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Masters of Horror: Deer Woman

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I have always loved John Landis. His contributions to the horror genre have been minimal, but just from those few films(American Werewolf specifically, though Innocent Blood was very cool and very underrated), Landis definitely earns the "Master Of Horror" title. Hell, he's pretty much a household name for horror fans based on the strength of Werewolf alone. It makes you wish he had made more horror films. Well, the Masters Of Horror series wisely chose him for one of their episodes, and we finally get another Landis horror offering. While most of the series' episodes tone down humor and go for the throat, Landis lightens things up a bit, and who could expect anything else from him? As for story, it's another human/beast theme, but this time digging into Native American mythology for it's monster. This is an odd, yet very cool concept. Basically it's a ghostlike woman from Native American folklore that's drop dead gorgeous, half deer, seductive and deadly. This mythical figure is put into the modern and logical thinking world where, realistically, her killings are investigated by police and forensic science. Landis has comedy is his veins, so the film is full of clever quips and oddball characters. It also manages some moments of suspense and has a bit of graphic gore thrown in to remind us that this is indeed a horror series. The featurettes are a real treat. Landis has always been an entertaining interviewee. Very energetic, funny, truthful and not afraid to swear. He seems like a helluva fun guy to hang out with. He's serious about what he does, yet never takes himself too seriously. His philosophy on horror and comedy and the mixing of the two is dead on. He truly knows how to make a ridiculous concept(he admits himself that the Deer Woman thing is downright silly) work by being serious when it's called for and schlocking it up when necessary. He also makes a very valid point about how supernatural themes don't always need an explanation for why they're happening-that when dealing with fantastic ideas, there isn't a need to do so much explaining(I wish Hollywood directors would take note of that). This applies in Deer Woman, coz she just is what she is, and never once do we figure out why she kills guys. And anyway, who cares why? We may never see another full length horror film from Landis, but this short film is a real treat for those of us who want a little taste again of what it was like the first time you saw American Werewolf and became a John Landis fan. Great stuff.

Leave it to John Landis to help craft one of the best episodes in Showtime's Masters of Horror series. Landis, better known more for his comedies Animal House and Blues Brothers, as well as his horror classic An American Werewolf in London (and featuring a great in-joke as well), co-writes and directs this campy and gorey tale of a burned out detective (Dream On's Brian Benben) discovering a series of mutilated bodies that all expired during arousal and were apparently trampled to death. Soon enough, he and a patrolman (Anthony Griffith) are on the trail of a super sexy Native American woman (frequently topless newcomer Cinthia Moura) who is half deer. Featuring plenty of great humor and some grisly effects, Deer Woman is undoubtadly one of the most fun entries in the otherwise grim Masters of Horror. Keeping it's tongue firmly in cheek, Deer Woman illustrates much of what Landis has always done best: mixing thrills and laughs to a wonderful effect. All in all, if you're looking for a more light hearted, but nonetheless thrilling, entry in the Masters of Horror series, look no further.

After being disappointed by the "Masters of Horror" DVD's I have seen so far (I don't get Showtime), I was hoping that the episode by John Landis would deliver something a bit different. This movie was hysterical. Just the perfect length for a schlock horrow/comedy, solid acting all around and, incredibly, Landis is able to make you believe what you are seeing no matter how absurd, something which the other "masters" have not been able to make me do so far. It takes true skill to treat the ridiculous and absurd with straight forward seriousness and, like in his "American Werewolf in London", Landis pulls it off perfectly.

If you got to see one Masters of Horror episode, get this one. This is a real treat, especially for those who are fans of cheesy schlock horror, John Landis or anyone with just a good sense of humor.

It is hard to categorize John Landis' contribution to the Showtime horror anthology series, "The Masters of Horror". Landis made a name for himself in the horror genre as the director of the classic early 80's werewolf film, An American Werewolf In London, and the clut classic vampire-noir film, Innocent Blood. With his "Deer Woman" episode, John Landis reaches back to his past work and comes up with an episode that mixes horror, absurd situations and a healthy dose of black comedy.

"Deer Woman" has something in common with An American Werewolf In London in that this episode deals with a creature born out of folklore and myth. This time around its a creature from Native American folklore. The creature in question is the Deer Woman. A legendary creature who takes the form of a beautiful woman from the waist up and that of a deer from the waist down. The Deer Woman will then go on a spree of seducing random men then trampling them to mincemeat. In this respect she has abit of the mythical succubus mixed in with the shapeshifting. It is during the aftermath of one of her killings that we're introduced to the main player in this horrifically absurd little tale. Detective Faraday (masterfully played with a dry wit and comedic timing by Brian Benben) gets called in to the scene thinking it is an animal attack, but the crime scene leaves him confused, perplexed and a tad more than intrigued by the case after it's unceremoniously taken away from him. We learn through the lenght of the hour-long episode that Faraday is a disgraced cop due to an incident in the past that's made him a pariah in his own department. Faraday's sidekick in his hunt to solving the murders and thus finding the Deer Woman is a beat cop played by Anthony Griffin. Former Brazilian, and still smoking hot and stunning, Cinthia Moura does duty as the abovementioned Deer Woman. She goes through the entire episode without uttering one line. Her eyes, expressions and body language conveying whatever motivations and thoughts may be in her head. She did pretty well and it didn't hurt she looked very natural baring it all on the screen.

