If you are a fan of George A. Romero and Stephen King’s 1982 Creepshow, and highly entertaining 1987 sequel Creepshow 2, the past four years have been extremely exciting. Why? Because in 2018 Shudder announced there would be releasing a new Creepshow series!
Something that could have been a train wreck in the eyes of many fans, fortunately Greg Nicotero was at the helm overseeing the project. This is important to mention because not only is Nicotero an accomplished makeup artist (1985’s Day of the Dead, among many others) and director (AMC’s The Walking Dead series), but he also comes from George A. Romero’s school of filmmaking; hardworking, blue-collar, and most of all, having fun in the process. A factor that put many fans at ease with the announcement of the Creepshow series, don’t look now, but the project has been successful enough to produce three seasons of material. Also putting out a A Creepshow Animated Special and A Creepshow Holiday Special in 2020, season 3 premiered on Shudder back in September of 2021, but on December 6, 2022 makes its way to DVD as well as Blu-ray thanks to RLJE Films.
Complete with six episodes, with a total of twelve segments, season 3 features direction from the likes of Nicotero, Rusty Cundieff (Fear of a Black Hat 1993, Tales from the Hood 1995), Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2: Dead End 2007, Mayhem 2017), Jeffrey F. January (Highlander II: The Quickening 1991, The Walking Dead series), Axelle Carolyn (Tales of Halloween 2015, The Manor 2021), and John Harrison (Tales from the Darkside: The Movie 1990, Dune Miniseries). Together they bring together some new and interesting stories that fit right into the Creepshow universe nicely.
With each tale having their own unique qualities, standout moments include the Skeletons in the Closet, The Last Tsuburaya, Strange Sings, Time Out, and A Dead Girl Named Sue segment. Additionally there is a list of recognizable cast members amidst season 3 which includes Ethan Embry (Vegas Vacation 1997, Can’t Hardly Wait 1998) in Mums, Michael Rooker (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer 1986, The Walking Dead series) in Drug Traffic, James Remar (The Warriors 1979, 48 Hours 1982) in Skeletons in the Closet, plus Mark Hamill (Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope 1977, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back 1980) and Danielle Harris (Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers 1988, Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead 1991) providing a voiceovers for The Things in Oakwood’s Past.
In all, season 3 of the Creepshow series is successfully entertaining. The stories are unique, the campy twists are fun, and the direction is solid. Thankfully the series was renewed for a fourth season and it should be interesting to see who is brought on as directors, cast members, and writers. It is important to remember that Creepshow has and always will be for true Horror fans, not the casual viewer. This in mind, it is refreshing that the forces behind the Creepshow series (Shudder, Cartel with Monster Agency Productions, Taurus Entertainment, and Striker Entertainment) continue to preserve Creepshow’s heritage and pay homage to the late great George A. Romero. As mentioned, it does help that Greg Nicotero is heavily involved behind the scenes. In fact, if anyone has paid attention it always seemed the most compelling The Walking Dead episodes in the long running series final seasons almost always were directed by Nicotero.
Everything laid out, if you are looking to invest in the Blu-ray release of season 3 of Creepshow you will also get some cool features that include interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and a fantastic mini Creepshow comic book. A great Christmas gift for anyone’s fiendly member or ghoul-friend, Cryptic Rock gives season 3 of the Creepshow series and its physical format release 4 out of 5 stars.
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