Customer Reviews

Masters of Horror - John Mcnaughton - Haeckel's Tale

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

So in loving all the rest of the Masters of horror movies, and being a HUGE fan of clive barkers... this was a pretty easy decision to pick this up. I had no idea what to expect, not seeing a trailer for it anywhere and only going off of the artwork and premise from the dvd. But this adaption of a Clive Barker story tells the tale of a man who visits an old woman who is told to be able to bring the dead to life. She convinces the man that if he still wants his wife back at the end of her story, she will do just that. Then the story begins...

It concerns a man named Ernst Haeckel who (very similiar to Frankenstein) beleives that God has no part in death and that he can make the dead rise. In failing numerous times, he hears of a man who can make the dead rise through black magic.. a necromancer. He visits this man and still not convinced, visits him again to confront him of his power. This does not go over well, and he is left to his own devices.

After receiving news of his fathers illness, Heackel leaves to see him.. on his way he is brought in by an old man and his young wife. The wife is very beautiful and the man is in his 60's. Soemthing does not seem right and then the wife in the middle of the night leaves towards the "necropolis" to meet up with the necromancer whom her husband paid to have her dead husband brought back to her.

Without spoiling too much of it, I'll just say this... you wont know what hit you in the end and if you enjoy a good zombie movie, then this one might be up your alley. George A. Romero also was involved in the making of this film if that tells you anything.

All in all, I enjoy period pieces and Frankenstein is one of my all time favorite classic movies. I would recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed both Clives stories and the MOH series. The only thing that I found not to my liking was the end was a little creepy-sappy, but once you see it... you'll know what I mean.

enjoy!

Haeckle's Tale has an impressive pedigree behind it. Clive Barker is one of the horror gods, a twisted mind that has brought us a 1000 dark horrors including Hellraiser and Nightbreed. He also wrote the Books of Blood, check those out for a scary read. However, John McNaughton is responsible for `gems' like Wild Things (yuck!). Unfortunately, it is his influence that is felt more than Barker's.

What you're left with is Haeckle's Tale about a young doctor, overly influenced by Frankenstein, who wants to bring the dead back to life. Frustrated by attempts using science that fail, he instead finds himself trapped in the realm of necromancy. The movie could have been good had it perused this path, but instead it took a left turn at Albuquerque, as Bugs Bunny would say.

From there, it jumps to soft core zombie porn, almost as if this movie was made with the premise of "Let's through together a little quick plot and then have a really hot actress have sex with a zombie or two". The framing sequence makes no sense, especially one at the end.

I love Masters of Horror, but this is one of the most disappointing. Instead of wasting your money on this, get Fair Haired Child instead, which is the best of the series. Buy Haeckle's Tale only if you're completing your set, but don't expect to be scared or overly entertained.

Recommended for completists only.

Based on a Clive Barker story and originally slated to be directed by George Romero, Haeckel's Tale ended up being helmed by Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer director John McNaughton, and you may not even know the difference upon viewing. Haeckel's Tale revolves around a nineteenth century medical student (Derek Cecil) who aims to learn a way of re-animating the dead before embarking on a trip to visit his terminally ill father. His journey leads him to encounter a necromancer (Jon Polito) and a couple (Tom McBeath and the gorgeous Leela Savasta); all of whom share a horrible secret that you will have to see to believe. Haeckel's Tale is a nasty, sexy, and bloody affair to be sure, and combined with the hammy performances and dynamite ending, ranks as one of the best episodes of Masters of Horror. All in all, Haeckel's Tale is an inventive treat that definitely deserves a look if you're a zombie fan, even if Masters of Horror isn't usually your thing.

Now that's true love! A twisted story of sex with the ex. And his other zombie friends. What's not to love? The morbid naked chick is pretty hot!
This idea could have been even much more gross, disgusting, and fun. I'd love to see an extended X-rated sequel. This great movie was recommended to me by my friend Music Man, I beleive. Definitely worth checking out for you horror fanatics...

WARNING: Rent Before Buying - Take my Word for it
The Whole Does Not Equal the Sum of its Parts

Adapted from a Clive Barker tale.
Scripted by (Director of Sleepwalkers, MOH Creator)Mick Garris.
Produced by George (King of the Living Dead) Romero.
& Directed by John (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer)McNaughton.

By looking at those names alone,
you'd think this baby has horror classic written all over it.
And to be honest, you'll wind up purchasing it (regardless of what I say)based on those names alone.
BUT BE WARNED, YOU WILL BE SORRY!!!
Which is a shame because, it has some great scenes in it too,
but suprisingly, not enough to keep your interest peaked.

Are there zombies?
Oh yes, there are zombies of all shapes and sizes.
But not the vicious kind, we're used to.
Instead we're treated to the kind that patiently waits on line at an undead orgy.
And that doesn't even occur until the last 5 minutes of the movie.
In fact, it takes forever just to get there.
And by that time, you're already tired of the movie, and browsing through your collection for something else to watch.
Don't get me wrong the last 10 minutes are great, but the preceding 50 are pure cinematic torture.

