From Creeps To Griswolds

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A cult classic, a swapped ending, and a passport full of memories—this conversation with Jason Lively travels from campus-set horror mayhem to European misadventures with the Griswolds. We open on Night of the Creeps, where Jason recalls a set that felt like summer camp at USC’s frat row: late laughs, a tight crew, and Tom Atkins as the legend everyone rallied around. That on-set joy helps explain how a mid-80s gamble became a horror-comedy touchstone as audiences grew more fluent in genre mashups and meta humor.

Then the twist: an unfinished effects reel screened to test audiences pushed the studio toward an alternate ending. Jason shares how director Fred Dekker wanted to finish what he started, and why the director’s cut—restored by Blu-ray champions like Scream Factory and Arrow Video—finally delivered the intended finale fans now consider definitive. It’s a snapshot of 80s filmmaking where practical effects, studio notes, and future home-video restorations collide. Along the way, we wink at Slither comparisons and talk about how horror ideas echo across decades without losing their charm.

From there we hop continents to European Vacation. Jason steps into Rusty with a mix of nerves and excitement, only to find Chevy Chase turning the set into a playground that loosened everyone up. We unpack what it’s like to work a big studio comedy at a time when Chevy was in full stride, why different generations attach to different Vacation entries, and how the so-called “underrated” sequel still delivers big laughs. The story wraps at conventions, where Jason meets another Rusty, Ethan Embry, and the family tree of Griswolds becomes real—proof that characters can outgrow single films and live on through fans, reunions, and shared memories.

If you love 80s horror, the Vacation franchise, or the behind-the-scenes choices that change movie history, this one’s for you. Follow the show, share it with a friend who quotes Tom Atkins, and leave a quick review—what’s your favorite Vacation entry and which Creeps ending do you back?

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_01 (00:01):
Jason Lively on the Fishbowl, welcome.

SPEAKER_00 (00:04):
Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 (00:05):
Thank you for taking the time to swim in the bowl
with me.

SPEAKER_00 (00:09):
A pleasure to be here.

SPEAKER_01 (00:11):
Awesome, awesome.
Obviously, Night of the Creeps,National Lampoons Vacation.

SPEAKER_00 (00:18):
European vacation.

SPEAKER_01 (00:19):
European vacation, right.
Let's talk about Night of theCreeps first, and then we can
get into vacation real quick.

SPEAKER_00 (00:26):
Alright.

SPEAKER_01 (00:27):
What was it like working on Night of the Creeps?
Obviously, it's like become notjust a cult classic, but one of
the most iconic horror filmsfrom the 80s.

SPEAKER_00 (00:40):
Well, that's quite flattering.
I appreciate that.
You know, it it clearly you werearound us this weekend.
And if you get to see us now andsee the energy that we still
have when we get around eachother, imagine getting to show
up every day and hang out with abunch of friends and do what
most all of us, at least peoplethat are watching or or love

(01:04):
film, you know, it's it's adream come true, right?
To go to work and it doesn'tseem like work because you're
just having fun and you'remaking a movie.

SPEAKER_01 (01:13):
Right.

SPEAKER_00 (01:14):
We were at USC and I was at the right age to blend
into the crowd, and Steve and Iwould go to the fraternity
sorority row parties, and werushed to Frat House, and you
know, we had make-believecollege as we got to do a movie,
and it was absolutely a blast,especially being able to show up
and work with a legend like TomAtkins.

SPEAKER_01 (01:35):
Right, right.
I was wondering if you ever sawSlither.

SPEAKER_00 (01:40):
You know, I never saw Slither, just like the
director never saw Night of theCreeps.
Why'd that make you laugh?

SPEAKER_01 (01:52):
It's funny in the moment.

SPEAKER_00 (01:55):
Because it was witty.
Right.
That's what I've heard.
I just hear that the directorclaims he never saw Night of the
Creeps, and it just I don'tknow, they're they're pretty,
pretty, pretty strikinglysimilar.
Yeah, yeah.
But whatever.

SPEAKER_01 (02:11):
I I own Knight of the Creeps director's cut on
Blue A.
And obviously there was somestuff that was cut for I I guess
it had to be in the originalbecause I when I was little, I
was born in '88, and I rememberwatching Knight of the Creeps on
TV.
And I remember seeing the endingwhere the ship, you know, is is

(02:32):
like is like Tom Atkins burnt,body comes into the the worms or
whatever, the slugs or whatever,like he falls over and the slug
goes to the cemetery, and thenyou see like the ship, you know,
hovering over.
And you know, obviously, withthe innovation of Blu-ray and
one to preserve classic filmslike Night of the Creeps and so

(02:56):
much stuff that came out in the80s that either may have not
gotten DVD distribution, right?

SPEAKER_00 (03:04):
That's where we were for so long.

