Masters of Horror: Complete Season Two
One of the truly great formats for a television show
is the anthology series. Since each week presents a completely different story
the series can remain fresh no matter how long it runs. Some of the most famous
series on television have used this format; just look at ‘CSB Playhouse’, ‘The
Twilight Zone’ and ‘the Outer Limits’. Showtime has picked up on the trend and
taken it to new heights. Since 2005 they have been airing ‘Masters of Horror’.
Many series have deceptive titles but this one tells it straight out. It gathers
some of the best directors and writers in the horror genre and lets them produce
an hour long tale of terror. As with all series like this you are bound to find
some episodes are mediocre while others will become instant favorites. The DVD
releases are all from Anchor Bay / Starz. Initially they released individual
episodes to make it easier to pick and choose the ones you really want.
Ultimately they released a full fourteen disc complete season one box set and a
Blu-ray version in four separate volumes. Now the time has come for pretty much
the same thing for season two. There are nine episode releases already out but
now there is a full season two set with all 13 episodes on eleven discs.
The Damned Thing
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Season 2 episode 1 |
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Directed by: Tobe Hooper |
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Written by: Richard Christian Matheson |
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Original story: Ambrose Bierce |
The writer of this episode is the son of another
master of horror and science fiction, Richard Matherson, the writer of ‘I am
Legend’. Kevin (Sean Patrick Flanery) is a sheriff in a small town. Years ago
his father mysteriously went crazy and killed his mother and then disemboweled
himself. Now Kevin is paranoid that what ever drove his father insane is coming
for him. He has a vast number of security devices and cameras all over his
house. His wife, Dina (Marisa Coughlan) becomes fed up and wants to leave with
their son. Soon, Kevin realizes that the thing is after him.
Family
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Season 2 episode 2 |
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Directed by: John Landis |
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Written by: Brent Hanley |
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Original story: Brent Hanley |
This is one of the more dark comedy slanted episodes.
A couple, David (Matt Keeslar) and his beautiful wife Celia (Meredith Monroe)
have just moved into a quite neighborhood. Their neighbor across the street,
Harold (George Wendt) seems like a nice enough man but he insists on being left
alone. When then accidentially crash into his mailbox they insist he come over
for dinner. It turns out that harmless looking Harold is a serial killer who
boils the flesh off his victims and makes a ‘family’ for himself with the bones.
This is one that is only available in the full season set.
The V Word
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Season 2 episode 3 |
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Directed by: Ernest Dickerson |
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Written by: Mick Garris |
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Original story: Mick Garris |
Two teenaged boys, Kerry (Arjay Smith) and Justin (Branden
Nadon) break into a mortuary for a prank. There they encounter the caretaker,
Mr. Chaney (Michael Ironside) who turns out to be a vampire. One is killed and
the survivor must decide on whether he becomes the next meal or join the ranks
of the undead.
Sounds Like
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Season 2 episode 4 |
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Director: Brad Anderson |
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Screenplay: Brad Anderson |
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Original Story: Mike O’Driscoll |
Larry Pearce (Chris Bauer) wants little more than to
live a quiet life. He works as a quality control supervisor for a computer
support firm, monitoring the calls made to the technicians. If Larry thinks a
tech is about to loose his cool he terminates the call. He also is responsible
for keeping the calls short, to the point and profitable. Not long before the
episode begins Larry and his wife Brenda (Laura Margolis) lost their son Michael
(Nicholas Elia) in an accident. Since then Larry has become more sullen and
withdrawn while Brenda is obsessed with getting pregnant. Larry starts to notice
just how loud sounds have been lately. Even the most insignificant sounds are
perceived by Larry as booming noise. Larry has always had good hearing but now
he can hear the whispers of co-workers behind his back. The beep of the smoke
alarm at home is a horrible siren and his wife’s knitting is sounds to him like
metal rods in a factory.
Pro-Life
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Season 2 episode 5 |
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Directed by: John Carpenter |
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Written by: Drew McWeeny, Scott Swan |
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Original story: Drew McWeeny, Scott Swan |
This is another episode that is only available with
the full season set. Angelique (Caitlin Wachs) was raped by a demon. Her father
Dwayne (Ron Perlman) and three brothers take her to a clinic to have the
pregnancy terminated. The head of the clinic, Dr. Kiefer (Bill Dow) and his
nurse, Kim (Emmanuelle Vaugier) find themselves in a battle not only with the
girl’s family but the demonic father.
Pelts
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Season 2 episode 6 |
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Directed by: Dario Argento |
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Written by: Matt Venne |
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Original story: F. Paul Wilson |
This episode is only available on the full season set.
