Customer Reviews

Masters of Horror

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Masters of Horror debuted on Showtime TV last year to much fanfare. This horror anthology show featured some of the most notable horror film directors and writers in the business such as Tobe Hooper, Dario Argento, Joe Dante, John Landis, and John Carpenter. IDW Comics, perhaps the leading publisher of horror comics today, has adapted the shows into comic format and this graphic novel contains the first two episodes, "Incident on and Off a Mountain Road" and "Dreams in the Witch House."

"Incident" finds a woman involved in an accident along a deserted stretch of road and soon being pursued by a pasty-faced giant named Moonface. Through a series of flashbacks we learn of her relationship with a zealous survivalist who teaches her the skills she'll need to overcome this maniac serial killer. I wasn't too crazy about this episode when I saw it on Showtime. Too many recent films have covered the backwoods hick lunatic plotline and it just seems warmed over. The adaptation is solid but the source material just isn't very fresh.

"Dreams in the Witch House" is an adaptation of one of H.P. Lovecraft's more famous tales set in the haunted city of Arkham, Massachusetts. Walter Gilman is a student at Misktonic University who takes a room at a run down, 17th century home. He's soon plagued by strange dreams and sees a rat with a human face who want him to kidnap the infant of the woman who lives in the room next door. While the adaptation deviates a bit from Lovecraft's story, it does maintain that palpable feeling of ancient, New England creepiness that was staple of Lovecraft's work. The story is greatly aided by the moody and atmospheric art of Dennis Calero.