trashgang Looking back in my vaults of horror I came across the fabulous Masters Of Horror series. And they are indeed amazing. Back then I never reviewed stuff but I also came across season two and noticed I hadn't seen it. My best friend and horror buff told me to be ashamed of that fact and face it, it's summer so nothing is on the telee or at theatres. What else could a geek do then go back in time.I just picked one DVD out, Let it be this one. Immediately you are into the stories and this follows the same line. Masters Of Horror are known to indeed having the best horror directors on board and having some famous names from the genre in it. This time it's John Saxon as thespian and Dario Argento as director. And Dario doesn't go for a Giallo this time but for a gorefest. Somewhere I was a bit lost when the story slowly turned into a Stephen King look-a-like with the racoons looking through a window just like they had a 'Disney' life. Luckily it picked up strong again to end in a gory final. No boundaries were made, it do has some cruel gore made by the KNB boys and it looks fabulous. We also have a lot of nudity and nothing is cut. So far Imprint from season one was brought out cut in Europe but at this writing it's out there in Germany full uncut on Blu Ray.On part of the gore it has a strange feeling because when they are smashing heads or a head is being cut in pieces by a trap you can easily spot it was some rubber face. And the ending wasn't realistic at all but to be honest, somehow you take it. John Saxon looks great in his role as Jeb 'Pa' Jameson, face it, he was 71 then, I have seen him in flesh around that time and he was walking with sticks so go figure that one out.But for me Meat Loaf as Jake Feldman did an excellent job. What a great performance he gives here. Melissa Gonzalez (Mira) is the one who strips and is walking around naked a lot of times. But while walking in the flesh she not only looks great but performs great too. The end scene with her in the elevator when she got in trouble with her hand did remind me of Tenebre (1982), I don't know if it was a wink by Dario intended for the geeks out there or if I'm too deep into the genre. Nevertheless, this was an outstanding episode not that typical Dario but surely one to pick up. I wont go that far to say that Dario's entries in Masters Of Horror are a statement against animal abuse but there's a small message to catch for those wearing fur...Gore 3,5/5 Nudity 2,5/5 Effects 4/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

MisterWhiplash Dario Argento might not be entirely at the top of the proverbial 'game' with his one-hour 2nd offering to Masters of Horror- Pelts- but it is certainly an original work, with a slightly original spin, and featuring some meaty acting work (no pun intended). While at one hour there isn't much time for Argento to work out some of his usual extended suspense sequences, he does give in delightfully, and pretty savagely, to pure gore and terror with that in tow. His story to work with isn't exactly new- an object that people come into contact with turns them into bloodthirsty walking nightmares that rip off their own skin, kill others, kill themselves, and sometimes sew their eyes shut. But the idea of the pelts puts a certain supernatural twist to things that's needed with the themes of greed and lust and unrepentant Jake (Meat Load Aday), who embodies both of these in the most piggish ways.But also credit is due, however in brief measure, to John Saxon as the trapper who first comes into contact with the pelts off of those cute, horrific monster raccoons by that cackling old woman's shack. In a sense it should be so obvious to see what will happen in the story- primarily between Meatloaf and the stripper who won't have none of him without that lovely coat he's making for her- but the power of the scenes where violence springs out of the subconscious, out of the curse, Argento makes things work so well that you can't imagine anyone else handling the material. This goes without saying he doesn't have the right platform (TV instead of film), and his musical collaborator is no Goblin by any stretch. This being said, at least compared to other Masters of Horror episodes (save for Carpenter and Miike), it's a cut above the rest. As Argento said, "it's a strange story." Strangeness, it would seem, fits him well, along with a few limbs and skin and buckets of blood.

Michael_Elliott Pelts (2006) *** (out of 4) Dario Argento's second film in the Masters of Horror series is about a fur trader (Meat Loaf) to finds the perfect pelts but these pelts also lead to murder and suicide. I preferred Argento's other film in the series but this here is certainly miles better than the past few features from the Italian director. Meat Loaf does a good job in the role, although he doesn't go too deep into the character. The real highlight here is the appearance of John Saxon who steals the show. It was really great seeing him in another film. The special effects are quite gruesome and that includes the seriously over the top ending.

Woodyanders Gruff, irate furrier Jake Feldman (nicely played by rocker Meat Loaf Adday) is obsessed with sassy and enticing stripper Shanna (the stunningly gorgeous Ellen Ewusie), but she's not interested in him. Jake acquires a bunch of beautiful raccoon pelts from mean fur trapper Jeb "Pa" Jameson (the always excellent John Saxon) and his jittery son Larry (a fine Michael Suchanek). Jake plans on making a fancy fur coat out of the pelts for Shanna to wear at an upcoming fashion show. The only problem is that the pelts cause everyone who comes into contact with them to commit brutal acts of murder and self-mutilation. Director Dario Argento, working from an inspired script by Matt Venne, does a typically expert job of creating and sustaining a genuinely creepy and unnerving atmosphere. Moreover, Argento really pours on the unflinchingly explicit splatter by the disgusting bucketful: grisly highlights include a man's skull bashed in with a baseball bat, a guy's head being crushed with a steel trap, another dude cutting himself open with a large pair of scissors, and a lady sewing her eyes, nose and mouth shut with a needle and thread. Better still, several hot babes strut their sizzling sexy stuff in the buff (Ewusie in particular looks absolutely delectable in her birthday suit). Attila Szalay's glossy, sumptuous cinematography, Claudio Simonetti's lush, classy, haunting score, and a truly startling over-the-top grotesque climax further add to the overall satisfyingly spooky tone of this nasty'n'nifty episode.