Entertainment Earth

12/17/2020

A Creepshow Holiday Special: Shapeshifters Anonymous (Episode Review)

Series Title: Creepshow
Episode Name: Shapeshifters Anonymous
Episode Season & Number: 2.1
Writer/ Director: Greg Nicotero (Based on a short story by J.A. Konrath)
Cast: Anna Camp, Adam Pally, Frank Nictero, Pete Burris, Candy McLellan, Derek Russo, Tom Glynn
Min: 46

Robert Weston (Adam Pally) goes to a secret support group, called Shapeshifters Anonymous, so that they may help him with his problem. You see, he believes that he is turning into a werewolf, and is, in fact, the serial killer that has been on the news lately. He soon learns that there are different types of shapeshifters. But, he also discovers that not only is Santa Claus real, but that he and his helpers hunt and kill shape shifters.

A Creepshow Holiday Special: Shapeshifters Anonyomous is a Chirstmas themed. nearly one hour long episode. Series runner Greg Nictero directed and wrote it based on the short story by J.A. Konrath. The result is a light-hearted and funny holiday special. Nictero gives it a wonderful use of bright, comic-book colors, like purple and blue. He also adds some awesome homages to classic werewolf movies, that horror fans will get a kick out of.

The acting from the whole cast is lively and entertaining. Adam Pally makes for a particularly likable lead character in Robert. We can relate to him, even if none of us actually turn into werewolves (at least I imagine none of us do). But, it is the lovely Anna (True Blood) Camp, who plays the chapter president Marina, that really stands out. She plays her in a very pleasing manner with just the right amount of flirty sexiness and likable sweetness.

As always KNB EFX knock the special effects out of the park! The creatures all look really cool and add to the fun factor. The epiosde also has some cool gore including ripping and tearing of flesh, head-shots, decapitations, and more!

A Creepshow Holiday Special: Shapeshifters Anonymous is a blast from the cool intro of the creep to the very last reel. The episode is light hearted and has a feel good sentiment that is perfect for the holiday season. To be honest, I couldn't help but smile while watching it. It is also highly imaginative with nice flourishes of gore. This episode is further aided by strong acting from the whole, including a wonderful Anna Camp, as well as stylish and colorful directing from Greg Nictero. It really ranks among the best episodes in this wonderful anthology series. Plus, I feel like this could become an annual Christmas season viewing tradition for me. Fellow horror fans are sure to have the same reaction, when the episode begins streaming this Friday, December 18, 2020 on Shudder. 


3.5 out of 4

9/10/2020

Shudder Announces the Start of Production on Season Two of "Creepshow"!


Anna Camp, Keith David, Ashley Laurence, Josh McDermitt & Adam Pally Set to Star in Episodes Directed by Series Showrunner Greg Nicotero

NEW YORK, NY – September 10, 2020 – Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, today announced the start of production on the highly-anticipated second season of its hit series Creepshow in Atlanta, Georgia. The anthology series, which shattered all Shudder records when it debuted last October, is executive produced by showrunner Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead) and based on George A. Romero’s iconic 1982 movie. The six-episode second season will premiere exclusively on Shudder in 2021. The show is following all safety guidelines and protocols in accordance with SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, TEAMSTERS, CDC and state and local guidance. 

“I’ve never been happier to get behind the camera as I am today.  After missing our shoot date in March by just over 48 hours, season 2 of Creepshow hits the ground running as cameras begin to roll. The cast and crew have a level of excitement and enthusiasm I’ve never seen before and it’s inspiring. So many of us in the entertainment industry have been waiting for the day we can begin to do what we do best—to have some fun together creating new worlds, new adventures and new thrills,” said Nicotero.  
   
“Season one was a monster hit for us, setting viewership records across the board while becoming the best-reviewed new horror series of 2019. For season 2, Greg Nicotero and his team have outdone themselves with bigger and bolder stories, new incredible creature designs, and clever twists that truly live up to the show's tagline, 'The Most Fun You'll Have Being Scared’,” said Craig Engler, Shudder’s General Manager.

