Creepshow 2 (Blu-ray)
Anthony Arrigo
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Starring George Kennedy, Dorothy Lamour, Lois Chiles, Tom Savini
Directed by Michael Gornick
Distributed by Arrow Video
There are likely to be many horror fans out there who, depending on when they were born, wound up watching sequels to celebrated films before ever seeing the original. My first Friday the 13th movie was The Final Chapter (1984… and still the best). I saw Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994) long before I finally watched the original. And years before seeing Creepshow (1982) I was fully in love with Creepshow 2 (1987). So, be forewarned, this review is being written with a faded pair of rose-tinted glasses firmly in place. That isn’t to suggest I am unable to overlook the flaws – which become more apparent with the passage of time – but it does mean I’m not likely to be as harsh toward this maligned sequel as so many others seem to be. Of the four-ish stories told here (I know the intercut animated stuff with Billy is technically a fourth tale but it doesn’t gel with the rest) we get one outright classic, one solid entry, one so-so, and one dud. Fans can debate which stories are deserving of which title but, all in all, Creepshow 2 makes for a fun follow-up to a cult classic… and it is light years ahead of the eternal turd known as Creepshow 3 (2006).
In Creepshow, the wraparound segment featured the immortal Tom Atkins. Here, we get an animated bit with a kid named Billy (not the one from the first film, voiced by Domenick John) who is eagerly awaiting the latest issue of Creepshow magazine to hit the streets. His story is told via interludes between each segment. We learn he is the victim of bullying at the hands of Rhino, a fat greaser, and his lackeys. Billy places an order for carnivorous Venus flytraps, found in the pages of Creepshow, and exacts a plan to get revenge on Rhino and his crew. The animation for this segment is basic and lacking in refinement but it has always worked for me, even now as it really shows its age. There is very little here in terms of story or character; just a simple morality tale about bullies getting their comeuppance. The best thing about Billy’s tale is seeing Tom Savini done up as The Creeper, who apparently works a day job delivering magazines.
The first story, “Old Chief Wood’nhead”, focuses on an elderly couple, Ray and Martha Spruce (played by George Kennedy and Dorothy Lamour), who own a general store in a dusty Indian town. The store makes almost no money and they live on very little, but Ray feels good about helping the residents. The town elder, Benjamin Whitemoon (Frank Salsedo), pays them a visit one afternoon to give Ray a satchel containing prized jewelry from the families he has helped as collateral for all the debt they have acquired. Ray is humbled by his offering. Later that night, Benjamin’s hotshot nephew Sam (Holt McCallany) stops by the store with his two cronies, Andy and Fatstuff, looking to score some loot before they head to Los Angeles. Sam, who is exceedingly vain, has plans to be a movie star. As expected, Sam kills the couple and the boys split, intending to grab a few things from home before hitting the road. But Old Chief Wood’nhead, the store’s Indian mascot kept out front to greet customers, has other plans for the trio.
Highlights from this story are George Kennedy being George Kennedy and the realization of Old Chief Wood’nhead, whose makeup is impressively done to the point that it genuinely looks like a moving wooden figure… at times. A modicum of the comic book style that made the first film such a visual success appears here, too, though in fleeting glimpses. And even though he’s a grade-A asshole, Sam does have one damn fine head of hair.
Next up, “The Raft”, which is my personal favorite from the film. A group of four college kids freewheel it out to a deserted swimming hole, hoping for an afternoon of getting loaded and (hopefully) getting laid. Instead, they are greeted by an amorphous blob that is seen devouring everything that comes in its path. When one of the girls is engulfed and literally melts in this blob’s viscous, gooey wake the rest of the group tries to come up with a way to swim to shore and get help.
Creepy and visceral, this is the segment that has stuck with me for years after watching it at a young age. When someone is consumed by this trash-bag-on-a-remote, the combination of melting skin and flesh sliding off of bone coupled with those “don’t let me die like this!” screams is palpable. The killer in this story might not look like much – you can practically see where the remote vessel is pulling from – but the gory results are done wickedly. My brother and I still goof on the characters, too. “Mucho ecologico, Poncho. Mucho ecologico”. This one also has the best ending of all the segments, and maybe my favorite from the series.
