Product Description

Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 02/06/2007

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #90192 in DVD
• Brand: Lions Gate
• Released on: 2000-07-25
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 91 minutes

Customer Reviews

Body Bags is essential!
These 3 mini stories in Body Bags absolutely rule! I have seen this 2 times, and I can't wait to see this again.. The 1st story is about this young lady that works graveyard shift in a rather obscure gas-station.. She gets scared over any little thing.. But towards the end things start to get pretty good, with this homocidal maniac stalks her.. 2nd story was pretty bizarre and somewhat boring to say the least, this is my least fave story. It's all about this chubby wubby guy that wants hair, because he is going bald very quickly. Anyway, he becomes very obssessed with this and decides to go see this weird old doctor that uses some kinda miracle to grant him more hair.. Well, to put this story short, just be careful what you wish for, because you might just get it, heh.. 3rd story is probably the best, and most chilling.. This famous baseball player gets in a nasty automobile accident and gets stabbed in his eye, so anyway, they take him to the hospitol, and they give him a brand new eye.. But, this eye is no regular eye... It's from a very very disturbed person to say the least.. Well, I guess I will stop here, go see this, at least rent it, I think you'll like.. Definitely see it at night, though. :-)

Decent Carpenter
"Body Bags" was an anthology type horror film featuring three stories, 2 by John Carpenter and the third by Tobe Hooper. It originally aired on the Showtime movie channel in the early 90s.
Carpenter rarely directed TV films due to creative restrictions and the fact it prevented him from using his favored 2.35:1 aspect ratio however since "Body Bags" was broadcast on a movie channel, he never had to worry about content (though it was unfortunately filmed with 1.33:1 in mind.)
Sadly the DVD is no longer available BUT there is still hope! "Body Bags" is now owned by Lions Gate Entertainment and you can write to them and ask that they re-release it on DVD!
Here is their address:

Lions Gate Entertainment
4553 Glencoe Avenue, Suite 200
Marina Del Ray, California 90292

OK anthology
"Body Bags" is three different horror stories in one, all told by "the Coroner" who works at a morgue. (and is played by John Carpenter himself) Basically, think of a cheaper version of "Tales from the Crypt." I don't want to sound accusatory, but there's no getting around the similarities. Half-decomposed being telling us horror stories and all with a dark sense of humor about it - considering this movie came out in 1993 and "Tales from the Crypt" first came on TV in 1989, its not difficult to assume there was at least some inspiration involved.

The first story is involves a girl's first night working at a gas station. Things are all right at first, but eventually things turn ugly - and I do mean ugly. The second story is more tongue-in-cheek, reminding me a lot of John Carpenter's more light-hearted work, and involves a balding man looking into a brand new hair growth formula. The final story involves a baseball player who receives an eye transplant and discovers it used to belong to a serial killer.

"Body Bags" starts out strong, but gets significantly weaker as the movie progresses. The first story was fantastic, setting the mood and keeping the audience hooked from start to finish - any one who has had a job entailing them to work alone will know how the girl feels. I also admit that (unlike other reviewers) I enjoyed the second story, and thought it took a humorous turn at the end. Besides, gotta love David Warner's line on the television commercial. ("Remember: it not only helped me grow my hair, I bought the company.") What I think could have helped the second story stand out more was if the last segment was a bit stronger. All it is in the end is the basic, "Oh no my [insert body part] used to belong to [insert killer name]!" I think it could have been a stronger story if a different route had been taken, like perhaps the victims' spirits were coming back thinking he was the killer. I kept watching it hoping something original would develop, only to find all my predictions come true.

I would watch it for some minor amusement. It's not a classic, but it's a decent lazy watch.