Shudder also revealed initial details about four of this season’s segments, which will be directed by Greg Nicotero. Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect) and Adam Pally (The Mindy Project) will star in “Shapeshifters Anonymous” Parts 1 and 2, written by Greg Nicotero, based on a short story by J.A. Konrath (Last Call) about an unlucky soul who finds himself in need of a werewolf support group; Keith David (The Thing), Ashley Laurence (Hellraiser) and Josh McDermitt (The Walking Dead) will star in “Pesticide,” written by Frank Dietz (I Hate Kids), in which an exterminator makes an infernal bargain; and “Model Kid,” written by returning Creepshow writer John Esposito (season one’s “Night of the Paw”), is about a 12-year-old monster fan who turns to hand-built model kits to escape his unhappy reality. Additional titles, casting and directors will be announced soon.

In its first season, Creepshow smashed records for Shudder in number of viewers, new subscriber sign-ups and total minutes streamed to become the most watched program in Shudder history, followed by a successful run on AMC. The show was a hit with critics as well as fans as one of 2019’s best-reviewed new genre series, with a 97% Fresh rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes®.  The inaugural season starred David Arquette, Adrienne Barbeau, Tobin Bell, Big Boi, Jeffrey Combs, Kid Cudi, Bruce Davison, Giancarlo Esposito, Dana Gould, Tricia Helfer and DJ Qualls and featured adaptations of stories by Stephen King, Joe Hill, Joe R. Lansdale, Josh Malerman and others. 

Shudder’s Creepshow is produced by the Cartel with Monster Agency Productions, Taurus Entertainment, and Striker Entertainment: Stan Spry, Jeff Holland, and Eric Woods are executive producers and Geoff Silverman and Anthony Fankhauser are co-executive producers for the Cartel; Greg Nicotero and Brian Witten are executive producers and Julia Hobgood is a co-executive producer for Monster Agency Productions; Robert Dudelson, James Dudelson and Jordan Kizwani are executive producers for Taurus Entertainment; Russell Binder is executive producer and Marc Mostman co-executive producer for Striker Entertainment. 

ABOUT SHUDDER
AMC Networks’ Shudder is a premium streaming video service, super-serving members with the best selection in genre entertainment, covering horror, thrillers and the supernatural. Shudder’s expanding library of film, TV series, and originals is available on most streaming devices in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Germany, Australia and New Zealand. For a 7-day, risk-free trial, visit ​www.shudder.com​.

ABOUT THE CARTEL
Founded in 2011 and run by partners Stan Spry, Jeff Holland, Evan Corday, Geoff Silverman, Bradford Bricken and Eric Woods, The Cartel is a feature film and television production, management, and financing company representing top-tier showrunners, show creators, writers, directors, producers and production companies in film, TV and new media. The Cartel has also been involved in more than 90 movie and television productions since inception, including the hit series Creepshow for Shudder, the animated series Twelve Forever for Netflix, and the upcoming Day of the Dead for Syfy. The Cartel previously produced the series Ties That Bind for Up TV, and A Place in the Sun for Discovery as well as several recent feature films, including Switched for Christmas, Jeepers Creepers 3, Christmas Connection, Love at the Shore, Sun Sand and Romance, Love at First Glance, and Wrong Nanny, to name a few. In 2013 The Cartel purchased and renovated Tamarind Lithography Studios, which is their Los Angeles headquarters, as well as a full-service production and post-production complex. The Cartel also has offices in London, England, New York, NY and Winnipeg, Manitoba.      

ABOUT MONSTER AGENCY PRODUCTIONS
Monster Agency Productions is Greg Nicotero’s production company with Head of Television & Film Brian Witten and producer Julia Hobgood.

6/16/2020

Shudder Orders Season 3 Scripts for Their Mega-hit Series Creepshow


Production on Season 2 Remains on Hold During COVID Lockdown

June 16, 2020 — Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, announced today that it has commissioned scripts for a full third season of Creepshow, showrun and executive produced by Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead) and based on George A. Romero’s iconic 1982 movie. The anthology series shattered all Shudder records when it debuted last October, and its first season has just concluded a successful run on AMC.

