‘Creepshow’ (2019) Recap: ‘Bad Wolf Down’ & ‘The Finger’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

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It’s rare for me these days to truly be over the moon for a horror television series, since there are plenty out there that can provide me with my fix for gore and creepy moments. But last week’s premiere of Creepshow changed all of that for me. For the series premiere of this latest chapter in the saga was downright terrifying to the point where it gave me nightmares, a rarity in its own right. But the genuine wonder of this series extended beyond the fact that it’s scary and creepy and everything in between, what truly caught my eye when it comes to the rebirth of this franchise, is the sheer fact that it is offering up some supremely original ideas storytelling wise, and being able to settle in and watch a horror series that refuses to give into convention has ignited my imagination like never before.
 
Which means that I was in essence, counting down the minutes to this week’s episode, and I simply couldn’t wait to fire up my Shudder app the instant I saw that a new episode was live because I needed my fix and wouldn’t you know it? The next set of episodes in this magnificent series were just as delightful as the ones that played out last week, and as an added bonus, yesterday’s set of stories made it clear that Creepshow is going to provide its audience with unique and creative tales that explore every single facet of the genre, including the more lighthearted stuff. For these twin tales of terror featured the return of the campiness and black humor that made the original film such a delight to watch, with a few surprises thrown into the mix as well.
 
Take for example ‘Bad Wolf Down’, the opening chapter in this week’s double feature. Because it didn’t take long for this one to establish that it was going to be a grand homage of the grindhouse films of the 1970s and even the visual aesthetic present here has that lovely 70s, washed out feel. But the beauty of this tribute to the splatterhouse films of that era didn’t just end with the look, the characters were just as over the top as they were back in the day and that’s thanks in large part to Jeffrey Combs’ magnificent performance as the German Commander since he steals the show in this one, and truly it’s the twist at the end that makes this vignette worthwhile. Because it is downright perfect, since it allows for the gorehound within all of us to indulge in some delightfully bloody moments.
 
As for the black humor aspect that I made mention of, well that’s accomplished by way of the second tale in this episode, ‘The Finger’. Because this one does a fine job of breaking down the fourth wall with DJ Qualls’ lovely narration and mugging for the camera, and his story involving finding a lost finger that grows into a xenomorph-esque pet named Bob, is delightfully twisted and hilarious. For Qualls’ nonchalant nature over the fact that Bob is happy to sneak out in the middle of the night and put down anyone that has done him wrong, makes the splatter on the screen chuckle worthy to say the least and this is another story that offers up quite the twist ending for certain. Since the final moments of this story take a turn for the bleak, leaving one to question the mental health of our main character.
 
If anything, these two stories were quite the pleasant surprise when all is said and done. Because I really was expecting to come in and find my skin crawling again, instead of laughing aloud and hooting and hollering when the guts started to flow, and that’s not a bad thing by any means. Because sometimes horror can be a fun genre, and we all have those guilty pleasure horror films that put a smile on our faces in our personal collections and truly, Creepshow deserves praise for being bold enough to tell a couple of campier tales in an era where darkness prevails. In the end, it just goes to show that this particular series understands the genre to a tee and it can transform itself on a moment’s notice and that it is best we expect the unexpected in the weeks to come and I for one, cannot wait to be surprised by this saga come next Thursday. Until then.  

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