Deadtime Stories 2

I'm a big Romero fan, so I suspect I liked this more than most. However, as a retired psychiatrist........I would suggest caution to anyone thats uncomfortable in tight or confined spaces....

In general the movie was entertaining, but the first story made me puke, so that's a warning, but the rest of the stories were better, I have definitely seen better movies, but I've also seen a lot worse. If you are bored watching this may be entertaining.

IMDb still hasn't fixed this listing problem, and it's a shame that people aren't even sure which film to rate when they rate their very low score.

Since the other volume is listed as the first volume, it seems to have much of the information correct for the 2nd volume, so I will be putting my review here for volume 1.

Saw this on Netflix, and I must say, wow George.. this is awful, you look like a crazy old fart introducing these stories. you don't have the stage presence of Hitchcock or Rod Serling, so don't do any more of these okay?

1. "Valley of the Shadow"- My husband and I laughed a lot at this film for having such poor acting and directing. It felt like a high school film club project. Moments that were particularly amusing were was a splashing in the water shot that seemed to last way too long; a white guy that played an indigenous tribe member, the flashback love scene, a guy looking for signs of life with a dude standing like 4 feet just to his left but he can't see him, the explorers wasting their fresh water, and a tribesman watching the leading lady sleep... for no reason.

2. Wet- I must say, this was creepier and better acted than the first story, but the ending felt off, and confusing. The supposed trick for dealing with a naught mermaid was complicated but with no sense for reason, and I don't get why it had to be so complicated. And I don't get the remaining moments of character choices. The whole thing felt off.

3. House Call- It captured my attention probably the best but I kept noticing the old fashioned directing style being a little over the top. The story was about a mother dealing with her possible vampire son and asking for help from a doctor in town. It was directed by the famous Tom Savini, and I think he too has gone a little nuts over the years like Romero because these wasn't even very creepy. He did have a twist ending though.

Please note: this review is for part one, because IMDb seems to have the films confused. If I need to move this later, I will.

In this anthology of horror tales: a group of scientists wander through a jungle inhabited by savages ("Valley of the Shadow"); a man digs up a strange jade artifact on the beach ("Wet"); and a mother brings a doctor home to check on her son, who has a thirst for blood ("Housecall").

Romero's role in this film is somewhat sad. Other than reading silly snippets between segments, he does not seem to have had any involvement in the project. Attaching his name will get people to rent the film that would not have otherwise given it a look, but most Romero fans will probably be disappointed. This is really the project of his associate Jeff Monahan.

The stories are too short to ever get anywhere, especially the first story. There was no character development or any build-up of suspense. It just sort of meandered about. That sort of nonsense would never have been in a "Creepshow" film.

The second part is a bit better, adding mystery and intrigue along with a hidden mythology. It seems like there is considerable potential for this one to be lengthened (though maybe it would not hold up as well). There are not nearly enough horror films about mythological sea creatures.

Part three was directed by the legendary Tom Savini, which might be the only redeeming thing about this film. The style used is most unusual, boxed in and grainy, with odd acting and music. I like it, though I am unclear why this decision was made.

A lot of the users responded poorly to the anthologies, judging by only the reviews, with many chastising Mr. Romero for such a poor crafting of a horror movie. And justifiably so, if only the actors, writers, directors, et al were experienced and knew their jobs inside and out. However, I am given, more and more, the impression that these segments feel like a finals project for film school. In that light, what with many people lacking mostly in experience, I am delighted with the results and look forward to seeing some names again far into the future. So, I am going with a seven out of ten, just to encourage some of these guys to keep at it and to make more (and increasingly better) horrors! And to keep George Romero at the odious job of seeking out raw and undeveloped talent from the masses attending art academies everywhere and giving them a leg up by the use of his name.