This week brings another all new episode of Shudder's hit series, Creepshow. While the first two episodes had tonally similar segments, either both being spooky or both being humorous, this episode brings viewers a bit more variety.
First up is a Halloween-inspired segment titled "All Hallow's Eve." Here the story follows a group of teens on Halloween night. They're probably a bit too old to go trick-or-treating, but they claim it will be their last time. As the friends venture out to collect their treat, it becomes clear they are looking for more than just candy and the townspeople dread these trick-or-treaters. This fun little throwback is written by Bruce Jones (Deadly Nightmares, Masters of Horror) and directed by John Harrison (Dune, Tales From the Darkside: The Movie).
This first segment of episode 2 has a very nostalgic feel to it. The style looks like something out of the 90's, as do the costumes worn by our trick-or-treaters. It gives the overall look and feel of an episode of Goosebumps or Are You Afraid of the Dark? While some viewers might not appreciate this style and prefer more of the effects heavy 80's horror typically associated with Creepshow, I personally loved "All Hallow's Eve." It took me back to my childhood and delivers a great classic Halloween tale.
There aren't many effects in this story, but the four teens deliver strong performances. "All Hallow's Eve" stars Connor Christie (Missionary) as Pete, Madison Thompson (Henry Danger) as Jill, Jasun Jabbar Wardlaw Jr. (Black Lightning) as Binky, and Andrew Eakle (Crimetime) as Bobby. While all of them want this to be their last Halloween night, Pete and Jill are clearly the more mature of the group and rein the other two in while Binky and Bobby enjoy a bit of mischief. These kids all feel like normal every day teens, but they all do a great job of gradually showing why there is more than meets the eye.
The second segment is "The Man in the Suitcase," directed by Dave Bruckner (The Ritual, V/H/S) and written by Christopher Buehlman in his debut as a screenwriter. In this segment we meet a down on his luck college student. After accidentally taking home the wrong suitcase from the airpot, he discovers a man trapped inside. Even more bizarre is the man seems to cough up gold coins whenever he's in pain.
Horror fans who are familiar with Bruckner's films likely know his films tend to be very dark, atmospheric, and sometimes rather terrifying. "The Man in the Suitcase" is a huge departure from that, leaning more towards a dark comedic tone. What makes the story so compelling is it creates a scenario where the viewer is forced to think about what they would do in a similar situation. Would you free the man from the suitcase or would you inflict pain upon him in order to get rich on his gold coins?
While the entire cast does a great job, there are two clear standouts. Will Kindrachuk (Preacher, Boy Erased) stars as Justin. Justin is the one who finds the suitcase. Kindrachuk excels at portraying Justin as he grapples with his desire for the gold and his desire to be a good person. Opposite him is Ravi Naidu (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Homeland) as the man in the suitcase. From the unfortunate position his character finds himself in to the way he manages to exude pain in a darkly comical way, Naidu gives it his all in this performance.
It was nice to finally get two tonally different stories in a single episode of Creepshow. The series is truly showing a diverse range of tales that can appeal to many different types of horror fans. At times, the budgetary constraints of the show can be felt, but it still stays true to the look and feel of the film that inspired the series.
You can catch this episode of Creepshow today on Shudder.
Posted in Shows and tagged All Hallow's Eve, Andrew Eakle, Bruce Jones, Christopher Buehlman, Connor Christie, Creepshow, Dave Bruckner, Horror, Jasun Jabbar Wardlaw Jr., John Harrison, Madison Thompson, Ravi Naidu, Review, show, Shows, Shudder, streaming, Television, The Man in the Suitcase, TV, Will Kindrachuk on October 10, 2019 by The Blogging Banshee. Leave a comment
In 1982, the iconic horror anthology, Creepshow, was released. The anthology was written by Stephen King and directed by George A. Romero, who are both horror icons. The film spawned a sequel in 1987. Now, Creepshow is back in an exciting new way.
The horror streaming service, Shudder, is bringing back everyone's favorite creep with his chest of comics and all new stories. Creepshow is getting a new life in the form of a weekly series. Every Thursday night Shudder subscribers can tune in to watch the latest episode live and the episode will also become available ondemand. Each episode will tell two different stories and each week fans will get to see work from some of their favorite actors, writers, and directors while also being introduced to some exciting new talent. The lovely folks over at Shudder were kind enough to give me an early look at the first episode. In this episode viewers will see two thrilling tales, "Gray Matter" and "The House of the Head."
"Gray Matter," based on a short story by legendary author Stephen King and adapted for the screen by Byron Willinger (The Commuter) and Philip de Blasi (The Commuter), starts off the episode with a bang. Directed by Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead), the segment tells the tale of a father and son. After losing his wife, the father turns to alcohol to ease his pain with horrifying consequences. The story takes place on one dark and stormy night as most of the town has either left to avoid the storm or boarded everything up. This generates a claustrophobic feeling of being trapped as things gradually go from bad to worse.
This short was a great way to kick off the first episode. It is a frightening story that all culminates in fantastic practical effects that you have to see to believe. "Gray Matter" also includes a couple of fan favorite horror actors including Adrienne Barbeau (The Fog, Escape From New York) and Tobin Bell (Saw, Belzebuth). This segment also stars relative newcomer, Christopher Nathan (Barely Lethal, The Spectacular Now) as Timmy. Nathan delivers a compelling performance as he struggles between doing the right thing and his love for his father.
The second segment, "The House of the Head," takes creepy dolls to a whole new level. This story follows young Evie as she plays with her doll family in their beautiful dollhouse. When a mysterious toy head appears in the house the lives of the doll family are threatened. "The House of the Head" is written by Josh Malerman, who also wrote the Bird Box novel, and directed by John Harrison (Tales From the Darkside: The Movie, Book of Blood).
This story is particularly frightening. The viewer sees the lives of the dolls through the eyes of young Evie. This is a highly effective storytelling tool because there is really no major action, we don't ever even see the dolls move. It is Evie's love of her dolls and childish point of view that allows the sense of danger to the dolls to come through the screen. Evie is played by the very talented Cailey Flemming (The Walking Dead, Peppermint). Flemming really makes the plot work. If it wasn't for her love of the dolls and her ability to treat them as if they were real people, then the viewer wouldn't care about the dolls and feel the peril they are in.
Shudder and the entire team behind the new Creepshow series got the show off to a strong start with "Grey Matter" and "The House of the Head." Both stories boast strong performances, beloved horror actors, favorite horror writers and directors, stunning practical effects, and chilling tales that are sure to give you goose bumps. Even more appealing is how both segments do what I always want to see from short films: they tell a complete story, but leave enough mystery to make you want more. It makes me excited to see what the future episodes will hold. I also love that Shudder is only releasing one episode a week, allowing for the collective live viewing experience that has been lost with many streaming services. With the success of the weekly episodes of The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs, I can only imagine how many Shudder subscribers will watch live and tweet along with the show.
The first episode of Creepshow will air on Thursday, September 26th at 9pm EST/6pm PST. If you aren't a Shudder subscriber yet, be sure to sign up so you can be part of this fantastic weekly horror event.
Posted in Shows and tagged Adrienne Barbeau, Byron Willinger, Cailey Flemming, Christopher Nathan, Creepshow, Gray Matter, Greg Nicotero, Horror, John Harrison, Josh Malerman, Philip de Blasi, show, Shudder, Stephen King, streaming, Television, The House of the Head, Tobin Bell, tv show on September 23, 2019 by The Blogging Banshee. Leave a comment