IR TV Review: CREEPSHOW - EPISODE 3 (“The Last Tsuburaya/Ok I’ll Bite”) [Shudder-S3]

The texture of getting what you wish for is a parable in irony. The path depends on the circumstance of course but, in the world of horror, metaphor and the macabre go hand in hand. With Episode 3 of its 3rd Season, "Creepshow" moves in the idea of both art as life but also life becoming art in a way through its manifestation of nature. In the first part of the episode: "The Last Tsuburaya" an egotistical billionaire bent on exploiting the fear and doubt of the weak seeks out an unusual painting and then defies expectation in his handling of its unveiling. But the truth is that he doesn't see the darkness within his ideas or the results until too late. He is simply looking to take his gluttony to the next step. The influence of both Japanese and South Korean horror plays in his ultimate persuasion with an idea baked between perspective, perception and fate.

The second story "OK I'll Bite" is a little more primal following a former pharmacist in prison who likes his spiders. The texture of the occult and his obsession seem otherworldly but his reasoning lacks definition despite inherent detail. The performance by lead actor Nick Massouh makes the piece both empathetic and creepy as a man who believes in the faith he has chosen though he doesn't know the outcome. Again, "Creepshow" with this pair of episodes show the tendency of morality tales, both by those bent on destruction as well as those who mean well. The restrictive environments of the sets actually add to the effectiveness at times of the episodes because they are essentially stage plays with an added kick of practical effects to bring out both the unusual and the macabre. B+

By Tim Wassberg