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Review ‘Creepshow’ Season 2 Episode 3: The Right Snuff/Sibling Rivalry

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Last week’s episode of Creepshow showed us the frights of the murder tourism business and the high cost of pest extermination. This week’s episode features two tales of terror, one out of this world and another in the horrors of high school while both showcasing that beyond aliens and monsters, the greatest human fears of all are within…

Our first segment is The Right Snuff, following the dual crew-members of a futuristic new space transport called the Occula as it readies for its maiden voyage near the moon. The astronauts tasked with this mission are the optimistic Major Ted Lockwood, (Breckin Meyer, Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare) a brilliant scientist who constructed the ship’s revolutionary gravitational well engine. And the embittered Captain Alex Toomey (Ryan Kwanten, True Blood) who is desperately trying to escape from the eclipse of his father’s shadow, the first man to set foot on Mars. As the mission takes an unexpected course after being notified by their mission control, Sandra (Gabrielle Byndloss, The Outsider) tensions run high and Toomey fears that the meek and idealistic Lockwood will steal his glory. But Toomey’s own character flaws may cause cataclysmic consequences in his hunt for fame amongst the stars.

An intense sci-fi thrill ride from director Joe Lynch (MayhemWrong Turn 2) and written by Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series) Stephen Langford (Club Dead) and Creepshow showrunner Greg Nicotero, The Right Snuff is one giant leap for the horror anthology into the endless vacuum of space. An environment that is just rife for all manner of extraterrestrial terrors and cosmic horror, but the story dwells on how human flaws and insecurities can be far more deadly than the unknown. Ryan Kwanten gives an excellent performance as Captain Toomey, a man reaching for the heavens but still held back by the ghostly weight of his father’s own success which haunts him with a literal shade and voice mocking him. Meyer in turn serves as a great contrast, a man driven by idealism and want to help mankind rather than himself. These two opposite personalities at first acting friendly on the ship and in interviews, but Toomey’s growing rage eventually breaks him and everything they worked for.

This story was more evocative of classic sci-fi anthologies of old such as The Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits than the usual karmic Creepshow fare, emphasizing how a lack of humanity could very well doom humans. The aesthetic and style of the story was also befitting of old school science fiction, Joe Lynch even posting this informative Letterboxd list of the idealistic sci-fi influences for his segment via twitter for a more in-depth look into the making of it. Lynch does a great job of balancing the bright and shiny interior of the ship with the grim events that are unfolding between the two astronauts. But don’t worry, there’s still plenty of those signature Creepshow twists, turns, blood, and beasties to be had. In many ways, it’s a story as dark as the shadowed side of the moon and one of the most bleak tales to emerge from the franchise.

The latter story of this week’s episode is Sibling Rivalry. Lola (Maddie Nichols, Ann Rule’s A Murder to Remember) seeks help from her guidance counselor Ms. Porter (Molly Ringwald, The Breakfast Club) with a dire case: her brother is trying to kill her! At least, that’s what scatterbrained and easily distracted Lola thinks, going on tangents about a sleepover at her friend Grace’s ( Ja’Ness Tate, Hidden Orchard Mysteries: The Case of the Air B and B Robbery) house and what she had for breakfast much to Ms. Porter’s repeated annoyance. Lola regales a series of events and conflicts with her brother Andrew (Andrew Brodeur, Tall Girl) that led her to suspect he’s trying to take her out, only to realize there’s far wider angles to this tale of possible sororicide.

Directed by Tales From the Hood‘s Rusty Cundief and written by author/podcaster Melanie Dale, Sibling Rivalry is a lot more on the lighter side than the prior segment but with plenty more gore to be had. Cundief and Dale craft a fast paced, funny, and thrilling tale as Lola attempts to prove her case to the increasingly skeptical Ms. Porter as the teenager attempts to backtrack the many different ways she grew suspicious of her brother. Which is why I was a bit disappointed it didn’t keep this format for the majority of the episode. Switching to a more traditional narrative once realization takes over and things come to a head.

Maddie Nichols does a phenomenal job in the role of Lola and attempting to piece together all the different weird events that led her to the guidance counselor’s office, making for a number of particularly funny jokes at the different mindsets of the two. Such as Lola concerned that her brother was planning on buying weapons online, which also concerns Ms. Porter… until Lola says he was buying medieval styled weapons which isn’t as big a deal to the counselor. And while there are some twists and turns, they did feel a bit easy to pick up on if you pay well enough attention. Still, Sibling Rivals is a pretty solid Creepshow story and entertaining to watch unfold. Also featuring some particularly exemplary practical and special FX hybridized once things get brutal. Don’t want to spoil anything, but there were some kill scenes that made me cringe- in the best ways possible!

Overall, another solid deadly duo of Creepshow stories for Season 2 for this halfway point. With three episodes to go, who knows what horrors await us next…

Creepshow airs new episodes every Thursday on Shudder.

