ATTENSION AUSSIE SCHMOES: "Masters Of Horror" Series Coming In May!!!

[Terror Australis]

Hey fellow Aussies schmoes,

I'm just letting you guys know that I was reading my new Austar guide the other day and it said the horror T.V. series Masters of Horror, which features one hour films directed by the best in horror, will premiere on the channel Showtime Movies on Austar/Foxtel on Friday May the 19th and every other Friday after for the next six weeks. We will get ALL 13 episodes (including Takashi Miike's controversal episode Imprint, which never aired in the U.S.) and the best part is we don't get one but TWO episodes every friday. The first two to air will be John Carpenter's Cigarette's Burns and Mick Garris's Chocolate.

I, for one, an absolutely excitied by this news and I can't to watch (and tape) the episodes. It's gonna be a blast!


What do you Aussie schmoes think of the news?

P.S. Sorry about the typo on the word "attention", my bad.

[p1phillips]

Yeah, I'm thrilled Showtime is screening this. I usually go for after work drinks on Friday, but I'll be coming home so that I can watch/tape the episodes. I'm especially looking forward to "Incident On And Off A Dark Road" (I hope that's the correct title), which I've heard some good things about.

[Terror Australis]

Well I have seen the first two episodes of Masters of Horror in Australia, here are my quick reviews of them both....


John Carpenter's Cigarette Burns

This was great episode, well deserved of the hype that it got. It was well written, well acted (Udo Kier had the best lines) and had some pretty good intense scenes and gore (especially in one scene, you KNOW what I'm talking about). While I was expected a little bit more from it but it's great to way to start off the series in Australia. John Carpenter is back!

My rating:

Cigarette Burns - 4/5

P.S. Is it just me or did anyone get In the Mouth of Madness vibe from this episode?

....and....

Mick Garris's Chocolate

This episode was okay but so-so. While it has a really good performance by Henry Thomas, solid T&A and some funny scenes (Matt Frewer steals every scene he is in) but what let's it down is a predicable plot, occasional bad dialogue and also it's not really that intense or scary. I thought that premise was interesting but I felt that it could have been expolred a little bit more.

My rating:

Chocolate - 2.5/5

NEXT EPISODES: Don Coscarelli's Incident On and Off a Mountain Road and Dario Argento's Jenifer.


What did Aussie schmoes (who seen the show) think of the first two episodes?

[Terror Australis]

Here's my quick reviews of episodes 3 & 4....


Don Coscarelli's Incident On and Off a Mountain Road

I had a good time with episode. It was well directed, intense and fun. The cast all gave great perfomances, especially Agnus Schimm as the very crazy "Buddy" and Ethan Embry was intense as "Ellen's" suvival expert husband "Bruce", and way it was shot it felt like a movie than a T.V. show. What let's it down, only slightly, are those moments I like to call MacGuyver moments:D and everything after the "twist" ending felt a little odd. All in all definitely one of the best episodes so far, for me, this season. Also "Moonface" was a kickass villain.

My rating:

Incident On And Off A Mountain Road - 4/5

....and....

Dario Argento's Jenifer

This episode was gross, not bcause of gore (which was great) but of the character of "Jenifer" herself. There were a couple of times during episode were I couldn't help but just made cringe and go "eww" every time her face would come on screen:D . Carrie Anne Fleming did a good job in the role of "Jenifer" but Steven Weber was a bit "on and off" in the role of policeman "Frank" (he also wrote the episode's script; I think he especially loved writing his part if you know what I mean;)). While the direction isn't as visually flashy as his feature films, Argento does a solid job even if the script isn't really up to scratch but it is a entertaining episode and T & A was good as well(thoe I would have personally have put a paperbag of "Jenifer's" head first:D). Overall a good episode, great score too.

My rating:

Jenifer - 3/5


NEXT EPISODES: Joe Dante's Homecoming and Tobe Hooper's Dance of the Dead.

[Terror Australis]

Here's my quick reviews of episodes 5 & 6....


