Creepshow 2 appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This was a decent transfer but not one that excelled.
Sharpness was usually adequate. While the movie lacked great definition, it showed reasonable accuracy and didn’t suffer from problematic instances of softness. I witnessed no issues with moiré effects or jaggies, and edge haloes remained absent.
Grain seemed heavy, but the movie came free from print defects. The animated segments showed marks, but those came from lackluster clean-up work, not from actual source defects.
Colors were decent but reflected the issues that affected some of the era’s film stocks. This meant hues that seemed a but mushy, but the Blu-ray mostly displayed acceptable to good tones. Blacks were also a little inky at times, but they seemed fine as a whole, and shadows showed reasonably solid clarity. Nothing here stood out as great but the image was acceptable.
Like the picture, the film’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack also showed its age and origins. The soundscape showed decent stereo imaging for the music and gave us a lackluster sense of environment. Occasional effects showed up in logical locations, but a lot of the time, the soundfield failed to demonstrate clear localization and movement.
Audio quality was dated but passable. Speech could be a little brittle, but the lines remained intelligible and were usually natural enough. Music gave us acceptable vivacity, and effects seemed okay; they lacked great clarity but suffered from no obvious distortion or other flaws. This was a serviceable soundtrack for a movie from 1987.
This Blu-ray of Creepshow 2 offers a broad mix of extras, and these launch with an audio commentary from director Michael Gornick. Along with moderator Perry Martin, Gornick looks at the project's roots/development and his shift from cinematographer to director, cast and performances, the movie's animated sequences, sets, design and locations, storyboarding and cinematography, makeup and various effects, music and various production challenges.
From start to finish, Gornick provides a pretty terrific commentary. Martin acts as a good interviewer and helps spur Gornick's memories. These factors combine to turn this into an informative and enjoyable piece.
A series of video features follow. Screenplay for a Sequel lasts 10 minutes, 45 seconds and provides an interview with screenwriter George Romero. He discusses the comic books that inspired the series, the first film and its expansion toward a sequel, his screenplay, and thoughts about Creepshow 2. Romero gives us a decent collection of notes but this doesn’t turn into a particularly informative chat.
With the seven-minute, 53-second Tales from the Creep, we hear from actor/makeup artist Tom Savini. Hired to play the Creep, Savini talks about his experiences as an actor from his vantage point as an expert makeup effects creator. Savini delivers a short but engaging discussion.
Next comes Poncho’s Last Ride. It fills 14 minutes, 44 seconds with remarks from actor Daniel Beer, as he covers his casting, aspects of his performance and the miserable conditions under which he worked. Beer brings us a fine overview of his time on the shoot.
During The Road to Dover, we locate a 13-minute, 51-second reel with actor Daniel Wright. Like Beer, Wright discusses his career, what brought him to Creepshow 2 and what he remembers of his performance and the shoot. Since Wright’s role required gore makeup and stunts, he adds an unusual perspective.
Nightmares In Foam Rubber goes for 32 minutes, three seconds and features makeup effects artists Howard Berger and Greg Nicotero. They chat about what led them to their career choices as well as their work on Creepshow 2. In addition to the insights Berger and Nicotero share, we find lots of good behind the scenes footage in this strong segment.
After this we find My Friend Rick, a two-minute, 43-second clip with Berger. He talks about makeup effects creator/mentor Rick Baker and the impact Baker had on his career. I’m not sure what prompted this clip’s inclusion – Baker’s still alive, so it’s not an “In Memorium” clip – but Berger does offer a few interesting thoughts.
Under Behind the Scenes, we get a five-minute, 50-second reel. It displays elements related to the movie’s opening shots of the Creep. Some useful moments arrive but the segment becomes redundant.
In addition to two trailers and a TV spot, we find an Image Gallery. It presents a three-minute, 34-second running reel with shots from the film and some production elements. Nothing memorable appears.
The package concludes with a booklet. This offers photos, credits and an essay from BFI film programmer Michael Blyth. It wraps us the set well.
As an inexpensive sequel, Creepshow 2 doesn’t bomb but it also fails to provide anything that I’d call memorable. Sluggish and without much inspiration, it never develops into a compelling horror experience. The Blu-ray provides acceptable picture and audio along with a nice set of supplements. As a film, Creepshow 2 falls flat.