Starring – Kevin Dillon (The Blob, Platoon), Keith David (They Live, The Thing), and Ryan Kwanten (True Blood, Knights of Badassdom)
Release Date – 2021
Rating – 3/5
The horror anthology Creepshow is one of the most beloved anthologies ever with some of the most memorable stories from the George A. Romero and Stephen King collaboration. It’s a film that I grew up with and was very fond of. The films sequel, because we are forced to ignore the third film, is just as iconic and entertaining as the first film. When I first heard that Greg Nicotero and Shudder was working on a series based on the Creepshow films I was beside myself with excitement.
When I received that first season for review I fell in love with it. It was a fantastic tribute to the film that Romero and King gave genre fans. When I was contacted to review the second season I couldn’t say yes fast enough. As soon as it arrived I made time for it. I want to thank my friends over at RLJE Films and Shudder for sending this one over!
**Spoiler Alert** The show has 11 episodes, along with 2 specials, that follows siblings that are trying to run a murder bed and breakfast, an abusive uncle and his nephew who learns voodoo, an astronaut that is living in his father’s shadow, Ted Raimi unleashing deadites on a public access show, and more. **Spoiler Alert**
This second season of Creepshow fell a little flat but it still had it’s moments. Some of the stories felt like they were perfectly written to deliver on that comic charm while others felt like they were rejects from The Twilight Zone. They wasn’t bad but they did feel out of place.
The acting in this one is fun but I wouldn’t call it great. We get a lot of cameos from genre legends like Kevin Dillon from The Blob remake, Keith David from John Carpenter’s They Live and The Thing, Ryan Kwanten from HBO’s True Blood, Ted Raimi who is the brother of Evil Dead creator and director Ted Raimi who has appeared in several iconic films, Ali Larter from Resident Evil and Final Destination fame, C. Thomas Howell who has appeared in several classic 80s films like Red Dawn and E.T., Josh McDermitt from The Walking Dead, Breckin Meyer from Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, Molly Ringwald who was known for her comedies in the 80s but many genre fans will recognize from The Stand and Office Killer, and Justin Long from Tusk and Jeepers Creepers. This is a stacked cast with some memorable performances but some are extremely campy. I really enjoyed the casting here and love that so many familiar faces were given roles in such an iconic show.
The stories in this one are hit and miss. Some are tales that will stick with you for some time while others just feel out of place like they were discarded from other anthology series like The Twilight Zone. I absolutely loved so many of these tales but the ones like Night of the Living Late Show, Sibling Rivalry, and The Right Snuff just didn’t work for me. I wanted to like them all like the first season but these segments are weak and out of place. The horror element just wasn’t there especially in Night of the Living Late Show. It felt like a drama with a dark twist. It’s still a great season but very inconsistent.
Finally, the season has plenty of practical and visual effects with some fantastic death scenes. The practical and make-up effects looks great but the visuals are inconsistent. Some look surprisingly well done while others were rushed and noticeable. Overall, Creepshow: Season 2 is an entertaining season with some worthy episodes but other episodes are rather weak. I still would recommend this one but don’t let the bad ones leave a bad taste in your mouth because the better segments are well worth it.
