Welcome to another installment of 31 Days of Halloween! This is our chance to set the mood for the spookiest and scariest month of the year as we focus our attention on horror and Halloween fun. For the month of October we’ll be sharing various pieces of underappreciated scary books, comics, movies, and television to help keep you terrified and entertained all the way up to Halloween.
Creepshow’s newest episode offers audiences two of the more unique episodes of the season. “Time Out” follows a young man named Tim (Matthew Barnes) who has figured out a way to maximize the time in his day. It comes at a very high cost, however. “The Things in Oakwood’s Past” is about a town that is looking forward to opening a time capsule. But what is inside?
Most stories about taking advantage of time deal with themes of greed and power. “Time Out” does deal a little with ambition – Tim is obsessed with earning the highest title at work – but there is much more to the story. In a nice twist, Tim is doing everything for the most altruistic motives. He is truly using his discovery to get work done.
It is rare that Creepshow has characters that can actually be pitied. They may be blinded by lust, oblivious to the truth, or just outright evil, but they usually deserve what happens to them. Tim is truly trying to make a better life for his family. There are no ulterior motives, and other than getting promoted at work, he is doing nothing for himself. This makes the inevitable ending especially powerful.
“The Things in Oakwood’s Past” is the first animated segment (not counting those with the Creep) of the season. It looks like something out of Heavy Metal and 1970s Scooby-Doo at the same time. It is a surprising combination that works well. But it is the voice acting that stands out. The always dependable Mark Hamill does his usual good work. Danielle Harris gets a chance to shine in October in a non-Halloween related rule. Ron Livingston is also excellent and the interactions between Marnie and Mac are fun.
Everything leads to a chaotic ending that is the highlight of the season. Creepshow is all about the finales and “The Things in Oakwood’s Past” is an especially fun one. It comes out of nowhere and is simultaneously funny and revolting. Overall, this is another strong episode in the season.
New episodes of Creepshow premiere on Shudder each Thursday
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