A revival full of campy horror stories
1982’s Creepshow holds a special place in my heart. It was the first movie I ever saw on a VCR. Also, it scared the crap out of me. I didn’t get through the entire movie the first time. Watching Nathan Grantham come out of the grave was a defining moment. I was nine years old, and while Creepshow may not have introduced me to horror films, it accelerated my love of them in a huge way. Creepshow 2 not so much.
When Monster Agency Productions and the Shudder channel announced a tv series under the same name, I was excited. Executive Producer Greg Nicotero’s work on The Walking Dead was constantly pushing the limits. The show’s first season is made up of six episodes, each of which has two stories. Just like the old school comics that it claims to be a part of, some of the stories are downright frightening. Others are just silly. Highlights include the morality tale titled All Hallows Eve. That is paired with the warning against greed titled The Man in the Suitcase.
Others miss the mark like The House of the Head. Gray Matter is a buddy cop retelling of a Stephen King short story. That episode stars Saw veteran Tobin Bell, Breaking Bad villain Giancarlo Esposito, and original Creepshow veteran Adrienne Barbeau. Skinwalkers is certainly a nod to Nicotero’s love of blood and guts. Other notable names include Tricia Helfer (Lucifer), Bruce Davison (That Guy), David Arquette, comedian Dana Gould, Chad Michael Collins (Sniper), Melissa Saint Armand (SWAT), and Afemo Omilami (Forrest Gump.) The master of ceremonies is the ever present Creepshow ghoul, who bookends each episode transferring them from comic book pages to the screen.
Creepshow is faithful to the name. Just like the movies before, some of the stories are gratifying while others are just average. The episodes are short and fun enough that the season can be binged or watched spread out. They’re a perfect fit for the Halloween season.