Creepshow 2 (1987)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Michael Gornick

Writers:

Stephen King (stories)
George A. Romero (screenplay)

Release Date:

1 May 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

When The Curtain Goes Up, The Terror Begins!

Plot:

George Romero and Stephen King return to bring three stories that include a vengeful wooden Native American, a monstrous blob in a lake, and a hitchhiker who wants revenge...and will not die!

Plot Keywords:

Hitchhiker | Blob | Raft | Lake | Hit And Run

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Domenick John	...	Billy (prologue)
Tom Savini	...	The Creep (prologue)
George Kennedy	...	Ray Spruce (segment "Old Chief Wood'nhead")
Philip Dore	...	Curly (segment "Old Chief Wood'nhead")
Kaltey Napoleon	...	Indian #1 (segment "Old Chief Wood'nhead")
Maltby Napoleon	...	Indian #1 (segment "Old Chief Wood'nhead")
Tyrone Tonto	...	Indian #2 (segment "Old Chief Wood'nhead")
Dorothy Lamour	...	Martha Spruce (segment "Old Chief Wood'nhead")
Frank Salsedo	...	Ben Whitemoon (segment "Old Chief Wood'nhead")
Holt McCallany	...	Sam Whitemoon (segment "Old Chief Wood'nhead")
David Holbrook	...	Fatso Gribbens (segment "Old Chief Wood'nhead")
Don Harvey	...	Andy Cavanaugh (segment "Old Chief Wood'nhead")
Dan Kamin	...	Old Chief Wood'nhead (segment "Old Chief Wood'nhead")
Dean Smith	...	Mr. Cavanaugh (segment "Old Chief Wood'nhead")
Shirley Sonderegger	...	Mrs. Cavanaugh (segment "Old Chief Wood'nhead")

Also Known As:

Creepshow II (International: English title) (alternative spelling)
Dead and Undead: Creepshow 2 (USA)

Runtime:

92 min | UK:85 min (UK video version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:(Banned) | Iceland:16 | UK:15 (video re-rating) | Finland:K-18 | Australia:M | France:U | Norway:18 (video premiere) | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Company:

Laurel Entertainment Inc.

Trivia:

Barbara Eden was originally cast as the hit-and-run driver Annie Lansing during Creepshow 2's last story, "The Hitch-Hiker"; but had to drop out prior to filming due to her mother falling ill. Lois Chiles was later re-cast in the role.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: In just about every scene where Old Chief Woodenhead (the wood-carving) is seen standing in front of the store, you can see slight movements by the actor who played him. However this is NOT a mistake as the characters in the film even give subtle acknowledgment the wooden statue has moved. This is to show that the statue was actually "alive" all along.

Quotes:

Rhino: Catch him! I want his ass!

Movie Connections:

References Top Gun (1986)

***** POSSIBLE SPOILERS ***** Scary fun from Stephen King based on three of his stories...

You have to be in the mood to watch this sort of thing late at night and I was definitely in the mood although I was about to turn the film off after the first story about the wooden Indian. I just wanted to watch that to see what DOROTHY LAMOUR was doing in a horror film. I notice she won a Saturn award for the role but I was underwhelmed by her performance.

However, if you stay with it, CREEPSHOW 2 improves with each story. There are no real touches of originality in any of them except for the clever use of animation used quite extensively and very effectively to bridge the gap between stories.

CHIEF WOODEN HEAD gets the film off to a start about a couple running a store in the middle of the desert without paying customers who are left some valuables by an Indian who owes them a debt. What they don't know is that their store is about to be invaded by a trio of ruthless thugs led by an Indian lad who is willing to kill in order to grab whatever loot he can. Their death is avenged by--well, guess who? Some clever touches here, but nothing that really stands out. Nice performance by GEORGE KENNEDY gives the whole tale some much needed class.

THE RAFT is compulsively watchable once you see the set-up wherein four attractive young couples decide to swim out to a raft where they are all about to meet their grisly deaths. PAUL SATTERFIELD in his yellow speedos is the standout among these and his demise is particularly chilling. It's got all the requisite suspense and horror you'd expect from King and the special effects are particularly gruesome. DANIEL BEER as Satterfield's worried pal does a nice job, especially in the scene where he almost takes advantage of the sleeping gal.

THE HITCHHIKER could easily have been the one that steals the show, but it becomes a little too repetitious and fond of its own dark sense of humor to be taken seriously. Howevere, LOIS CHILES is very convincing as the distraught woman at the wheel who does everything she can to get rid of a dead man who keeps coming back for more.

Summing up: Give it a chance and it becomes compulsively watchable in the old tradition of horror king Stephen.