“The Hitch-hiker” has never been my favorite story, tying for worst in the series along with “They’re Creeping Up On You” from the first film. Here, a business woman, Annie (Lois Chiles), cheats on her husband with a gigolo, runs over a homeless guy because she’s not paying attention to the road, and then decides to make it a hit-and-run since no one was around to see her crime. But this hitchhiker is persistent, showing up constantly along her path home, each time appearing more mangled than the last because Annie keeps on running him over. He repeats the same phrase over and over, “Thanks for the ride, lady” at their every meeting. Eventually, his beyond-mangled body follows her home and gets the best of her in the garage.
Repetition can be a boring thing and this segment is nothing but that. Annie is a deplorable person who does plenty of shitty things to justify her eventual demise, but since the hitchhiker is presented as little more than a one-line mass of moving flesh it’s a bit hard to get behind him, too. This story has been boring me to death for over twenty years and a recent reappraisal of it has not changed my thoughts one iota. If it weren’t for Billy’s animated tale wrapping things up – along with another glimpse at Savini’s Creeper – the film would have been ending on a truly terrible note.
Uneven as it is, my affinity for the best parts of Creepshow 2 prevent me from dismissing it as just another bad sequel. The loss of active involvement from Stephen King is notable, but having Romero in the writer’s seat for the screenplay no doubt saved this one from being even worse. Gone are the splashy, color-dripping visuals and a cadre of esteemed actors but Creepshow 2 scraps along and manages to be a fun follow-up despite lacking punch.
Previously issued on Blu-ray through Image, Creepshow 2 now rests with Arrow Video who have given the picture a new 2K scan. The 1.85:1 1080p image is hardly a stunning upgrade over Image’s decent presentation, suggesting only so much can be done to polish up the picture. Still, it does boast stronger color reproduction, finer detailing, and there is very little in terms of damage and debris. The animated segments are grainy, lacking the sort of smoothness most would expect to see. The image appears soft frequently; something inherent that clearly cannot be overcome with technical advancements. Owners of the previous Blu-ray can decide if this is worth the upgrade based on how swayed they are by bonus features because going off of picture quality alone this is not going to blow anyone away. Audio is presented in English with your choice of mono, 2.0 stereo, or a 5.1 surround sound mix. Although a multi-channel mix is usually best, this film is such a front-loaded affair that the stereo track should suffice. The real standout here is Les Reed’s score, which is all kinds of weird and eerie. Waxwork Records is giving it a reissue sometime this year.
Arrow Video has issued Creepshow 2 in both limited and standard editions, the main difference being a comic included with the limited edition that features a rendering of “Pinfall”, an unproduced segment. Otherwise, the features are as follows on both editions.
Director Michael Gornick provides an audio commentary track.
“Screenplay for a Sequel” is an informative chat with George A. Romero, who has a great memory for the work he did here without the aid of King’s assistance.
“Tales from the Creep” is a quick interview with Tom Savini, who discusses his limited involvement in the sequel.
“Poncho’s Last Ride” is an interview with actor Daniel Beer, who played Randy in “The Raft”.
“The Road to Dover” is a sit down with Tom Wright, who played the ill-fated hitchhiker in the segment of the same name.
“Nightmares in Foam Rubber” is a long chat with Howard Berger and Greg Nicotero, who discuss the film’s FX work.
“My Friend Rick” is a brief little bit with Howard Berger talking about his friendship with FX legend Rick Baker.
A “Behind-the-Scenes” reel shows off footage of some make-up and prosthetics from the film.
An image gallery and a few trailers & TV spots are also included. Additionally, the disc is equipped with a BD-ROM feature allowing viewers to read the original screenplay and there is also a booklet included with essays and photographs.
Special Features:
- Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
- Original stereo audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Audio Commentary with director Michael Gornick, moderated by Perry Martin
- Nightmares in Foam Rubber – featurette with special make-up effects artists Howard Berger and Greg Nicotero
- My Friend Rick – Berger on working with make-up legend Rick Baker
- Behind-the-Scenes Footage
- Trailers and TV Spots
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Mike Saputo
- FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Michael Blyth
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Creepshow 2
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Special Features
Categorized:Reviews
