‘Thanks for the ride, lady!‘
While horror sequels are a mixed bag, Creepshow 2 sees the return of George A. Romero and Stephen King on writing duties and Michael Gornick, the cinematographer on Creepshow, behind the camera of this instalment. While it doesn’t have the star power or the budget of Creepshow, this is still a worthy sequel…
Featuring three stories instead of the five that made up the original (this one was also supposed to have five but two were cut for budgetary reasons – one of which ended up in Tales from the Darkside: The Movie instead), Creepshow 2 takes in an odd fable about a wooden Native American statue that comes to life, the middle segment is based on King’s beloved short story The Raft before concluding with a grisly tale of a hitchhiker who keeps coming back – even after being left by the side of the road following a hit and run.
As with all anthology movies, Creepshow 2 is a mixed bag. The first story is only middling but the final two are both effective in their own way. Both The Raft and The Hitch-hiker boast incredible effects from horror legend Tom Savini (who also appears as The Creep), and, if anything, this sequel leans further into the horror part of horror/comedy than its predecessor. This is often a mean and nasty film that does have moments of twisted levity but on the whole, is pleasingly macabre.
Creepshow 2 is a solid sequel that still has the capacity to shock. Come for King and Romero, stay for Savini’s blood and gore.
