Though it loses its steam in the second half, Shudder’s adaptation of Stephen King & Joe Hill stories is perfect holiday viewing.
We were all so looking forward to Halloween 2020. Not only does it fall on a Saturday, but also the same night as a full moon, and when the hour is set back. There was something cosmically perfect about it, so of course something had to have gone terribly wrong. Instead of getting into all sorts of mischief (and dubious combinations of alcohol), most of us are going to be sitting at home, eating the mini candy bars we bought with misguided optimism, watching the same old horror movies, and trying to insist to ourselves that this isn’t a huge bummer that could have been avoided. Thankfully, Shudder comes through with A Creepshow Animated Special, a nicely gruesome diversion that fulfills all your holiday needs, even just for an hour.
Featuring comic book style graphics from Octopie Animation Studios, the first half of A Creepshow Animated Special will be immediately familiar to old school Stephen King fans. It’s a largely note for note adaptation of “Survivor Type,” one of the more viscerally horrifying short stories from Skeleton Crew, King’s second anthology. Kiefer Sutherland provides the voice of Richard Pinzetti, doctor turned drug dealer turned sole survivor of a sunken ship. Stranded on a deserted island, an injured Pinzetti mulls over the decisions that got him there, while resorting to increasingly grisly means to keep himself from starving to death.
“How badly does the patient want to survive?” Pinzetti asks, at first rhetorically, then about himself, and as it turns out, quite a bit in this case. Sutherland’s narration (along with the occasional gory sound effect) does much of the heavy lifting in the story, and, once he drops the vague New York accent, he’s shockingly good. Pinzetti goes from cocky to scared to despondent, as his voice begins to slur and wear down like rusty old machinery, and you almost don’t need the illustrations to know how bad things get for him.
[It’s] a nicely gruesome diversion that fulfills all your holiday needs, even just for an hour.
What doesn’t quite work is the Scorsese-esque backstory about Pinzetti’s rise and inevitable fall in the coke dealing business before landing on the deserted island. That part isn’t as interesting as his descent into madness, and feels like the padding that it was intended to be. One of the reasons “Survivor Type” works so well is because it’s free of extra fat (back in the glorious time when Stephen King availed himself of an editor), presenting a singular character in a singular situation where a lot of exposition isn’t necessary. Nevertheless, on its own it probably wouldn’t make a half-hour long adaptation, so some filler can be forgiven. The ghastly ending is more than worth it.
Somewhat less successful is the second half of A Creepshow Animated Special, “Twittering From the Circus of the Dead,” based on a short story by Joe Hill. A story told entirely in tweets would presumably work when read, but when narrated, it wears thin very quickly. Blake (voiced by Joey King), is a snotty teen on a family road trip she has no desire to be on, and live tweets the experience. Considering nearly the entire first ten minutes is just Blake endlessly complaining about her parents and gross brother, you might be tempted to check out early, but hang on, because things pick up once the family is forced to take a detour off the highway, and ends up at the Circus of the Dead, a dubious tourist attraction out in the middle of nowhere.
As you might imagine with a name like the Circus of the Dead, they’re not getting a spa treatment or a souvenir t-shirt. The suspense in “Twittering From the Circus of the Dead” comes by way of how long it will take for Blake to figure out that she’s in real danger, which is…probably at least five minutes longer than it should, but it’s all in good, gory fun. Like “Survivor Type,” whatever drawbacks there may be (do we really need any more gags about these kids today and their social media?) are compensated by a slam-bang nightmarish ending.
Featuring cameo appearances by King and Hill (Hill’s is particularly amusing), A Creepshow Animated Special is fun, no-frills holiday entertainment. In a particularly bleak and lonely Halloween season, it’s like receiving a full-size Snickers bar in a bag full of rocks.
A Creepshow Animated Special premieres on Shudder October 29th
A Creepshow Animated Special Trailer:
Read next: The Spool's Best New Releases
Streaming guides
The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
The praises of live TV streaming services don’t need to be further sung. By now, we all know that compared to clunky, commitment-heavy cable, live TV is cheaper and much easier to manage. But just in case you’re still on the fence about jumping over to the other side, or if you’re just unhappy with ... The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
Season 3 of the hotly anticipated Power spin-off, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, is arriving on Starz soon, so you know what that means: it’s the ’90s again in The Southside, and we’re back with the Thomas family as they navigate the ins and outs of the criminal underworld they’re helping build. Mekai Curtis is ... How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Ladies and gentlemen, we’re so back! To celebrate Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary, the BBC is producing a three-episode special starring none other than the Tenth/Fourteenth Doctor himself, David Tennant. And to the supreme delight of fans (that would be me, dear reader), the Doctor will be joined by old-time companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and ... How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Which Netflix Country has Interstellar?
Maybe you’ve just seen Oppenheimer and have the strongest urge to marathon—or more fun yet, rank!—all of Christopher Nolan’s films. Or maybe you’re one of the few who haven’t seen Interstellar yet. If you are, then you should change that immediately; the dystopian epic is one of Nolan’s best, and with that incredible twist in ... Which Netflix Country has Interstellar?
Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
For whatever reason, The Hunger Games series isn’t available in the same countries around the world. You’ll find the first and second (aka the best) installments in Hong Kong, for instance, but not the third and fourth. It’s a frustrating dilemma, especially if you don’t even have a single entry in your region, which is ... Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
How to Watch ESPN With A Free Trial
One of the major concerns people have before cutting the cord is potentially losing access to live sports. But the great thing about live TV streaming services is that you never lose that access. Minus the contracts and complications of cable, these streaming services connect you to a host of live channels, including ESPN. So ... How to Watch ESPN With A Free Trial
How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
To date, Paramount Network has only two original shows on air right now: Yellowstone and Bar Rescue. The network seems to have its hands full with on-demand streaming service Paramount+, which is constantly stacked with a fresh supply of new shows. But Yellowstone and Bar Rescue are so sturdy and expansive that the network doesn’t ... How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
Previously “Women’s Entertainment,” We TV has since rebranded to accurately reflect its name and be a more inclusive lifestyle channel. It’s home to addictive reality gems like Bold and Bougie, Bridezillas, Marriage Boot Camp, and The Untold Stories of Hip Hop. And when it’s not airing original titles, it has on syndicated shows like 9-1-1, ... How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
How to Watch TNT Sports With A Free Trial
For many sports fans, TNT is a non-negotiable. It broadcasts NBA, MLB, NHL, college basketball, and All Elite Wrestling matches. And, as a bonus, it also has reruns of shows like Supernatural, Charmed, and NCIS, as well as films like The Avengers, Dune, and Justice League. But while TNT used to be a cable staple, ... How to Watch TNT Sports With A Free Trial
How to Watch Comedy Central With a Free Trial
It’s no coincidence that many of today’s biggest comedians found their footing on Comedy Central: the channel is a bastion of emerging comic talents. It served as a playground for people like Nathan Fielder (Fielder For You), Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson (Broad City), Tim Robinson (Detroiters), and Dave Chappelle (Chappelle’s Show) before they shot ... How to Watch Comedy Central With a Free Trial
How to Watch FX With a Free Trial
You’d be hard-pressed to find a bad show airing on FX. The channel has made a name for itself as a bastion of high-brow TV, along with HBO and AMC. It’s produced shows like Atlanta, Fargo, The Americans, Archer, and more recently, Shogun. But because it’s owned by Disney, it still airs several blockbusters in ... How to Watch FX With a Free Trial