I've put off checking out 'Creepshow 2' for WAY too long…in part because for the longest time it was only available on VHS in the UK, and in part because it just never really worked its way to the top of my backlog…but tonight was the night I finally gave it a shot, and i'll be honest…I dont have a lot to say about it that I didnt cover when I originally wrote about 'Creepshow'.
I dont wanna be lazy about my thoughts on this one, but its kind of hard not to be…This has the same vibe and tone as the original 'Creepshow' with my only feedback being that I dont much care for the framing device (the original framing device was the audience flying through a comic book confiscated by a grounded boys father. This introduces a horror host called 'The Creep' who introduces each segment, and while the original was a mixture of live action and animation. These segments (barring and intro and outro) are almost exclusively animated.
I feel the framing device of the first one worked a lot better and wasnt as intrusive as the sequel. I didnt TOTALLY dislike the sequels framing. I just dont think it hangs as well.
I also didnt care much for 'The Raft' the other two stories are as enjoyable as the entries from the first film, but 'The Raft' specifically just felt a bit thin on the ground and didnt really offer much of a satisfying conclusion. it dragged and left me wishing they could have done something a bit more interesting with it.
My final critique is that across the board it just comes across as a bit cheaper on a technical level, theres less interesting cine choices such as adding in 'comic book' panel style framings. the lighting isnt as interesting or experimental, theres less colour gel work, the stories seem less experimental or 'out there'… I still enjoyed the film and as mentioned, its really not THAT different from the original in terms of quality and standards. I still wholeheartedly recommend checking it out, but you do need to prepare for the fact that this looks and feels like someone trying to make the 'original' creepshow on a lower budget, and that it doesnt quite flow as smoothly as the original either.
If you can get your head around that though, this ones great fun!
