Body Bags (1993)

A nice, fun little collaboration. Lots of appearances from familiar faces including Wes Craven, Blondie, and Twiggy. John Carpenter is great as the quirky morgue worker in between segments and his first piece is probably the best in the anthology. Tobe Hooper's addition was also surprisingly good, I really expected something more cringeworthy from late Hooper and although it wasn't exactly original it was still engaging and well made. Although I suspect Tobe probably isn't as good an actor himself as Carpenter seeing as how they placed him as morgue employee for all of ten seconds at the end.

Well, you have to see it, to understand. And then, to have a certain cinematic culture and the ability to understand: the humor, the parody, the drama, behind each of the three stories. Three original stories and some excellent interpretations. Some recitals of true acting: specially Stacy Keach, then Mark Hamill and Twiggy, David Warner. There are many other big names in it. Everything is excellent and entertaining. The music is great. I love John Carpenter. Very much. He is multilateral talented. Director, Writer, Composer(great music), even Actor. His films are already classics: "Escape from New York", "The Thing", "Christine", "Starman", to name just a few. To be seen and reviewed anytime.

TV horror anthology is no classic of the genre but still offers some good laughs and chills; its pedigree is most impressive. It was intended to kick start a series, but Showtime decided not to proceed with it. As a result, we get this effort which shows some variance in style - from straight suspense ('The Gas Station') to creepy dark comedy ('Hair') to out and out gore ('Eye'). Most notable throughout are the steady parade of cameo appearances, which I've decided I won't spoil here and leave the viewer to discover for themselves. They help in making this a solid bit of entertainment.John Carpenter directs 'The Gas Station' and 'Hair' and appears in the wrap around segments as a goofy "coroner" who cracks bad jokes and spins stories about the dead bodies in his morgue - the kind of dead bodies he likes to see turn up, as that old standby "natural causes" just bores him. It really is a treat to see Carpenter sink his teeth into an extended acting role; usually he restricted himself to a small role ("The Fog") or a Hitchcock-type bit part.'The Gas Station' tells of Anne (Alex Datcher of "Passenger 57"), a new employee at the isolated title location. Her first night is one of terror as strange people make appearances while a serial killer happens to be on the loose (in the town of Haddonfield, no less). This is vintage Carpenter, with good jolts, tense moments, and a bloody conclusion. Robert Carradine co-stars as Bill.'Hair' strikes a familiar chord for any man who's obsessed over the loss of his locks. Stacy Keach stars as Richard, desperate to get back his hair and his self-esteem. So he goes to the new clinic run by Dr. Lock (David Warner, who's delightful), whose revolutionary treatment gives Richard a long, flowing mane, but at a price. The revelation here is wonderfully squirm-inducing. The segment is a little dull and dragged out in spots but the payoff is worth it.'Eye' stars Mark Hamill (in what is actually a pretty good performance) as a minor league ball player who loses his right eye in a car accident and receives a transplant from ambitious surgeon Dr. Lang (John Agar, whose presence in anything is always welcome). Basically, this is yet another variation on the old "Hands of Orlac" plot, and viewers will likely guess the ending right away. Still, some of the imagery is effective. This segment is actually directed by Carpenters' peer Tobe Hooper (who also puts in an appearance in the morgue).KNB do typically impressive work in terms of makeup effects, the score by Carpenter and Jim Lang is good (the jazz in 'Hair' is a nice touch), the acting is fun to watch in general, and overall 'Body Bags' is worth a viewing for genre fans and Carpenter completists.Seven out of 10.

This film introduces three short films that are tied together through John Carpenter himself, as he introduces three people that have died and 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 and begins the usual daily activities inherent with a gas station: serving customers. When one stranger arrives asking for the bathroom, she obliges, and he goes to the bathroom. Another stranger arrives later, and since the first man is still in the bathroom, she becomes worried. She asks him to check the bathroom, and tells her that he is sleeping around one of the toilets. He leaves, and she goes to check on the man. She finds the bathroom empty, and notices Satanic-like drawings on the side of one of the stalls. 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 and Bill as the murderer. After several false endings, Bill is finally 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, and a neat twist at the end. This is the best one in the movie, and 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 and the third of the three stories, is also another great short. It concerns a baseball player (Mark Hamill) who looses an eye during a freak car accident. He receives a transplant, and can soon see again. However, he soon begins to experience strange hallucinations of body parts in his house, and becomes convinced his eye came from a serial killer who would torture and rape his female captors. For some reason, I like this story. It has some nice moments and then some shocking moments. The fact that his hallucinations occur at the oddest times helps to deliver some nice shocks, and Hooper definitely has another great piece of horror on his resume than "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre."The Bad Story: "Hair," the middle entry and 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 and signs himself up. He undergoes the procedure, and overnight has a head of hippie-length hair. Despite his new confidence, he begins to experience terrible pain all over his body, and begins growing hair over his body as well. He returns to the doctor, who laughs it off and 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 and becomes another helpless meal for the aliens. Despite the neat plot gimmick, this is an uninspired affair. No horror, no scares, no gore, nothing.Rated R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, Brief Nudity, and a scene of Rape