Joe Dante's Homecoming

Wow, what a great episode. This has to be the most quality episode so far. While it's not scary but it a biting (no pun intended:D ) political staire that doesn't pussy out by protesting against the Iraq war, U.S. President George W. Bush and his administration (both are never mentioned but you definitely can tell that's who they are referring to) instead it goes right to the throat (again, no pun intended:D). All actors give great performaces (Thea Gill is excellent as the very bitchy "Jane Cleaver") and the script is very smart, clever and witty. If you thought that Fahrenheit 9/11 (5/5) was the ultimate "hate letter" to Bush than you ain't seen nothing yet. Great zombies too.

My rating:

Homecoming - 4.5/5

....and....

Tobe Hooper's Dance of the Dead

This episode wasn't all that good. While the idea for it was interesting but unfortunately it is letdown by a very weak script, occasionally annoying editing and bad performances by the cast. On the plus side it is beautifully shot, has solid production design and an excellent performance by Robert Englund as the Doom Room's twisted M.C. It is definitely the weakest entry in the series so far. Also, is it just me or did anyone get the feeling that the episode was directed by Tony Scott rather than Tobe Hooper?

My rating:

Dance Of The Dead - 2/5


NEXT EPISODES: Stuart Gordon's Dreams in the Witch House and Lucky McKee's Sick Girl.

[Tagia_Romero]

Gack. It's on Austar? Dang. :p

[Terror Australis]

Here's my quick reviews of episodes 7 & 8....


Stuart Gordon's Dreams in the Witch-House

This episode got a lot of praise from everyone who has seen it, I thought it was good but I don't think that it is good that everyone made it out to be. I felt that there could have more to it also the score got a annoying at times and the scenes towards the end were pretty disturbing to me. That doesn't mean that wasn't things I did like about it. Ezra Godden gave a solid perfomance as the lead, there were scenes that gave me chills (The "human-faced" rat. Burr....), great atmosphere and it gets some kudos for ending it the way it did. It was good, but not great. Great appearance by the Necronomicon from the Evil Dead films:D.

My rating:

Dreams In The Witch-House - 3/5

....and....

Lucky McKee's Sick Girl

This episode was a pleasant surpise. While it isn't the slightest bit scary but I still found it really enjoyable quirky, off-beat tale. Angela Bettis and Erin Brown are both fantasic in their roles (Bettis definitely stood out with her delightful "over the top but yet not" performance as the insect lovin' "Ida"), the supporting cast were great, some great "cringe" moments (the ear! THE EAR!:D) and the script was full of witt (the Chinese restaurant scene was hilarious:D). The animatronic bug/creature designs were very well made. The only downside really the plot structure was a bit similar to the director's debut film May (4.5/5) and also, again, it's not scary. A very fun episode all round!

My rating:

Sick Girl - 3.5/5


NEXT EPISODES: John Landis' Deer Woman and William Malone's The Fair-Haired Child.

[Terror Australis]

Here's my quick reviews of episodes 9 & 10....


John Landis' Deer Woman

This was a good episode. While it didn't play for scares (funny enough, the beginning actually gave me the first "jump scare" in the series so far:D) but it makes up for it by just by being very funny. Brian Benben was great as "Dwight Faraday", the police detective who is assigned to the murders that might the commited by a mythological creature known as the "Deer Woman" (who is so very, very hot by the way;)). The supporting cast was solid and the humour and the one-liners were right on the money. Unfortunately what let's it down thoe is that idea of the "Deer Woman" was very interesting but I felt that it didn't explore it enough. Also the plot was pretty predictible and didn't like how it just "ends". Overall it's not great but it is still an entertaining episode. Great reference to An American Werewolf in London.

My rating:

Deer Woman - 3.5/5

....and....

William Malone's The Fair-Haired Child

This was very well-made, creepy episode. It would have to be one of the most visually stunning episodes of the series because it was full of atmosphere and dread. The cast all gave really good performances (Lori Petty as "Judith" was the stand out for me; it's great to see her back on screen again), the direction was great, the script was well-written and a had a pretty good score too. The creature design on "the fair-haired child" was very well done, it is was definitely very creepy creature. While the did see the "twists and turns" of the plot coming, in the end was still a great episode that is up there with the best of the series.

