Creepshow – Season 4: Episodes 4-6

Here are rundowns and reviews of Creepshow, Season 4, Episodes 4-6.

Episode 4 - “Meet the Belaskos /Cheat Code”

The Belaskos are a cheerful family that as vampires can only come out at night. That causes some problems with prejudiced neighbours which is latter complicates when a Romeo and Juliet situation blossoms between vampire Anna (Karis Cameron) and human Alex (Matthew Nelson-Mahood).

A good-natured story that hits the beats of the likes of The Addams Family and The Munsters. But it’s a bloody episode with some nasty stakings and clearly commenting about the corrosive pervasiveness of racism and intolerance in society.

Cheat Code as the title suggests has to do with gaming and when dad Jeff (Lochlyn Munro) discovers that he still has one of his old games and cajoles his cynical son Dave (Connor Wong) and his friends to play it. They find it’s actually fun, and more difficult than they first imagined and tampering makes it all that much worse.

This is a slight segment though it works well with a solid cast, and an element of comedy, just for a while. A very good build up and middle section and it’s a shame that it is somewhat let down by a weak ending.

Episode 5 - “Something Burrowed, Something Blue / Doodles”

A letter to his daughter Allison (Kristy Dawn Dinsmore) from her very wealthy father Frank (Tom Atkins) is something of an olive branch. Having been virtually estranged since her mother’s death Allison accepts to be told that her father is dying which explains his confessional mood that he wasn’t a very good person. But as she prepares to get married he has a fabulous gift to offer her, though with conditions and consequences for her fiancé Ryan (Curtis Lum).

Slow to start this story does develop though for the most part feels laboured. The main problem is that none of the characters are very likable which robs some of the interest in them leaving the viewer with only the conclusion to maintain a level of interest and while it isn’t bad it’s still tepid. As with all the stories in this season the cast are very good and make a good fist of thin material.

Doodles is a tale of aspiration, arrogance and hubris when top cartoonist Sonia (Tina Grant) steals struggling Angela’s (Anja Savic) work to land a top job at a magazine publisher. Naturally fuming Angela draws over a photo of Sonia that doesn’t have the effect she expected but none to troubled either once she realises the potential it has.

This is neat and concise fable centring on friendship, morals and ethics which are pretty broadly brushed though nevertheless do hold the attention for the duration. Some nasty bits up the horror and another solid cast performance though Tyler McClendon as Roger is clearly a caricature of high-end magazine editors with a patronising tone that he hams up to the bone.

Episode 6 - “George Romero in 3D/Baby Teeth”

There’s a lot in the title here as struggling Pittsburgh bookshop owner Sarah (Kyra Zagorsky) battles with her landlord Cooper (Peter New) over the lease, and struggling to stay open. To cut costs Sarah is looking to fire employee Dawn (Megan Charpentier) passionately opposed by her son Martin (Graham Verchere). Fortune has them find a valuable collection of George Romero’s unpublished comics, with free 3D glasses. Which if put on bring zombies to life, plus bring George Romero (Sebastian Kroon) back as drawing and do they need him.

This is a very clever story that wittily uses the fake ads in both horror and mainstream comics of the 60s and70s as platform for producing something vaguely new on zombies. And featuring the man who arguably created the zombie that is now taken as standard. Oddly enough his ‘presence’ doesn’t feel shoehorned in and doesn’t overshadow the rest of the cast who are excellent. And there’s some fun here too with the writers playing with the fact that Romero was never happy with the term zombie anyway.

Broad comedy is not a feature of Baby Teeth. Shelby (Alison Thornton) is having a tooth extracted which is promptly taken by her smothering mother Miranda (Rochelle Greenwood) to keep with the others. Shelby is none too appreciative and plays out the bad girl routine with her friend Kaitlyn (Micaela Nyland) not understanding her mother or the old forces at play and kept at bay in the house.

An intriguing tale that draws on ancient folklore and Irish fairy tales. As well as traditional customs surrounding the tooth-fairy and horseshoes; taking care how they are hung. The horror is multi-layered here with a psychological element with Miranda both creepy and distressing, the grotesque horror of the monster at large. And for some viewers there’s the inherent fear of the dentist and anything to do with teeth that could just have them on edge for the duration of the segment.

Creepshow Season 4 is available on Shudder.