#6 CREEPSHOW 2 (1987) - A wooden Native American statue that comes to life and kills people, a man-eating blob that lives in a lake, and a hit n' run that comes back to haunt a careless driver. Not a "George Romero movie" per se, I still consider this one to be part of his back catalog despite his only involvement being as a screenwriter. The reason for that is because I think of this film and its predecessor, the original CREEPSHOW (duh), to be one in the same. Saw them both as a young kid and, as a result, they each hold a special place in my heart - not only in terms of Romero's films, but horror anthologies and horror movies in general. Depending on what day of the week it is, what the weather's like, etc., I consider this one to be my favorite of the two, if only for nostalgia reasons. I've never looked at Native American statues the same since, but thankfully it's not often that I see one. The image of the blob coming out of the lake has stuck with me through the years and is one of the things that has contributed to my longlasting fear of dark water. And hitch-hikers at night? Yeah, fuck that.
#7 TWO EVIL EYES (1990) - This is a two-segment horror anthology film, with the segments individually directed and written by Dario Argento and George Romero (Argento's was co-written with longtime collaborator Franco Ferrini). Romero's segment stars Adrienne Barbeau, and it's basically about a woman whose dead husband comes back to haunt her. As a whole (including Argento's segment), TWO EVIL EYES is a decent horror anthology and tribute to Edgar Allan Poe. A bit uneven because of the contrasting styles of both filmmakers, but effective and entertaining nonetheless. Romero's segment, in my opinion, is the stronger of the two. Not a very original piece, but otherwise solid. Supposedly there's a social commentary on capitalism somewhere in Romero's segment as well, but whatever. In comparison to Argento's segment, Romero's is paced much better and doesn't really beat around the bush with the story that it's trying to tell. It gets right to the point, handles its business, and then its gone. Great score by Pino Donaggio and all around good performances from the cast.
Yeah, "The Raft" segment from CREEPSHOW 2 has stayed with me longer than any other of the stories from that film. Kinda creepy - a malevolent oil slick but it works.
ReplyDeleteI really, truly love Creepshow 2. Every time I drive in Delaware, my wife and I always remember the Dover sign and say "Thanks for the ride, lady!"
ReplyDeleteOf course The Raft is my favorite story in this anthology.
JD: It's amazing how something so simple as what appears to be an oil slick mixed with a carpet floating in a lake can be as effective as it is. Even when I talk to friends who aren't horror fans or even "movie buffs" for that matter, "that horror movie with the blob in the lake" tends to come up.
ReplyDeleteGeof: The fact that you incorporate a CREEPSHOW 2 reference into occasional road trips is pretty awesome. Glad someone else out there has some love for this movie.
Ive heard many people say that the second Creepshow was terrible, but I dont find that to be true at all. I love both films, and The Raft is definitely the best of the three stories!
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