On DVD: Masters of Horror The Screwfly Solution

Directed By Joe Dante

Starring Jason Priestly, Elliot Gould, Kerry Norton

While I am a huge horror film fan, I think the Masters of Horror series is a bit hit or miss for me. While some are really strong, others feel like the directors are playing it “too safe”. This may be the fault of the director, or more likely, Showtime is afraid of negative feedback from more conservative viewers and directors are asked to edit or tone down their projects significantly. Anyway, Anchor Bay Home Entertainment recently released The Screwfly Solution from the second season of the show on DVD and I gave it a spin in the DVD player.

The Movie

An epidemic has broken out in the United States. It seems that something is causing men to commit acts of violence against women when they become aroused. The men are even driven to kill the women.

Two scientists have been chosen to try to solve the mystery. Alan (Jason Priestly) and Barney (Elliot Gould) recently completed a project with exotic insects. Through the process, Alan and Barney destroyed an entire species of insects by tampering with its natural reproductive process. The two scientist see scary similarites in the behavior of the men and vow to search for a cure.

However, will the two be able to discover the mystery of the epidemic before they fall victim to it too?

As a whole, The Screwfly Solution isn’t a bad installment in the series; it just isn’t a very strong one either.  The performances are decent; the characters are fairly well developed, aside from the irritatingly shallow character of Alan’s daughter who seems to exist merely to screw every thing up.

I think the overall story and characters would be better served by a longer running time. There is a lot to squeeze into just an hour.

While this might not be an award winning film, it is fairly entertaining. I just wish I could say that the Masters of Horror was as great of a series as I had anticipated. When I first read about it, I couldn’t wait.

In my opinion, looking at both seasons, the strongest entries have been those Takeshi Miike (Imprint), Dario Argento (Jenifer and Pelts) and John Carpenter (Cigarette Burns). There have been others I enjoyed and some that just seemed like a waste of time and energy.

So, The Screwfly Solution makes for a mostly enjoyable viewing experience. It is just not going to haunt you for days afterward like Imprint.

7/10

The Video

Masters of Horror: The Screwfly Solution is presented in anamorphic widescreen. The image is crystal clear and I did not notice any instances of grain or artifacts.

7/10

The Audio

Masters of Horror: The Screwfly Solution is presented in Dolby Digital 5. 1 and Dolby Digital 2.0. Both are suitable and the dialogue is clear. You might have to ride the volume button a bit because the overall volume seems a bit quiet.

6.5/10

Packaging and Bonus Features

Masters of Horror: The Screwfly Solution is presented in a standard amaray case, enclosed in a cardboard slipcover.  The artwork is solid and it well represents the film.

There are a few bonus features to explore on this release. There is a short featurette on the making of The Screwfly Solution that gives a behind the scenes look at the production of the episode. There is also a featurette on the special effects and makeup created for the project.

A commentary by Joe Dante is also available. He discusses the project with the writer of the episode Sam Hamm. Joe Dante is a charismatic individual and his commentary is not only informative but very entertaining.

That is all on the bonus features front. While they are a bit paltry, the ones that are included are enjoyable.

7/10

Overall (Not an Average) 6/10

The Episode 7/10

The Video 7/10

The Audio 6.5/10

The Packaging and Bonus Features 7/10

Overall (Not an Average) 7/10

-Suzie Lackey