Creepshow 2

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Catching Up

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After seeing the first 'Creepshow' and enjoying it so much, the next logical step for my "Catching Up" reviews was 'Creepshow 2'. While it remains a fun, creepy anthology for the Halloween season, it's not quite as good as the first one. That said, it still has plenty working for it, including the once-again team up of Stephen King and George A. Romero. However, this time they are doing the writing while original 'Creepshow' cinematographer Michael Gornick is directing. 

This time around, there are three stories overall. They are each buffered with animation segments, depicting a boy reading and enjoying his 'Creepshow' comic. It was given to him by a Creepshow Creep, played by practical effect master Tom Savini (who also played a garbage man at the end of the first one).

Story one involves an elderly couple who get robbed, and a native statue coming to life to take vengeance. Story two involves a terrifying black, oozing mass in a lake that melts human flesh once it takes hold. Story three is about a woman who just can't seem to shake a hitchhiker no matter how many times she kills him. Sadly though, that's it. It kinda just leaves you wanting more, especially when comparing it to the first.

The animation sequences are okay, but they seemingly get a little more in the way here. They tell a sort of side story about the kid getting harassed by Stephen King bullies (watch 'It' or 'Stand by Me', you'll know what I mean). Of course this all leads to the kid taking his revenge on them, but I won't spoil how it's done 'cause admittedly it's pretty cool. Not believable in the slightest, but still, cool.

The story that stuck out here to me was 'The Raft' (the second story about the oozing mass). It gets pretty damn traumatic once this thing takes hold. The flesh burns as they're happening seem incredibly believable, and it doesn't help that the first victim keeps moaning "It hurts! It hurts!" as it's consuming her. It ends with a nice little twist in things too, and is probably my favorite of the three, simply in that the imagery stuck with me as seeming very real and terrifying. The first and third are well done, but they aren't quite as scary as they are just unsettling, which does work in it's own way.

​While it's no where near as good as it's predecessor, which was kind of a landmark on the history of horror cinema, it still holds it's own quite well as a sequel. It manages to meet the expectations I had, but there's more of a lack of celebrity cameos and it's just shorter. While this one isn't based around Halloween, it's still a fun watch as a sequel to get you into the holiday spirit.

4/5

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