Mestres do Terror

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."

I find that "Masters of horror" is a good continuation of the style of independent short horror stories that was the trademark of "Tales of the crypt" (among others). They share many similarities, one of which is the very irregular overall quality, with some remarkable episodes that are scary fun to watch many times, and others that are simply embarrassing to watch as episodes of a show that is supposed to bring you the best of horror by many film-makers who earned a reputation in this genre; but still, most have some redeeming quality, be it the irresistible campiness, a good story (though badly developed), or decent acting. There were few episodes which I personally found boring (having said this, I would advise anyone to stay away from "Chocolate").

Some episodes feel a little too long, while others ("Deer woman", remarkably) would have benefited from a good quarter of an hour more of running time. Most have at least some gore, many have varying degrees of dark humor, and there's a good amount of sexy contents, too. What stands out most and links this show to the aforementioned "Tales from the crypt" is that most episodes have this underlying feeling of poetic justice and that the "bad guys" get what they deserve, which is quite refreshing.

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.

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.

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.