SPEAKER_01 (03:06):
Right, right.
And to see companies like ScreamFactory and Aero Video, you
know, bringing these these, youknow, classics, um, you know,
restoring them and not only justrestoring them, but having like
the original endings back isreally great to see.

SPEAKER_00 (03:25):
And I was wondering, do you know anything like why it
might have been cut or you know,actually during this con, I I I
got to hear it from Fred, andapparently they had showed uh
the ending, but it wasn'tcompletely done, and all the
effects weren't there, and theydid it in the test market

(03:46):
audience, and they didn'trespond well, and the studio was
like, No, no, no, we gotta wegotta change it.
And and Fred says, now insteadof lobbying like he would have
liked to and said, No, let methis isn't finished, let me let
me show you when it's done, andlet's do this again, he just
went ahead and came up with a analternate ending that that
clearly isn't his favoritebecause the director's cut has

(04:08):
the version he's like, whichwhich which is the one you're
speaking of.

SPEAKER_01 (04:11):
Right, right.
Obviously, I think it's thebetter ending.
Yeah, you know, it's it sets itup for you know what what could
have potentially been a a youknow possibly a horror
franchise.
Right.

SPEAKER_00 (04:23):
You know, and that's what obviously we hope for.
Right.
You know, when you're making amovie and and you're hoping for
a big release and everyone'sgonna love it, but with this
film it just took took a littlewhile for it to get its
traction, and I think for the Ithink that the audience got more
savvy and they get the jokesnow, way more than they did when

(04:44):
it was released.
People are are kind of a littlemore adjusted with this kind of
a movie, where at the time itwas a pretty groundbreaking
attempt at a horror.

SPEAKER_01 (04:55):
Awesome, awesome.
Don't want to take too much moreof your time, so let's talk
about European vacation.
All right, obviously, ChevyChase, Beverly D'Angelo.
What was it like working withthem at such a young age?

SPEAKER_00 (05:11):
You know, I felt really, really lucky to get that
because Anthony Michael Hall didsuch a great job in the first
one.
Right.
And and unfortunate for me, hewas busy working on uh Universal
projects, so they had to recast,and and I got the role, and when
I when I got it, I was pumped.
I mean, for one, getting to goto Europe, right?
Never been to Europe.

(05:32):
I'm like, oh, I'm gonna go toEurope.
And two, working with ChevyChase, because I was a big SNL
fan.

SPEAKER_01 (05:39):
Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (05:39):
And so it was exciting.
It was I was nervous, but assoon as I got on the set and had
him just always playing jokesand messing around, it made it a
real fun and and actual what agreat experience to get to do
for a first big film to work ona big feature budget like that
with some real heavy moviestars, and especially with Chevy

(06:01):
being what I think at one of thepeak points of his career.
Right.
It was really, really cool to bearound him.

SPEAKER_01 (06:09):
You're you're just so you know, European vacation
is one of my favorites out ofthe whole season.
Awesome.
I I the whole the whole vacationseries is is hysterical.

SPEAKER_00 (06:22):
I I agree, and I think I think that the newest
one was so underrated.
Yeah, it it makes me laugh.
I mean, I laugh a lot when Iwatch that film.
Yeah.
I was really surprised that itit didn't hit uh uh a little
bigger.
But I I like them all too.

SPEAKER_01 (06:38):
Yeah, the the one that I was old enough to see in
theaters was Vegas Vacation.
I don't like that.
That one always kind of has likea little place in my heart
because it was the old the one Iwas old enough to see, you know,
when it came out, just like Landof the Dead, yeah, had a special
place in my heart because thatwas the one that I was actually
like alive, you know, to see intheaters.

SPEAKER_00 (07:01):
So you know one thing uh about these cons that I
like, uh, because I got to meetPapa Giorgio for the first time
just two years ago inPittsburgh.
They had a vacation reunion, andyou would think that everyone
like kind of knows each otherplayed the same roles.

SPEAKER_01 (07:17):
Right, right.

SPEAKER_00 (07:17):
But I'd never met Ethan Embry before, and it was
really cool to be at aconvention.
It was because of that that Igot to to meet another rusty.

SPEAKER_01 (07:26):
And just just talking about that, Khan, I
actually met met you there.
Uh-huh.
We we talked briefly and well,I'm glad I got to do this.

SPEAKER_00 (07:34):
Now we finally got you in the bowl, under the
water, in the sea.
It's been a pleasure swimmingaround in the bowl with you, and
I'll keep you posted on anyfuture endeavors.

SPEAKER_01 (07:44):
Awesome, awesome.
Jason, thank you so much.
It's been a pleasure talkingwith you.
Thank you for taking the time toswim in the bowl with me.
Thank you, my man.
Have a great rest of the con.
You too, thanks.