Who was phone?
Creepcast review
Rating – 
My daughter recommended I give this podcast a go. Apparently she listens to this show daily, and she reckons I would like it (and that I should give it a review). I am usually wary of taking recommendations from my kids, because what passes for entertainment now tends to leave me cold. But what the hell. I’ve been wrong on the previous two reviews I’ve written haven’t I?
So what’s it about?
This is an examination of creepypasta stories by YouTube celebrities Wendigoon and MeatCanyon. The former, I know from my kids reverential tones as they recount the spooky investigations he’s done. I haven’t heard of the latter, but I suspect I’m a few decades outside the core fanbase.
Episode one of the podcast delves into the classic “stairs in the woods” stories from the nosleep subreddit. This was an absolutely fantastic alternate reality series of stories that were almost totally believable. Yes, I have a soft spot for them, it was my introduction to this style of writing. The question was then, would these two actually do these stories justice? What is the angle here?
Each episode clocks in the rather hefty 70+mins bracket, with some episodes reaching three hours in length. This is perfect for people who like longer form shows. Personally, depending on the show, I find 80 mins about the maximum before I start looking for something else to listen to.
Is it any good?
I’m sure if you like Wendigoon et al, then you’ll love this podcast. As I listen though, I have to wonder exactly what the point of it is. If it’s a review, then it isn’t very good, because they go way too deep into the stories and essentially spoil the whole thing. It isn’t a traditional reading either, because they aren’t doing that. They are just having a chat. The problem is, is that after listening to this show, then you don’t really need to go and read the original story, because the whole thing has been picked apart, and in some cases thoroughly mocked (deservedly or not).
The hosts come across as rather excitable, bordering on some kind of attention deficit, and whilst I get the my love this stuff, it makes an already long episode even more of a slog. Don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly not the kind of guy who wants stuffy analyses of fiction with no humor whatsoever. I’m a very silly person. When you get to that energy drink addict level of hyperactive rambling, then it may be time to take a breath.
Ultimately, this seems to be some kind of crib sheet about classic creepypasta stories. It reminds me of when my kids used to go on YouTube and watch “kill counts” of horror movies. It just seems to take all the fun out of the experience in exchange for a distilled, soylent green style wafer of excitement.
Final thoughts
If you like creepypasta stories and their ilk, then go to the proper websites and read them. Give them a rating and comment on them, particularly if you come across one called The Musician (by sludgieboy) *ahem*. You will gain nothing from listening to this show, apart from a general overview of the story with all the spoilers left in.
If however, you like the idea of some kind of ersatz book club of popular stories of varying quality, then give this a go. You’ll probably love it.
You can get Creepcast here:
For more great reviews, I recommend GreatPods