Creepshow began life in 1982 as a movie from George Romero and Stephen King which paid homage to classic horror comics like Tales From the Crypt, The Vault of Horror, and The Haunt of Fear. More recently it’s reemerged as a series on the horror streaming service, Shudder, part of the AMC networks, which Universal already has a relationship with for their Walking Dead attraction.

Creepshow HHN 2019
Preview night at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood September 9, 2019. Photo by David Sprague

Universal Studios has done an amazing job capturing the look and feel of Creepshow for Halloween Horror Nights 2019. The house has taken elements from both the 1982 film and the new Shudder series. Split into five different stories, you’re escorted through each one by The Creep, Creepshow’s equivalent of The Cryptkeeper.

The Scenes:

In Father’s Day, a cruel, wealthy patriarch murdered by his long-suffering daughter rises from the grave as a maggot-infested corpse to take revenge on his inheritors.

They’re Creeping Up On You sees an eccentric billionaire in a hermetically-sealed “germ proof” Manhattan penthouse apartment who experiences a terrifying pest problem during a citywide blackout.

Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights employee preview, Sept. 9, 2019. (Photo/Michael Owen Baker)

In Bad Wolf Down, a decimated American army platoon overwhelmed by the German army during World War II unexpectedly turns into a pack of werewolves during a full moon.

In The Crate, an unlucky janitor at a small East Coast college finds a long-forgotten shipping crate containing a ravenous beast that’s been hibernating for over a hundred years.

Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights employee preview, Sept. 9, 2019. (Photo/Michael Owen Baker)

Gray Matter tells the story of an alcoholic factory worker who unknowingly ingests a strange mutagen in his beer that unleashes an alien fungus that takes over his rundown apartment and his entire body.

Is It Worth The Wait?

The level of detail in the set and costumes is fantastic. As I mentioned in my previous article covering the Killer Klowns From Outer Space house, I don’t scare easily. But there were definitely a few times I got startled, which is always a bonus for me. Walking through this maze definitely made me want to check out the new series.

Creepshow at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood
Preview night at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood September 9, 2019. Photo by David Sprague

This house really leaned into the comic book theme. When you walk into the maze you’re literally walking into the book. Then as you progress through the house, each of the stories is introduced by its title page. There were certain spots where the carpet was wet and you felt it squishing under your feet. Other rooms had very distinct odors that played right into everything you were seeing around you.

If I had to complain about something, it’s the partitions that break up the rooms. If you’ve ever been in a haunted house, you know what I’m talking about. The black or clear vinyl curtains between sections. I understand why it’s there. I know it’s purpose, but it’s never really felt like part of the scene. It always feels like it’s there because it needs to be. It doesn’t take anything away, but it just feels. . . off. Like the exit signs. You know why they exist, but it takes you out of the scene for a moment.

So is it worth waiting in line for it? Absolutely. Creepshow does an amazing job of pulling you into that world and keeping you there for the duration of the house.