Watching by Numbers with Creepshow (1982)

I don’t think I’ve ever reviewed Creepshow on here.

Yet I have mentioned the show on countless lists, watched the sequel, the show on Shudder and have most of the funko pops of the tv series. But finding Creepshow on dvd (I only had it on vhs), I was able to do something I remembered the Dead Meat Podcast mentioning in a review:  what is the runtime of each segment and honestly, I was curious.

So I watched Creepshow and with my phone, recorded each segment from beginning to end as close as possible. And honestly, there are some very interesting consistencies within the segments and there is ONE that is the longest and honestly, it feels it.

Let’s talk about the 1982 film Creepshow!

Creepshow is the brainchild of famed horror director George A. Romero, written by Stephen King and most notably, the special effects done by Tom Savini. Creepshow is an anthology film, 5 different segments, 6 if you include the prologue and epilogue and is heavily inspired by EC Comics, specifically Tales from the Crypt in the 1950s or horror comics in general at the time.

I think the film has great special effects, great choices of lighting and atmosphere to give it the comic book feel but some segments are better than others.

First segment, Father’s Day, which is a top favorite of mine, came in at about 17 minutes. I’m rounding up at 16:49. I love this segment, I love the colors used, very harsh and contrasting. The fact that the “father” returns after some alcohol is poured over his grave by accident is hilarious and I like some of the use of comic book paneling to show something coming towards the screen and then retreating. Even though the film was released in the 80s, this segment feels very 70s.

Second, The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill, is really a one man show starring Stephen King. I like the concept of it, you know, a country bumpkin farmer who touches something they shouldn’t have and becomes a plant monster thing. It feels very short and it is short, just around 13-14 minutes worth of screentime.

The next one is Something to Tide You Over and honestly, rewatching it, I kinda liked it more than I used to. It also stars Leslie Nielson and Ted Danson and normally, it’s the one that I’m “meh” but I was very into it this time around and I think it’s the performances that got me. And it’s the one that feels the most realistic, minus the re-emerging of waterlogged zombies. This segment comes in around 24 minutes, the longest so far.

The Crate is possibly the one most popular one. This segment has the creature “Fluffy” who has kind of become a mascot of Creepshow minus The Creep and it all started here. This one is also a personal favorite of mine, it gives the most gore and flat out horror. We have a creature, we have characters that we are kind of rooting for and Wilma who is just not nice but Henry is a unknowingly loose cannon. This one is the LONGEST by coming in at 37-38 minutes. It’s literally a short film!

And the final one, They’re Creeping Up on You comes in at around 16 to 17 minutes. I really like this one as well, all the insects give me the shudders and they’re everywhere and in everything and they come out of EG Marshall’s character at the end and it’s disgusting yet satisfying. It’s short but I think it uses its time effectively and because it takes place in one setting, there isn’t a lot of bouncing of many characters or places.

Now, with those out of the way, I will say that the one that feels the shortest is They’re Creeping Up on You for the fact it goes pretty smoothly. The longest feeling one is indeed The Crate, followed by Something to Tide You Over. And one that I think you can get rid of is The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill. It’s the shortest, it has no big impact on the film and with it gone, it might help with the uneveness of each segment.

When thinking about redoing the order of the segments, I would go with this: Father’s Day, Something to Tide You Over, in the middle would be The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill, followed by They’re Creeping Up on You and finally, The Crate. I think The Crate would be a great “ending” or even Father’s Day as the last hurrah of Creepshow, to end on a strong note. Start strong, end strong. Or think of them like a sandwich, Lonesome Death would be considered a condiment that you don’t need.

Perhaps I’ll do this again with Creepshow 2 but there are less segments and I can probably guess which one is the longest but maybe if I find the time, I’ll do it again.

If you’ve seen Creepshow, which is your favorite segment? Which one would you get rid of or keep? Leave a comment below!