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02-08-2006, 01:53 PM
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#1 of 10 
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Ronald Epstein
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Anchor Bay Press Release: MASTERS OF HORROR
Thirteen of the greatest living horror filmmakers assembled for one sinister purpose --
To Scare The Living Daylights Out Of You!
IDT ENTERTAINMENT’S
ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT
PRESENTS THE DVD PREMIERE OF
“MASTERS OF HORROR” --
THE JOHN CARPENTER AND
STUART GORDON FEATURES
Available in Separate Editions or a Two-Pack Set
March 28, 2006
TROY, MI – When night overtakes day, when dreams morph into nightmares, when terror conquers reason, you will find them…lurking in the movies, on the airwaves and now in your DVD player. From the creative minds behind some of the most horrifying and groundbreaking cinema of all time comes…the “Masters of Horror!” IDT Entertainment’s Anchor Bay Entertainment – a leader in horror DVD programming – announces the March 28, 2006 DVD debut of two features from the critically acclaimed “Masters of Horror” film anthology. These bloodcurdling tales – “Cigarette Burns” directed by John Carpenter (“Halloween,” “The Thing,” “They Live”) and “Dreams in the Witch House” directed by Stuart Gordon (“Re-Animator,” “Pit and the Pendulum,” “Dolls”) – are also loaded with hours of bonus supplements to please the horror faithful and neophytes alike.
Each DVD package boasts original art from renowned genre artists Jeremy Caniglia, Ashley Wood and Ben Templesmith and includes a limited edition collectible trading card. SRP is $16.98 for each edition, with the “Masters of Horror Carpenter/Gordon 2-Pack” priced at $29.98 SRP. Pre-book is January 28, 2006.
“Our goal has always been to present the best horror catalog for home entertainment consumers,” says Anchor Bay Entertainment President and CEO Ted Green, “and with ‘Masters of Horror’ we are presenting the very best directors working in the field.”
“Masters of Horror” had its genesis in a series of bi-monthly informal dinners attended by some of the horror genre’s most respected directors. Premiering on the Showtime cable network in October 2005 to critical and public acclaim, “Masters of Horror” elevates the anthology to a completely new – and unnerving – level of storytelling. Each one-hour film stands alone as an exercise in terror, written and directed by some of the genre’s leading practitioners.
In John Carpenter’s “Cigarette Burns,” written by Drew McWeeny and Scott Swan, film “detective” Kirby Sweetman (Norman Reedus) is hired by a mysterious patron (Udo Kier) to track down the only known existing print of “Le Fin Absolue du Monde,” or “The Absolute End of the World,” a film shown only once and rumored to have driven its audience into a homicidal rage. (“Cigarette Burns” refer to the momentary dots that appear at the top right hand corner of a film print to indicate reel changes.) As Kirby’s investigations go deeper and deeper into the film’s reputation and actual history, he discovers a cinematic conspiracy that stretches from life to death and from Heaven to Hell.
Stuart Gordon’s “Dreams in the Witch House” cements Gordon’s reputation as a leading dramatizer of the horror literature of H.P. Lovecraft. Adapted from Lovecraft’s short story by Gordon and his frequent collaborator Dennis Paoli, “Dreams” spins the strange tale of college student Walter Gilman (Ezra Godden) who rents an attic room in a quaint but dilapidated building. Studying interdimensional string theory, Walter soon becomes haunted by nightmares involving witches, supernatural animals and even Satan himself. When Walter accidentally uncovers the gateway to a parallel universe, he starts to lose his grip on reality and begins to suspect that he might be an unwitting pawn in a satanic ritual that demands the life of his neighbor’s infant!
Horror.com declared “Scary and sexy, ‘Masters of Horror’ grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go,” while Entertainment Weekly gave the series an “A-“ and The Horror Channel exclaimed “Horror is a dish best served terrifying and the Masters have provided us with a feast!"
Anchor Bay Entertainment has created extensive bonus materials for each DVD release of “Masters of Horror,” assembling and presenting never-before-seen value-added features, behind-the-scenes supplements and extras available on DVD and DVD-ROM that provide hours of chilling insights.
JOHN CARPENTER’S CIGARETTE BURNS offers such features as:
Widescreen Presentation (1.77:1), enhanced for 16x9 TVs
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
“Celluloid Apocalypse: An Interview with John Carpenter”
Behind The Scenes: The Making of Cigarette Burns
Audio Commentaries with director John Carpenter and writers Drew McWeeny & Scott Swan
Trailers
Still Gallery
John Carpenter Bio
Original Screenplay (DVD-ROM)
Screen savers (DVD-ROM)
STUART GORDON’S DREAMS IN THE WITCH HOUSE includes the following value-added extras:
Widescreen Presentation (1.77:1), enhanced for 16x9 TVs
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
“Dreams, Darkness and Damnation: An Interview with Stuart Gordon”
Behind The Scenes: The Making of Dreams in the Witch House
SFX: Meet Brown Jenkin
Audio commentary by writer/director Stuart Gordon, Actor Ezra Godden and DVD Producer Perry Martin
Trailers
Still Gallery
Storyboard Gallery
Stuart Gordon Bio
Original Screenplay (DVD-ROM)
“Dreams in the Witch House” by H.P. Lovecraft (DVD-ROM)
Screen savers (DVD-ROM)
Anchor Bay Entertainment is promoting “Masters of Horror” on DVD with a multi-level marketing campaign including national television, genre/industry print advertising and a partnership with national cable network American Movie Classics. Additionally, the film will be cross-trailered on upcoming Anchor Bay DVD releases.
