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October 27, 2006: Masters of Horror Still Has Guts
Tobe Hooper, you did it. You started off Masters of Horror: Season 2 with a bang, and set this year's standard: This series still is not for lightweights. I'm actually a bit in shock as I sit here writing this; speechless [er... blogless?] over what I just saw and felt. To say that The Damned Thing was gore-tastic is an understatement. It made some of last year's goriest episodes seem like they were PG-13. (Hellz yeah!)
Following in the footsteps of Hooper's Season 1 entry, Dance of the Dead, The Damned Thing's script is also written by R.C. Matheson. To my pleasant surprise, much like Dance of the Dead, Damned has got that unique, intelligent, poetic meter to it that actually makes Southern draaawls sound artistically stylized. However, Damned definitely parts ways with Dance's romantic, doomed poetry, and opts for a cynically introspective, downright tormenting script. After doing some digging, it's fascinating to learn that Matheson adapted The Damned Thing from a short story by Ambrose Bierce, a 19th-century writer considered by many to be among the ranks of horror pioneers such as H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe. Curiously enough, Bierce has his own doomed history; he literally disappeared off the face of the earth in 1913, which naturally steeps his stories in real-life, historical darkness.
The Damned Thing reminds me very much of Hooper's classic and acclaimed The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, not just because it's set in Texas, but because of the gritty, dank, sickly earth tones and constant cloud of dread stalking every scene. As sick in the head as I have become, I couldn't help but chuckle as the family ate ribs for dinner in the opening scene: Hmm... what exactly is in the sauce? Was that a hard-shelled peppercorn?
It didn't take long at all for the first gore-ridden scenes to set me in constant cringe mode, wondering who would next pick up an inanimate object and use it creatively to express supernatural rage. Let's just say, "It's hammer time" has now taken on a whole new meaning tonight. But I think I may prefer that imagery to loud '80s flight pants.... I dunno, get back to me on that one. Another classic horror film that entered my mind throughout The Damned Thing was fellow Master John Carpenter's The Fog. The atmospheric malevolence, the premise of the fathers' sins destroying the children, and the motivation of greed literally damning a seemingly unassuming town seemed to me like notable parallels between the two stories.
Sean Patrick Flanery's performance as leading man and town sheriff, "Kevin Reddle," was on the same subtle, pensive, intense level as somebody like leading actor Kiefer Sutherland. Flanery's cast mate Marisa Coughlan reminded me a bit of cult star Sheryl Lee [Twin Peaks], which made her estranged character familiar and likable. My new official name for Ted Raimi is "Father Ted Scene-Stealer Raimi." 'Nuff said about the mighty Ted.
Finally, I did learn a couple of life lessons from The Damned Thing that I will take with me. 1) Should I ever decide to remain a resident in a house in which a brutal murder took place, I will definitely get rid of that creepy Felix the Cat clock (it's supposed to be retro chic, not retro creep), and 2) Whenever a Damned Thing is about to hit, the last place I'll wanna be is in a trailer park. Thanks, Tobe, for delivering a killer premiere episode!
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Oct 28, 2006 1:24 AM
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I'm surprised to read such a glowing review for an episode that I thought was plodding, dull, and a downright snore. I think that last season of MOH had some brilliant episodes, along with a couple of mediocre ones, but this one falls below even the worst of last year. Here's hoping the show picks up next week. George Wendt teamed up with John Landis certainly sounds good to me.
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Oct 30, 2006 1:09 AM
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I liked this episode, that hammer scene was pretty gruesome (which I like), but the ending wasn't as good as the rest of the episode.
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Oct 31, 2006 5:01 PM
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>>I'm surprised to read such a glowing review for an episode that I thought was plodding, dull, and a downright snore. I think that last season of MOH had some brilliant episodes, along with a couple of mediocre ones, but this one falls below even the worst of last year. Here's hoping the show picks up next week. George Wendt teamed up with John Landis certainly sounds good to me. Posted by teutonicboytoy
What did you think about last year's Tobe Hooper entry, Dance of the Dead? I know that many people hated that one too, but I loved it.
I plan to lurk in some horror forums around the 'net and see what other fans thought of this episode... I'll follow up with an entry on what I find.
Judging from the previews for next week's episode, I think John Landis will be sticking to sardonically dark humor, which I'm looking forward to. It should be interesting to see "Norm" as a serial killer... Hey Norm, what's in that beer? :o)
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Nov 1, 2006 6:30 PM
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>>I liked this episode, that hammer scene was pretty gruesome (which I like), but the ending wasn't as good as the rest of the episode. Posted by Nessarose
I didn't mind the ending, just because I found it so shocking... even if abruptly shocking, I didn't expect to see it all end so ruthlessly.
Yep, it's "hammer time!" ;o)
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Nov 1, 2006 6:34 PM
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