Creepshow Season 2

 

Name: Creepshow, season 2

Directed By: Various--check the IMDB page linked below, as each of the segments in the anthology were directed by a different director. 

Subgenre: Anthology

Series: Spooktober 2021 entry #5; Series Killer #3; review #98

Review: For our first foray back into Shudder for Spooktober 2021, we're heading back to binge the second season of Creepshow! Little has changed with Shudder's reboot of one of the most well-known horror anthologies of the 80's: each episode hosts two smaller stories within, though the season finale breaks that mold. We'll come back to that in a minute. Stylistically, each episode continues the tradition of paying homage to 50's by way of the 80's, that is to say: iconography from the era of horror comics continues to meld with flair from the original anthology films, meaning lots of heavy lighting and dramatic zooming. Furthermore, the series continues with keeping practical effects in the forefront, for better or worse: while there's a definite nostalgic appreciation for those effects, they're less effective as a whole this season. Pretty much all of the stories pridefully showcase some element of genre appreciation, from a reimagining of iconic monsters in Model Kid (ep. 1, segment 1), to featuring popular genre actors in multiple episodes--including Keith David in Pesticide (ep. 2, segment 2) and Barbara Crampton in Pipe Screams (ep. 4, segment 1)--and even showing appreciation for other sub-genres (sci-fi in The Right Snuff, ep. 3, segment 1; and Lovecraftian horror in Within the Walls of Madness, ep. 4, segment 2). Creepshow's second season also gets a bit more experimental in its final episode: Night of the Living Late Show. The episode uses its full run-time for that singular story, one that follows Justin Long as a horror-obsessed engineer who constructs a virtual reality chamber that allows the user to enter into any programmed film and experience it as reality. His wife, played by D'Arcy Carden, is initially supportive until finding out he has ulterior motives: he is madly in love with his favorite character, Countess Petrovska from Horror Express, and is spending more and more time in the film's virtual world to get closer to her. The episode does a masterful job of merging the two worlds, blending scenes of the original Horror Express with recreations made for the episode. As horror fans, it will likely leaving you with questions on what would going into other film-realities be like? Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, they say. But, is the added run-time effective for the episode? While it certainly adds a compelling layer of immersion and intrigue I, personally, wish they would have explored more film-realities rather than focusing almost entirely on Horror Express. The premise is compelling, but the actual plot likely could have fit into one of the smaller segments. As with the first season, Creepshow's second season will have a bit of something for everyone. Unfortunately, the season leans a bit too hard into campy terrain and that, combined with less-effective practical effects floating around fairly poor CGI backgrounds, makes for a less entertaining experience over all. Creepshow is still a fun series, and it's incredibly easy to binge, but it doesn't quite clear the bar set by the season prior. Personal highlight: as much as I love, well, Lovecraft, I've got to give it to Public Television of the Dead, aka Bob Ross versus the Evil Dead. It's as goofy and great as you'd expect it to be. And hey, if you're enjoying the series, then you're in luck! Season 3 is airing right now! Go check it out! And if you missed the review of season 1, you can find it here!

Overall Score: 3 out of 5 Chads fearing the Creep. Did season two of the Creepshow reboot scare you? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

IMDB: Here

How to Watch: The second season of the Creepshow reboot is available on these platforms.

Official Trailer