If you're looking for a traditional zombie flick,
You could do alot better.
If instead you're just looking for a unique, long-winded, take on the subject of undead lore.
My suggestion is to rent it first,
because chances are,
this one will never find it's way into your DVD player for a second viewing.

MORAL OF THE STORY:
Even after death, You still have to wait on line.

I'm a very big fan of The Masters Of Horror show on showtime, but to have showtime where I live because it's about $50 extra. So everytime that a one hour movie is released on DVD, I go out and buy it the day it comes out and watch it that day. So far I have seen every Masters Of Horror DVD that has came out.

I really didn't know what to expect before watching this episode because I have never seen Henry - The Portrait Of A Serial Killer which is director John Mcnaughton claim to fame. I am a huge fan of Clive Barkers work though, and seeing that this is a short story of his, I expected something a lot better than usual, which is exactly what this episode is.

This has to be one of the best episodes of Masters Of Horror so far. The story is unique and bizarre, which manages to capture your attention all the way through the movie, unlike a lot of of movies where you have a good idea of what is going to happen next. The actors are deliver great performances even though they are not very well known actors. The special effects are terrific, and there is really not a weak spot in the whole movie.

If you like watching Masters Of Horror or even any kind of horror movie, go out and get this DVD.

Easy film to review. If you are not into a necrophilia orgy, look somewhere else.

No f-bombs, sex, nudity (Leela Savasta).

Masters of Horror: John McNaughton: Haeckel's Tale: 7 out of 10: Can one justify seeing a rather pedestrian one hour episode simply because a gorgeous woman has one of the most bizarre and erotic sex scenes near the films "climax"? I'm certainly going to try.

First the pedestrian stuff. This is an historical horror movie, all horse drawn carriages and talk of electricity. It's nice for a change of pace and is well done here.

The films main character is that old chestnut "a man of science". He is trying to replicate Victor Frankenstein's experiments and is instead setting corpses on fire. The movie takes a very unexpected turn as he is summoned to his dying father and precedes on a leisurely peregrination kind of like that the gay character takes in As Good As It Gets.

On his jaunt he runs into a Necromancer that raise people from the dead for a fee who is very well played by Coen favorite Jon Polito (A cheap talented Danny DeVito). Man of science is curious but disparages the hocus pocus mystical explanation of the necromancers skills.

The movie continues to meander much like the main character until he ends up at the house of a weird old man and his too young and beautiful wife. This is where my patience with the film paid off.

Leela Savasta made such an impression on me I immediately want to see the rest of her films' both of them. Heck I want to buy an office block in Vancouver. (She sells Canadian real estate as well as acting and modeling). Yes I turned from bemused viewer to gushing fan boy almost immediately.

So in conclusion movie is decent albeit slow and Savasta will make a man leave his wife and travel a continent and buy a small affordable Canadian strip mall. Or at the very least see that new Black Christmas remake.

A young cocky med student, Ernst Haeckel (Derek Cecil), is obsessed in finding a way of resurrecting the dead and is convinced he is the only one who will find the secret to this enigma. When a necromancer named Montesquino (Jon Polito) arrives proclaiming to have found a way of re-animating the deceased, Heackel is unconvinced even when presented with a live demonstration. One day while on his way to visit his sick father, Haeckel receives an invitation from an old man named Wolfram (Tom McBeath) to spend the night at his house and is introduced to his young and beautiful wife, Elise (Leela Savasta). During this visit, Montesquino visits Wolfram and their exchange is caught by the curious med student who then decides to investigate only to be greeted by a sight that can only be described as zombie erotica.

This enjoyable tale of the undead is beautifully filmed with some gorgeous location shots and period costumes. The scares are few and far between which is somewhat disappointing. As expected from a "Masters of Horror" episode, you get the usual gore, a beautiful co-star who strips down to nothing and also following the norm of other episodes this film is devoid of actual terror. There is a sense of dread during earlier scenes. For instance, when our protagonist takes shelter in a cemetery from a storm on his way to see his sick father. But when the film finally exposes the wretched undead, the horror is gone. The final quarter of this film has an unexpected twist and it involves the lovely Elise, her dead husband and several curious undead on lookers but if you are expecting to be spooked in the old school horror kind of way (The Exorcist, Night of the Living Dead) you will be disappointed. Impressive looking zombies stand there delightfully looking at the sexuality on display causing this horror tale to lose its horrific edge even when gore ensues and the final scene is delightful enough for a horror/comedy.

This erotic tale of love and the undead will hold your interest no doubt but it is miles away from being a fright fest. I will state the erotic "love" scene was a bit unsettling, mainly due to it being unexpected and you have to admire an actress who is able to pull off such a scene with such pizzazz and despite the lack of scares, "Haeckel's Tale" is never boring. Recommended.

No one writes erotic horror like Clive Barker! This is well acted, directed and does the original story true honors. Masters of Horror as a series is a bit hit or miss, but this is one of those delightful hard to get over, easy to enjoy episodes. It truly has that horror classic element that is both repugnant and utterly fascinating. A true horror gem which makes a great addition to any DVD library.