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.

These were followed up with Mick Garris' "Chocolate" and Don Coscarelli's "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road." Garris, who had a hand in producing this series, 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 aired last month and true to his talent, was pretty good. Coscarelli is best known for giving birth to the "Phantasm" series and directed the underappreciated "Bubba Ho-Tep."

This month, Anchor Bay is releasing two funnier episodes of the series with "Deer Woman", directed by John Landis and "Sick Girl", directed by Lucky McKee. Landis, of course was behind the classic "An American Werewolf in London" and part of "Twilight Zone, the Movie." Of course, he was also responsible for turning Michael Jackson into a werewolf in the video/movie for "Thriller." His episode, "Deer Woman" is a throwback to the comic horror that he was best known for. Here we have stars Brian Benben and Anthony Griffith as cops out to discover the secret of a murderous… deer? Needless to say, it is hysterical through hand through.

"Sick Girl" on the other hand, is meant to be a little less funny, but comes with its share of chuckles. Lucky McKee, who is less well known to audiences, had his claim to fame with the horror film "May." Its star, Angela Bettis reunites with McKee and stars as Ida Teeter, an entomologist who is clearly more comfortable with bugs than with people. That is, until the day she meets Misty Falls (Erin Brown), a young girl who's been hanging around. The two fall madly in love and move in together. So, you might wonder… where is the horror in all of this? Well, it is not in the fact that the lead characters are involved in a lesbian affair (rarely horrible), or even the fact that actress Erin Brown's better known as Misty Mundae. (Dear Ms. Mundae is the star of numerous soft-core lesbian porn films, and to say that her acting talent is somewhat stunted is an understatement.) No, the horror lies within the mandibles of a new an exotic bug that escapes into the good scientist's apartment, eventually biting… and infecting her lady love.

McKee's entry into the "Masters of Horror" series, despite what might seem like an 'out there' premise filled with bugs and lesbian shenanigans, is really one of the better of the episodes so far. There was much rumbling amongst horror fans at the inclusion of Mckee as a 'MOH', but he was called in at the last minute to replace veteran director Roger Corman, so it really wasn't his fault. However, that being the case, he actually put together a nice little tale of horror that doesn’t stray from its intended course. The editing is very well paced, and the acting (even Miss Brown's) was pretty darn believable. Then, of course, there was the wonderful special effects work done by KNB effects, the undisputed experts in the field of monster making.

The overall quality of those two releases mirror the four that came before, in that each is filled with commentaries and interviews, with both stars and directors. Each takes a look at the career of its own 'MOH' and includes detailed 'Making of' featurettes. 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 four, there are 7 more to go. Bring them on!!

DEER WOMAN
Directed by: John Landis
Starring: Brian Benben, Anthony Griffith
Extras: Interview with John Landis, Working with a Master - John Landis, Interview with Brian Benben, Interview with Anthony Griffith, Interview with Cinthia Moura, The Making of Deer Woman, Audio Commentary with Actors Brian Benben & Anthony Griffith, Fantasy Film Festival - Mick Garris Interviews John Landis, Trailers, Still Gallery, John Landis Bio, Screenplay, Screensaver
Specifications: Widescreen (1.77:1), Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound
Studio: Anchor Bay
Release Date: 6/27/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
Website

SICK GIRL
Directed by: Lucky McKee
Starring: Angela Bettis, Erin Brown, Jesse Hlubik
Extras: Interview with Lucky McKee, Working with a Master - Lucky McKee, Interview with Angela Bettis, Interview with Erin Brown, Interview with Brad McDonald, The Making of Sick Girl, Audio Commentary with Lucky MsKee, Composer Jaye Barnes Luckett and Actors Angela Bettis and Erin Brown, Trailers, Still Gallery, Lucky McKee Bio, Screenplay, Screensaver
Specifications: Widescreen (1.77:1), Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound
Studio: Anchor Bay
Release Date: 6/27/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
Website

We'll give both Masters of Horror: Landis & McKee an A.