Masters
Of Horror – Joe Dante’s Homecoming
Picture: C+ Sound: B- Extras:
B- Episode: C
Joe Dante used to be known for being able
to balance Horror and Comedy like few directors, but in recent years, his works
have fallen off that horse. The change
seems to have happened between the two Gremlins films, with Small
Soldiers being a creative nadir.
Ever since, the scholarly lover of films has not found his way back, but
his Homecoming installment of Masters Of Horror should have been
a winner. However, it falls through
quickly and I am beginning to think this series is cursed.
Even with a teleplay by Sam Hamm, whose
credits include the 1989 Batman and near-cult item Monkeybone,
the dialogue and plotting are too unfocused and distracted too often to as a
Republican White House argues that if dead soldiers could return and tell their
story of how proud they were to fight for their country, they would support the
party. Of course, this happens and it
is not what the GOP would have hoped for.
Since the episode does not work, the real GOP can celebrate that it is
not as effective as it should have been.
You’ll have to see for yourself to judge best, but for this critic, it
is a huge missed opportunity.
Like
the previous volumes, the picture quality for both episodes being covered here
is average for 1.78 X 1 anamorphically enhanced widescreen, but clean. I thought this one in trying to look clearer
had color issues and was phonier than it should have been, especially
considering the subject matter. The
sound quality is decent, and the episodes are presented in Dolby Digital 5.1
surround sound that isn't bad. Again
nothing extraordinary, but I wondered if DTS would have helped. Extras include seven featurettes, audio
commentary by writer Sam Hamm, Mick Garris interviewing Dante, stills,
trailers, text bio on Dante and DVD-ROM printable teleplay, screen saver and
short story that inspired this. Though
it is the best of the five episodes in this series we have looked at, it is a
very poor man’s version of Bob Clark’s Deathdream (reviewed elsewhere on
this site) at best.
- Nicholas Sheffo
