Beware of the Creep!
The Creep is inviting you in to taste his newest wares. Stories of killer beer, haunted dollhouses, World War II werewolves, crawling fingers, ghostly Halloweens, genies, evil scarecrows, secret murders, monkey’s paws, zombies, killer diets, and lake monsters are all being served up by the Creep. Open the newest issues of Creepshow if you dare!
Creepshow—Season 1 was released on Shudder from September 26, 2019 to October 31, 2019. The series is a follow-up to Stephen King and George A. Romero’s 1982 movie Creepshow. The anthology series also later aired on AMC.
Everyone needs a buddy like Bob
I loved Creepshow. It was one of my favorite horror movies of the 1980s. With over-the-top stories based on EC Comics which were the bane of parents, the movie was fun and funny, but also still kept the jumps. Creepshow 2 was less spectacular but still had a couple good stories. Though a Creepshow 3 was planned by King and Romero, it never developed but Tales from the Darkside: The Movie was the end result of the planning (and it was kind of fun). In 2006, a Creepshow 3 was released…it was terrifying because it was awful. I was really excited when the Creepshow series was announced. It falls somewhere in-between Creepshow and Creepshow 2 in its presentation.
Classic tales of revenge
The nice thing about anthologies is that the series can turn, and the next episode can be better if you don’t like what you are watching. With Creepshow—Season 1, about seven of the twelve stories were decent. They weren’t always the greatest, but they carried a bit of fun and a bit of horror. That’s more than fifty percent, so that is a pretty average season. The problem is that there are only six episodes to this series. I wish that the show had gone for ten for the season to get the ball rolling. If it had been longer, out of twenty stories, the series might have even done better.
Lover’s wrath
Most of the stories are classic Tales from the Crypt type stories with a little more language and a varying level of gore. The story features one Stephen King adaptation in “Gray Matter” which was printed in Cavalier (October 1973) and later collected in Night Shift in 1978. King’s son Joe Hill (who appeared in the original Creepshow) provided “By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain” with other stories provided by Joe R. Lansdale, Josh Malerman, Bruce Jones, Paul Dini, and others. While I liked some of the stories, I hope that the producers dive a bit deeper for some of the tales and even get nastier or scarier (I’d love follow-ups to some of the older Creepshow stories like “The Crate”).
The series also could bring in more actors of note to fall in line with the first film and series like Tales from the Crypt. Most episodes do cast a celebrity but there are also a number of episodes with really blasé casts. The series could be a great means for some classic screen actors and of course some icons of horror. It was nice to have people like Adrienne Barbeau, Tobin Bell, and Giancarlo Esposito stop in for the first story, but I wish that it had been carried more throughout.
Scream if you want more Creepshow!
The series is great looking. It keeps the framework of the films by placing the stories within the Creepshow comic. The Creep, unlike the Crypt Keeper, is silent and menacing even when doing goofy stuff. Throughout the show there are odes to Stephen King works, other works of horror, and Easter eggs that can give you an extra bonus viewing.
Creepshow—Season 1 has real potential. It isn’t quite there yet, but it is close to making it. The series really needs to get to ten episodes for a season, and it really should try to run a number of seasons to give you that real anthology feel where you can have favorite episodes that you watch again and again. I will be watching Creepshow—Season 2 and I hope it pushes the horror anthology boundaries even more.
Creepshow—Season 1 Complete Episode Guide:
“Gray Matter”
“The House of the Head”
1.1 Gray Matter/The House of the Head Release Date: 09/26/19
Gray Matter—As a hurricane beats down on an evacuated seaside town, Timmy (Christopher Nathan) realizes he has to tell someone what is happening to his father Richard (Jessie C. Boyd). Timmy goes to the local store where he finds Dixie (Adrienne Barbeau), the Chief of Police (Tobin Bell) and the town doctor (Giancarlo Esposito). As Doc and the Chief go to tend to Timmy’s dad, Timmy spins a tale of terror that could threaten the world! The House of the Head—Evie (Cailey Fleming) loves her playhouse and the Smithsmiths who live in it. When a mysterious disembodied head appears in the house, Evie realizes her house might have a problem and saving the Smithsmiths might be the least of her problems.
