In 1993, John Carpenter—king of cult horror—teamed up with Showtime to deliver a horror anthology meant to rival Tales from the Crypt. The result? Body Bags, a three-part TV movie that plays more like a grungy, midnight cable experiment than a polished genre entry. Part EC Comics schlock, part Carpenter’s own twisted love letter to the genre, Body Bags is entertaining in bursts, frustrating in others, and best viewed as an uneven curiosity for fans of the director, not a cornerstone of his legacy.
A VHS-Era Frankenstein
Body Bags began as a potential horror series for Showtime, with Carpenter and fellow horror maestro Tobe Hooper (of Texas Chainsaw Massacre fame) at the helm. But the network eventually pulled the plug on a full season, and the trio of shot episodes were stitched together into a feature-length anthology.
The result feels exactly like that—three standalone horror shorts with varying tones and production values, loosely connected by a wraparound segment featuring Carpenter himself as a snarky, ghoulish morgue attendant in full Crypt Keeper drag. There’s a punk-rock energy to the whole thing, even when it stumbles, which makes Body Bags more fun than good—but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
The Wraparound: John Carpenter’s Ghoul Time
Before we get to the stories themselves, we must talk about Carpenter’s gleefully grotesque host: the morgue attendant, a corpse-loving, pun-spouting cadaver collector who clearly relishes the opportunity to talk trash and introduce each tale. In a sense, Body Bags is Carpenter doing his own Tales from the Crypt, complete with camp, gore, and gallows humor.
This hosting gig is easily one of the highlights of the anthology—Carpenter is surprisingly game as a grinning, corpse-fondling weirdo, decked out in makeup and prosthetics, snarking about how he keeps the dead “fresh.” It’s low-rent, tongue-in-cheek fun, and Carpenter looks like he’s having a blast. Still, if you’re not in the mood for camp or you came expecting the tight paranoia of The Thing or Halloween, this opener might throw you off.
“The Gas Station” – A Classic Carpenter Setup
The first story, “The Gas Station,” is by far the strongest of the three and feels the most like vintage Carpenter. Set at a lonely, roadside gas station near Haddonfield (yes, that Haddonfield), the story follows Anne (Alex Datcher), a new night-shift employee who quickly finds herself at the mercy of a serial killer on the loose.
It’s a perfect little chiller setup—minimalist location, a strong lead, Carpenter’s signature widescreen framing, and a parade of cameos (Wes Craven, Sam Raimi) that horror fans will eat up. There’s real tension in this one, and even if the twist is a little predictable, it’s stylishly executed. This short alone could have stood as a taut slasher mini-movie. Datcher holds her own, and the atmosphere is thick with Carpenter’s foggy, synth-soaked dread.
Score: 8/10
“Hair” – The Comedy of Vanity
The second segment, “Hair,” is a totally different beast. It stars Stacy Keach as Richard Coberts, a middle-aged man obsessed with his thinning hairline. Desperate to reclaim his youthful virility, he visits a shady hair restoration clinic run by a very eccentric doctor (David Warner). The procedure is miraculous… but as you might guess, it comes with a terrifying price.
If “The Gas Station” plays it straight, “Hair” goes for satire. And it’s a mixed bag. Keach gives a committed, humorous performance as a vain sad sack spiraling into grotesque madness. The practical effects are enjoyably gross (worms, anyone?), and the segment leans into its absurdity.
But the satire on male vanity feels dated and a bit toothless today, and the pacing drags in places. It’s the kind of short that would’ve worked better trimmed down to 10 minutes instead of 30. Still, Keach is a hoot, and the final reveal is delightfully deranged.
Score: 6.5/10
“Eye” – The Weakest Link
The final story, “Eye,” is directed by Tobe Hooper and stars Mark Hamill as Brent Matthews, a minor league baseball player whose career is cut short by a freak car accident that costs him an eye. He gets a transplant—but the eye’s previous owner? A serial killer.
The premise has promise—a Body Snatchers–style identity crisis crossed with The Eye (long before that film existed). But Hamill’s performance is overwrought, the direction lacks tension, and the story careens from melodrama to madness in record time. What should be a slow-burning descent into horror becomes unintentionally laughable. By the time Matthews is hallucinating his wife (played by Twiggy) in grotesque, sexualized visions, the segment has gone full soap opera.
This one squanders a good concept, and even Hamill’s earnestness can’t save it.
Score: 5/10
The Music: Carpenter’s Synth Still Sings
Even in a lower-tier Carpenter outing like Body Bags, the man’s musical fingerprint remains unmistakable. The score, co-composed with Jim Lang, doesn’t quite reach Halloween levels of iconic minimalism, but it adds a layer of dread and campy ambiance to the proceedings.
The main theme is playful and eerie, matching the tone of Carpenter’s morgue attendant host. It’s a reminder that, no matter the budget or the medium, Carpenter knows how to use music to elevate a scene.