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Watch ‘Terrifier 2’ Now For Free on Tubi

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Terrifier

Terrifier 2 is one of those releases that makes us want to watch it over and over and over again. That re-watchability has pulled us back in a few times. That is why the news that Terrifier 2 being on Peacock for free is so rad. Time to get in a few more rewatches.

The return of Art the Clown managed to bring a hell of a lot of good and bad press with it. The fact that people threw up in theaters… or maybe pretended to sure did make a lot of people come out to see the film. Of course, that is awesome news for the film and its hardworking filmmakers.

The synopsis for Terrifier 2 goes like this:

Resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to Miles County to terrorize a teenage girl and her younger brother on Halloween night.

If you haven’t watched Terrifier 2 yet what are you waiting for? You need to give it a look. It is one of those incredibly brutal slashers that have staying power.

Head over to Tubi and give Terrifier 2 a watch. If you hadn’t seen it before make sure to let us know what you think.

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‘Hocus Pocus 3’ Has Been Confirmed At Disney

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Hocus Pocus was a huge hit. The sequel managed to do really well on Disney+ and scared up a whole lot of candy corn and celebration. It managed to be a huge hit over the Halloween season and we were pretty pleased with it ourselves.

Well, the great news is that Disney’s Sean Baily went ahead and straight up confirmed that there will be a third Hocus Pocus film. The involvement of new witches Whitney BaileyBelissa Escobedo and Lilia Buckingham is all but confirmed.

We could be looking at a stand alone series with the new witches involved or it could be possible that we may see a lot more of The Sanderson Sisters. We are really hoping to see the classic sisters. They are the heart of Hocus Pocus for me and that feeling isn’t going to be replaced anytime soon.

Hocus Pocus 2 went like this:

Three young women accidentally bring back the Sanderson Sisters to modern day Salem and must figure out how to stop the child-hungry witches from wreaking havoc on the world.

Are you excited about a sequel to Hocus Pocus? Are you hoping to see more Sanderson Sisters? Let us know in the comments section.

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5 New Horror Movies You Can Stream Starting This Week

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I am old enough to remember when after a new horror movie’s theatrical release, you would have to wait six months before you could find it at the local video store. That’s if it was even released in the area where you lived.

Some movies were viewed once and lost into the void forever. They were very dark times. Fortunately for us, streaming services have cut that wait down to a fraction of the time. This week we have some big hitters coming to VOD, so let’s jump right in.


Renfield

Renfield Poster

Nicolas Cage (The Wicker Man) is really hard to put a label on. He has been in so many terrific films, while also ruining one of the greatest folk horror films ever made. For better or worse, his over-the-top acting has placed him in a special place in the hearts of many.

In this iteration of Dracula, he is joined by Nicholas Hoult (Warm Bodies), and Awkwafina (The Little Mermaid). Renfield looks to be a more lighthearted take on the classic Bram Stoker tale. We can only hope that the awkward lovable style of Hoult mingles well with the zaniness that Cage is known for. Renfield will be streaming on Peacock June 9th.


Devilreaux

Tony Todd (Candy Man) is one of horror’s greatest living icons. The man has a way of making evil sexy in an unmatched way. Joining Tony in this period piece is the marvelous Sheri Davis (The Amityville Moon).

This one feels fairly cut and dry. We get some old-timey racism which leads to a curse that haunts the land to this day. Mix in some voodoo for good measure and we have ourselves a horror movie. If you want an older feel to your new horror movie, this one’s for you. Devilreaux will be released to video on demand services on June 9th.


The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster

The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster Poster

I have discussed my excitement over this film once before. Not only do we get a modern retelling of Dracula this week. We also get to look at Frankenstein’s monster through a new lens. It’s going to be a good week for classic literature fans.

This film has an amazing cast behind it. We get performances from Denzel Whitaker (The Great Debaters), Laya DeLeon Hayes (God of War: Ragnarök), and Chad L. Coleman (The Walking Dead). If creature features are more your thing, this is the film to watch this week.

The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster will hit video on demand services on June 9th.


Brooklyn 45

Brooklyn 45 Movie Poster

If you aren’t already subscribed to Shudder, now is the time to try out a free trial. The Shudder originals can often be hit or miss. But they normally include some of the standout horror films of the year.

Brooklyn 45 looks like it is going to be one of the good ones. Already receiving massive praise before its release, the hype on this one has me excited. Starring Anne Ramsey (The Taking of Deborah Logan), Ron Rains (Teacher), and Jeremy Holm (Mr. Robot). Brooklyn 45 is my most anticipated new horror film this week. Brooklyn 45 will hit shudder June 9th.


She Came from the Woods

She Came from the Woods Movie Poster

Tubi has been playing its hand at making its own horror films for a while now. Up until this point they have been less than stellar. But after seeing the trailer for She Came from the Woods, I have hope that’s all about to change.

This film isn’t giving us anything new, it’s an old camp legend gone awry. But what it is giving us is William Sadler (Tales from the Crypt) right back where he belongs. Fighting ghosts with a shotgun and loving every minute of it. If you are looking for a new horror movie that is easy to digest, this is the one for you. She Came from the Woods will hit Tubi June 10th.

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