Creepshow 2 Review

MPAA Rating: R
Released: 1987

In 1982 two of the horror genre's most influential people (George Romero and Stephen King) teamed up to release Creepshow, a series of horror vignettes that paid honor to the E.C. horror comics of the 50's. The end result was a thoroughly satisfying film that truly captured the spirit of a cinematic comic book.

Luckily it was so well received by movie fans that the two horror heavyweights teamed up once again to release a sequel, but could fans of the original dare hope that Creepshow 2 would manage to capture the same magic?

The original Creepshow was a wonderful selection of five short stories penned by Stephen King and directed by George Romero. The project was a smashing success due to the unique and intriguing tales; the impressive casting that included the likes of Leslie Nielsen and Hal Holbrook; and the uncanny comic style that perfectly captured the essence of the old E.C. comics.

Creepshow 2 features some significant differences from the original despite the inclusion of King and Romero. First was the director's chair; while Romero directed the first film, he lent the directorial duties for the sequel to Michael Gornick. While Gornick's style was proficient enough, it failed to duplicate the same comic book vibe of the original.

Another difference is that instead of including five very short vignettes as with the original, the sequel instead offered three tales of a longer duration. Of course this isn't necessarily a bad thing as long as the tales were interesting (which we'll soon discover) – it's just another little thing that differentiated the pace and flow between the two.

So with the differences covered, let's take a closer look at the three stories included in this compilation.

Ol' Chief WoodenHead

Ray (George Kennedy) and Martha (Dorothy Lamour) Spruce is an elderly couple that own a general store in a town that has long since died. The remaining residents are dirt poor and without hope, but the compassionate Ray continues to offer them food and supplies on credit, knowing full well he'll likely never be paid back for his generosity. Such matters are unimportant to Ray – he's just a simple man that cares deeply for his wife, the townsfolk and an old wooden Indian statue that he has on display on his front porch.

One evening a trio of thugs enters the store to trash and loot it. During this invasion the kind-hearted elderly couple are ruthlessly gunned down, and the gang flees into the night with their ill-gotten goods, believing their crimes went unseen. But unbeknownst to them there was an observer… the wooden Indian statue standing upon the porch. And now it's determined to avenge its former owners.

Most critics consider this to be the worst of the three stories, but I'm going to disagree with the general consensus. I actually found this to be the closest in spirit to the original film; it's exactly the sort of storyline you would expect to see in a horror comic. In addition George Kennedy's performance lent a real compassion and heart to this vignette that was missing from the others.

The Raft

Four stoned friends decide to drive to an isolated lake and party aboard a raft situated in the center of the body of water. While the foursome is swimming towards the raft, one of them notices a mysterious black circle of goo swallow a duck. Normal people observing such a sight would probably decide then and there "to hell with this plan" and swim right back to the beach, but these village idiots instead continue onward and sit themselves on the raft.

Now they find themselves stranded in the middle of the lake, surrounded by the unknown black substance/creature that awaits the opportunity to "eat" any teenager foolish enough to touch the water.

The acting isn't nearly as respectable as the first vignette, but the short story still works well on a guilty pleasure level. It's a simple yet cool premise and the tension of such a situation works well with the film.

The Hitchhiker

Annie Lansing (Lois Chiles) is a privileged and shallow upper-class woman that is speeding home in the dark of the night in an effort to beat her husband so he doesn't discover she was out. Why? Well, she's having an affair with a boyfriend/prostitute. They seem to have a relationship, yet she has to pay him for sex. But it's not worth trying to ponder for long since it bears little relevance to what is to come.

In her haste to get home Annie loses control of her car and runs down a hitchhiker. When she notices he is dead as a doornail she decides to hightail it out of there so no one discovers her guilt. But as she continues her drive home she again discovers the now shattered frame of the man she killed… except he's not dead. Instead he repeatedly thanks her ("Thanks for the ride, lady!") for the ride as he attempts to take out his revenge.

No matter how many times she shoots him, runs him over or smashes him between the car and a tree, the hitchhiker refuses to die. But is she really living this nightmare, or is it but a dream?

I have watched Creepshow 2 multiple times over the years, so needless to say I enjoy the movie. That being said, I must admit that the sequel fails to live up to the same excellence as the original. It's thoroughly entertaining, but it's not as quirky or fun as its predecessor. Whereas the first Creepshow incorporated comic fonts and colored filters to achieve that comic book appearance, this movie is filmed like standard horror vignettes without any of the comic trappings (aside from the animation that divides the three stories).

Still, it's a quick and enjoyable movie that I like to pop in the DVD player from time to time, so I'll award Creepshow 2 a rating of…

Movie rating: 7 stars

If you enjoyed Creepshow 2 you may also find the following films to be of interest:

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