Movie 6 - Masters of Horror: Pelts

Our next DVD is an episode of Masters of Horror from season 2 named Pelts directed by Dario Argento in 2006. If you are not familiar with Masters of Horror, let me explain. This was every horror fan's dream! The best directors of the genre can each make a 1 hour movie. The closest equivalent would have been Tales from the Crypt, where to stories did not have to be related in any way and have no restrictions in the way of theme or tone. The idea actually came from dinner parties that Mick Garris (who directed Sleepwalkers as well as many TV movies) would hold and would invite his friends from the industry. After a while he realized that the guests were some of the top names in genre filmmaking and started to joke that they were the "Masters of Horror".

I had watched most of the first season of the show since it included some of my all time favorite directors such as Stuart Gordon, Tobe Hooper, Don Coscarelli, John Carpenter and Dario Argento. Highlights that year were Cigarette Burns, Incident On and Off A Mountain Road and Jenifer. Somewhere along the way I lost track of watching the episodes on Showtime, but still picked up a few on DVD at horror conventions.

Now this episode, Pelts, had gotten a lot of praise, but I think I was a little weary of the content and potential gruesomeness because of the subject matter. The story is about a sleazy fur trader who has some questionable morals. Aside from his work, this man's other obsession is a particular stripper at a nearby club. Overall the story is an Aesop's fable that warns you that sometimes in life you get what you deserve, but there is a lot of sex and gore used to tell the story.

The effects are amazingly realistic. Howard Berger (ex-KNB FX) does a beautiful job on these gags that center on human flesh being treated like animal skins. While they may not have the stomach for it, PETA should use this film as a war cry for their cause. Seeing the people that are affected by the curse of the sacred raccoon pelts turn on their own flesh with tools of the trade lets the audience see them vividly get their just desserts! Argento works his magic to expose the cruelty of human beings again!

Definitely recommended for fans of horror who can appreciate some well spilled blood.

Pelts listing on IMDB

 

Masters of Horror on Wikipedia