When I was a kid, my parents seemed to alternate between being liberal with the movies they’d let me watch (Alien when I was 8, for instance) and conservative (Deep Star Six? No way). So I often found myself in a place where it was a crapshoot whether I could watch a movie or not. Consequently, whenever we went to the video store, I would longingly lounge in the horror section, gaping at VHS (and the occasional Beta) covers and imagining the terror contained within them.

I guess I’m “at that age” where I look back at certain things with rose-colored, nostalgia-filled glasses, but the covers in the 80s were a sight to behold compared to a lot of releases now. And one of those covers was Creepshow. I loved the creepy skeleton on the front, beckoning movie watchers to join it at the theatre for some scary shit.

When Shudder announced they were resurrecting Creepshow as an anthology series, I was ecstatic. And now the first episode is out and it’s a mixed bag, but I think it points to a great season.

Instead of a two hour movie comprised of five stories and a wrap-around, we have two stories and a scene-setting opening with the new Creep. The Creep looks...fine, although it doesn’t feel as “alive” as the original one. I think it’s the eyes. But before long, the animatronic Creep turns into the cartoon Creep as we’re introduced, comic-book style, to the first story.

Gray Matter

Gray Matter is based on the short story by Stephen King, as collected in the Night Shift collection. While it changes a few things (hurricane instead of a snow storm, the POV), it retains the basic plot structure of the story and pulls it off to admirable effect. Comic book panes have already established that Hurricane Charlie has reached category four strength and that the town has been missing dogs and cats; one particular missing poster is for a dog named Cujo.

In a convenience store, the Chief (Tobin Bell), the Doc (Giancarlo Esposito) and Dixie (Adrienne Barbeau) are closing up shop for the night and hunkering down, when a teenager named Timmy (Christopher Nathan) enters, hoping to get a case of beer for his father, Richie (Jesse C. Boyd).

The only problem is that Timmy doesn’t really want to go home. He’s scared. Terrified, even.

So terrified that Dixie sends Doc and Chief to go check on Richie, while Timmy stays with her. And then the story flip-flops in time as Timmy tells the story of his alcoholic father and his journey to the night of the hurricane. It’s a fun little story with some rather gooey practical (and not-as-effective-but-still-really-good-digital) effect works. Director Greg Nicotero does a great job of building suspense as Doc and Chief investigate Timmy’s story. And while the denouement feels a tad rushed, it’s a great mix of practical effects gags and a strong source story.

The House of the Head

The House of the Head, meanwhile, was written by Josh Malerman (of Birdbox fame). It follows the story of Evie (Cailey Fleming) who has a giant dollhouse with its own miniature family she calls The SmithSmiths. One day, The SmithSmiths get an unwelcome guest in the form of a gruesome head. When Evie isn’t looking, the dolls and the head seem to be having a life of their own, moving about the place. “SmithSmiths, I think you’re haunted,” she says to her little dolls.

As things turn sinister, Evie tries to take matters into her own hands to save The SmithSmiths and, possibly, her own family.

I loved this segment. It does a fairly remarkable thing of making the plight of these inanimate figurines feel palpable and freaky. Director John Harrison (who also directed episodes of the Tales from the Darkside TV series and the movie) does a fantastic job of framing the figurines and the (in)action in the house in a way that actually creates tension. I think it, like the first episode, lacks in the ending department but it delivers creeps and an incredibly interesting concept throughout.

If this is the quality of the upcoming Creepshow episodes, I think we’ll be in good hands. While not perfect, they did leave me wanting more.