☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
(Really Liked It)
Netflix Synopsis: Join the rotting-but-amiable Creep as he introduces this anthology of three gruesome tales written by the master of horror, Stephen King. An homage to the works of EC Comics, this wicked sequel takes viewers on one hair-raising roller-coaster ride.
The Peeps: Michael Gornick (director); George Romero (screenwriter); Stephen King (based on his short stories); Tom Savini, George Kennedy, Lois Chiles
Quick Run Down: Campy, B-Rated, Fun, Good Popcorn Horror
Worth the Watch?: I love 80's horror, so -- definitely!
Creepshow 2 is the sequel to the always fun and entertaining
Creepshow, directed by Romero and written by King in 1982. This second installment is not as good as numero uno, but it's still fun and recalls a better time for horror movies when gore wasn't the only point and being scary didn't take itself so seriously. Even in Gornick's lesser hands
, Creepshow 2 reminds us that a horror movie can be and should be fun. It also reminds us that the best horror movies may have happened in the 80's and early 90's.
Creepshow 2 tells three stories. The first -- "Old Chief Wood'n'head" -- follows an older couple who owns a general store in a down-and-out town close to an Indian reservation. Outside the store is a wooden statue of an Indian warrior, but he turns out to be much more than that by the film's end. I'm sure the plot is easily discernible from this super brief synopsis, but I won't intentionally give anything away (as the trailer does - check it out under the poster up top). Still, spoilers aside, this first segment is a little drawn-out on sympathy and dialogue, but still fun and entertaining. And with it, we're immediately ushered under the archway and into the campy grounds of entertaining 80's horror. Sure, the genre was simple, often cheesy, and terribly B-rated back then, but it was also loads of freaking fun. This short is an example of that. It's a basic story of retribution, but it sells what it needs to and throws in a little blood and laughs along the way. I'm torn, but it may be my favorite of the three installments within the anthology.
The second story -- "The Raft" -- is yet again a simple idea mostly banking on intriguing effects and clever kills. Two young couples are on their way out to a lake to get high, swim, and have some fun on a cold but sunny day. When they get to the lake, they swim out to a free-floating raft to hang out. Floating in the water, though, is a strange, membranous organism that suddenly starts threatening the couples' lives. You can guess the rest of the story, but it's still a fun little short film. There's some pretty cool make-up going on; the idea is strange but still manages to be different; and again, the whole thing's just fun. Ridiculous but fun. Oh, and there's nudity in this one too!
The third and last installment -- "The Hitch Hiker" -- is the goriest of the three shorts. A well-to-do, married woman is on her way home after sleeping with another man when she accidentally runs into a hitch hiker, presumably killing him. Instead of helping, she turns tail and runs. But that doesn't mean she gets away with what she did. The hitch hiker finds her... then finds her again... then finds her again... then again! This is another short that's a cool watch, and though it's probably my least favorite of the three, it's still entertaining and sports grisly effects. Plus, this one features Stephen King in probably one of the longest cameos I've ever seen him have. He's hilarious to watch, playing the hell out of a trucker with a flare.
All of these tales are introduced by Creep (played by a made-up Tom Savini in the beginning and end; middle segments are animated) who is pretty much a Cryptkeeper-type. His predecessor, as a matter of fact. He delivers quips like "boys and ghouls" and "deliciously macabre masterpiece" and more, making the downtime between the films lag less. It doesn't really add much to the film, but it does help remind the audience that what we're watching is based on the graphic novella that came out in 1982, serving as a basis for both the first and second film.
So, if you want to watch some fun, campy, simple but entertaining 80's horror, check out
Creepshow 2. Unfortunately, the first film isn't on Watch Instantly, but at least we have the second one. Check it out - it's on Netflix!
 |
Paint me nostalgic, but MAN - I miss the 80's.
Nobody could get away with something like this now... |
No comments:
Post a Comment