My rating:

The Fair-Haired Child - 4/5


NEXT (AND FINAL) EPISODES: Larry Cohen's Pick Me Up, John McNaughton's Haeckel's Tale and Takashi Miike's Imprint.

[Terror Australis]

Here's my final quick reviews of episodes 11, 12 & 13....


Larry Cohen's Pick Me Up

I really enjoyed this episode. It was fun, fast-paced and Michael Moriarty and Warren Kole are both great in their roles as the serial killers who fight over the same next victim (Fairuza Balk). The main thing I liked about this one was the premise. Out of all episodes in season 1, this one got my attention the most 'cause I found it very interesting and luckily I wasn't disappointed. On the downside thoe I thought Fairuza Balk character was a bit under-developed, if I had more of her back-story I would have cared about her more and some of the dialogue can be bad at times. All and all, it was a good episode.

My rating:

Pick Me Up - 3.5/5

....and....

John McNaughton's Haeckel's Tale

This would have to be one of the better written episodes. The script was very well-written, not just had a very good premise but it had solid character development. The cast all gave really great performances and McNaughton's direction was very good as well. The make-up/animatronic effects were well done and decent T & A too:D. While the story was pretty slow-paced but it didn't bother me so much. Was there anything I didn't like? Well, I can't think of anything really, the only I can think of is that the "undead dog" just look too hokey to be taken seriously. Other than that, I have no complaints. Overall, a great episode.

My rating:

Haeckel's Tale - 4/5

....and finally, the one you've been waiting for....

Takashi Miike's Imprint

After I watched this episode the first four words that came to my mind were, "That was fucked up!", and believe me it truely is. This would have to be the most disturbing, chilling and scariest episode of the entire first season hands down. I can see why episode was never shown in the U.S. 'cause it is very unnerving and creepy. There were images and scenes that sent chills up my spine and I was shocked by what I was seeing on screen. The "torture" scene was so hard to watch that it had on the edge of my seat but what follows after that is some fucked-up shit. One of the things I liked about it was that the script was so unpreditable that it just kept shocking me, I'd tell you what happens but I don't want to give anything away....you to see it yourself. Miike direction is outstanding, the score was great and the cinematography was excellent. What let's it down unfortunately are two things. First, the first 25 mintues are slow but once it get's going it really get's going and second, of course, is the acting. While I thought that Youki Kudoh was good as the "Woman" but the Japanese supporting cast had a hard time with their broken-English accents (it would have been better if their dialogue was in Japanese with English sub-titles) and Billy Drago's performance was just over top (Rutger Hauer, who was originally cast in the role but dropped out, would have given a better performance). In the end, this was intense experience, something I won't forget for a while and that's what made it a really great episode. A must see.

My rating:

Imprint - 4.5/5


Well that's it for season 1 of Masters of Horror for me, I enjoyed it and all I can say now is....BRING ON SEASON 2!!!

Also, my top 13 of the Masters of Horror episodes....

13. Tobe Hooper's DANCE OF THE DEAD - 2/5
12. Mick Garris' CHOCOLATE - 2.5/5
11. Dario Argento's JENIFER - 3/5
10. Stuart Gordon's DREAMS IN THE WITCH-HOUSE - 3/5
9. Larry Coen's PICK ME UP - 3.5/5
8. Lucky McKee's SICK GIRL - 3.5/5
7. John Landis' DEER WOMAN - 3.5/5
6. John McNaughton's HAECKEL'S TALE - 4/5
5. William Malone's THE FAIR-HAIRED CHILD - 4/5
4. Don Coscarelli's INCIDENT ON AND OFF A MOUNTAIN ROAD - 4/5
3. John Carpenter's CIGARETTE BURNS - 4/5
2. Takashi Miike's IMPRINT - 4.5/5
1. Joe Dante's HOMECOMING - 4.5/5