Review: Creep (2014)

Something’s a bit off with Josef.

When Aaron (co-writer and director Patrick Brice) is hired to film a day in the life of Josef (co-writer Mark Duplass), he’s under the impression that he’s preserving a memory of the dying Josef for his unborn son.

Or at least that’s what Josef tells him.

However, things get a little uncomfortable when Josef starts acting a little odd, taking every opportunity to frighten him while also trying to win his friendship and love. Is Josef being completely honest with Aaron or does he have an ulterior motive for inviting him to his cabin?

While Creep is in no way groundbreaking in the horror genre, I have to admit that I enjoyed the hell out of this film as it’s equally frightening and hilarious with its deft combination of scares and black humor. Duplass (Safety Not Guaranteed, The One I Love) turns in a fantastic performance in what amounts to a character study of a lonely, disturbed man seeking…well, let’s just say companionship because to offer any other information about Josef’s intentions would ruin the film. As in his other films, Duplass’ quirkiness works to Creep‘s advantage because you never know whether or not to trust him and that ultimately allows the viewer to both sympathize with Josef when not being unnerved by him.

Creep is Brice’s first feature and it’s a solid effort with tight pacing and sparse storytelling. I often complain about today’s films being way too long as the majority favor style over substance leading to running times of well over two hours. However, Creep is just right, clocking in at approximately 80 minutes which is all it needs to provide some nice little jolts and thrills. We get just enough of a glimpse into the lives of these two men to satisfy our curiosity; any more information would be overbearing and unnecessary.

I’m not certain that Creep will appeal to everyone as it treads pretty familiar ground and those who have seen a lot of horror films might be slightly jaded by it. However, I’m pretty jaded myself and I’d highly recommend it over most of today’s standard fare. If I wasn’t disappointed, you probably won’t be either. Creep is currently streaming on Netflix so add it to your list while it’s available.

Creep grade: A-

Review: Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and we only had a handful of channels to watch (i.e. the 1970s), I spent Sunday mornings watching old black and white movies on Pittsburgh’s local channel 53, WPGH TV (now a Fox affiliate, but this was the time before there was anything but the big three networks and WPGH was an independent station). If memory serves correctly, Sunday mornings would rotate between The Three Stooges, Laurel & Hardy and, of course, the comedy duo of Abbott & Costello. Because of my affinity for the Universal monsters, Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein was my absolute favorite of all of them (well, truth be told, it might tie with one of their other films, The Time of Their Lives, but that’s not a horror film even if two of the main characters are ghosts).

The story begins with Chick and Wilbur (Abbott and Costello, respectively), two baggage handlers who are given the task of transporting some very unique and expensive crates to a “house of horrors” attraction. Though one of the crates contains the coffin of Dracula (Bela Lugosi) and the other the body of Frankenstein (Glenn Strange), Chick remains skeptical of the contents even after Wilbur tells him that something is awry and both have been warned by Lawrence Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) that they are dangerous.

Soon Chick and Wilbur become embroiled in a plot by Dracula and Wilbur’s girlfriend (Sandra Mornay) to steal Wilbur’s brain and place it in the Frankenstein monster. Chaos and hilarity ensue, especially in the latter half of the film when Talbot’s Wolfman becomes a major player.

Though this film pretty much sounded the death knell for the once terrifying Universal Monsters, Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein is a comedy classic and remains a gem even after all of these years. Obviously, it helped to have seen it at a time when an impressionable young boy like me could still find the most basic of celluloid creatures frightening, but those who can appreciate a solid comedy mixed with a dash of old fashioned horror will undoubtedly fall in love with Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein. I know I did again even though it’s been nearly thirty years since I previously saw it.

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein grade: A