The second season was set to commence shooting in March in Atlanta, Georgia, but has been on hold until film and television production resumes. 

“Creepshow continues to be near and dear to my heart and having the opportunity to continue the legacy by developing season 3 gives me the chance to work with some of the best storytellers and artists in the business. The stories we have in the pipeline for season 2 are even more outrageous, more fun and capture the spirit of what George Romero and Stephen King started in the ‘80s,” said showrunner Greg Nicotero.

“Although season 2 is on pause while we wait until it’s safe to go into production, we wanted to use the time to start work on season 3 scripts to let Greg Nicotero and his amazing team get as far ahead as possible,” said Shudder GM Craig Engler. 

In its first season, Creepshow smashed records for Shudder in number of viewers, new subscriber sign-ups and total minutes streamed to become the most watched program in Shudder history. The show was a hit with critics as well as fans as one of 2019’s best-reviewed new genre series, with a 97% Fresh rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes®.  The inaugural season starred David Arquette, Adrienne Barbeau, Tobin Bell, Big Boi, Jeffrey Combs, Kid Cudi, Bruce Davison, Giancarlo Esposito, Dana Gould, Tricia Helfer and DJ Qualls and featured adaptations of stories by Stephen King, Joe Hill, Joe R. Lansdale, Josh Malerman and others. 

Shudder’s Creepshow is produced by the Cartel with Monster Agency Productions, Taurus Entertainment, and Striker Entertainment: Stan Spry, Jeff Holland, and Eric Woods are executive producers for the Cartel; Greg Nicotero and Brian Witten are executive producers and Julia Hobgood is a co-executive producer for Monster Agency Productions; Robert Dudelson, James Dudelson and Jordan Kizwani are executive producers for Taurus Entertainment; Russell Binder is executive producer and Marc Mostman co-executive producer for Striker Entertainment. 

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ABOUT SHUDDER
AMC Networks’ Shudder is a premium streaming video service, super-serving members with the best selection in genre entertainment, covering horror, thrillers and the supernatural. Shudder’s expanding library of film, TV series, and originals is available on most streaming devices in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland and Germany. New members can enjoy 30-days free with the promo code SHUTIN when signing up at Shudder.com.

ABOUT THE CARTEL
Founded in 2011 and run by partners Stan Spry, Jeff Holland, Evan Corday, Geoff Silverman, Bradford Bricken and Eric Woods, The Cartel is a feature film and television production, management, and financing company representing top-tier show runners, show creators, writers, directors, producers and production companies in film, TV and new media.  The Cartel has also been involved in more than 50 movie and television productions since inception, including the hit series Creepshow for Shudder and the animated series Twelve Forever for Netflix. The Cartel previously produced the series Ties That Bind for Up TV, and A Place in the Sun for Discovery as well as several recent feature films, including Switched for Christmas, Jeepers Creepers 3, Christmas Connection, Love at the Shore, Sun Sand and Romance, Love at First Glance, and Wrong Nanny, to name a few. In 2013 The Cartel purchased and renovated Tamarind Lithography Studios, which is their Los Angeles headquarters, as well as a full-service production and post-production complex. The Cartel also has offices in London, England, New York, NY and Winnipeg, Manitoba.      

ABOUT MONSTER AGENCY PRODUCTIONS
Monster Agency Productions is Greg Nicotero’s production company with Head of Television & Film Brian Witten and producer Julia Hobgood.

6/20/2019

Shudder Announce New CREEPSHOW Cast & Episode Info!




From the official Shudder press release:

KID CUDI, JEFFREY COMBS, BRUCE DAVISON,
DJ QUALLS & BIG BOI JOIN SHUDDER’S CREEPSHOW

Shudder Announces Additional Story Written by Award-Winning Horror Novelist David J. Schow
and Directed by Series Showrunner Greg Nicotero
June 20, 2019 — Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, today announced additional casting for its upcoming Creepshow anthology series, executive produced by Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead). Joining the cast are Grammy winners Kid Cudi (Scott Mescudi) and Big Boi (Antwan Patton), along with Jeffrey Combs (Star Trek, Re-Animator), Bruce Davison (Longtime Companion, X-Men) and DJ Qualls (The Man in the High Castle, Supernatural). Shudder also revealed the finalCreepshow story, “The Finger,” written by award-winning horror novelist David J. Schow (The Crow) and directed by series showrunner Greg Nicotero.

