‘Creepshow’ Rewatch: Fear of the Unknown

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM. YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

How ‘Grey Matter’ and ‘The House of the Head’ Explore our Fear of the Unknown

‘He always liked his Friday night beers, ain’t gonna lie. But after a while, every night was Friday to him.’
- Timmy

Giancarlo Espositio and Tobin Bell in 'Grey Matter'

Our love affair with horror films, is fascinating to say the least. Because this is a genre that offers up buckets of gore and depravity and it brings our worst nightmares to life on the silver or small screen. Which means we should be repulsed by these tales of terror since they represent the darkest parts of our soul and our imagination. Yet, they endure, and they are beloved and we truly crave these tales and every macabre moment that they have to offer and as this genre continues to grow in popularity; it is beginning to become obvious as to why we are addicted to scary stories that make our skin crawl at every single turn. For these tales more or less offer us a safe harbor emotionally.
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Because they take us on a horrific ride before letting us catch our breath in the comfort of the theater or our own home, and that kind of release can in fact be quite healthy for our psyche. But truly, the defining wonder of this genre is that it offers up some of the most intelligent stories out there. Because these stories often have something to say about our world or our modern society or life in general, since fear refines everything to its purest form and being able to learn more about the human condition in a thrilling manner, allows for the lesson to stick and it keeps us coming back for more time and time again. And it just so happens that AMC decided to bring an intelligent horror series to the masses, one that made its debut on the horror streaming service Shudder last fall and well, seeing Creepshow on the small screen once again definitely allows for one to have a newfound appreciation for this absolute horror gem.

Because this love letter to George Romero and Stephen King’s anthology creation only gets better with every viewing. For now that the gloss and the shine of having a new iteration of this franchise available to the masses has worn off, the smarts of its scripts are now on full display and that added gravity to a second viewing of ‘Grey Matter’ and ‘The House of the Head’. For these particular tales take the time to dive into an overall theme, our fear of the unknown and how they accomplish that is quite impressive for certain. Take for example ‘Grey Matter’, a story that upon first glance seems like a fairly by-the-numbers affair in regard to the unknown. After all, the audience and the characters haven’t a clue that something horrible is waiting in the darkness, they just know that something is there, and it is going to be unpleasant. But this second viewing revealed some supremely deep concepts, the kind that a viewer can relate to.

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Cailey Fleming in 'The House of the Head'

For in many ways, this story is about the horror of addiction and how that creates a fear of the unknown for those who watch a loved one succumb to it. Because Timmy quite literally watches his father become an alcoholic before his very eyes, since his dad won’t stop pounding down beers after the death of Timmy’s mother, and he truly cannot comprehend what his father is going to become now that alcohol is his primary source of sustenance and the fear that he expresses over that is quite real and quite unsettling and it is only further enhanced by dear old dad’s physical transformation. For in many ways the gooey being he becomes is a manifestation of his alcoholism, something grounded in reality since there are many accounts of personality changes that accompany alcohol use. But what matters more is the raw fear we witness here of losing a loved one to something unhealthy and unpleasant since addiction is indeed a real-life monster that haunts so many.
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But while ‘Gray Matter’ offers up an unfortunate, real world commentary, what makes ‘The House of the Head’ so special, is how it preys upon our more primal fears. For the severed head that lives within the confines of Evie’s dollhouse, is a sheer force of nature, one that no one can comprehend in the slightest. Because there’s never a clue as to where it comes from, or what it really wants out of murder, and it cannot be reasoned with and encountering an unknown entity like that, is something we all fear. It’s why we still look over our shoulder in the dark when we hear a noise we don’t recognize or keep a light on in the middle of the night. Because we truly are terrified of encountering something we simply cannot deal with and this story gets serious props for keeping the mystery of head intact for the entirety of its tale and for of course, stirring up that primal fear within all of us since we haven’t a clue what is coming next.

If anything, all of this just speaks to how much loving care went into the creation of this particular series. Because that’s the kind of depth writing wise that George Romero would have preferred to direct, and it doesn’t hurt that the master of terror himself, Stephen King, is the original brain behind ‘Gray Matter’. And his own battle with addiction definitely explains some of the themes present in that particular tale. But all of that aside, this episode holds up quite well upon a second viewing. In fact, it only gets better. Because this time around, one can really appreciate the nuances present in these tales, and of course, let one’s inner nerd, geek out over the Easter Eggs and the big names present in this opening chapter. Either way, it’s just a real treat to see this gem on a cable network, where so many can bask in the wonder of this legendary franchise and all of the intelligent storytelling that is has to offer. Until next time. 

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