‘Creepshow’ Rewatch: Paying Tribute

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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How ‘Bad Wolf Down’ and ‘The Finger’ Pay Homage to Horror’s Past

‘But I will find these American dogs responsible for this. And they— they will suffer… greatly.’
- Bersturmführer Reinhard Schmelzgerät

There are a great many reasons to love the horror genre. Because not only does it offer us thrills and chills, it provides us with thoughtful commentary, disgustingly delightful gore and sometimes just brainless entertainment because it really is the most diverse genre out there. In fact, there are so many different variations of these stories, that a great many creatives, are happy to offer up a fascinating list of films and books and shows from the world of horror that influenced them to bring their own tales of terror to life. But what’s truly fascinating about this genre, is the sheer fact that so many creators take the time to tip their cap to the stories that came before their own and that often leads to scary stories that feel familiar and comfortable and fun and it just so happens that the AMC/Shudder series Creepshow subscribes to this proud tradition as well.
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For the next two stories in this magnificent series are all about the homage. But what truly makes both of these tales worth our while, is the sheer fact that they chose to honor two types of stories that quite frankly aren’t all that mainstream. In fact, thesetales of terror take the time to pay their respects to horror comedies and the grindhouse classics of yesteryear and perhaps the most direct proof of this comes from ‘Bad Wolf Down’. Because this one feels as though it is straight out of the 1970s grindhouse with its spectacular special effects and familiar tropes and settings, the kind that allow you to fondly remember the historical gimmicks that movies of that era featured often, and it also provides he audience with a delightfully gory reward when the monsters finally appear to rip the Nazis to shreds and this wild story is balanced out nicely by its more cerebral counterpart.

Something that is quite fascinating since ‘The Finger’ is designed to be the story that pays homage to the horror comedies that ruled the 80s and 90s, and it accomplishes that feat by blending together the finest elements from those stories. Since the audience is treated to the splattery wonder of films like Basket Case and Brain Damage by way of Bob and Clark’s twisted symbiotic relationship, an element further enhanced by dropping the quirkiness of Dead Alive and even Little Shop of Horrors into the mix since Clark is vulnerable and open with the audience about his experiences a la Seymour Krelborn, but he’s also quite accepting of his situation as Lionel was in Peter Jackson’s gory classic. But while it is nice to feel all of those elements come to life here and blend together in beautiful fashion, it’s Clark’s narration and the underlying question that this story poses in its finale that makes this vignette worth our while.

In fact, that closing question helps to remind us that Creepshow is a series that won’t be letting up on the social commentary. For both of these tales dive into age-old concepts that are worth pondering upon. For example, ‘Bad Wolf Down’ does a phenomenal job of exploring how werewolves serve as an allegory for the monster within all men, since Captain Talby’s unit is quick to embrace their newfound powers and use them at every turn, something that is akin to a man that has unleashed every ounce of the fury he’s been carrying within his soul for ages. Whereas ‘The Finger’ straight up explores mental illness, since we are indeed left wondering as to whether or not Bob was ever real, or if he was created by Clark to cope with the fact that he murdered all those people and truly that commentary is striking since mental illness and murder are in the headlines often.

In the end however, this really is quite the delightful episode. Because it is filled to the brim with memorable and magical moments, the kind that really do remind the viewer of those days of yesteryear where they were huddled around the VCR to watch a scary story on a Friday night. And the wonder of those memories are further enhanced by the fact that there are some supremely wonderful actors present in this tale as well. For DJ Qualls sells every single moment of ‘The Finger’ thanks to his background in comedy and of course, the legendary Jeffrey Combs steals the show in ‘Bad Wolf Down’ with his perfect portrayal of Reinhard Schmelzgerät and truly, it was quite magical to take this trip down memory lane and enjoy a little meaning along the way. If anything, it just goes to show how diverse this series can be storytelling wise, and it should be a treat to see what themes await us in next week’s tale. Until next time, kiddies.  

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