Synopsis
More half-hour tales of horror from back when the letters “HBO” didn’t yet necessarily imply envelope-pushing TV. A bit of cod-philosophising from our host, the obligatory female nudity, and some okay-but-nuthin’-special horror, only slightly edgier than what was passing for terror material on network TV at the time. Among the familiar faces this time around: Michael Madsen (playing an abusive husband), Bill Paxton, Kelly Lynch, Lauren Hutton, and Michael Ironside. Guest directors include th… likes of Roger Vadim, but it’s all pretty interchangeable stuff.
Audio
The sound is deeply unexceptional. Don’t go looking for surround here. The music (very 80’s synth) is clear, but expect no more than that. In fact, that’s pretty much all one can really say about the audio: it essentially avoids distortion, but it does nothing more for us than that. At least it isn’t objectionable. For something that is, see below.
Video
Blechh. The same deal as last time. The picture is grainy and soft. The aliasing is terrible. The colours are washed out and boring. The blacks are okay, but that is really the very least one could ask for. The picture is bad enough that watching the series will be a chore for all but the most dedicated nostalgia buffs.
Special Features
Nada.
Closing Thoughts
The likes of Masters of Horror may not be perfect, but seeing such middle-of-the-road series as this reminds one that there has been considerable progress.
