Masters of Horror

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."

Okay, so I'm a Lovecraft freak, so what? There's lots of us out there....lurking. Okay, I'll add the Clive Barker episode, too (Haekler's Tale). Well, I personally thought that one was really Lovecraftian, too. Okay, first, Dreams in the Witch House. Not too bad. Pretty typical Stuart Gordon (particularly with changing most of the story). The main character, Ezra Godden seems to be able to hold his own in the acting arena, so I imagine die-hard Combs fans won't die outright. It worked. Since that was such a short story, it all fit into the alloted episode time, without leaving out too much. Overall, it was a pretty good adaption, so all you Lovecraft fans won't be disappointed.

Now, Onto Haekler's Tale. The HPL influence is really strong in some modern writer's material. This is no exception to the rule. The setting was done really well, and the mood, nice and evil.

It's to bad this series was canceled. It was very good for a horror series and there was plenty of good episodes.

It's too bad so many people prefer "Loser TV" (aka reality shows). Get a life, losers! TV is to entertain people, not point and laugh at the misfortune of others. I don't know about the rest of you out there, but I for one and very sick of seeing the EXACT SAME THING with different names clogging up channel after channel.

And, yes, this is relevant. Good shows get canceled, because everyone seems to want 5 different versions of American Idol.

I just recently watched three episodes (I still haven't seen "jenifer" unfortunately) but I thought I would share my thoughts about the series like everyone else posted here. Big fan of most of these directors so i was really anticipating this show (can't wait for Dante's and especially Carpenter's).

"Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" was an interesting take on the whole victim\victimizer story that turns the clichéd format on its' head by delving into some pretty heavy stuff concerning violence and its' traumatic affects on its' victims. Liked the subtle moments suggesting early into the episode that Ethan Embry's character is a racist tyrant psychopath. Well made. I give it an A.

"Dreams in The Witch House" is so both unsettling and amusing (that rat kills me). I always love how Lovecraft can make you question what we see as reality as opposed to the real unexplainable horror that exists everyday on this planet and how if things like this really happened, no one would believe you no matter the evidence. I guess the truth can be too horrible which lies at the center of this story. I don't think I have anything but high praise for this one. Another first rate adaptation by Stuart Gordon with some great performances. A+.

"Dance of the Dead", from what I read here, is the most divided among the fans but I think it's pure Hooper: Sick, Outrageous, and off the map. What always strikes me about Hooper's work is that for better or worse he always seems to be careening out of control which can be satisfying to horror fans (for his fearlessness to just go for it) or for a lot of people, grating. I did think that motion cam thing was a bit overused but other than that I was really impressed with this one. Although Englund has been good in other Hooper offerings, I would say this is the best of their collaborations overall. Some really funny and horrible things in here as well as an amusing commentary on our preoccupation with sex, drugs and "enteratinment" (we all kept watching didn't we?). Those dances on stage reminded me of Bumfights or boxing or any other form of twisted spectacle people can't get enough of. My kind of horror. B+.

"Jenifer" is reportedly based on a graphic novel by bruce jones and bernie wrightson. It tells the story of a Cop's obsession for a demonic woman with one messed up face. The actress is hot and there is a fair amount of T& A in this episode as well as one pretty twisted castration sequence. Like "Jenifer's" face this one's pretty messed up. B

"Chocolate" is so far the least satisfying in my opinion, chronicling a lonely, recently divorced man (Henry Thomas, who's pretty good in this), suddenly sharing the same experiences of a woman he's never met. Intriguing premise, some amusing bits but ultimately unsatisfying. The concept never seems to fully generate into anything mindblowing or eerie. It all just kind of seems bland. C

I like what I've seen here. I guess it helps if you're a fan of horror and these filmmakers. I myself have never been that blown away by the types of Horror pictures that just feature stuff jumping out at you. I'm much more interested in seeing original works that go a little deeper into the really sick and horrible facts of life.

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.

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.