Jake Feldman (Meat Loaf) is a fur trader looking for raccoon pelts. His plan is
to make a fur coat for a dance at a local bar, Shanna (Ellen Ewusie). He is a
man so you can guess what his intentions actually are. Considering this is a
horror story people wind up dead.
The Screwfly Solution
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Season 2 episode 7 |
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Directed by: Joe Dante |
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Written by: Sam Hamm |
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Original story: Alice Sheldon (aka Raccoona Sheldon) |
This episode is only available with the full season
set. In the near future a virus infects the male population of the world turning
them into psychotic, violent murderers. Anne Alstein (Kerry Norton) notices that
the violence is targeting women. Her husband Alan (Jason Priestley) and his
partner Barney (Elliot Gould) are working on a solution to the problem. They
begin to undercover the true nature of the epidemic but all too late.
Valerie on the Stairs
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Season 2 episode 8 |
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Directed by: Mick Garris |
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Written by: Mick Garris |
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Original story: Mick Garris |
Rob Hanisey (Tyron Leitso) is a writer, or at least he
is trying to become one. They only mail he gets besides overdue bills are
rejection notices. His life seems to be ready to turn around when he is accepted
to live in the Highberger House, a place for struggling writers who can stay
until their first work is published. There he meets Valerie (Clare Grant) who
appears and asks for his help. Soon dead bodies are around him and Rob realizes
that things are not what they seem.
Right to Die
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Season 2 episode 9 |
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Directed by: Rob Schmidt |
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Written by: John Esposito |
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Original story: John Esposito |
A man, Cliff Addison (Martin Donovan) is in a car
accident with his wife Abby (Julia Anderson). She is left in a coma and Cliff
has the most difficult decision to make, whether or not to pull the plug and let
go of her. He has the doctors disconnect Abby but her spirit lives and wages a
vendetta against Cliff.
We All Scream for Ice Cream
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Season 2 episode 10 |
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Directed by: Tom Holland |
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Written by: David Schow |
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Original story: John Farris |
Kent (Brent Sheppard) is a father looking out for his
son. The boy wants to eat some ice cream but dad is strictly against it telling
him that it is no good for him. The boy eats it and melts into a pool of ice
cream. It turns out that years ago Kent was in on a childhood prank that
resulted in the death of the local ice cream vendor. Now the ghost of the man is
out for revenge.
The Black Cat
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Season 2 episode 11 |
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Directed by: Stuart Gordon |
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Written by: Stuart Gordon, Dennis Paoli |
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Original story: Stuart Gordon, Dennis Paoli |
The story has the great horror author Edgar Allan Poe
(Jeffrey Combs) suffering from writer's block and short on cash, tormented by a
black cat that will either destroy his life or inspire him to write one of his
most famous stories.
The Washingtonians
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Season 2 episode 12 |
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Director: Peter Medak |
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Screenplay: Richard Chizmar, Jonathon Schaech |
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Original Story: Bentley Little |
Mike Franks (Johnathon Schaech) has just inherited an
old southern house from his recently deceased grandmother. He decides to take
his wife, Pam (Venus Terzo) and their ten year old daughter Amy (Julia Tortolano)
to visit the home as he works out the probate. When they get there they are
greeted by an elderly man, Sam (Myron Natwick) who despite his affected southern
charm is very creepy indeed. Amy is a very easily frightened child, just about
scared of her own shadow. Trying to prove to herself that she is brave she
ventures down to the basement and is frightened by a face in the shadows. The
parents rush in to see that it is only a painting of George Washington. It fails
to the floor and rips slightly revealing something behind the canvas. It is a
letter, presumably written by Washington himself, detailing the fact that he was
a cannibal.
Dream Cruise
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Season 2 episode 13 |
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Directed by: Norio Tsuruta |
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Written by: Norio Tsuruta, Naoya Takayama |
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Original story: Norio Tsuruta, Naoya Takayama |
Jack Miller (Daniel Gillies), an American lawyer
working in Tokyo, has fallen in love with Yuri (Yoshino Kimura), the wife of his
most valued client, Eiji (Ryo Ishibashi). Despite Jack's deep-rooted fear of the
sea due to an accident that killed his brother. Jack finds out that destiny
awaits and it is not good.
This is horror at its best and a must have for any
serious fan of the genre. The four episodes not available in single disc
releases are on a dual sided DVD. All of the others are the same as the single
disc releases including episode specific extras. The discs are packaged in a
little human skull. You pull off the top and the discs are there. You have to be
careful since this means of packaging is prone to scratching the discs. Overall
this is one to get.
Posted 06/26/08
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