When Creepshow debuted in 2019, there was a small bit of skepticism over extending the legacy of the original films with a streaming series on Shudder. This was somewhat alleviated with the inclusion of Greg Nicotero as one of the creative driving forces since he not only displayed an immense reverence for the original material, but he had actually worked on them. The first season was a pretty big hit with fans and critics alike, garnering positive notices for understanding the unique tone that needed to be struck and executing it quite capably. The structure was familiar to fans; every episode you would find the Creep snarkily introducing the week’s stories which consisted of two roughly 25-minute stories with no real connective tissue outside of being appropriately macabre. The bite-sized stories allowed these scenarios not to overstay their welcome while delivering some brain-tingling journeys. The Creep fades a bit more into the background in this sophomore outing, but his appearances still make an impact.
The tone of the season is established from the first tale of the first episode, Model Kid. As newcomers will soon learn, the show gains a great satisfaction in speeding up karma on those in need of it. This opening tale of a troubled kid, a sick mom and an abusive relative does not strive to radically upend your expectations, but the way in which the creative team nails the execution and darkly comedic tone is a thing of beauty. The show is a bit campy, but not so much that you lose the raw impact of the darkness that occurs. It is especially gory at times, but never so much as to completely alienate any squeamish audience members. Most of these creatives have been in the industry for a long time and know when to push the limits and when to pull back.
The stories this season range from good to great with thankfully none of them popping up as a dud. A personal favorite is Night Of The Living Late Show which finds Justin Long (Accepted, Tusk) and D’Arcy Carden (The Good Place, Barry) zapping themselves into classic horror films to some fun results. This not only taps into my strange love of the little-known flick Stay Tuned, but it also allows the series to pay homage to the classics of the past. Another deliriously fun story comes in the second half of the premiere episode with Public Television Of The Dead. Let’s just say, if you ever wanted to see a Bob Ross-esque program go completely off the rails, you need to see this one immediately. Throughout each of these episodes we get some truly noteworthy performances from beloved figures such as Kevin Dillon (The Blob), Molly Ringwald (Pretty in Pink), C. Thomas Howell (The Outsiders), Josh McDermitt (The Walking Dead) and Keith David (They Live). Everyone knows exactly what they are here to do and executes it perfectly.
The core themes of “getting your just desserts” or “be careful what you wish for” are mined thoroughly this season in many entertaining ways. Some segments during this season veer more toward the disturbing while others just relish in being goofy, fun times. The series evokes the comic book atmosphere it is trying to sell with each turn of the page. Much like the first season, this sophomore effort takes the core tenets of the original material and nurtures it into something worthwhile. Hardcore horror fans will find much to delight in just from clocking all the allusions placed throughout, but even more casual fans should find this season loads of fun.
Video Quality
The second season of Creepshow comes to Blu-Ray with an eye-popping 1080p presentation that pushes the format to its limit. The series is filled with intricately curated sets and gorgeous cinematography that is presented with perfect clarity on this disc. From the many brightly lit scenes to the darker, shadowy sequences, the skin tones and facial details are incredibly rendered in an expert manner. Subtle facial features are readily visible, such as the nightmarish makeup work that lends itself to intricate texture. Colors from the blood and costumes pop off the screen alongside the varied landscapes and filmmaking styles. Black levels are very deep and never betray the objects on screen. No instances of compression artifacts crept up during the viewing. This is an immaculate presentation that perfectly showcases a series with beautiful cinematography.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that is quite lively. The series is primarily dialogue driven, but there are some creepy atmospheric effects and an immersive score that will give your speakers something substantial to work with. There is some nice ambient activity in the rear channels, especially during scenes with creatures abound. The dialogue primarily stays in front center channels and is reproduced clearly. The track does a good job of making sure neither sound effects nor the score ever overpowers dialogue. The score brings a richness to the series that fills up the room on this track. There are jolts of action that inject some heft to the low end that is appreciated in a series such as this one. This track has a substantial dynamic range that should please fans of the series.
Special Features
- WonderCon@Home 2021 Interview with Greg Nicotero: A great 38-minute panel featuring showrunner Greg Nicotero hosted by Megan Navarro from Bloody Disgusting. In this piece, Nicotero discusses what he wanted to accomplish after season one, trying to strike the right tone, people he collaborated with during the development and more.
- How It Was Made – Night Of The Living Late Show: An eight-minute look at how the creative team went about inserting the performers into pre-existing footage.
- Behind The Sound with Bare Knuckles Creative: A four-minute look at the immersive sound work featured on the show and how it varies given the anthology nature of the show.
- Behind-The-Scenes Raw Footage: A five-minute look at the production of various moments throughout the season. You get to function as a bit of a fly-on-the-wall.
- Photo Galleries: Photo galleries are provided for Creepshow: Season 2, A Creepshow Holiday Special, A Creepshow Animated Special and Behind-The-Scenes Photos.
Final Thoughts
Creepshow does not radically shake up anything in its second season, but there are some tweaks that mostly change things for the better. The batting average this go around is strong with no truly weak segments to speak of, thankfully. RLJE Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a stellar A/V presentation and a decent number of special features, although some commentaries would have rounded out the package a bit more thoroughly. If you are a fan of the series, this is worth adding to your collection. Recommended
Creepshow: The Complete Second Season is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: RLJE Films has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
