I have forever been a fan of the anthology series. I, of course, loved series like The Twilight Zone (in all of its incarnations), Amazing Stories, The Hitchhiker, Alfred Hitchcock Presents…, and Tales from the Crypt. The idea that different stories could be told, written and directed by various talents, but keeping within a certain genre just really appealed to me. Granted, this occasionally offered up some bad stories, but rarely. This type of approach goes a long way to keeping my attention more than following the adventures of the same characters every week ever could.

So I was immediately intrigued when I first heard that Showtime was going to introduce a new anthology series called "Masters of Horror." As I understood it, this series was going to attract horror film directors who are at the top of their game… no hacks… and allow each of them to helm their own episode. What was even better about this arrangement was that it being on Showtime meant that the directors would have carte blanche to do anything they wanted without the constraints of regular network television. However, on the other side of the coin, it also meant that I might be waiting a long time to see them as I haven't felt the need to add HBO or Showtime to my Dish system. (Thoughts of reconsidering went through my head, though.)

Thankfully, for more than one reason, Anchor Bay Entertainment is releasing each of these episodes onto DVD. I say thankfully, not just because they are getting released at all, but because Anchor Bay is involved. It is one of the premiere DVD studios, whose attention to detail and unmatched quality promised these discs would be something special indeed.

The first two releases (with more on the way in May) were Dreams in the Witch House, directed by Stuart Gordon and Cigarette Burns, directed by John Carpenter. Fans of horror films immediately recognized these names as well as the huge amount of films each are known for. But just in case you are not one of the predominantly trivia savvy, Gordon has gave us classics like Re-Animator, From Beyond and Dagon. Carpenter was responsible for Halloween (the first one, not all the crappy sequels), Escape from New York, and his decidedly grotesque take on The Thing. Their styles were worlds apart, but the final product delivered the same effect… they scared the hell out of you. I was extremely impressed by both of these 'episodes' and immediately upon watching them, became hungry for more. And more is what I got.

The third release in this series comes from director Mick Garris, who had a hand in producing this series and has helmed some of the better adaptations of the work of author Stephen King, including TV's The Stand and The Shining (which was a darn sight better than the Stanley Kubrick version). He most recently directed Desperation, which is set to air on May 23rd, and I already have the night set aside to watch it.

Garris' entry into the Masters of Horror series is Chocolate, which stars Henry Thomas as a young man who creates artificial flavors for the food industry. While this sounds like a dream job, his life is anything but. He is recently divorced and still reeling from the separation. Even worse is the sense of loss he feels for his son, whom he misses terribly. Nearing the end of his rope, he is surprised one day when he wakes up with the taste of chocolate in his mouth. It is a sensation he cannot understand as he has not eaten a single bite. Yet the taste is unmistakably there. But it doesn’t end there. He begins to sense things that are not happening to him. He discovers other tastes in his mouth, hears distinct sounds and even sees images that are not in front of him. The only possible answer is that he is experiencing someone else's experiences, even going so far as to 'feel' what this other person feels.

One of the images he catches is the reflection from a mirror that the other person is looking into, and it is here that he discovers the surreal connection he has is with a beautiful woman (Lucy Laurier), with whom he falls instantly in love. But in his attempts to discover her identity and contact her… well as you can imagine, in this world things don’t always turn out the way we'd like.

Of all the entries into the Masters of Horror series I've seen so far, this was one of the best. Garris is very adept at creating style within substance, and the story here is so well told that it almost transcends horror. The editing is particularly effective in not only translating the experiences of the protagonist visually, but also serve to deliver some quick 'scares.'

And since I mentioned the Anchor Bay connection, I will have to add that their work on the DVDs in the series is superlative. Everything from the covers, which utilize beautifully stylized pieces of artwork to convey the feel of the story within, to a drawn picture of the director, looks fantastic. As for extra features, I hardly know where to begin, as all of the releases in this series offer so much.

First up is a commentary by Garris, who is joined by DVD producer Perry Martin. You'll also find an interview with Garris, which is by far one of the best and most insightful I've seen him do. There is also a featurette that brings together a number of people who have worked with Garris over the years, as well as a terrific 'Behind the Scenes…' featurette. Then, when you think you might be through for the evening, you'll find interviews with actors Henry Thomas and Lucy Laurier. I was especially pleased to find a very old interview that Garris conducted with the legendary Roger Corman. Add to this a photo gallery you have an extremely well-produced DVD.

The fourth release comes from Don Coscarelli, who was behind the celebrated Phantasm series and the horribly underrated Bubba Ho-Tep. His entry is called Incident On and Off a Mountain Road and gives us a more recognizable story and, along with author Joe R. Landsdale, creates an antagonist known as Moonface. He is the archetypical Texas Chainsaw Massacre style monster who preys upon lonely travelers unlucky enough to be driving late at night in his neck 'o' the woods. Here we meet Ellen (Bree Turner) who finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time when she has a late night accident. After she comes to, she checks out the car she ran into and finds it abandoned, but full of blood. Her unfortunate accident eventually pits her against Moonface, but as her husband (Ethan Embry - whom we see in flashbacks) was somewhat of a survivalist fanatic, she has skills that serve to keep her alive. Incident On and Off a Mountain Road offers a bit of old school horror and is as fun as it is horrifying.

Again, the extra features flow freely on this release with a commentary by Coscarelli, producer Parry Martin (again) and writer Stephen Romano. There is also a second commentary that teams Coscarelli with longtime collaborator Joe R. Lansdale. This was easily the better of the two. Again we have a very lengthy interview with Coscarelli, who touches on facets covering most of his career as well an additional featurette where we hear from actors and producers who have worked at length with the director. You'll also find a short segment of Behind the Scenes footage and interviews with actors John De Santis (Moonface) and Ethan Embry. Again I say, no one delivers DVDs like Anchor Bay!

The first 'season' of "Masters of Horror" featured 13 episodes, so with the release of these and the previous two, there are 9 more to go. Bring them on!!

MASTERS OF HORROR: CHOCOLATE
Directed by: Mick Garris
Starring: Henry Thomas, Lucie Laurier
Extras: Commentary by Writer/Director Mick Garris, "The Sweet Taste of Fear – An Interview with Mick Garris" featurette, "Working With A Master: Mick Garris", Featurette, "Behind The Scenes: The Making of Chocolate" featurette, On Set: An Interview with Henry Thomas, On Set: An Interview with Lucie Laurier, Fantasy Film Festival: Mick Garris Interviews Roger Corman, Trailers, Still Gallery, Mick Garris Bio, Screenplay (DVD-ROM), Original Short Story (DVD-ROM)
Screensaver (DVD-ROM)
Specifications: Widescreen (1:77.1), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment
Release Date: 5/9/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR

MASTERS OF HORROR: INCIDENT ON AND OFF A MOUNTAIN ROAD
Directed by: Don Coscarelli
Starring: John De Santis, Ethan Embry
Extras: Commentary by Writer/Director Don Coscarelli and Writer Stephen Romano, "Predators and Prey – An Interview with Don Coscarelli" featurette, "Working With A Master: Don Coscarelli" featurette, "Behind The Scenes: The Making of Incident On and Off A Mountain Road" featurette, On Set: An Interview with John De Santis, On Set: An Interview with Ethan Embry, Trailers, Still Gallery, Don Coscarelli Bio, Screenplay (DVD-ROM), Screensaver (DVD-ROM)
Specifications: widescreen (1:77.1), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment
Release Date: 5/9/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Chocolate / Incident On and Off a Mountain Road a A.