Creepshow - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Creepshow has it all in its few short stories of horror. Monsters, madmen, meteorites, death, carnage, and even Stephen King who is getting directed by George A. Romero. This horror anthology is based on horror comic books from the 1950s. so some of the humor and scares can feel a tiny bit kooky. But for some odd reason, they hold up after all these years in some sort of terrifying way. Plus it's great to see some of cinema's greatest actors put on a fantastic show in these short films. It's obvious that horror has changed over decades, but there is something quite stylized, nostalgic, and horrifying about the original Creepshow film that continues to last and entertain new generations. 

Read Our Previous Take on Creepshow Here.

Vital Disc Stats: The Ultra HD Blu-ray
Creepshow rattles its way to 4K + Blu-ray via Scream Factory. This new set has two discs that are housed inside a hard, black plastic case with a cardboard sleeve. The discs have artwork on them featuring the reversible sides of the case artwork. One side comes with the comic book illustrations of the film, while the other side employs the original movie poster. There is no booklet or digital code here. 

Creepshow arrives with a 2160p UHD 4K transfer from Scream Factory. This is a brand new 2023 4K scan of the original camera negative with Dolby Vision/HDR enhancements. The previous Blu-ray collector's edition was created from an older 4K scan, so this current 4K version is the definitive way to watch. Even in the bonus features, the Director of Photography discusses this new transfer and how it's the ultimate way to view the film.

This new transfer has a warmer palette than the previous 1080p HD version. Colors pop a bit more in each lighting condition. Those greens are more nuanced with the Dolby Vision/HDR and the grey wool jacket along with the mass amounts of red blood look incredible now. The colors aren't as pale as they were on the last release. Blue skies are a bit lighter and the darker, earthier tones are richer. Black levels are inky and the skin tones are leveled up in brightness. This is a natural and organic image, much more so than the Blu-ray release.

The detail is sharper this time around. The film grain settles down with this 4K presentation where close-ups of people's faces don't swarm with noise or grain. It's a much crisper and cleaner image. Other practical effects, individual hairs, makeup, and gory wounds look amazing here. There is no complaint with any video problem to speak of. This is the ultimate way to view the movie. 

This new 4K release brings a new Dolby Atmos track to the mix that sounds impressive for a movie that is over 40 years old. Sound effects are robust and louder than expected. Those ghastly noises and sounds of violence and horror pack a punch. Haunting effects come through the surround speakers often and with ferocity. Smaller ambient noises are crisp and clean as well. The music sounds off perfectly with that iconic score that gives every note some weight with that low end of the bass. Those rumbles are smooth and never overbearing. The dialogue is clean and easy to follow. The height speakers allow for a few elements of carnage and music as well. This Dolby Atmos audio track was a pleasant surprise that should satisfy those vintage horror movie buffs. 

There are over two hours' worth of extras here in addition to the three commentary tracks located on the 4K Disc. The rest of the bonus materials can be found on the Blu-ray copy. There are NO new extras made for this specific release, but all the previous material from that Collectors Edition Blu-ray has been imported over. 

Disc One

• Commentary with Director George Romero and Special Make-Up Effects Creator Tom Savini – This is a moderated commentary (by Michael Felsher) featuring two of the more notable names in horror films. This track originally appeared on a 2007 UK DVD release of the film. It's lighthearted, fun, and contains lots of behind-the-scenes trivia.
• Commentary with Composer/First Assistant Director John Harrison and Construction Coordinator Ed Fountain – This is another commentary moderated by Michael Felsher that isn't quite as much fun as the Romero/Savini track, but perhaps gives much more technical info on how the movie was created.
• Commentary with Director of Photography Michael Gornick – This is a brand-new commentary featuring the movie's DP and moderated by Lee Karr.

Disc Two

• Audio Interviews with Director of Photography Michael Gornick, Actor John Amplas, Property Master Bruce Alan Miller, and Make-Up Effects Assistant Darryl Ferrucci – This isn't a commentary track in the traditional sense, but rather audio interviews with those listed here, with comments included by Michael Felsher. The track was put together for the UK's Blu-ray release of the movie, which came a few years after the 2007 release mentioned above.
• Terror and the Three Rivers (HD 30:10) –This is a brand-new roundtable discussion with John Amplas, Tom Atkins, Tom Savini, and Marty Schiff, which is hosted by Michael Felsher.
• The Comic Book Look (HD 12:51) – This is a brand-new interview with Costume Designer Barbara Anderson.
• Ripped from the Pages (HD 15:37) – This is a brand-new interview with Rick Catizone, who was in charge of the animation sequences in the film.
• The Colors of Creepshow (HD 10:10) –This brand-new featurette has Director of Photography Michael Gornick discussing the 4K restoration of the movie for this Blu-ray Collector's Edition.
• Into the Mix (HD 13:05) – This brand-new featurette has Sound Re-Recordist Chris Jenkins discussing the movie's audio mix.
• Mondo Macabre (HD 9:42) – A look at the popular Mondo posters and collectibles companies, featuring Mondo Co-Founder Rob Jones and Mondo Gallery and Events Manager Josh Curry.
• Collecting Creepshow (HD 12:31) – This final of the brand-new featurettes on this release has die-hard collector David Burian talk about his Creepshow collection.
• Tom Savini's Behind-the-Scenes Footage (SD 25:52) – This is archival footage from the movie shot by Tom Savini, the film's special effects makeup guru (who also has a cameo playing a garbage man).
• Horror's Hallowed Grounds (HD 14:56) – This is an episode of a TV series that took viewers to the locations of famous horror movies. This one (from 2016) takes us to the Pittsburgh/Monroeville, Pennsylvania area, where Creepshow was shot.
• Deleted Scenes (SD 15:31) – A collection of deleted scenes from the movie, which must be watched together rather than individually. Note: while the introduction text is in full HD (and the featurette has been rendered in 1080p), potential viewers should know that the deleted footage is in rough shape – both very grainy and full frame. Therefore like the Savini BTS footage bonus feature (also rendered in at 1080p, but with SD-shot and grainy footage), I've listed this bonus feature as SD, since that is a more accurate description of the content.
• Trailers– A full-length theatrical trailer (HD 1:49), followed by a minute-long, full-frame Spanish-language trailer (SD 0:58).
• TV Spot (SD 0:28) – A brief TV spot for the movie.
• Radio Spots (1:04) – A couple of radio spots, playing over a still of Ted Danson trapped in the sand from his segment in the film.
• Gallery – The bonus material wraps up with a gallery of stills (which will just play as a slideshow if you chose not to use your remote to jump ahead) broken up into the following categories: Posters and Lobby Cards (HD 6:44); Movie Posters (HD 2:20); Color Stills (HD 2:15); Special FX Makeup (HD 6:04); and Behind the Scenes (HD 6:29).

Creepshow is still one of the great founding fathers of horror in the '80s. That anthology horror genre wouldn't be complete or really wouldn't have started to take off without Creepshow. These short films continue to scare and haunt anyone who watches them. It holds up after four decades with no signs of slowing down. The new 4K image with Dolby Vision and HDR looks impeccable and the new Dolby Atmos tracks are out of this world. There are some wonderful bonus features to boot. Highly Recommended!