“Bad Wolf Down”
“The Finger”
1.2 Bad Wolf Down/The Finger Release Date: 10/03/19
Bad Wolf Down—A group of American soldiers find themselves trapped behind enemy lines. When Private Rivers (Callan Wilson) accidentally shoots a woman (Kate Freund) being held in a cell, the American realize the Germans will be coming. As Quist (Nelson Bonilla) flees for his life, he damns his fellow soldiers Talby (David A. MacDonald), Doc Kessler (Kid Cudi), and Rivers by locking them in with the woman. The Germans are led by Reinhard (Jeffrey Combs) who is seeking revenge for his son, but the woman might be more dangerous than the Germans. The Finger—Clark Wilson (DJ Qualls) is a collector of lost things. When he finds a strange finger on his walk, he brings it home. Clark learns the finger isn’t staying put and soon the finger grows into a creature he names Bob…Bob is a good friend and intends to help Clark any way he can.
“All Hallow’s Eve”
“The Man in the Suitcase”
1.3 All Hallow’s Eve/The Man in the Suitcase Release Date: 10/10/19
All Hallow’s Eve—The Golden Dragons are hitting the town of Smithville for their yearly Trick-Or-Treat extravaganza. As Pete (Connor Christie), Jill (Madison Thompson), Binky (Jasun Jabbar Wardlaw Jr.), Bobby (Andrew Eakle), and Skeeter make their way through the town creating fear, they know this could be their last evening together. The Man in the Suitcase—Justin (Will Kindrachuk) is broke and spends most of his days getting high. When he discovers a strange man (Ravi Naidu) twisted up in his suitcase, Justin discovers that the man could be the key to getting back his girlfriend Carla (Madison Bailey) and paying off his roommate Alex (Ian Gregg), but Justin also finds that wishes come with costs.
“The Companion”
“Lydia Layne’s Better Half”
1.4 The Companion/Lydia Layne’s Better Half Release Date: 10/17/19
The Companion—Harold (Logan Allen) is abused by his brother Billy (Voltaire Colin Council). When he discovers a strange scarecrow on a farm, Harold fights for his life, but he also discovers that the scarecrow could be his savior. Lydia Layne’s Better Half—Woman of the Year Lydia Layne (Tricia Helfer) finds her lover and employee Celia (Danielle Lyn) jaded by her passing up for a promotion. When Lydia accidentally kills Celia, covering the crime becomes a necessity…but an earthquake and an elevator changes her plans.
“Night of the Paw”
“Times is Tough in Musky Holler”
1.5 Night of the Paw/Times Is Tough in Musky Holler Release Date: 10/24/19
Night of the Paw—Runaway killer Angela (Hannah Barefoot) finds herself in an accident and drawn to mortuary where she meets Avery Whitlock (Bruce Davison). When Avery reveals that he has summoned Angela to kill him, he weaves a tale of a monkey’s paw, his wife Marjorie (Susannah Devereux), and a curse that continues on. Times Is Tough in Musky Holler—Presumptive Mayor Lester M. Barclay (Dane Rhodes) rules the town of Musky Holler with an iron fist. When the dead started rising, he had his own brand of justice and his own enforces…but now the tables have turned, and Lester M. Barclay gets to experience the fruit of all his work.
“Skincrawlers”
“By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain”
1.6 Skincrawlers/By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain Release Date: 10/31/19
Skincrawlers—Henry Quayle (Dana Gould) would like to be thinner. When health guru Dr. Sloan (Chad Michael Collins) gives him the offer of a radical new treatment, Henry has fears, but some convincing and a free public broadcast of the procedure lures Henry in. Unfortunately, Henry and Dr. Sloan are about to discover that there are side effects. By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain—Rose (Sydney Wease), her mother Leigh (Gena Shaw), and her younger brother Joseph (David Alexander Kaplan) live at the mercy of Leigh’s abusive boyfriend Chet (James Devoti) who stepped in after Leigh’s husband’s death. Leigh’s husband always believed in the legend of Champ and the creature living in Lake Champlain. Hoping to follow in her father’s footsteps and prove his believe that Champ exists, Rose and her boyfriend Thomas (Connor Jones) find going against Chet’s wishes could be fatal.
Related Links:
Creepshow—Season 2 Review and Complete Episode Guide
