I've just come back from the Torino Film Festival, and was thus able to check out a few episodes that have yet to be screened in the U.S. I thought I'd write down a few quick notes just to highlight the treats that are up for Showtime viewers.
I was able to see - projected on a big screen in HD - the episodes directed by Landis, Dante, Argento, Hooper, Garris and Coscarelli. And the first thing to say is each one of them would deserve an individual spot here on IMDb. Although it kinda makes sense to review the pilot of most TV series, on this particular one that is a big mistake: the whole point of this format, created by Mick Garris out of a series of friendly dinners with fellow horror directors, is there's no conceptual format. Yes, each episode is a horror, and yes, each episode is about 1-hour. But that's as far as the format goes: each episode is distinctly personal, and only reflects the style of its author-director. Judging the series as a whole is therefore pointless.
That said, all the episodes I've seen are really worth watching and much above average television. You've already been able to see Hooper's disturbing "Dance of the Dead" segment, Coscarelli's fast-paced "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" and Argento's sickeningly sexy "Jenifer", of course. Be sure not to miss Landis', Garris' and especially Dante's episodes when they air.
John Landis's "Deer Woman" is a radical development of the whole premise behind such a classic as "An American Werewolf in London". The idea on that film was giving the werewolf myth a realistic, almost everyday spin to make it scary again in spite of tons of bad werewolf movies. "Deer Woman" does the same, only the premise is even more outrageous, because the monster is something you're unlikely to having heard about before: a creature half woman and half deer which seduces men and then kicks and tramples them to death. With such a ridiculous premise, you'd never believe a filmmaker could produce the smallest shiver in any average viewer. The fact that "Deer Woman" does, without relying on any established movie myth, is a tribute to Landis' (John, but also his son Max, who wrote the screenplay) deep knowledge of how horror movies work. Without even the slightest hint of parody, this film is funny *and* scary and a triumph of what is called suspension of disbelief. Great performances by former "Dream On" star Brian Benben and heart-stopping newcomer Cinthia Moura.
Mick Garris's "Chocolate" is based on a "Twilight Zone" like premise: a guy suddenly starts sharing a stranger woman's senses - it all starts with sounds, and then it becomes images and event tactile feelings. This lures him into an obsession which is very similar to love but also has a strong potential for tragedy. Kind of an ultimate "amour fou", this is quite a bizarre, yet moving, love story that you'll find both involving and desperate.
Joe Dante's segment was acclaimed by thunderous applause at the festival, and it is the most overtly political. I wish someone would dare doing a similar film on our (Italian) administration: "Homecoming" deals openly with how Iraqi war was based on the blatant lie of Mass Destruction Weapons that were found not to exist, and has dead marines coming back from their graves as zombies to let the Bush administration know what they think of its lies. The President is actually never mentioned in person: but the clues are so crystal-clear one couldn't miss even if he tried hard. Witty and bitterly cynical, this is a film a Billy Wilder might have made if he was interested in horror. It should be a must-see for anyone who's voted for the current administration - and also for anyone who thinks horror cannot deal with important issues.
I am dying to see the next episodes.
(update of april 26th, 2006)
At last I was able to see "Imprint", the 13th episode in this 12 episode series, and the one that was deemed too gruesome to actually be aired on US television. It was screened, however, in the UK (albeit with some cuts, or so they say) and on a big screen at the Italian "Far East Film Festival" - which makes sense since it's directed by Takashi Miike. You can't help but admire this man's portentous energy: he keeps cranking out movie after movie after movie, and he does so without giving any impression of fatigue, or of cutting corners. True, "Imprint" does have a couple of very long, static, takes that effortlessly beef up the final footage: but they work that way, and contribute notably to the result. In spite of some dialog that sounds annoyingly literate (and it's mostly over-acted, which does not help) this episode is strong on atmosphere since its very beginning, with the main character being carried on a heavily charged boat on eerie waters. Not all of the story makes a lot of sense, but neither does expecting logic from a horror film. This one has a typically Miikian torture scene which is sure to make anyone cringe (it involves, just so you know what you'll have to endure as a watcher, suspension bondage and needles under fingernails and gums), and a freak-happy ending that is quite disturbing, in a silly kind of way. I saw a version that allegedly was slightly cut, but - surprisingly - was a little longer than the average MoH episode, running up to a little more than 1h.
