Disturbing, scary, startling and comical at times Creepshow 2 comes to Blu-ray for the first time. The three tales are perfect for those who like their horror written by George Romero and Stephen King. The film released in the mid 1980s looking for the thrills that the 1982 original Creepshow gave, but even though ‘2’ does ramp up the R rating it loses the power of surprise. For those who didn’t see Creepshow and are watching this sequel for the first time however, it can be a lot of fun.
The three stories are introduced by the Grim Reaper better known as “The Creep” whose rotting ugly body is a makeup artist’s nightmare for the screen. Each of the segments is completed before moving on to the next. The characters are well developed, the sets and costumes nicely done and the scare factor in each is just about average. The following are brief descriptions of each of the segments avoiding spoilers the best I could.
The segment “Ol’ Chief Woodenhead” opens in Dead River an old western town and tells the tale of Ray (George Kennedy) and Martha (Dorothy Lamour) who run a general store. With the population of the town dwindling Martha feels it’s time to move on, but Ray’s not up for that just yet. He’s very attached to the store and his tall wooden Indian that he uses to attract customers.
One day local chief Ben Whitemoon (Frank Salsedo) stops by the store to pay off the tribes tab with silver jewelry. After trying to reason with the tribal chief that it is not necessary, Ray puts the silver in safe keeping. The store gets robbed by Ben’s son and his pals take the jewelry along with other items including the store’s cash. When a strange happening changes the gang’s plan, Ray starts to wonder about who could have done the good deed.
In “The Raft” we find four university students Deke (Paul Satterfield), Laverne (Jeremy Green), Randy (Daniel Beer) and Rachel (Page Hannah) who take an off the road trip to a secluded lake. Since the lake is in the mountains the water is very cold, but after some coaxing the couples swim out to a raft in the middle of the lake. When an oily substance circles the raft and they touch it, things start getting very eerie.
The final segment called “The Hitchhiker” involves Anne Lansing (Lois Chiles) driving fast to get home after an affair. In a split second of not watching the road she runs into a hitchhiker and leaves the scene. What happens next is a journey into the unknown as Anne tries to avoid an apparition that keeps popping up.
The direction is good, the stars do a good job of depicting each of the horror segments, but by today’s standard, they are just ho hum. Although I do like “The Raft” story that was something different than most ghoulish stories I’ve seen, the others were a too familiar and over used.
The video quality is good with the upgraded Blu-ray, but does have a bit too much grain at times, especially in the night scenes. The film also lacks good color and seems to be dull in most scenes. That said it was fun to watch the film in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio that fills my whole 16×9 HD screen.
The sound quality is very good and with the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio you could hear a pin drop. The dialogue is audible and the eerie music enhances most of the scenes. The surround did not kick in so do not expect a lot of side and rear special effects.
The film has been rated R by the MPAA for strong horror violence, drug use, terror and peril throughout, nudity and a scene of sensuality, and language. The scare factor in The Hitchhiker is high and the other two segments at a medium level. While comedy is mentioned in my opening statement, there isn’t a lot of comic relief.
Specifications and additional film information:
Cast: George Kennedy, Lois Chiles, Domenick John, Dorothy Lamour, Lois Chiles, Tom Wright
Director: Michael Gornick
MPAA Rating: R for Strong Horror Violence, Drug Use, Terror and Peril throughout, Nudity and a scene of Sensuality, and Language
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Thriller
Running Time: 1 hr 32 min
Video Release Date: October 29, 2013
Original Film Release Date: my 1, 1987
Language: English
Format: Blu-ray
Audio: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Video: 1080p High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Number of Discs: 1 Disc
Distributed by: RLJ Entertainment
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
