Ranking each terrifying tale of 'Creepshow' Season 1!

I can be honest. When Shudder announced that they would be bringing Creepshow back as an anthology series, I may have squealed. Okay, I totally squealed. Loaded with talent like Joe Hill, Stephen King, Greg Nicotero, Tom Savini, Roxanne Benjamin and so many others contributing, I knew there was no way the show could fail, and Creepshow ​did not let me down...

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...Like the best horror anthology series, season 1 of Creepshow provided a little something for all horror fans. In just six episodes (twelve tales in all), we got werewolves, ghosts, zombies, murder, vengeance, slimy monsters, men in suitcases, and even a popular little creature named Bob. This season was a practical FX showcase full of monster suits and gallons of blood raining down that had fans drooling in anticipation for next week's episode, because Shudder understands how much sweeter it all tastes when we have to wait a bit. 

Because there was so much to love in this series, I decided to rank each story, but I don't want this to be looked at as a "worst to first" ranking. Yes, that's essentially what it is, but in my mind, there was no "bad" tale in Creepshow. Each is well made, each is entertaining, and each has something special to offer. So with that, let's look at all twelve episodes and what makes them "excellent" to "not as excellent". 

12. Bad Wolf Down

Written/directed by Rob Schrab

​"A group of American soldiers cornered by Nazis turn to a horrifying solution."

Honestly, this one's kind of a shame for me to rank here. Werewolves are my favorite movie monster, I love Jeffrey Combs (especially Jeffrey Combs playing a quirky, villainous Nazi general), and the effects in this episode are to howl for. 

My one gripe? There just isn't very much to this story. When looking at ranking these episodes, I put a focus on originality, and, while Bad Wolf Down ​is entertaining, I feel like I've seen this story a hundred times before. 

11. Times is Tough in Musky Holler

Directed by John Esposito 
Written by John Skipp and Dori Miller

"A town in the midst of a zombie outbreak turn against those who have controlled them for far too long."

Times is Tough in Musky Holler features one of the more insanely gory endings of the series, complimented by the always wonderful David Arquette in a questionable role (more of this please, David), but, similar to Bad Wolf Down, is a bit lacking in the story department for me. 

Still, the unique, ultra bloody visuals of the ending make this one to remember in a series full of memorable moments. 

10. By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain

Directed by Tom Savini
Written by Jason Ciaramella, based on a story by Joe Hill. 

"A young girl's father died looking for the mysterious monster of Lake Champlain. Now, she may face the same fate."

I'm a little pained to have this one ranked so low as well, because not only am I a huge fan of Joe Hill's work, but one of the things that had me most excited when Creepshow was announced by Shudder was the idea that Savini would be returning to the director's chair. Savini has long been criminally underrated as a horror director, especially considering that his contributions to the Tales from the Darkside show are widely considered some of the best entries in that series. 

And here's the thing: By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain is by no means a let down. This is a wonderful little piece steeped in strange fantasy and misty visuals. The only reason I have it here is that, to me, it doesn't fit the Creepshow ​mold of oddball, over the top horror quite as well as the others, so for that, I knocked it down a few pegs. 

09. Lydia Layne's Better Half 

Directed by Roxanne Benjamin
Written by John Harrison

"After accidentally murdering her lover, the ruthless Lydia Layne finds herself trapped in an elevator with the body while trying to dispose of it."

Lydia Layne's Better Half feels like a perfect blend of Creepshow sensibilities with a Tales from the Crypt sort of story. Like the EC comic stories of old, this is a tale of vengeance from beyond the grave, but with one key difference: This one has an important message about the need for women to support other women, which raises it to a level above many of the other segments thematically.

It's also legitimately creepy. We all hate awkward elevator rides. Imagine being trapped in one with the dead body of your ex-lover, who you murdered. Kill me now, I say. 

08. Gray Matter
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Directed by Greg Nicotero 
Written by Byron Willinger and Philip de Blasi, based on a story by Stephen King

"A boy arrives at a local shop in the middle of a storm, claiming there's something wrong with his father. But what at first seems to be a bad case of alcoholism turns out to be something much more sinister." 

I can't imagine a better way to have kicked off this new series than with Nicotero's Gray Matter. This segment embodies everything I love about Creepshow: A bizarre plot. Incredibly frightening, gooey monsters. And cameos from iconic horror vets, including Tobin Bell and Adrienne Barbeau, who makes an excellent albeit less obnoxious return to Creepshow after appearing in the original film. 

Gray Matter, while not perfect, was a slimy delight that assured horror fans this new Creepshow series was going to go heavy on the strange, with terrifying practical effects creatures impressive enough to make horror fans weep tears of blood. 

07. All Hallows Eve
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Directed by John Harrison
Written by Bruce Jones

"A group of mysterious trick 'r treaters gather each Halloween to terrorize the neighborhood."

There's just something about Harrison's segment that sits with you long after the first viewing. All Hallows Eve isn't particularly frightening, trading terror for a sense of melancholy, but it doesn't need to be "scary" to fit in with its horrific brethren. 

