Masters of Horror

Saw Homecoming two weeks ago in Torino (Italy). Mastepiece of political horror, sharp satire, antiwar manifesto and critic to the cynical political engineering of the actual White House. It was the European premiere and Joe Dante got a ten minutes standing ovation. The movie is linked to previous pieces like The Second Civil War and Small Soldiers, and the glance at actual US politics is not optimistic. Still, he has space for witty humor. Shot in Vancouver in only ten days, with a micro budget, excellent actors and Rob Picardo (the best) it is one example of how vision, intelligence and wit can provide more than a mega budget for an empty blockbuster. With committed liberal and brilliant filmmakers like Joe Dante there is still hope.

Persistence paid off-- I was eagerly looking forward to this series. I have been a fan of horror as a genre for most of my adult life. The genre is so diverse-- ranging from low-brow slasher films to the deeply disturbing and the sublime. This one episode will shake you for a long time. It does have a few shocks which will scare you-- even in the comfort and safety of your own living room. But it also is deeply intense and disturbing in a sinister and cerebral way. Carpenter is a great director who, even when lending his talents to more colloquial fare (such as "Vampires"), still is able to deliver a satisfying film. This chapter in the series is phenomenal. It would not surprise me if this is the reason the series is remembered decades from now. A great horror short film and finally redeems the series and makes its premise true: Carpenter is a master of horror.

Watch this episode. In my area it is available "on demand."

A friend of mine bought vol 1 of season one and I thought: Hmm, maybe this is something like modern Tales From The Crypt or maybe a modern version of Tales From The Darkside so I decided to see one episode, which was Cigarette Burns. Before I borrowed it, my friend said it contained scenes of extreme gore so I thought it would be another ordinary splatter, but I was so wrong. It turned out to be the scariest thing I have ever seen... The violent and gory scenes weren't scary, but the small clips from the movie: "La Fin Absolude de Monde" scared me to death. I can honestly tell you that Cigarette Burns is John Carpenters finest work.

I really recommend this series for all horror fans who are tired of the new ghost films era, this is old school baby!!!! blood , violence , interesting plots and an excellent camera work in the two episodes i have seen. I was really glad that we can enjoy new works from this old masters... for all of you who enjoyed re-animator, Friday the 13, Texas chainsaw (the old one), Halloween, etc etc... But remember, this is old school , so if your kind of horror is the ring and stuff like that, try ghost whisperer or medium. I cant wait to see the works of Carpenter, Argento and Miike , their are my favorite ones. Mckee too, cause May is one of my favorite films.

While Masters of Horror Season 1 came and went with it's share of criticisms, I personally thought it was a clear hit. Sure not every episode was flat out scary or true horror, but then again most movies that come out aren't either. And there in lies why the series works. Some of the top writers of the horror genre combined with the top directors in the genre to provide a series were each episode had a unique flare. Sure some episodes were better than others, but that just how it goes.

Here's my quick thoughts on the series with the episodes ranked as to how I liked them. If looking for a synopsis of each show, look elsewhere.

1. Jennifer - This was Dario Argento at the top of his game and the best thing he's done in years. Steven Weber did an excellent job in the lead role and as the writer of the teleplay. The episode generally creeped me out and it had truly disgusting scenes. The best show of the first season.

2. Cigarette Burns - Most John Carpenter movies provide the view with a slow build of suspense which leads to a final outcome. This episode is no exception. Again one of the better things Carpenter has done in awhile and I love the story concept. The one flaw was the the search for this extremely rare film seemed a bit rushed. Cant help but think this would have made an even better full length film.

3. Deer Woman - A classic example of horror comedy, done only as John Landis can do it. The lead character was great. Almost everything about the episode just clicked.

4. Incident On and Off a Mountain Road - A clever story based off a Joe Lansdale tale, directed by Don Coscarelli. It's great to see a strong female lead and one that may be more twisted than the serial killer she takes on.

5. The Fair Haired Child - A Lovecraftian type story that really surprised me. The creature in this one was incredible. Directed by William Butler and was far better than the few movies his done.

6. The Pick Me Up - The man who bought us ultra campy horror movies in the 70's & 80's, Larry Cohen puts together a solid episode pitting a girl against two deranged serial killers.

7. Haeckel's Tale - Taken from a story from Clive Barker (which is again very Lovecraftian) and directed by John McNaughton. Definitely some very disturbing scenes but a fairly interesting episode none the less.

8. Dance of the Dead - Tobe Hooper directed this episode, and it really a far cry from what he normally does. Very MTV video style. Nice twist.

9. Dreams in the Witch House - Stuart Gordon does HP Lovecraft as only he can. A twisted little story that updates the story for modern times.

10. Sick Girl - An odd tale by Lucky McKee that loaded with dark humor. A nice concept.

11. The Homecoming - Many great horror movies actually have a lot of political subtext. This episode is a flat out slap at the current War in Iraq and the Presidential regime. This one makes you think a bit.

12. Chocolate - I liked the story behind this Mick Garris episode and though it fell apart a little at the end. Overall it's not that bad.