The dialogue in the episode is where the absurdity of the moments in the story shone through to give "Deer Woman" its black-comedy. The characters in the film react to murders and the clues leading to what might be their only suspect with incredulity, denial and dismissal. Yet, no matter how much the characters of Faraday and his partner try to deny what they know in their mind is the real killer, they inevitably see the truth of the matter dangerously up close and personal. The teleplay for the episode was primarily written by Max Landis (the director's son) with some brief rewrites and treatments by John himself. They both run with a very absurd situation and run with it fult-tilt and non-stop. They both know how silly the story sounds and its that silliness that makes this episode memorable. In fact, if I really had to categorize this episode I would call it a comedy with small bits of horror slipped in (horror and gore effectively done --- once again --- by the master effects people from KNB EFX.

Despite "Deer Woman" being closer to a comedy-horror than a straight-up horror tale, I found the episode to be very entertaining and worth the viewing. John Landis stuck to his guns in crafting an absurd tale and making it believable to his audience. With shades and hints of An American Werewolf In London, Landis' contribution to "The Masters of Horror" marks a bright spot in the an uneven series, so far. Landis' has once again shown that horror and comedy are more intertwined than most people would think. Here's to hoping he's invited to direct once again for Season Two.

This newest DVD from the Masters of Horror delivers! Not only is the movie excellent (and Cinthia Moura BEAUTIFUL), but the extras are terrific. I especially enjoyed the "Animal Hooves" life and career retrospective of director John Landis. Also the "Working With A Master" featurette has very funny and interesting interviews with Don Rickles (hysterical), Rick Baker, Forrest J. Ackeman, Jenny Agutter, Dan Aykroyd, Robert Loggia,Brian Benben, Max Landis and others. I highly reccomend this DVD to all horror and comedy fans.

Deer Woman. Yes it sounds ridiculous. This Masters of Horror selection is brought to you by John Landis, the director most widely recognized for comedy in films like Coming to America, Trading Places, and Blues Brothers. But don't forget he also was the madman at the helm of American Werewolf in London and Michael Jackson's Thriller video. This hour long show might lean a little more toward comedy than horror, but there's enough blood and nudity to keep the red lipstick showing on most gorehounds.

A disgruntled cop is assigned to investigate a bizarre set of murder cases. The victims have been pulverized into hamburger meat, and the only clues at the scene are some hoof prints? That's one pissed off deer! Get ready for a venture into WTF...

Like I said, this flick has decent amounts of blood and gore, plus the sexy Cinthia Moury showcases a beautiful rack (no I'm not talking about antlers). It explores a Native American legend about a "deer woman". Plus the comical aspects are truly brilliant and unique, as the cop goes through different scenarios of how the victims were slaughtered.

Overall, Deer Woman won't offer too much in the way of true scares, but it's guaranteed to make you laugh. Highly recommended.

No scares. No suspense. No eerie atmosphere. No gore. No acting.
Does anybody out there remember the l943 horror classic from Universal--"Captive Wild Woman?" Although it was considered a "B" movie, it was still beautifully produced, wonderfully acted with an unforgettable transformation of a beautiful woman (Acquanetta) into a hideous ape creature.

Switch to this 2007 Master's of Horror--"Deer Woman" by one-time horror master, John Landis. There's zero scares, blood, special effects and the Deer Woman is never once seen during her transformation.

Instead, you have a hideously wretched script where absolutely nothing happens during the first 45 minutes. When the detectives decide to investigate the first murder in a freight truck, the door falls off and the detectives spend several minutes examining the door--never once expressing any interest in the mutilated body in the cabin.

And when we finally see the Deer Woman, you're treated to an attractive, grinning, mute woman who says nothing to her victims. The men all act like idiots as they roll their eyes and say things like, "Oh, man, this is my lucky night?" Or, "Wow, I didn't think I'd be so lucky." And that's it. You never see them being attacked, you never see the killer changing into a monster. The movie makers could've picked any pretty babe from off the street who could just stand around, grinning and who takes off her top to reveal an attractive bosom.

This series has been a tremendous dissapointment to a horror flick addict. Each of the entries have proven mega-bombs--with ridiculous scripts, performances and zero scare factors.

How Deer Woman ever got released is a big puzzle. This is something you might see as a movie made for the Sci Fi channel--but even this channel does know how to make grade-z flicks that at least move and show people turning into monsters.

In Deer Woman, a child could even watch it before falling asleep in the middle of it.

John Landis is in charge for this episode of Masters of Horror. A down and out detective has been relegated to handling animal attack cases. This gets him involved with a possible murder that looks like the victim has been trampled. Then several more bodies in similar condition turn up. Teamed with a beat cop, the detective tries to make some sense of the evidence.

As the investigation continues the team know two things only. Each victim had been pulverized by deer hooves and each victim was seen in the presence of a beautiful woman. Making any connection between the two seems to be completely crazy. But then a chance encounter informs them of a local Native American legend of the Deer Woman who seduces men and then kicks them to death.

I found this film better than the last in the series I watched although it was not particularly scary. The Deer Woman herself, although she never utters a single word, is completely captivating. There are even some references to American Werewolf in London. The acting was pretty good and consistent. I was disappointed by the commentary which was provided by a couple of the stars as it was mostly jokes and had nothing to do with what the film was trying to do. But the film itself is certainly worth a watch. Check it out.

John Landis gives us a funny, sexy, and unique horror movie. I was so happy to see this "episode" of Masters of Horror! john Landis was one of my favorite directors ever! And he never seizes to amaze me! Deer Woman proved that John Landis has never lost gis touch! He gave us a mix of contemporary horror and mythology to perfection! GET THIS NOW!

A very good looking woman who is also a deer kills men. Thats is it. We never see her kill them only what is left of them after she does. That is it. My problem with this and all these Masters of Horror movies are that they are only a hour long. It is hard to get a good story line going in one hour.