Creepshow Episode 6: Recap, Review and Ranking the Episodes

Creepshow and Spooky Season are all almost over.  It is the saddest day of the year and as we all recover from our sugar hangovers we can at least take some joy in watching the season finale of Creepshow.  Both vignettes were interesting this week but neither would have made my top picks for the season.  Good news. We get to do this all over again next year as the powers that be over at Shudder have renewed the anthology series for a season two.  So cry that its over but be thankful it will come again….kind of like Halloween. 

“Skincrawlers”Dr. Sloan has discovered a miracle cure to weight loss in a rare fat-sucking leech. But during a solar eclipse, an unintended and explosive side effect of the leeches is revealed: they use the patients’ bodies as hosts for their eggs… and it’s time to hatch.Written by: Paul Dini & Stephen LangfordDirected by: Roxanne BenjaminCast: Dana Gould, Chad Michael Collins, Hina Kahn, Melissa Saint-Amand, Beth Keener, Jason Graham, Darin Toonder

Immediately when I think killer tape worms I think Nick Cutter’s fantastically terrifying The Troop.  Body horror has been under explored in this season of Creepshow and it was great to return to it for a moment. The story perfectly captures the feel of a Good Morning Toledo like morning news program and that only adds to the absurd ending. Unlike a few of the other episodes the creature work really seems to be on point.  I totally dug the mutated eel like parasites.  While the episode has a ton of gore and some good creatures which pull it firmly into the realm of camp I think it really taps into the fear of being fat. In our society there is a negative cultural capital that people that are heavy tend to carry around and I think the commitment to do whatever it takes to shed that baggage literally and figuratively is really explored here. With fad diets, cleanses, and essential oils all promising miracle cures, Skincrawlers works so well because it feels like it is not that far removed from our world. If you could grow your own fat sucking eels I have no doubt a huckster might start trying to sell you a starter kit on Facebook.  “Hey Hon, I see you haven’t shed that baby weight yet, boy do I have a deal for you.”

​ “By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain”Rose finds Champ, the legendary monster of Lake Champlain. But when her unhinged step-father threatens to take all the credit, Rose realizes Champ may actually still be lurking in the lake, waiting to strike.Written by: Jason Ciaramella and Joe Hill, story by Joe Hill (from his new collection, Full Throttle)Directed by: Tom SaviniCast: Sydney Wease, Connor Jones, David Alexander Kaplan, James Devoti, Gena Shaw

I didn’t get it.  Let me just lead with that. I haven’t read Full Throttle yet but its on my TBR pile. That being said, I like a lot of Joe Hill’s stuff. He captures modern suburbia in a way that displays the horror of middle class life that relates to my life really well. This is not a story like that at all. The creature work is cool if a little over the top.  I like all the forms of Champ that we get.  I also really dig the mythology behind it but I feel like this story is supposed to have a lot of heart and it just left me feeling cold. Like there is coming of age story in here somewhere. Also an abuse story but I think the short format of the episode did it no favors when it came to plot and character development. If we would have spent more time with these folks I think my buy in would have been better.  As it was I just didn’t care about them. I also think geography might be working against it a little, as I am from the Midwest and I think the Champ creature and lore seems to be a little stronger in the northeast.  Its not a bad episode just one I didn’t really connect with. It felt ultimately like a spec film and if I saw it at Fantastic Fest or Panic Fest as part of a short film contest I would want to see more but wouldn’t bet on it winning the competition.  Firmly in the middle on my preferences.  Although I totally dug the Rambo costume that was featured throughout.

Alright so here are my ranking for all twelve vignettes. One being the best twelve my least favorite.

12. Lydia Lane’s Better Half

11. The Finger

10. Night of the Paw

9.  All Hallows Eve

8. By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain

7. Grey Matter

6. Skincrawlers

5. House of the Head

4. The Man in the Suitcase

3. Times is Tough in Musky Holler

2. Bad Wolf Down

1. The Companion

Until Next Season Creep on Creeping on!