MASTERS OF HORROR:
JOHN CARPENTER’S CIGARETTE BURNS
Street Date: March 28, 2006
Pre-Book: February 28, 2005
Catalog #: DV13723
UPC: 0-1313-13723-9 7
Run Time: 59 Minutes
Rating: Not Rated
SRP: $16.98
MASTERS OF HORROR:
STUART GORDON’S DREAMS IN THE WITCH HOUSE
Street Date: March 28, 2006
Pre-Book: February 28, 2005
Catalog #: DV13724
UPC: 0-1313-13724-9 6
Run Time: 59 Minutes
Rating: Not Rated
SRP: $16.98
MASTERS OF HORROR:
CARPENTER /GORDON 2-PACK
Street Date: March 28, 2006
Pre-Book: February 28, 2005
Catalog #: DV14527
UPC: 0-1313-14527-9 2
Run Time: 118 Minutes
Rating: Not Rated
SRP: $29.98
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02-08-2006, 11:55 PM
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#2 of 10
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2000
Local Time: 06:35 AM
Local Date: 09-08-2008
Posts: 1,837
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Quote:
Thirteen of the greatest living horror filmmakers assembled for one sinister purpose --
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First, I really disagree with that hyperbole. There were only a few "masters of horror" to be found, the rest? Um....yeah. Anyway....
At first I was upset that Anchor Bay wasn't releasing the series as a season 1 set........then I saw the entire series and changed my mind. I'm happy as all hell I can pick and choose which I want (maybe 3 or 4 of 'em I'll be willing to buy.)
My most anticipated is Carpenter's episode though I am a bit saddened that Carpenter's usual aspect ratio choice is nowhere to be found but I suppose that's not his fault (trying to keep each episode look similar to each other?)
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02-09-2006, 12:47 AM
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#3 of 10
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Member
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Posts: 2,770
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Probably a budget issue, I'm sure. (look at the similar Body Bags movie he had a part in) regarding the aspect ratio issue.
I agree. I'll be picking up a few of these. Definitely not all of them.
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02-09-2006, 07:00 AM
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#4 of 10
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Member
Location: London, England
Join Date: Oct 2000
Local Time: 11:35 AM
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Posts: 808
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The UK is getting the series as double-bill discs, with each programme on a separate disc.
I added details of the bonus material - which is quite substantial - to my website earlier this week - see here.
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02-09-2006, 07:18 AM
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#5 of 10
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Member
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Shouldn't this be in the TV section?  |
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02-09-2006, 09:06 AM
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#6 of 10
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Member
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Technically, but since each segment is treated as its own individual film, and the releases are treated as such... I guess it is one of those either/or situations.
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02-23-2006, 08:42 PM
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#7 of 10
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Member
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I saw the first episode when it aired and I didn't like it.
Do these vary or do they all follow the same pattern of the first episode? I would pick it up to view, but is the first episode a good representation of the series as a whole?
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02-24-2006, 09:14 AM
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#8 of 10
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2002
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Quote:
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Do these vary or do they all follow the same pattern of the first episode? I would pick it up to view, but is the first episode a good representation of the series as a whole?
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They were all very hit and miss. Mostly miss.
Joe Dante's was a satire on the Bush administration (dead soldiers coming to life to vote out the current President), that was surprising in how blatantly political it was, but not a great episode overall.
John Landis had this ineptly made episode about a deer woman killing people that was just stunningly bad. Shots didn't match. The dialogue was cringe inducing. Just terrible, and I normally like his work.
John Carpenter's had potential, the storyline was interesting (a film detective trying to track down a film that caused people to kill each other during its only showing), but it went overboard in the gore effects and the story went off course.
There was only one I partially liked, about a lesbian bug researcher with an evil bug on the loose in her apartment. I didn't even know the director who did it. It wasn't GREAT, I wouldn't say to buy it, but it was the most watchable of the group.
I didn't even make it through Dario Argento's one about a woman with a deformed face who causes men to fall in love with her. Very strange episode. Several of the others I gave up on early on.
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02-24-2006, 10:30 AM
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#9 of 10
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Member
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I actually enjoyed Carpenter's a lot more than the bug story. Everything about the "main" actresses (especially her voice) was SO ANNOYING. I kept hoping she would bite it just so I would not have to see her anymore.
Dancing dead starring Robert Englund was pretty bad also. Very pointless.
Jenifer, the Argento story had some very good points but overall not well done. Came off as a cheap unrated tales from the crypt story but not as good. Can't explain it.
Haeckel's tale was just Bad B-script...
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