand. But the tide brings more than water—it brings revenge. -
The Crate
A janitor finds a mysterious crate under the stairs. Inside? A toothy creature with a taste for flesh. Adrienne Barbeau plays the wife you love to hate. -
They’re Creeping Up on You
E.G. Marshall plays a germaphobic tycoon trapped in a sterile apartment... until the roaches arrive. And they don’t come alone.
🧠 Creepy Trivia
- 🎭 Joe Hill (Stephen King's son) plays the comic-loving boy in the wraparound segment.
- 💨 Leslie Nielsen used a fart machine on set to prank Ted Danson before takes.
- 🧟 Rice Krispies were used as maggots on the corpse’s eyes in Father’s Day.
- 🎥 Romero edited the film himself, alongside Pasquale Buba and others.
- 🧪 King was told to play Jordy like Wile E. Coyote, especially when things go off the rails.
- 📦 The Crate’s monster was nicknamed “Fluffy” by the crew. It was designed by Tom Savini, who also cameos as a garbage man.
Final Thoughts
Creepshow is a blood-splattered valentine to horror comics, where justice is poetic, the dead don’t stay buried, and bugs are always bad news. It’s campy, creepy, and crafted with love by two masters of the genre.
So grab your flashlight, hide under the covers, and remember:
“Tell it to call you Billy!”