Up to now, "Masters of Horror" has been a somewhat lukewarm experience. Each episode is truly independent and it bears the mark of its director...more like a short film, than part of a series. Some episodes, I dare say, have very little to do with horror. Others are, however, extraordinary, horrific adventures.
I'll try to sum up the episodes I've seen by placing them in three, friendly categories. Unfortunately, there are only two episodes which I would whole-heartedly name 'a success, through and through'. These are Argento's "Jenifer" and Carpenter's "Cigarette Burns". The first is a sadistic, nauseating experience, with a great leading lady. It's special because it truly leaves a mark. The second is a very engaging episode, developing some intriguing ideas regarding the world and power of film. It works on the head, this one does.
Most of the episodes are 'so-so'. John Landis' "The Deer Woman" is a fun romp, just that it doesn't fully comply to my interpretation of 'horror'. Still, as I said, it's entertaining. Malone's "Fair Haired Child" (which I had expected to be a mess) was extremely decent, a teeny bit sadistic in a funny sort of way and just creepy enough to stick to you. The first episode, directed by Don Coscarelli, "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" is a fine exercise in style, with a twist. Although it doesn't break any boundaries, it's acceptable. Tobe Hooper's "Dance of the Dead" delivers a fantastic atmosphere, but it just doesn't reach deep enough to leave an imprint on the viewer's retina or elsewhere. "H.P. Lovecraft's Dreams in the Witch-House", directed by Stuart Gordon, is another half silly - half frightening story, with an end that truly feels like cherry on top.
There were two episodes which simply left me numb - in the worst way possible. First, Mick Garris' "Chocolate" which is as horror as "The Shining" is comedy. It's tedious and totally uneventful, as it builds up for a decent idea to end it all. Yet, it remains a bore for me. The other episode - and I know quite a few will disagree - is Joe Dante's "Homecoming". Now, I'm not dumb (or so I trust) and I understand that it's supposed to be a satire. But it's just too political and straight-forward and I felt like a bit of an idiot, having to check in all those 'hints' at you know who. The episode is far from scary and even though I appreciate the basic idea (dead soldiers coming back to life in order to vote - just brilliant!) the way it was all put together is simply lousy.
So that's the way I saw it to the present day, 15th of January 2006. In general, there's always a hint of an interesting idea in every episode and each one is different from the other in several regards. I admit I'm quite excited to see how the last few episodes turn out. Try to watch them even if you haven't watched any other episode until now, there's nothing to worry about. And chances are, it'll be time well spent.
I'll try to sum up the episodes I've seen by placing them in three, friendly categories. Unfortunately, there are only two episodes which I would whole-heartedly name 'a success, through and through'. These are Argento's "Jenifer" and Carpenter's "Cigarette Burns". The first is a sadistic, nauseating experience, with a great leading lady. It's special because it truly leaves a mark. The second is a very engaging episode, developing some intriguing ideas regarding the world and power of film. It works on the head, this one does.
Most of the episodes are 'so-so'. John Landis' "The Deer Woman" is a fun romp, just that it doesn't fully comply to my interpretation of 'horror'. Still, as I said, it's entertaining. Malone's "Fair Haired Child" (which I had expected to be a mess) was extremely decent, a teeny bit sadistic in a funny sort of way and just creepy enough to stick to you. The first episode, directed by Don Coscarelli, "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" is a fine exercise in style, with a twist. Although it doesn't break any boundaries, it's acceptable. Tobe Hooper's "Dance of the Dead" delivers a fantastic atmosphere, but it just doesn't reach deep enough to leave an imprint on the viewer's retina or elsewhere. "H.P. Lovecraft's Dreams in the Witch-House", directed by Stuart Gordon, is another half silly - half frightening story, with an end that truly feels like cherry on top.
There were two episodes which simply left me numb - in the worst way possible. First, Mick Garris' "Chocolate" which is as horror as "The Shining" is comedy. It's tedious and totally uneventful, as it builds up for a decent idea to end it all. Yet, it remains a bore for me. The other episode - and I know quite a few will disagree - is Joe Dante's "Homecoming". Now, I'm not dumb (or so I trust) and I understand that it's supposed to be a satire. But it's just too political and straight-forward and I felt like a bit of an idiot, having to check in all those 'hints' at you know who. The episode is far from scary and even though I appreciate the basic idea (dead soldiers coming back to life in order to vote - just brilliant!) the way it was all put together is simply lousy.
So that's the way I saw it to the present day, 15th of January 2006. In general, there's always a hint of an interesting idea in every episode and each one is different from the other in several regards. I admit I'm quite excited to see how the last few episodes turn out. Try to watch them even if you haven't watched any other episode until now, there's nothing to worry about. And chances are, it'll be time well spent.