Reviews
‘A Creepshow Holiday Special’ Review: Bite-Sized Horror for the Holidays
Prepare to see Kris Kringle as you’ve never seen him before. Released in 2020, A Creepshow Holiday Special, directed by Greg Nicotero, tells a unique Christmas tale. The special is immediately captivating as it opens with a man trying to gain access to a church, claiming he’s the Naperville Ripper. Nicotero’s production then introduces us to a cast of self-proclaimed therianthropes (people who change into different animals under the full moon).
To know more about the plot is to do yourself an injustice, as the storyline presents exquisite, light-hearted, one-of-a-kind Christmas horror. The uniqueness of the storytelling fits right into the Creepshow universe, with much campiness and little runtime.
Putting the Creep into A Creepshow Holiday Special
From the premiere of the first Creepshow in 1982 and throughout its subsequent sequels and series, every presentation delivers a mixed bag of stories. Some tales are instances of pure horror (as season one, episode one will attest), some consist of unforgettable campiness (as any fan of the original film can picture Stephen King proclaiming, “Jordy Verrill, you lunkhead!”), while finally, other acts are touching masterpieces of horror (as in Old Chief Woodenhead in Creepshow 2).
No matter which subgenre a Creepshow story applies, any skit introduced by the infamous Creep is bound to be unforgettable.
Moreover, every feature has an over-the-top comic book zaniness with which all the tales have come to be associated. This presentation aesthetically fits right in with intense hues of green, purple, yellow, and blue. If you wonder where it places amongst its counterparts, this excerpt from the Creepshow catalog is campy to the highest degree.
Campiness that Works
From five minutes in, A Creepshow Holiday Special makes its intentions known. It is a show that does not take itself too seriously. But that outlook is precisely why its humor works. If Greg Nicotero had tried to present this same story from a purely horrific standpoint, it would’ve fallen flat because the plot itself is humorous.
After all, it’s a show about a support group for people who change under the full moon, and the animals they claim to change into run the gambit from cheetahs to tortoises, and that’s only the first third of the plot.
This volume of Creepshow isn’t a show to watch when you’re looking for something to scare you; watch A Creepshow Holiday Special when you want to be entertained and perhaps a little disgusted. It is not without gore, as campy as the tale and special effects may be. Enjoy the story about to unfold before you because I can guarantee you haven’t seen it done elsewhere.
Unique Short Storytelling
One thing about holiday horror is that the ideas for stories can get old very fast. How many evil Santa iterations can modern horror explore before audiences no longer find the concept palatable? This storytelling repetition drives me to welcome any comedic newness to the category with open arms. A story about Shapeshifters Anonymous, with a connection to the holidays in a big way? Sign me up. Even though it covers tropes that films have done elsewhere countless times, it ties everything together in a way that is wholly unique and simultaneously fun.
The other place this production shines is its 40-minute runtime. It doesn’t beat you over the head with its humor or violence. A Creepshow Holiday Special shows you what you need to know about the story and then succinctly wraps everything up in an ending you will not see coming.
The End of A Creepshow Holiday Special
The conclusion of this special is filled with twists and turns that match and exceed the show’s already outlandish plot. The last five minutes alone are so over the top that, given a million years, I wouldn’t have guessed the ending. Since horror tends to be overwhelmingly predictable, a surprise finale is always welcome.
A Creepshow Holiday Special takes the nature of the Christmas season and subverts it in a silly yet blasphemous way. It is campy and creative and is a welcome addition to the Creepshow family.
Check out the wild ride, A Creepshow Holiday Special, for yourself on Shudder.
A Hostage Plot With Deadly Consequences
Philip Hopkins (Lance Holcomb) is a strange kid who seems to prefer critters, both tiny and slimy, over kids his own age. And his debilitating asthma doesn’t help much. His mother, Ruth (Cornelia Sharpe), has to leave town for a few days. She leaves Philip in the care of their housemaid, Louise (Susan George), and his grandfather, Howard (Sterling Hayden). But things go off the rails when the family driver, Dave (Oliver Reed), reveals he and Louise have some deadly tricks up their sleeves. Unfortunately for them, a mix-up at a local animal store leads to an even deadlier trick up Philip’s sleeve.