DJ Qualls will star in “The Finger,” a previously unannounced Creepshow story written by David J. Schow and directed by showrunner Greg Nicotero. Kid Cudi and Jeffrey Combs will star in “Bad Wolf Down,” written and directed by Rob Schrab.Bruce Davison will star in “Night of the Paw,” written by John Esposito. Big Boi is featured in “The Man in the Suitcase”written by Christopher Buehlman and directed by Dave Bruckner (The Ritual).

The new cast join Adrienne Barbeau, Giancarlo Esposito, David Arquette, Tobin Bell, Tricia Helfer and Dana Gould, who were previously announced to star in various Creepshow stories.

Shudder has now announced all twelve segments that will make up Creepshow’s six-episode season. They are, in alphabetical order:

“All Hallows Eve”  
Written by: Bruce Jones
Directed by: John Harrison
Even then they’re a little too old, this group of friends still want to trick-or-treat but getting candy isn’t all they are looking for.

“Bad Wolf Down”
Written by: Rob Schrab
Directed by: Rob Schrab
A group of American soldiers, trapped behind enemy lines during World War II, finds an unconventional way to even the odds.
“By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain”
Story by: Joe Hill, adapted by Jason Ciaramella
Directed by: Tom Savini
Her dad died looking for the monster living at the bottom of Lake Champlain, and now, will she?

“The Companion”
Story by: Joe R. Lansdale, Kasey Lansdale & Keith Lansdale, adapted by Matt Venne
Directed by: Dave Bruckner (The Ritual)
A young boy, bullied by his older brother, sneaks into an abandoned farm that is protected by a supernatural force.

“The Finger”
Written by: David J. Schow (The Crow)
Directed by: Greg Nicotero
An unhappy man discovers a severed, inhuman appendage on the street and brings it home, where it grows into a loyal companion with some deadly quirks.

“Gray Matter”
Story by: Stephen King, adapted by Byron Willinger and Philip de Blasi
Directed by: Greg Nicotero
Doc and Chief, two old-timers in a small, dying town, brave a storm to check on Richie, an alcoholic single father, after encountering his terrified son at the local convenience store. The story, first published in 1973, is part of King’s best-selling 1978 collection, Night Shift.

“The House of the Head”  
Written by: Josh Malerman (Bird Box)
Directed by: John Harrison
Evie’s discovers her new dollhouse might be haunted.

“Lydia Layne’s Better Half”  
Story by: John Harrison & Greg Nicotero, adapted by John Harrison
Directed by: Roxanne Benjamin (Body at Brighton Rock)
A powerful woman denies a promotion to her protégée and lover but fails to anticipate the fallout.

“The Man in the Suitcase”  
Written by: Christopher Buehlman
Directed by: Dave Bruckner (The Ritual)
A college student brings the wrong bag home from the airport only to find a pretzeled man trapped inside, afflicted by a strange condition that turns his pain into gold.

“Night of the Paw”
Written by: John Esposito
Directed by: John Harrison
A lonely mortician finds company in the ultimate  ‘be careful what you wish for’ story.

“Skincrawlers”
Written by: Paul Dini & Stephen Langford
Directed by: Roxanne Benjamin (Body at Brighton Rock)
A man considers a miraculous new treatment for weight loss that turns out to have unexpected complications.

“Times is Tough in Musky Holler”
Written by: John Skipp and Dori Miller, based on their short story
Directed by: John Harrison
Leaders who once controlled a town through fear and intimidation get a taste of their own medicine.

