Father's Day -- Horror and Brevity
As a kid, I don't think I ever truly appreciated how wonderful the first story is; there's hardly a moment that doesn't work. Granted, it's only...what? 20 minutes? Nonetheless, "Father's Day" definitely deserves a special place in the realm of scary cinema, particularly for its efficiency -- both in terms of concise story telling and generating sheer horror.
What do I love about it?
Aunt Bedelia. A really marvelous performance by Viveca Lindfors, almost certainly the best in the movie. It's a shame that she's eliminated 1/20th of the way through the film's running time. Her monologue by the grave gives the segment a real touch of class.
The flashbacks, particularly the almost surreal feel to them. Images and sounds seem to fly out at us -- the cake overloaded with icing, the shotgun blast, the sporting gent falling backwards into a pond, a stuffed bear in the dining room, the sound of Nate's cane as he bangs it against his chair.
The distant, echoing sound of Nate's cane returning as Bedelia catches sight of the grave. The way she rips the wilting flowers from the hanging pot.
The awesome Savini make-up on Zombie-Nate. Kay's Zombie movie guide cites this as the best zombie in film history, and who am I to disagree?
Ed Harris's fear paralysis in the grave. It just goes to show what makes an actor a professional: he brings his A-game to a movie like Creepshow, which apparently Ted Danson has removed from his resumé (which is a mystery to me -- he also is quite good).
But one of my favourite things about Creepshow as a whole is the brazenly comic book nature of the lighting, and "Father's Day" is probably the best example of this. The deep blues of the dark kitchen or the cemetery. The wacky flashback panels.
And, best of all...
"Peaceful here."
...when Nathan Grantham's hand shoots out of the ground and the screen is awash with red and we're blasted by shrill synth and pounding piano, well, let's just say I've been present when more than one person has experienced a bit of a "terror fit" at that moment -- squeals, popcorn flying, the whole deal. It's really frightening, despite the fact that the lighting is in-your-face unbelievable. Only Romero could've done that.
And Ed Harris's dance.