A lot can be said for the Horror comics of the 1950s and it’s collective inspiration on horror in cinema. The visual hues, the gore, the conventions. Above all though, it was the reflection of an  underworld of evil and the unsettling menace that crept into the normal world that was our home. In these locations the dread of a world out of our control came to us…

George A. Romero and Stephen King join together to create CREEPSHOW 2. This was the follow-up to the 1982 film CREEPSHOW. “Old Chief Wood’nhead”, sees a group of nasty punks turn over a store. Then face retribution from an unlikely source. “The Raft” sees a group of horny teenage ignore all the warning signs before taking a dip in a dealy remote lake. Then lastly,“The Hitch-hiker” sees an uptight businesswoman find an unwanted guest, following a hit-and-run.

CREEPSHOW took the best bits of EC comic books and made a stand up stunner. Filled to the brim with darkness and delighting horror film fans. CREEPSHOW 2 lacks a lot of this. Its less dark. More gentrified in its horror. Its not as subversive and this is directly because of Romero writing the piece and it being directed by Michael Gornick. The best story in the set is “The Hitch-hiker”. But that is simply because of tone. It is the closer than the other two, to the original film. “The Raft” is preferred by the films fans. Its a slasher but with a pinch of intelligence. However I still like  “Old Chief Wood’nhead”, simply because it is clever enough to know its limitations. However the film is a weak entry into a interesting idea of homage to inspiring works.

THE DISC

So the version I once owned was that horrid US DVD. Well this is a marked step up. Old Chief Wood’nhead suffered the brunt of the dull standard def transfer and it has been salvaged. That hue of golden hour lives once more. It is less pronounced on the “The Raft” but still a step up. “The Hitch-hiker” has a cleaner darkness quality. That is a good thing.

EXTRAS

There is a lot on the disc but its not a lot of interest for me at least. The best feature is theAudio Commentary with director Michael Gornick. I studied to be a director and love how often you find people in the industry move from one area to another and find the transition difficult. He explains everything of value to anyone eager to make or do. If you are a new and motivated film maker listen to it. The problems, script conversations, directing action and using effects is all in there and helpful to take notes of.

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original Uncompressed PCM Mono 1.0, Stereo and 5.1 DTS-HD MA Surround Audio Options
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Creepshow 2: Pinfall – Limited Edition Booklet featuring the never-before-seen comic adaptation of the unfilmed Creepshow 2 segment “Pinfall” by artist Jason Mayoh
• Audio Commentary with director Michael Gornick
• Poncho’s Last Ride – a brand new interview with actor Daniel Beer
• The Road to Dover – a brand new interview with actor Tom Wright
• Screenplay for a Sequel – an interview with screenwriter George A. Romero
• Tales from the Creep – an interview with actor and make-up artist Tom Savini
• Nightmares in Foam Rubber – archive featurette on the special effects of Creepshow 2, including interviews with FX artists Howard Berger and Greg Nicotero
• My Friend Rick – Berger on his special effects mentor Rick Baker
• Behind-the-Scenes Footage
• Image Gallery
• Trailers & TV Spots
• Original Screenplay (BD-ROM Content)
• Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by festival programmer Michael Blyth
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Mike Saputo