Creepshow TV Series – Season 3 (2021)
A strange thing happened as I perused my various streaming channels while hanging out at yet another airport; a NEW season of my beloved series, Creepshow had come and gone and already uploaded in the wonderful horror streaming channel, SHUDDER (yes, this is the third go around reviewing this show and I wait eagerly for them checks to roll in)! Unlike my dedication to shows back when I relied on cable, I have no idea when new seasons of shows start anymore. It’s interesting because I definitely depend on social media, word of mouth, carrier pigeon, etc. to let me know when a favorite show of mine is starting a new season on whatever streaming channel. However, as much as I love SHUDDER, it seems the advertising for new original content for the channel doesn’t reach my radar until I actively pursue it myself so long story short – I was a bit late to the party for season 3 of this wonderful/entertaining/terrifying/retro horror anthology series based off the Creepshow movies that makes my heart flutter.
Enough of the romanticism, let’s dive into the third season of Creepshow!
Mums
Director(s): Rusty Cundieff
Writer(s): Greg Nicotero, David J. Schow, Joe Hill
Starring: Ethan Embry, Brayden Benson
This entry reminds me of vintage Creepshow because it’s the kind of story that both movies like to tell (not counting the third one which was an abomination that had NOTHING to do with the first two flicks…rant over) where the main character is coming from hard times or has a hard time with other people, a tragedy happens and the people giving them a hard time gets what’s coming to them in horrific fashion. This particular tale centers around a kid and how his mother may have a connection to a garden that can spell certain doom for those who may cause the kid harm. This tale hit the right notes as far as simple the story is told but you still find yourself rooting for the good guys and sneering at the bad guys with the added bonus of cheering for the monster that rights the wrongs of the world. As usual, I love how this show tries to incorporate as much practical effects as they can (within a budget that is) and it’s always great to see they try to keep the feel of the older movies by editing the scenes like an old school comic book. Great way to start this season!
Queen Bee
Director(s): Greg Nicotero
Writer(s): Erik Sandoval, Michael Rousselet
Starring: Kaelynn Harris, Hannan Koppel, Nico Gomez
It’s funny how the first entry, Mums follows the tried and true recipe from the Creepshow movies while this entry is a great example on how we can make this series more modern for a new generation. I reckon there may be some folks (albeit a small population) of fans of the show that maybe haven’t seen the movies (something they should remedy STAT). The beauty of this tale is that is very modern in concept; a group of teenagers that are obsessed with a pop star find themselves stalking her via social media but their idol may be more sinister than she seems. Although I don’t think that the Creepshow entries try to surprise anyone with what’s happening, it is refreshing to incorporate modern themes to tell tales of terror in the vintage Creepshow style. There’s still a sense of a lesson learned covered in layers of entertaining gore and effects which proves that even a vintage presentation can still evolve for a future audience.
Familiar
Director(s): Joe Lynch
Writer(s): Josh Malerman
Starring: Andrew Bachelor, Hannah Fierman, Keith Arthur Bolden
We have an entry here that actually gave me an uneasy feeling as I looked around the room in the dark while trying to go to bed. As much as I love the whole Creepshow world for entertainment, actual scares aren’t really on the menu too often but this entry definitely had me thinking long after the credits rolled which is some of the best kind of horror. This tale is quite simple where a man is followed by some sort of macabre force and while trying to trap the being, he may have discovered something much darker. The premise for this whole story is questioning what dark forces surround you in your everyday life; the arbitrary connections that you have around you may have a bigger impact than you think and how these forces can harm you if left unchecked. I like the fact that I thought about this story for at least a week and how I would handle the situation if a dark force was following me around trying to cause me harm. Enjoy the self reflection while scaring yourself to sleep!
Skeletons in the Closet
Director(s): Greg Nicotero
Writer(s): John Esposito, Greg Nicotero
Starring: Victor Rivera, Valerie LeBlanc, James Remar
I was wondering when we’d get a funny entry this season and boy did this tale live up to that tradition. I love it when this show mixes it up with the different sub-genres of horror and horror-comedy is perfect for the anthology format. This entry is not just humorous but contains a plethora of Easter eggs for classic horror movies which plays to all the Geeks that binge this show. The story follows a curator of a movie props museum that must keep his enemy from obtaining his most precious collectible. It’s great that this entry was just filled with CHEESE from the silly dialog to the overacting, it was an entertaining story that even managed to tug on the heart strings for a millisecond, right before you were cheering for all the swashbuckling that you’ll eventually encounter (mild spoiler?). Great way to end an episode, with a fiendish SMILE.
I’ll be covering all the eps from Season 3 so check out the series on AMC or SHUDDER and follow along or read the articles first before checking out these beauties for yourself!
Life is FAR more interesting when we take interest in things that scare us.