Shudder’s new Creepshow series follows in the footsteps of the iconic 1982 horror classic written by Stephen King and directed by George A. Romero, famously billed as “the most fun you’ll ever have being scared!” A considerable number of contributors to the new series have ties to the film and its 1987 sequel: the series will feature adaptations of a story by King as well as one by his son, Joe Hill, who fans will recall played comic-book loving “Billy” in the original film’s wrap-around segments. Also returning to the Creepshow franchise are actor Adrienne Barbeau; director Tom Savini, who created special effects makeup for the film; writer/director John Harrison, who was 1st Assistant Director on the original and composed its famous theme; and showrunner Greg Nicotero, who visited the first film’s set as a teenager and contributed make-up effects to Creepshow 2.

Shudder’s Creepshow is produced by the Cartel with Monster Agency Productions, Taurus Entertainment, and Striker Entertainment: Stan Spry, Jeff Holland, and Eric Woods are executive producers for the Cartel; Greg Nicotero and Brian Witten are executive producers for Monster Agency Productions; Robert Dudelson, James Dudelson and Jordan Kizwani are executive producers for Taurus Entertainment; Russell Binder is executive producer and Marc Mostman co-executive producer for Striker Entertainment. Creepshow will premiere on Shudder later this year.

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ABOUT SHUDDER
AMC Networks’ Shudder is a premium streaming video service, super-serving members with the best selection in genre entertainment, covering horror, thrillers and the supernatural. Shudder’s expanding library of film, TV series, and originals is available on most streaming devices in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland and Germany. To experience Shudder commitment-free for 7 days, visit ​www.shudder.com​.

ABOUT THE CARTEL
Founded in 2011 and run by partners Stan Spry, Jeff Holland, Evan Corday, Geoff Silverman, and Eric Woods, the Cartel is a feature film and television production, management, and financing company. They are responsible for more than 50 movie and television productions since inception, including the upcoming animated series “Twelve Forever” for Netflix, the upcoming unscripted series “Hunting Abroad” for A&E’s FYI, and previously production for the series “Ties That Bind” for Up TV, and “A Place in the Sun” for Discovery as well as several recent feature films, including “Jeepers Creepers 3,” “Christmas Connection,” “Sun Sand and Romance,” and “Love at First Glance,” to name a few. The Cartel recently signed a co-production deal with Reel One Entertainment to produce and co-finance 40 films over the next three years. In 2013, the Cartel purchased and renovated Tamarind Lithography Studios, which is their Los Angeles headquarters, as well as a full-service production and post-production complex. The Cartel also has offices in London, England and New York, NY.www.CartelHQ.com  

ABOUT MONSTER AGENCY PRODUCTIONS
Monster Agency Productions is Greg Nicotero's production company with Head of Television Brian Witten and producer Julia Hobgood. They are currently in development at AMC on multiple projects, including “Shock Theater,” an homage to 50’s sci-fi/horror films, with Gail Berman’s The Jackal Group."
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4/03/2019

ADRIENNE BARBEAU, GIANCARLO ESPOSITO AND TOBIN BELL CAST IN CREEPSHOW ADAPTATION OF STEPHEN KING’s “GRAY MATTER”

Picture comes courtesy of Shudder


From the Shudder press release:

Showrunner Greg Nicotero Will Direct the Story for Series Premiere

April 3, 2019 — Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, today announced initial casting for its upcoming horror anthology series,Creepshow, based on the iconic 1982 film written by Stephen King and directed by George A. Romero. Adrienne Barbeau (The Fog), Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul), and Tobin Bell (Saw) will star in the Stephen King story “Gray Matter,” adapted by Byron Willinger and Philip de Blasi (The Commuter) and directed by series showrunner Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead).

“I feel I’m in great company getting the opportunity to direct a story written by Steve,” said Nicotero. “Between Salem’s Lot, Pet Sematary and The Stand, I’ve always found his stories rich in relatable characters forced into supernatural situations beyond their control—the everyday person’s primal fears. To visualize ‘Gray Matter’ for Creepshow with the help of Adrienne, Giancarlo and Tobin was about as good as it gets for a horror fan from Pittsburgh!”

