This short-lived, 2008 series, considered by many to be an unofficial 3rd season of Masters of Horror, comes from some of the same creators, with each episode directed by a different director of the genre. Slightly toned down because it aired on a commercial station rather than on premium cable, the series still delivers a good number of satisfying episodes and features plenty of familiar faces. Here’s the breakdown of each episode with mention of which are my faves.
Episode 1 – The Sacrifice
Director: Breck Eisner (The Crazies remake)
Four criminals hide out at an isolated location in the snow, where three sisters care for them. However, the men soon discover there’s a freaky creature hungry for their blood. It’s a strong episode to start the series.
Episode 2 – Spooked
Director: Brad Anderson (Vanishing On 7th Street)
Eric Roberts plays a P.I. who gets hired by a woman to stake out her cheating husband from an abandoned house across the street. Turns out something sinister is messing with him and forcing him to face his past. The varying plot points are a mess and totally disjointed, making for a really weak narrative.
Episode 3 – Family Man
Director: Ronny Yu (Freddy vs. Jason, Bride of Chucky)
This is a familiar plot. After a car accident, a man ends up swapping minds with a serial killer! He has to figure out a way to save his family from the killer before he is executed in the serial killer’s body.
Episode 4 – In Sickness and in Health
Director: John Landis (An American Werewolf In London)
Right before her wedding, a bride gets a note saying her groom is a serial killer. This is a fun one.
Episode 5 – Eater
Director: Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator)
With master of horror Gordon behind the wheel, it’s no surprise that this a horror rollercoaster ride right from the start. Along with two other cops, Elisabeth Moss is a rookie cop responsible for watching over a cannibal serial killer that is brought into the station. Pretty soon Moss becomes convinced he is inhabiting the bodies of her peers, leading to some great suspense.
Episode 6 – New Year’s Day
Director: Darren Lynn Bousman (numerous Saw movies)
This one is like the plot of Cloverfield with zombies. On New Year’s Day, scream queen Briana Evigan attempts to get across town to be with her boyfriend, played by the late Cory Monteith of Glee. This episode also has one of the best twists of the series.
Episode 7 – Community
Director: Mary Aharon (American Psycho)
A couple moves into a gated community that turns out to be a totally privileged dictatorship, where the neighbors mind everyone else’s private business, control how they live their lives, and punish people after exposing their dirty secrets. It’s a frighteningly timely story considering the rise in fascism in the U.S.
Episode 8 – Skin and Bones
Director: Larry Fessenden (Stake Land: Origins)
In the snowy plains, a missing man (played by horror legend Doug Jones) returns completely starving and thin. He is frighteningly possessed…and hungry. Doug Jones makes this one fantastically grisly and gruesome.
Episode 9 – Something With Bite
Director: Ernest R. Dickerson (Bones)
After being bit, a vet starts turning into a werewolf and discovers he’s not the only one out there. There’s some cool werewolf action and some light humor in this one.
Episode 10 – Chance
Director: John Dahl (Joy Ride)
After seeing his doppelgänger in an antique store mirror, a dude goes on a killing spree. The writing is an absolute mess on this episode—while it gives the illusion that the mirror is supernatural, I think this is just a story about a guy with a split-personality or schizophrenia.
Episode 11 – The Spirit Box
Director: Rob Schmidt (Wrong Turn)
Anna Kendrick and her friend use a spirit board on Halloween to contact a fellow student that died of suicide. The spirit board says she was murdered, so they try to solve the mystery of who killed her. What’s kind of trippy about this episode is that Kendrick’s friend is named Becca…the name of Kendrick’s character in the Pitch Perfect movies.
Episode 12 – Echoes
Director: Rupert Wainwright (The Fog remake)
A young man buys a new house and begins having visions of violent murders. He soon realizes he and his girlfriend had a history in the house in a past life—and it involves horror hottie Eric Balfour.
Episode 13 – The Circle
Director: Eduardo Rodriguez (Fright Night 2 remake)
On Halloween, a jilted woman puts a curse on her ex, played by Johnathon Schaech, who is spending the weekend at a cabin in the woods with his new woman and their friends. Soon, people are turning into blood thirsty demons. Naturally, Evil Dead will come to mind, so this is a good way to end the series on a high note.
