Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Premise And Intelligent Plotting Bring New Life To The End Of The World, April 18, 2007
Joe Dante's "Homecoming" for Showtime's "Masters of Horror" anthology series was easily the controversial high point of Season One. Alternately described as "brilliant" and "complete trash," there were very few who straddled the middle on this political zombie satire. Needless to say, this intrigued me to contemplate how Dante would follow up this divisive little tale. Well, for Season Two, Dante clocks in with "The Screwfly Solution." It certainly has a provocative topic, and is the ultimate battle of the sexes--but I suspect that it is a lot less likely to engender the passionate debate of "Homecoming." That is not a criticism, however, as I think this episode stands as one of the more sophisticated entries we've seen so far!
Contemplating the end of the world, "Screwfly" offers a new take on the apocalypse genre. A virus affecting men is discovered where if the man is to become sexually aroused--his feelings end up turning to a murderous rage. Needless to say, this doesn't bode well for the women of the world--as this rage is directed at them! While this may, on the surface, seem to be a bit (or a lot) misogynistic--the disease is handled well and its repercussions are real, unpleasant and not taken lightly. The principles include Jason Priestly and Elliott Gould as researchers trying to combat the virus, but this just may take the ultimate toll on their families.
"Screwfly" may not be scary in the traditional sense if you're looking for quick thrills, but the premise is chilling and disturbing and it leads to appropriate gruesomeness. The tale is well acted and sometimes harrowing, with an emotional context I haven't found often in the "Masters of Horror" series. In fact, through most of the film, I thought I might be scoring this episode at 5 stars--that's how pleasantly surprised I was by this tale. The end scenes, however, may be a bit prolonged for some viewers. That didn't bother me as it brought the real domestic dilemma of this story to the forefront. But, at the last minute, the film provides us with an unnecessary explanation for the whole catastrophe which was both unnecessary and not worthy of what has preceded it. This terrific tale went wrong in the end, but that doesn't keep it from being one of the best this show had to offer! KGHarris, 04/07.
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12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pest Control-and Man is the Pest, June 6, 2007
I expected this to be good because I know that Joe Dante is an excellent director, but when I saw that it was based on a story by James Tiptree Jr., I sat up, because I knew this was going to be something REALLY extraordianary.
James Tiptree Jr. is one of the greatest science fiction writers of the latter part of the 20th Century. James Tiptree Jr. was also the nom de plume of Dr. Alice Sheldon (look for Tiptree's books on Amazon). Her writing was always psychologically complex and surprising. And this installment of MASTERS OF HORROR captured that, thanks to Dante's brilliance and Sam Hamm's great script.
It's made clear from the beginning that there is a parallel between our decimation of the screwfly/pest insect populations by disruption of their sexual cycles, and what is occuring to the human population in this story (at least it's clear to us, the audience). So this naturally begs the question: If we did that to the insects, who or what could be doing this to us?
The conclusion of this story is set up right from the beginning, is deepend, enhanced, and made more apparent throughout the telling of it. There is no cheap ending here. It is logical, inevitable, and horrible. Horrible for humans, anyway.
The dogs seem to like it.
It's important to keep in mind that this isn't a chainsaw hack-'em-up-er, or blood drinking beast fest, or a vengeful ghost mind twister. This is a story about the most terrifying monsters in the world: ordinary people who give in to the worst within themselves, thinking they're right, and good, and normal. Men who don't see other people (women) as human. And you have to pay attention.
Personally, this is my favorite episode so far in the series.
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6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A LITTLE BIT SCREWY, June 14, 2007
This entry in the compelling MOH series is a little strange, mixing social commentary with a small dose of horror. The world is suddenly going mad, at least its male population...sexual arousal is leading men to murder the woman responsible...and soon it's just men murdering women. Two scientists offer a solution, as evidenced by the control of the dangerous screwfly population. But no one listens, and of course disaster ensues.
Director Joe Dante doesn't do anything compellingly different, and the acting by Jason Priestley and Elliott Gould is merely adequate. Not a sterling entry in this otherwise good series.
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