In “Gray Matter,” Doc and Chief, two old-timers in a small, dying town, brave a storm to check on Richie, an alcoholic single father, after encountering his terrified son at the local convenience store. The story, first published in 1973, is part of King’s best-selling 1978 collection, Night Shift.
For Barbeau, “Gray Matter” represents a return to the Creepshow franchise more than 25 years after her unforgettable portrayal of “Billie” in the 1982 segment, “The Crate.” Barbeau also serves as the host of the Shudder Original podcast, She Kills.
“I was thrilled when Greg asked me to join the Creepshow world once again,” said Barbeau. “And then working with Tobin and Giancarlo, with Greg as our director, well, that was the icing on the cake — no, not that cake. Oh, you know what I mean.”

The DNA of the original movie is firmly embedded in the new series: in addition to Barbeau and King’s return to the franchise, fans will recall that writer Joe Hill (who has also contributed a story this season) played comic-book-loving “Billy” in the film’s wrap-around segments. John Harrison, who was 1st Assistant Director on 1982’s Creepshow and composed its iconic theme, is back to direct several segments of the series. And executive producer Greg Nicotero visited the first film’s set as a teenager, and contributed make-up effects to its 1987 follow-up, Creepshow 2.
With “Gray Matter,” Shudder has confirmed eight of the twelve segments that will make up Creepshow’ s six-episode season. Previously announced segments include “By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain” by Joe Hill, “House of the Head” by Josh Malerman (Bird Box), “The Companion” by Joe R. Lansdale, Kasey Lansdale, & Keith Lansdale, “The Man in the Suitcase” by Christopher Buehlman, “All Hallows Eve” by Bruce Jones, “Night of the Paw” by John Esposito, and “Bad Wolf Down” by Rob Schrab. Additional titles and casting will be announced soon. The series is scheduled to wrap production later this week in Atlanta, GA.

Shudder’s Creepshow is produced by the Cartel with Monster Agency Productions, Taurus Entertainment, and Striker Entertainment: Stan Spry, Jeff Holland, and Eric Woods are executive producers for the Cartel; Greg Nicotero and Brian Witten are executive producers for Monster Agency Productions; Robert Dudelson, James Dudelson and Jordan Kizwani are executive producers for Taurus Entertainment; Russell Binder is executive producer and Marc Mostman co-executive producer for Striker Entertainment. Creepshow will premiere on Shudder later this year.

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ABOUT SHUDDER
AMC Networks’ SHUDDER is a premium streaming video service, super-serving fans of all degrees with the best selection in genre entertainment, covering horror, thrillers and the supernatural. SHUDDER’s expanding library of film, TV series, and originals is available in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, and Germany on most streaming devices for 4.99/month or 49.99/year. To experience SHUDDER commitment-free for 7 days, visit www.shudder.com.

ABOUT THE CARTEL
Founded in 2011 and run by partners Stan Spry, Jeff Holland, Evan Corday, Geoff Silverman, and Eric Woods, the Cartel is a feature film and television production, management, and financing company representing top-tier showrunners, show creators, writers, directors, producers and production companies in film, TV and new media. The Cartel has also been involved in more than 50 movie and television productions since inception, including the upcoming animated series “Twelve Forever” for Netflix, the upcoming unscripted series “Hunting Abroad” for A&E’s FYI, and previously production for the series “Ties That Bind” for Up TV, and “A Place in the Sun” for Discovery as well as several recent feature films, including “Switched for Christmas,” “Jeepers Creepers 3,” “Christmas Connection,” “Love at the Shore,” “Sun Sand and Romance,” “Love at First Glance,” and “Wrong Nanny,” to name a few. The Cartel recently signed a co-production deal with Reel One Entertainment to produce and co-finance 40 films over the next three years. In 2013, the Cartel purchased and renovated Tamarind Lithography Studios, which is their Los Angeles headquarters, as well as a full-service production and post-production complex. The Cartel also has offices in London, England and New York, NY. www.CartelHQ.com

ABOUT MONSTER AGENCY PRODUCTIONS
Monster Agency Productions is Greg Nicotero's production company run by Brian Witten.