Production Values & Nostalgia Factor
There’s something about Body Bags that’s quintessentially early ’90s—grainy textures, industrial synths, practical gore effects, and a distinct lack of digital gloss. It’s a time capsule of late-night horror before the genre was flooded with self-aware meta-humor and high production streaming content.
From its VHS aesthetic to its no-frills sets and camera work, Body Bags feels like it was made for fans who miss the days when horror didn’t try to be classy—it just wanted to entertain you with blood, boobs, and bizarre twists.
For better or worse, that’s exactly what it does.
Legacy: Where Does It Stand in Carpenter’s Oeuvre?
Let’s be clear: Body Bags is not top-tier Carpenter. It doesn’t reach the masterful heights of The Thing, Halloween, or even They Live. It’s not trying to. This is Carpenter in midnight movie mode—goofy, loose, and more focused on having fun than reinventing the genre.
As an anthology, it’s weaker than Creepshow and far less influential than Tales from the Crypt, but it still has its own dirty charm. Fans of the genre will appreciate its practical effects, cameos, and willingness to go off the rails. It’s a film you throw on at 1:00 a.m. with friends and pizza—not to study, but to laugh, wince, and groan.
And in that sense, Body Bags succeeds. It’s no classic, but it’s a cult favorite for a reason.
Final Thoughts: Fun, Flawed, and For Diehards Only
Body Bags is like a horror mixtape assembled by your creepy older cousin. It’s got some real bangers (especially “The Gas Station”), some weird filler (“Hair”), and a few duds (“Eye”). But the vibe is right. The host is funny. The gore is decent. And for Carpenter completists, it’s an essential oddity in the catalog.
In the end, Body Bags is exactly what the title promises—gross, episodic, and a little disposable. But that’s the point. Not every horror story needs to be a masterpiece. Sometimes, you just want a little blood on the floor and a corpse that winks at you.
Final Score: 6.5/10
A middling but endearing anthology with one great segment, one decent one, and one you’ll likely forget. Recommended for genre fans and Carpenter addicts looking to see the weird side of the master.
🔗 Further Viewing: John Carpenter Essentials
💀 Halloween (1978)
The classic that started it all.
👉 Explore the horror of Halloween
🧊 The Thing (1982)
A masterclass in tension, paranoia, and practical effects. Carpenter’s sci-fi horror masterpiece remains unmatched in atmosphere and execution.
👉 Read our breakdown of The Thing
👓 They Live (1988)
Before The Matrix, there was this sunglasses-wielding, capitalist-smashing cult classic. Roddy Piper sees the truth — and it isn’t pretty.
👉 Check out our full feature on They Live
🚛 Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
Jack Burton drives straight into supernatural chaos in this kung-fu western fantasy. It’s wild, weird, and all in the reflexes.
👉 Revisit Big Trouble in Little China
🚀 Escape from New York (1981)
Snake Plissken sneers, fights, and grumbles his way through dystopian Manhattan in one of the coolest genre mashups of the ’80s.
👉 Our full review of Escape from New York
💔 Starman (1984)
Proof that Carpenter could do more than horror. A heartfelt road movie with a cosmic twist and an unforgettable synth score.
👉 Dive into Starman with us
🚬 Christine (1983)
High school. First love. Murderous muscle cars. Carpenter’s adaptation of King’s novel mixes chrome and carnage.
👉 Read our full take on Christine
💀 Prince of Darkness (1987)
A sinister blend of science, religion, and apocalypse — and one of Carpenter’s most underrated creepers.
👉 Explore the depths of Prince of Darkness
🧛 John Carpenter’s Vampires (1998)
Western grit meets bloodsucking evil. It’s dusty, gory, and one of his last real flashes of style.
👉 Ride into Vampires with us
🌫️ The Fog (1980)
Ghosts, guilt, and a killer radio DJ. Carpenter’s seaside nightmare is all about mood and mist.
👉 Step into The Fog
🎥 Elvis (1979)
Kurt Russell channels the King in this surprisingly emotional biopic. Carpenter’s first team-up with his future muse.
👉 Read our look at Elvis
📡 Someone’s Watching Me! (1978)
A proto-feminist thriller from the master of suspense. Not quite Hitchcock, but there’s charm and early promise.
👉 Our full thoughts on Someone’s Watching Me!
🚀 Dark Side Picks & Misfires
📺 Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992) – Cheesy and disjointed
🔥 Ghosts of Mars (2001) – Needed Kurt Russell to save the day
🩸 Cigarette Burns (2005) – Meta-horror gone murky
🚨 Pro-Life (2006) – Heavy-handed and unbalanced
🧠 In the Mouth of Madness (1994) – Brilliant in theory, muddled in practice
👻 The Ward (2010) – Stylish but hollow
☎️ Phone Stalker (2023) – When even Carpenter can’t scare us
