Creepshow Episode 4 - A heart-felt homage to the original
At just over the half-way point now Shudder’s Creepshow revival has found its stride. This week’s macabre pairing is a mix of all the gory goodness that we’ve come to expect from the series and a smattering of familiar names to welcome us in.
At this point I feel like it’s worth saying that I honestly expected the Creep to speak. His constant cackling is all well and good, but it’d be nice for him to have something foreboding or at least amusing to say when he’s semi-introducing the next segment. Minor gripes out of the way so it’s on with the show!
“The Companion” begins with Harry, a teenager hiding from his abusive brother only to stumble across a real-life Scarecrow- who he accidentally brings back to life. The story does well to introduce a moving back story to its main protagonist via a comic book panel flashback whilst working at a pace and on economical constraints to deliver what is arguably the most “Creepshow” resolution of the series so far. The segment is littered with subtle reference to headier ideas more obvious of which is the Bride of Frankenstein references.
Solid performances and effects make this another solid entry. “The Companion” is based on a short story by Joe R. Lansdale, Kasey Lansdale and Keith Lansdale and is directed by series regular David Bruckner.
Lydia Layne’s Better Half (dir. John Harrison)
When a job promotion interview goes horribly wrong CEO Lydia Layne (Tricia Helfer, Battlestar Galactica) must make a grisly choice, one that leaves her trapped with the consequences of her actions and struggling to come to terms with her future.
Tales of the Unexpected vibes may well litter this segment- no bad thing- and ultimately to its credit. A tepid start that ramps up its tension with aplomb and delivers a compact segment dominated by Tricia Helfer’s assured performance as the arrogant Lydia. Her obsession with control over her life and everyone in it and her apparent hidden guilt that may prove to be her ultimate undoing. Lydia Better Half is written by Greg Nicotero & John Harrison.
As with all these segments its difficult to speak about elements of the episodes without spoiling what are essentially brief stories. Up to now each episode of Creepshow has felt like a both a heart-felt homage to the original anthology films of George A. Romero and Stephen King but has also felt like a love letter to fans of the genre at large. There’s obviously a reverence for the source material but what Nicotero and company also bring is a wealth of love for the genre and for storytelling that feels tangible episode to episode.
