2006
The last first-season episode of the Showtime anthology series to hit DVD, "Masters of Horror: The Fair-Haired Child" is directed by William Malone, whose credits include only one decent horror film (the "House on Haunted Hill" remake) and twice as many awful ones ("FeardotCom," "Creature").
The 55-minute mini-movie entails the kidnapping of an outcast virgin schoolgirl (appealing newcomer Lindsay Pulsipher) by grieving parents who require her soul to resurrect their son from the dead.
This paper-thin premise is overlong by half, but does boast a nightmarish monster, filmed in Malone's beloved twitch-o-vision and spoiled by the disc's own cover art. Almost as creepy is "Tank Girl" Lori Petty, one of the girl's captors, who looks emaciated.
Even when "Masters" episodes are marginal, the extras make up for it, with commentaries, behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and, best of all, trailers for each installment of the series.
"?Rod Lott