Venom Provides A Unique Take on Snake Horror Inside the Home
Snake horror has typically kept audiences in a jungle or woodland setting, so finding ourselves trapped inside with a Black Mamba is different and unique. But the constant cutting back and forth between the antagonists and the hapless police commander cuts much of the edge out of the film, which is a shame. Venom is penned by Robert Carrington, whose Wait Until Dark opened my eyes to how different types of horror can be effective. Carrington weaponized blindness and trust in a way that frightened me to my core. Knowing that he was the scriptwriter made me feel like I was in for a chamber piece of slimy terror. While Venom still managed to chill me, I’m left wondering what could have been had the film stuck to a singular location.
Standout Performances Drive the Tension in Venom
The true magic of Venom comes not from the snake, but from two of the co-leads. Klaus Kinski and Oliver Reed grab this film’s pacing by the throat and keep it in a chokehold. Kinski plays Jacmel as a snake. He slithers his way around in a calculating way, ready to attack with his venomous “bite” at the drop of a hat. In comparison, Reed plays Dave, almost, as a Kuklinski-like villain. Reed takes no prisoners and wants to leave no one alive. The way these two clash, even though they’re after the same thing, provides one of the most fascinating performances in horror history. (Yes, I know Klaus Kinski is a genuinely bad person.)
One of the first YouTube channels I both subscribed to and ‘clicked the bell’ for was Crypt TV. Alongside Omeleto (which came shortly after), Crypt TV regularly and proudly pushed incredible, independent, short-form genre content into my feed. And I would always eat it up. For those curious, Crypt TV is still platforming wonderful horror for those cool cats out there who love horror. The latest short film to find a home on their channel is a nifty, slightly absurdist, slightly liminal, (and shot on 35mm!) all-around haunting piece of horror called Housewife. Spoiler alert, it’s worth your time.
A Bloody Accident Sparks the Horror in Housewife
Housewife follows Julia (Shannon Collis), who accidentally cuts her finger while tidying up and bleeds on a long-forgotten dollhouse. Life gets flipped upside down when Julia’s blood becomes one with the dollhouse.
I have covered tons of short films as singular pieces and in blocks. Short films, I’ve always said, are the cornerstone of horror. In a quantitative sense, more creativity has cumulatively shone in short films than in features (that I have seen). Housewife continues that streak. Its premise is simple, but not in a way that feels underwritten. Writer/directors Greta Guthrie and Jake Lazarow’s short film, based on Miranda Parkin’s original character, is as impactful as it is frightening.
A Refreshing and Terrifyingly Original Creature Concept
Post-Bakemono, I was worried that I may have seen it all. At the end of the day, how many original ideas can be left? Parkin’s character is beyond unique; it’s a nightmare I never thought I would have. The idea of a doll house coming to life doesn’t sound scary one bit. Parkin, Guthrie, and Lazarow proved me wrong. Assuming that Housewife is a proof of concept, which, if it’s not, it damn well should be, they have set themselves up for nothing but success.
When it comes to shorts going feature, budgeting must come into play. Many short films create worlds and characters that are too big for the producer types who use short films as potential investments. Housewife’s creature is wildly creative, scary, and great for a low-budget/indie feature. Parkin’s creature checks, as stated earlier, an absurdist and liminal box at the same time, while being easily scalable to a feature-length capacity.
A New Nightmare You Can Watch Now on Crypt TV
Housewife is intriguing, frightening, unique, and all around fun. There’s something special about being introduced to a new fear. And Parkin’s creature has now dug its way deep into my subconscious. The unfortunate thing about short films, usually, is that I can talk about them…but they’re not available to watch. Have no fear, Crypt TV is here! Housewife can be seen over on the Crypt TV YouTube channel so that you, too, can find a new nightmare.
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