Creature Feature was written and directed by Chase Smith, based on a story by himself, Lance Paul, and Edward Boss. Smith usually works in independent film where, as can be seen his this film and his other work, he makes the most of his low budget and crafts possibly his most fun title to date. The way he builds this film is fun and entertaining. He takes multiple classic horror and Halloween character, gives each a story to star in, then adds fodder for these to play with, and interconnects it all in a way that works really well, something that is not easy to do.
On Halloween night, friends go to a party and tell horror stories. The stories here are imbued with the spirit of Samhain and interconnect through characters and timeline, making it hard to tell too much about them without giving too much away. Part of the stories involves a clown, a zombie, a werewolf, witches, and a certain Jack. The characters are well written, the dialogue is decent, and none of the separate stories overstay their welcome. Being the writer and director of all the stories, it’s easier to keep them coherent in storytelling, visual style, and mood.
The cast for all those characters is good, none of them doing badly. However, with such a big cast, it’s hard to stand out from the crowd. That being said, this reviewer particularly liked the performance by Chase Smith regular Lance Paul as one of the partying storytellers, Jackson. He has a twinkle in his eye as he tells his story that just makes his presence shine. The rest of cast does well, looks good, and goes for it with their all in a lot of scenes. It must be noted that a few of the ladies have no issues being topless, showing what Mother Nature/God gave them (natural boobs alert here!), adding to the general fun and the Halloween film spirit.
As this is a monster film and a horror movie, there is gore and blood, quite the good amount of both. Most of the effects look to be practical, something that is always appreciated, and were done by Alex-Michael Petty, Amber Actaboski, Benji Dove, and Andrea Joe. These effects look good and not just “for the budget”; they look good and add a lot to the film. Practical effects always seem to be gooier and better to this reviewer. There is plenty here and it’s much appreciated. Adding to all this is the music by Brian Popkin which adds to the mood and atmosphere of the scenes it highlights.
Creature Feature is a fun, entertaining romp of an anthology set at Halloween time making it perfect for a seasonal or party setting viewing. It has a couple of issues but is a nice popcorn horror film which makes it easy to overlook those issues. If brings some scares but not enough to keep casual horror watchers away and the ambiance of it is not of dread, more like a spooky Halloween night. The stories have connections to classic tales making it easily accessible and they are often more than what they seem at first. The look and effects transcend its budget and the spirit of Samhain running through it will capture the attention of most viewers.
It’s yet another recent release From Spirit World Films to add to the Halloween playlist for this year and years to come.