A group of criminals seeks refuge in an old fort, guarded by three young women. They soon discover something awful lurks inside the fort and suspect that surviving the night my be their top priority.
Unfortunately for this episode, it has the job of being the defining moment for "Fear Itself". For those who had grown used to "Masters of Horror", we placed our hopes into this new series that the creators could pull off the same magic with the new restrictions. And in many respects, this just wasn't possible, causing the episode to be judged harder than subsequent entries will be.
The nudity is toned down, the vulgarity is squashed and even the blood flow is diminished (Walter Phelan, who played the vampire, told me that the producer on set actually made them wipe blood off the actors before a scene was accepted). This, and due to commercials the episodes are going to be shorter. Maybe they will be extended in the DVD release, but judging by the fast pace of this one, I don't hold my breath.
Now, that's not to say the whole thing was a waste. One of my favorite horror actresses, Rachel Miner, takes center stage. I could watch her for hours and this is no exception. She has a very natural acting ability that accents her beauty (whereas all too many actresses use their beauty as a crutch). And there is some moderate gore -- the mouth-stitching scene was pushing the limits by network standards, I thought. And Lemon (who looks like a poor man's Matt Damon), hanging upside down? Well done.
As the series goes on, with plenty more big name directors and horror icons, I'm sure some will be gems and others disposable. This beginning is somewhere in the middle. It leaves something to be desired, but was no less enjoyable and captivating than the average "Masters of Horror" episode. I think things will go well for the show.