On DVD: Masters of Horror: Valerie on the Stairs

Written by Clive Barker

Directed by Mick Garris

Starring: Christopher Lloyd, Jonathan Watson, Tyron Leitso, Clare Grant

While the first season of the Showtime series Masters of Horror had some great moments, the second season has faltered in a lot of ways. But, this one is directed by Mick Garris and written by Clive Barker, so it gives one hope, right? Masters of Horror: Valerie on the Stairs was recently released on DVD by Anchor Bay.

The Show

Struggling writer Rob Hanisey (Tyron Leitso) is receiving nothing but bills and rejection letters from publishers in his mailbox daily. Until one day, he receives a letter from Highberger House. What is Highberger House? It is a inn, started by a unpublished writer, for other unpublished writers so they could live rent free until they complete their novels. Once the novels are finished and published, they have to hit the bricks. This sounds like a dream come true and Rob hastily packs a bag and is on his way.

Upon arriving, Highberger House is not quite what it would seem. The atmosphere is dark and depressing. It is also filled to the rafters with other failed and bitter writers (Jonathan Wattton, Suki Kaiser and Christopher Lloyd).

It isn’t long before strange things start happening to Rob and the other residents of Highberger House. One night, he sees a girl. Her name is Valerie and before she can tell Rob why she is a prisoner of Highberger House, she is pulled away by a demon (Tony Todd). Will Rob be able to solve the mystery of Valerie before he and the other residents have to pay the ultimate price?

Valerie on the Stairs has its scary moments, but overall, it feels watered down. This is not a surprise since virtually every episode in the Masters of Horror series in the second season feels like everyone is “playing it safe”. This is a grave disappointment for horror fans. And anyone familiar with Clive Barker’s work knows that a lot of sadomasochistic and sexual content must have been sanitized out of this telling of this story. 

The performances are all sound, albeit, nothing to really write home about. The direction by Mick Garris is solid if not a bit standard.

So, all things considered, Valerie on the Stairs, suffers from a lot of the same troubles the other episodes of this series has contracted: a big case of the “play it safes”.  If you really want to see a director swinging for the rafters and taking no prisoners, make sure to check out Imprint, directed by Takeshi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer, Gozu) from the first season of this series.

That episode should be the blueprint for how directors, writers and actors need to do episodes for this series. But, as long as Showtime is quivering at the knees, Valerie on the Stairs is what they are prepared to offer horror fans.

7/10

The Video

Masters of Horror: Valerie on the Stairs is presented in anamorphic widescreen. This is a respectable transfer with vibrant colors and decent black levels.

7/10

The Audio

Masters of Horror: Valerie on the Stairs is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and

Dolby Digital Stereo. The dialogue is crystal clear and easily understood. You can hear every creak and scream loud and clear.

7/10

The Packaging and Bonus Features

Masters of Horror: Valerie on the Stairs is presented in a standard amaray case enclosed in a cardboard slipcover with artwork that captures the feel of the show accurately.

A nice selection of bonus features await your perusal on this disc. First up, a commentary track  with Mick Garris is offered. Garris talks about the evolution of this project from Barker’s original short story to the final screenplay and show that was filmed.

There are also interviews with Clive Barker, Tony Todd, Clare Grant, Christopher Lloyd, Tyron Leitso just to name a few. To name a few more, there are interviews with Howard Berger and Greg Nicotero, who provided the make up effects, editor Andrew Cohen and visual effects supervisor Lee Wilson.

A featurette entitled Jump Scare: Editing Valerie covers the editing of the film with Andrew Cohen and Mick Garris. A photo gallery, bio for Garris and the script on DVD-Rom rounds out the bonus features offered.

Overall, a nice selection of bonus features to accompany this episode of the series.

8/10

Overall (Not an Average) 7/10

The Review

The Movie 7/10

The Video 7/10

The Audio 7/10

The Packaging and Bonus Features 8/10

Overall (Not an Average) 7/10

-Suzie Lackey