Main cast: Adrienne Barbeau (Dixie), Giancarlo Esposito (Doc), Christopher Nathan (Timmy), Jesse C Boyd (Richie), Tobin Bell (Chief), Cailey Fleming (Evie), Rachel Hendrix (Marsha), and David Shae (Randy)
Directors: John Harrison and Greg Nicotero
Creepshow, which came to life as a trilogy of movies influenced by old school anthology horror shows, gets a new lease of life as a series on streaming service Shudder, so this is something tailored right at me. Well, on paper, that is. Just a bit of background, I am fond of the first two Creepshow movies, and the least said about the third the better, and I am hoping to revisit them one of these days. For now, let’s take a look at the streaming series. Each episode has two shorter self-contained stories, and oh boy, the first episode of the first season is quite the snooze.
The first segment, Gray Matter, is based off a short story by Stephen King, which is fitting as the first Creepshow movie was also done in close collaboration with Mr King. This one, though, is pretty anticlimactic. A hurricane is coming, so the Sheriff, Chief, and the town doctor, Doc get together at Dixie’s store to wait out the storm. In comes Timmy, a kid that wants to get his father Richie’s usual supply of alcohol. Richie is an alcohol, and Timmy breaks down and admits that he doesn’t want to go back home to his father. Moved by this, Dixie persuades Doc and Chief to take the beer as an excuse to check up on Richie. Only after the two men have left does Timmy admit to Dixie that something has happened to his father. Something really, really bad. Gee, thanks, kid, for putting two men’s lives in danger!
What little scare that is present here is pretty alright, but far too much of this episode is spent zooming on the annoying crybaby mug of Christopher Nathan. Oh, I’m sure he’s a nice lad, but his character is absolutely death-worthy, and the more I have to look at his irritating visage, the more I wish he’d suffer a slow, painful death for all the mess he’d drag everyone into.
The House of the Head is directed by the bloke behind The Walking Dead, so it’s not too surprising that most of the faces in this episode will likely be familiar to folks that follow that show. Basically it’s about a young girl dealing with a haunted or possessed demon thing slowly killing her precious toy house dolls. Yes, lives of innocent dolls are on the line, and I am at the edge of my seat hoping that someone will save these dolls from a fate worse than death. This segment makes those horrid Annabel movies look like a masterwork showcase because seriously, who gives a crap about dolls? Just throw that freaking doll house and ask wealthy mommy and daddy to buy her a new one! Oh wait, that’s what happens in the end, so what-freaking-ever.
The first segment is okay, the second one is a turd of a dud. Average out those two and this episode is a most underwhelming two-oogie season starter. I can only hope future episodes will up the game somewhat.
