Ahhh, those "Masters of Horror" guys are at it again. We've now had two seasons full of short films by some of Hollywood's elite horror directors (mixed in with a handful of hacks as well). Anchor Bay has been steadily releasing these little gems over the past couple of years and this month we are privy to Tobe Hooper's 2nd season entry, "The Damned Thing." Based on the short story by Ambrose Bierce, "The Damned Thing" introduces us to Sheriff Kevin Reddle (Sean Patrick Flanery). Reddle is a man obsessed with his past, specifically an event so horrifying that he has been unable to escape its memory, and understandably so. As a young man, Reddle witnessed his mother's murder at the hands of his father. He further survived his father's attempt to chase down and murder him as well. But as bad as that was, there is also the memory of what might have been controlling his father… something that may well be back and causing a new rash of murders in his otherwise quiet little town.

"The Damned Thing" was certainly one of the better entries in the series' 2nd season, though only in part due to Hooper's direction. It is well put together considering the overall story is not as fulfilling as other episodes and offers a fairly weak ending. What drives the episode is Flanery's solid performance as a man torn between his duty and the terrors that have followed him for so many years. Flanery is an excellent actor who hit the ground running as "Young Indiana Jones", but has since been relegated to mostly forgettable b-movies. In spite of a handful of plum roles in films like "Powder" and "Boondock Saints", real stardom has been somewhat elusive.

The only really disappointing feature of this release is its few special features. When the 1st season episodes of "Masters of Horror" were released, each DVD was full of tons of special features, in many cases more than you'd normally find on a feature film release. The 2nd season episodes have come with fewer and fewer features, which I'm sure is in part the fault of Starz Entertainment, who recently acquired Anchor Bay. Hopefully this will not be a continued trait of Anchor Bay releases, which in the past have often set the standard for DVD special features.

Still, there is a pretty interesting commentary by screenwriter Richard Christian Matheson, though oddly enough not one from Hooper. Additionally there are two featurettes on the making of the episode and the creature, respectively, as well as small photo gallery and Tobe Hooper bio. You'll also find a DVD-rom copy of the screenplay.

Directed by: Tobe Hooper
Starring: Sean Patrick Flanery, Marisa Coughlan, Ted Raimi
Extras: The Damned Thing - Building the Oil Monster, Texas Terror - The Making of The Damned Thing, Audio Commentary with Writer Richard Christian Matheson, Photo Gallery, Tobe Hooper Bio, Screenplay (DVD-Rom)
Specifications: Widescreen (1.78:1), Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound
Studio: Anchor Bay
Release Date: 10/16/2007
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
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We'll give Masters of Horror: The Damned Thing a B.