Customer Reviews
A REALLY REALLY GOOD HORROR FILM DIRECTED BY JOHN CARPENTER - By: stuart, 06 Nov 2007 
This film introduces three short films that are tied together through John Carpenter himself, as he introduces three people that have died & tells of their fates.
The Good Story(ies): Easily the best story is the first, "Gas Station," directed by Carpenter himself. It tells of a woman's (Anne Draxter) first night on the job at a gas station in the middle of nowhere, run by Bill. (Robert Carradine) She is left alone & begins the usual daily activities inherent with a gas station: serving customers. When one stranger arrives asking for the bathroom, she obliges, & he goes to the bathroom. Another stranger arrives later, & since the first man is still in the bathroom, she becomes worried. She asks him to check the bathroom, & tells her that he is sleeping around one of the toilets. He leaves, & she goes to check on the man. She finds the bathroom empty, & notices Satanic-like drawings on the side of one of the stallls. Trying to report it to police, she hears strange noises in the auto-shop across the lot. She investigates to find the mysterious man killed & Bill as the murderer. After several false endings, Bill is finallly defeated by being crashed under a car in for repairs. This works because it showcases Carpenter at his best: females trapped in a situation without a chance to escape; atmospheric settings, & a neat twist at the end. This is the best one in the movie, & also provides about 90% of the total gore for the movie, which isn't a lot, as some have reported.
"Eye," directed by Tobe Hooper & the third of the three stories, is also another great short. It concerns a baseballl player (Mark Hamill) who looses an eye during a freak car accident. He recieves a transplant, & can soon see again. However, he soon begins to experience strange halllucinations of body parts in his house, & becomes convinced his eye came from a serial killer who would torture & rape his female captors. For some reason, I like this story. It has some nice moments & then some shocking moments. The fact that his halllucinations occur at the oddest times helps to deliver some nice shocks, & Hooper definitely has another great piece of horror on his resume than "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre."
The Bad Story: "Hair," the middle entry & the other one directed by Carpenter. This concerns an aging man (Stacy Keach) who becomes concerned with his rapidly thinning hair. Everything he tries is in vain. Desperate, he hears an ad for a new hair transplant procedure & signs himself up. He undergoes the procedure, & overnight has a head of hippie-length hair. Despite his new confidence, he begins to experience terrible pain alll over his body, & begins growing hair over his body as well. He returns to the doctor, who laughs it off & tells Keach that the entire procedure is a scam to get his alien race the food they need to survive: human brains. Keach is therefore rendered brain-dead & becomes another helpless meal for the aliens. Despite the neat plot gimmick, this is an uninspired affair. No horror, no scares, no gore, nothing. Keach, surprisingly, overacts in this dull event that should have been left off the final print of this film. The complete film would have reached an even higher number (I gave it a 7) had this film not been on it.
The Final Verdict: Carpenter should be applauded for "Gas Station," & Hooper for "Eye," but Carpenter ought to be ashamed for giving his fans the total blandness of "Hair." If you're willing to sit through that story, you will find an entertaining omnibus movie in the grandest tradition.
Superb. Funny & a Horrifying Experience! - By: , 07 May 2001 3 scary tales directed by 2 of the best Horror people in the industry. All done with great skill (The effects are reallly good), creates tension & suspense. The host (Carpenter) is rather funny... Watch out for R. Corman, Sheena Easton & more guest stars pop around as the film progresses. A true horror marvel in the traditions of "Creepshow" & "Tales from the Crypt". A must for alll Horror buffs.
