Wednesday, February 3, 2010

"Thanks for the ride lady!"


Torture, gore and death are the three elements that are required in order to produce a high-quality, bloodcurdling scary movie. My whole life I have enjoyed watching horror movies, although I will admit that I am terrified of zombies!!!! My name is Jackie and I am a student at the University of St. Francis. In my blogs I will give my opinion as well as little known facts on various scary movies, both new and old.

Stephen King and George A. Romero are considered the masters of terror and the macabre. Their joint efforts in the films “Creepshow” (1982) and “Creepshow” 2 (1987) show how these minds together can both frighten and intrigue. The style of these movies is similar to the ghouls-and-gags style of classic ‘50s horror comics.

“Creepshow” is unique in the way that it has creepiness to it and at the same time has a bit of humor. The film is based around five stories which consist of a murderous revenge tale of a father on father’s day (Father’s Day), a redneck who begins growing like a plant after coming into contact with a meteor’s green substance (The Lonesome Death of Jody Verrill), a man who buries his wife and her lover up to their necks on the beach as the tide is coming in (Something to Tide You Over), a strange monster that lives in a crate discovered beneath a stairwell (The Crate), and lastly a Scrooge-like businessman who lives in a sanitized apartment infested with pesky cockroaches (They’re Creeping Up on You). Some of the actors included Ed Harris, Leslie Nielsen, Ted Danson, Adrienne Barbeau and E.G. Marshall.

Of course after viewing this you might want a second helping. That is where Creepshow 2 steps in. This movie brings you three more tales about Chief Wooden Head, a raft, and a hitchhiker. Chief Wooden Head launches the movie with an older couple running a store in the middle of a desert town. The owner has lent a lot of credit for items in his store to the local Native tribe. In an attempt to pay him back, they provide all of their most precious valuables. Shortly after receiving them, the old couple is robbed and murdered. So Chief Wooden Head sets out for revenge. The next story is called The Raft. It is about four college students going out for a fall swim. That swims turns fatal when the kids are trapped on the raft just waiting till it is their time. The last story is called The Hitchhiker. It is about a wealthy wife who speed home after having a rendezvous’ with her boy toy. On her way to beat her husband home, she runs over a hitchhiker, killing him and then drives off. Little does she know that he wants his ride, dead or not.

Although these movies are not “jump out of your seat thrillers”, any true fans of Stephen King and or George A. Romero will appreciate the creativity and thought that went into the directing and writing of these movies. The creepiest part of the first “Creepshow” would be the story about the crate. I do appreciate the fact that you never got a full body shot of the monster, just a shot of his face and big powerful jaws. This actually leaves your mind wondering how it would look, allowing you to imagine the most foul creature from the depth of some remote place. The one thing that I do appreciate about the older horror films is that they make you think.


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