By Jared Curtis jared@dmcityview.com
‘Night of the Creeps’
Directed by Fred Dekker
Rated R,
88 minutes
The 1986 horror classic “Night of the Creeps” could easily be a “Curtis Classic,” but since this is the first time released on DVD, I will feature it to close out my October horror picks. Two college students (Jason Lively and Steve Marshall) accidentally unfreeze a corpse and soon discover the dead student was frozen for a reason — he was infected with slug-like parasites that climb into people’s mouths and turn them into zombies. The parasites escape and wreak havoc on the college campus. Luckily, a badass cop (Tom Atkins) is on the scene to help destroy the villians and say one of the most classic lines in a horror film, “I got good news and bad news, girls. The good news is your dates are here. The bad news, they’re dead.” Enjoy a classic ’80s treat and watch “Night of the Creeps.”CV
‘Dawn of the Dead’
Directed by George A. Romero
1978, Rated R, 128 minutes
George A. Romero is considered the godfather of zombie films for good reason. His 1968 film “Night of the Living Dead” is legendary. But it was his second film, “Dawn of the Dead,” that is the jewel of his original zombie trilogy (also included 1985’s “Day of the Dead”). “Dawn of the Dead” focuses on four survivors who escape a zombie outbreak by heading to the sky in a weather chopper. With fuel running low, they find a mall and decide to take shelter. Turmoil and unseen dangers tear at the group, but those are not the only problems they face. Younger filmgoers might criticize “Dawn of the Dead” for not being as fast or action packed as the mediocre 2004 remake, but none of the films showing today would exist without Romero’s demented and politically charged vision. CV
