MASTERS OF HORROR SEASON TWO, EPISODE ONE: THE DAMNED THING

MASTERS OF HORROR SEASON TWO, EPISODE ONE: THE DAMNED THING-United States/Canada-2006

Sean Patrick Flannery as Sheriff Kevin Reddle

Marisa Coughlan as Dina

Ted Raimi as Father Tulli

Directed by Tobe Hooper

Teleplay by Richard Christian Matheson

Based on the short story by Ambrose Bierce

Sean Patrick Flannery (The Boondock Saints, Powder) stars as a small time sheriff trying to save his town from an unseen force that compels people to violence and homicidal tendencies in The Damned Thing, the kick off to the second season of Masters of Horror. Adapted by Richard Christian Matheson from a short story by Ambrose Bierce (already a master of horror on the basis of only one story, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge“), the episode makes a lot of changes from the epistolary nature of its original source in order to bring it up to date for a modern day setting. The story is compelling enough to a degree to keep things moving along, but sadly that doesn’t translate into anything remotely interesting. Flannery and Marisa Coughlan (Freddy Got Fingered, Teaching Mrs. Tingle) do their best to carry the film; with a little help from that the Raimi known as Ted, but it’s just not enough. This is Tobe Hooper’s second turn in the director’s chair for Masters of Horror and he seems even more lost than he did the first time around with Dance of the Dead. I remember I said in that review that maybe it was time to re-think that “Master of Horror” title given to Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Salem’s Lot). After The Damned Thing I think it’s evident he’s outlived the honor.

This is the way Season Two begins.

This is the way Season Two begins.

This is the way Season Two begins.

Not with a bang,

Not with a whimper.

Just a dull thud. 

NO TRIVIA TO SEE HERE, FOLKS. 

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