When the Masters of Horror TV show started I personally was oblivious to its existence. Although I was an extreme fan of horror I was still living my pitiful existence away in the lower regions of my parent’s home. No cable, no satellite, and dial up internet. Indeed it would seem to some that I had entered into the seventh circle of the famous rendition of Dante’s hell.
It wasn’t until later when I picked up my first Masters of Horror DVD at the local Wal-Mart and brought it home that I even knew the show existed. Needless to say I was dancing with excitement at the idea of these fantastical directors all collaborating on a project.
“Incident On and Off a Mountain Road,” wasn’t the first episode I had the privilege of viewing but it was the first one aired on television. Being a fan of backwoods horror I was definitely excited and looking forward to the viewing of “Incident.” It isn’t one of the scarier episodes but it is definitely intriguing. In some ways it attempts to break the boundaries of the lone heroine who is hunted to unbelievable ends by a knife wielding killer. Our heroine not only fights back but has a few dirty skeletons hiding in her closet at the end as well. It would seem an oddity that her encounter with this demonic murderer, Moonface, is actually an experience that will be rewarding and beneficial for her.
The story and writing itself was somewhat underdeveloped. After all, these writers and directors only have an hour to get across a story that deserves two hours. At the end of this backwoods yarn I was left in a minor state of confusion or . . . frustration at the psychological state of this woman. I couldn’t understand her reasoning, necessarily, in the final choices she makes. After some analysis though, I found myself somewhat in awe at the cleverness of the writer. The fact that the Heroine’s experience with Moonface was some dark parallel with her reality was exciting and well incorporated into the cinematic elements of the episode. This alone caused excitement for a second viewing. I wanted to see what other parallels that it may have drawn from the beginning, what foreshadowing it offered, that I had missed the first time through. So the fact that the story was underdeveloped may have lent to the idea of undertones in the stories making.
The story is strongly supported by the setting and special effects made in the film. Moonface was everything you would expect from a demented and demonic backwoods killer. In some way I wished for more backstory or understanding of where Moonface originated himself. His complexion lends to the idea of demonic origins. He isn’t very human after all. I also have to say that it is one of the less graphic episodes. I was, in fact, rather taken aback by the limited or implied gore in this film. The gore they did have was enjoyably realistic without being overly disgusting. Overall, I think my only current cinematic complaint is the use of the moon and moonlight. Something about this special effect seemed too fake or too other worldly. I understand the cinematic effect of having the full moon with the demon Moonface but the effect was contrived.
It wasn’t until later when I picked up my first Masters of Horror DVD at the local Wal-Mart and brought it home that I even knew the show existed. Needless to say I was dancing with excitement at the idea of these fantastical directors all collaborating on a project.
“Incident On and Off a Mountain Road,” wasn’t the first episode I had the privilege of viewing but it was the first one aired on television. Being a fan of backwoods horror I was definitely excited and looking forward to the viewing of “Incident.” It isn’t one of the scarier episodes but it is definitely intriguing. In some ways it attempts to break the boundaries of the lone heroine who is hunted to unbelievable ends by a knife wielding killer. Our heroine not only fights back but has a few dirty skeletons hiding in her closet at the end as well. It would seem an oddity that her encounter with this demonic murderer, Moonface, is actually an experience that will be rewarding and beneficial for her.
The story and writing itself was somewhat underdeveloped. After all, these writers and directors only have an hour to get across a story that deserves two hours. At the end of this backwoods yarn I was left in a minor state of confusion or . . . frustration at the psychological state of this woman. I couldn’t understand her reasoning, necessarily, in the final choices she makes. After some analysis though, I found myself somewhat in awe at the cleverness of the writer. The fact that the Heroine’s experience with Moonface was some dark parallel with her reality was exciting and well incorporated into the cinematic elements of the episode. This alone caused excitement for a second viewing. I wanted to see what other parallels that it may have drawn from the beginning, what foreshadowing it offered, that I had missed the first time through. So the fact that the story was underdeveloped may have lent to the idea of undertones in the stories making.
The story is strongly supported by the setting and special effects made in the film. Moonface was everything you would expect from a demented and demonic backwoods killer. In some way I wished for more backstory or understanding of where Moonface originated himself. His complexion lends to the idea of demonic origins. He isn’t very human after all. I also have to say that it is one of the less graphic episodes. I was, in fact, rather taken aback by the limited or implied gore in this film. The gore they did have was enjoyably realistic without being overly disgusting. Overall, I think my only current cinematic complaint is the use of the moon and moonlight. Something about this special effect seemed too fake or too other worldly. I understand the cinematic effect of having the full moon with the demon Moonface but the effect was contrived.
Summing it Up
In the end “Incident” was a satisfying and enjoyable backwoods romp. It hardly holds a candle to some of the other more engrossing episodes but it certainly holds its own as a creepy, and somewhat thought provoking, episode of Masters of Horror.
Deaths: 4
Language: 4
Gore Factor: 3
Sex Factor: 4
Scare Factor: 3
Fun Factor: 2
Overall Rating: 3
Deaths: 4
Language: 4
Gore Factor: 3
Sex Factor: 4
Scare Factor: 3
Fun Factor: 2
Overall Rating: 3