I was able to see - projected on a big screen in HD - the episodes directed by Landis, Dante, Argento, Hooper, Garris and Coscarelli. And the first thing to say is each one of them would deserve an individual spot here on IMDb. Although it kinda makes sense to review the pilot of most TV series, on this particular one that is a big mistake: the whole point of this format, created by Mick Garris out of a series of friendly dinners with fellow horror directors, is there's no conceptual format. Yes, each episode is a horror, and yes, each episode is about 1-hour. But that's as far as the format goes: each episode is distinctly personal, and only reflects the style of its author-director. Judging the series as a whole is therefore pointless.
That said, all the episodes I've seen are really worth watching and much above average television. You've already been able to see Hooper's disturbing "Dance of the Dead" segment, Coscarelli's fast-paced "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" and Argento's sickeningly sexy "Jenifer", of course. Be sure not to miss Landis', Garris' and especially Dante's episodes when they air.
John Landis's "Deer Woman" is a radical development of the whole premise behind such a classic as "An American Werewolf in London". The idea on that film was giving the werewolf myth a realistic, almost everyday spin to make it scary again in spite of tons of bad werewolf movies. "Deer Woman" does the same, only the premise is even more outrageous, because the monster is something you're unlikely to having heard about before: a creature half woman and half deer which seduces men and then kicks and tramples them to death. With such a ridiculous premise, you'd never believe a filmmaker could produce the smallest shiver in any average viewer. The fact that "Deer Woman" does, without relying on any established movie myth, is a tribute to Landis' (John, but also his son Max, who wrote the screenplay) deep knowledge of how horror movies work. Without even the slightest hint of parody, this film is funny *and* scary and a triumph of what is called suspension of disbelief. Great performances by former "Dream On" star Brian Benben and heart-stopping newcomer Cinthia Moura.
Mick Garris's "Chocolate" is based on a "Twilight Zone" like premise: a guy suddenly starts sharing a stranger woman's senses - it all starts with sounds, and then it becomes images and event tactile feelings. This lures him into an obsession which is very similar to love but also has a strong potential for tragedy. Kind of an ultimate "amour fou", this is quite a bizarre, yet moving, love story that you'll find both involving and desperate.
Joe Dante's segment was acclaimed by thunderous applause at the festival, and it is the most overtly political. I wish someone would dare doing a similar film on our (Italian) administration: "Homecoming" deals openly with how Iraqi war was based on the blatant lie of Mass Destruction Weapons that were found not to exist, and has dead marines coming back from their graves as zombies to let the Bush administration know what they think of its lies. The President is actually never mentioned in person: but the clues are so crystal-clear one couldn't miss even if he tried hard. Witty and bitterly cynical, this is a film a Billy Wilder might have made if he was interested in horror. It should be a must-see for anyone who's voted for the current administration - and also for anyone who thinks horror cannot deal with important issues.
I am dying to see the next episodes.
(update of april 26th, 2006)
At last I was able to see "Imprint", the 13th episode in this 12 episode series, and the one that was deemed too gruesome to actually be aired on US television. It was screened, however, in the UK (albeit with some cuts, or so they say) and on a big screen at the Italian "Far East Film Festival" - which makes sense since it's directed by Takashi Miike. You can't help but admire this man's portentous energy: he keeps cranking out movie after movie after movie, and he does so without giving any impression of fatigue, or of cutting corners. True, "Imprint" does have a couple of very long, static, takes that effortlessly beef up the final footage: but they work that way, and contribute notably to the result. In spite of some dialog that sounds annoyingly literate (and it's mostly over-acted, which does not help) this episode is strong on atmosphere since its very beginning, with the main character being carried on a heavily charged boat on eerie waters. Not all of the story makes a lot of sense, but neither does expecting logic from a horror film. This one has a typically Miikian torture scene which is sure to make anyone cringe (it involves, just so you know what you'll have to endure as a watcher, suspension bondage and needles under fingernails and gums), and a freak-happy ending that is quite disturbing, in a silly kind of way. I saw a version that allegedly was slightly cut, but - surprisingly - was a little longer than the average MoH episode, running up to a little more than 1h.