The horror genre is ripe with anthology films. Mileage varies, but these package films have delivered some all-time greats that have made their way into the horror canon: Dead of Night (1945) and Kwaidan (1964) are both considered to be stone cold classics, not just by horror fans but by films buffs in general. And while there are a handful of greats from the late 70s to the early 90s (think Trilogy of Terror, Tales from the Darkside: The Movie or even Tales from the Hood), ask anyone what their personal favorite is and I can guarantee you that most will refer to 1982's Creepshow. A wickedly funny, disturbing and hammy ode to the EC Comics of their youth, George Romero and Stephen King created something special with the first Creepshow. But can lightning strike twice?
Directed by Michael Gornick (who shot the first one), written by George Romero (who directed the first one) and based on stories by Stephen King (who wrote the first one), Creepshow 2 tries it's damned best to recapture the glory of its predecessor but ultimately falls a little short. It's not the directing that's bad. Nor is it the dated animation or cringey racial/sexual tensions that arise in all three stories (which would make for a great analysis piece, somebody please do this). It's really a case of the budget, which was drastically scaled back on this installment for better or for worse.
For worse, there are only three stories this time around compared to the five told in the previous film. One of them, "Cat from Hell", eventually made its way into the Tales from the Darkside movie while "Pinfall" unfortunately just never came to fruition, here or elsewhere. On top of that some of the effects, particularly the oil-slick-goop-puddle-blob-monster, looks like a giant trash bag covered in jello. And that's where my criticisms end because the other effects in the film are great! The animated statue of "Old Chief Wood'nhead" looks deceptively rustic and seeing the black blob in action is quite a sight. Seeing one character get his body jackknifed through the raft into the lake or the woman whose body comes up for one last bout of air, her body literally a moaning skeleton covered in goop, is all B movie gold. And let's not forget the undead hitchhiker, who, once he finally catches his prey, is content with just slobbering all over her should while his eyeball is slowly popping out. It's an absolute blast.
I first saw Creepshow 2 on TV when I was a wee kid. Everyone has their own version of this story, but it was one of those moments where you're flipping through the channels and just stumble upon a movie you know you're not allowed to see. Watching this old ass, gigantic wooden statue slowly walk around murdering people is exactly what a little kid wants to see, but it's the oil slick blob that really screwed with me. Growing up swimming in a lake every summer... this was the last thing I'd ever want to see... so of course I watched the whole thing, horrified, and thought about it for years afterwards. My parents were very against horror movies when I was young, so I would relish any chance I could to sneakwatch them. I have a lot of fond memories from this time, and aside from my first viewing of Evil Dead (or, more like a "scene" from Evil Dead: I was so terrified after a couple of minutes that I actually left my friend's place and ran home), this segment featuring horny teens being mutilated and devoured by this sentient oil slick-blob just really freaked me out.
Horror anthology films have come back into fashion in recent years and honestly it's a jolt that is desperately needed. What better way to show off the budding talents of filmmakers with films like the V/H/S/ series, XX and Southbound, all of which made waves upon their release. And let's not forget those anthologies credited to a single filmmaker, like Trick r' Treat or this year's (albeit a tad bit underwhelming) Ghost Stories. It's a format that deftly suits the horror genre and one that I really hope doesn't go away. Honestly, in today's nostalgia-steeped zeitgeist, I can't wait for the next filmmaker(s) to create something like Creepshow: a self-aware love letter to the horrors of old... complete with a decrepit bow and puns galore.
No comments:
Post a Comment