There's a dark, magical quality to this segment, one which reflects the spirit of many a horror fan's favorite holiday, Halloween. Like the classic anthology, Trick 'R Treat, All Hallows Eve reminds viewers that, while the holiday brings plenty of childish wonder with it, there are consequences to disgracing the spirits of the dead. 

06. The Man in the Suitcase
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Directed by David Bruckner
Written by Christopher Buehlman

"A young man discovers a contorted guy inside of his suitcase. Even stranger, he learns that the man produces gold coins through torture."

Talk about originality. While The Man in the Suitcase isn't my favorite segment, it is one of the most unique in the series. Buehlman tells a tale of greed and torture unlike anything else, and Bruckner's direction brings a comedic quality to the piece that makes this a highly entertaining laugh fest that can get a chuckle out of anyone, even a person squished into a suitcase like a human pretzel. 

05. Skincrawlers

Directed by Roxanne Benjamin
Written by Paul Dini and Stephen Langford

"An overweight man considers a new miracle weight loss procedure which involves strange, fat-sucking creatures."

Body enhancement is a common theme in horror anthologies, whether it be "Hair" from Body Bags, or "Mirari" from the recent Nightmare Cinema (both on Shudder, by the way), but Skincrawlers may take the cake for the grossest of the bunch. This story literally made my skin crawl. Like I said, there's a little something for everyone in Creepshow, and Skincrawlers is for those gorehounds that love a good, squishy, nasty body horror piece. 

Also includes the most poetic use of a vending machine on film. 

04. Night of the Paw

Directed by John Harrison
Written by John Skipp and Dori Miller

"A woman on the run breaks into a funeral home where she discovers a man with a monkey's paw which grants wishes, but with terrible consequences."

Night of the Paw reeks of classic EC comics storytelling, and for that, it had to be in the top five for me. A well-rounded tale of murder, vengeance, zombies, and supernatural monkey paws, Night of the Paw is one of the more complete stories in Creepshow. The gothic horror vibe is strong in this one, with a creepy old funeral home and shots of digging up graves under the cold moonlight, plus Bruce Davison delivers a truly compelling performance that had me hanging on every word. 

03. The Finger

Directed by Greg Nicotero
Written by David J. Schow

"A lonely man discovers an odd finger which grows into a creature which murders those who are a frustration in his life."

By now, a lot of horror fans are pretty familiar with Bob, the cute, cuddly little murder monster, and if you're not, well, you need to start watching Creepshow immediately. It's no surprise that it's FX master Nicotero who presents the most beloved creature of a series that was full of great monsters. The Finger tickled my macabre sense of humor in the best possible way, and a lot of that was thanks to the entertaining antics of the oddly adorable yet bloodthirsty Bob. 

I want a Bob. You want a Bob. We all want a Bob. 

02. The Companion

Directed by David Bruckner
Written by Matt Venne and based on a story by Joe R. Lansdale, Kasey Lansdale and Keith Lansdale.

"A kid bullied by his older brother takes shelter on a farm where he discovers a deadly supernatural presence protecting the farm."

While not number one, it's hard to argue that there is a more "Creepshow" segment than Bruckner's The Companion. The intercutting of the comic-book style is spot on. The imagery is eerie and full of that 80's style lighting, with blue's and purple's placed specifically to highlight the stark terror of the moment. 

More importantly though, The Companion has a theme that resonates all throughout Creepshow as far back as the 1982 film, and that's the theme of standing up to bullying. We may not agree with his methods, but Harold (Logan Allen) reflects all of us weirdos who have had to deal with the bullying or prejudice of those that don't understand us, something we see with both kids in the wraparound segments for Creepshow and Creepshow 2, leading to one of the more satisfying conclusions of the series. 

01. The House of the Head

Directed by John Harrison
Written by Josh Malerman

"A young girl discovers a terrifying plastic head inside of her dollhouse which terrorizes the family inside that oddly resembles her own."

Here it is, the blood-red creme de la creme of this first season of Creepshow. Some of you may disagree, and I'll admit the ending of The House of the Head is a bit anti-climactic for my taste, but Malerman's story simply blew me away. I've never seen anything like House of the Head. Instead of your average haunted house setup, we witness firsthand what it would be like to see that sort of story through the eyes of a little girl (brilliantly played by Cailey Fleming) as she observes the haunt which is plaguing her dollhouse. 

Harrison creates a perfect pacing, building a tense atmosphere that consistently tightens our nerves until the final scare which had me leaping out of my seat. This ghastly tale unnerved me in ways the other segments didn't, and was further proof in that first episode that Shudder had something special on their hands with Creepshow. 

Shudder knocked it out of the cemetery with Creepshow, and as I stated at the beginning of this piece, in my mind, there were no "bad" segments. So I'm sure no ranking of this series will be the same, and a lot of you probably have different opinions on which tales were most effective, so let us know below, which were your personal favorites of season one?

And don't forget, Shudder has announced a second season of Creepshow coming in 2020, so keep your eyeballs out for that! 

By Matt Konopka