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Masters of Horror: Cigarette Burns
R2 - United Kingdom - Anchor Bay Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Adrian Busby (18th May 2006). |
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The Show
 “Film is magic. And in the right hands, it can be a weapon.” Cinema manager Kirby (Norman Reedus) is hired by Bellinger (Udo Kier), a wealthy collector, to track down the holy grail of film - LE FIN ABSOLUE DU MONDE (The Absolute End of the World). It’s a legendary lost movie which is rumoured to have driven its audience to a homicidal frenzy on its Sitges premiere. That was to be its only showing when authorities demanded the destruction of the print. Kirby is partly driven by his interest in film and desire for the unknown but mainly by the guilt he feels for his fiancé Annie’s (Zara Taylor) drug overdose and his desperation to earn money to repay his debt to Walter (Gary Hetherington), her father, for the cinema he runs. He tracks down Meyers (Chris Britton), a critic who reviewed the film, and gets hold of a taped interview with the film’s director Backovic. While listening to the interview, Kirby experiences the first of several bizarre hallucinations which are triggered by the image of a cigarette burn (a small mark on the frame of a film which is designed to let the projectionist know that he has to change the reel). Kirby’s trail leads him to Henri Cotillard (Julius Chapple), a film archivist in Paris, who confirms that the fiery circles Kirby has been seeing are the cigarette burns in the film and warns him not to continue his mission. Kirby insists on knowing more and Cotillard reveals that he was the projectionist at a private screening. He was horrified by what he saw and when he tried to stop the film, the projector wouldn’t stop. He blacked out and when he awoke, his hand was horribly disfigured. He gives Kirby the details of contact Dalibor (Douglas Arthurs) but his visit there leads to further hallucinations and murder. Kirby finally tracks down Backovic’s widow, Katja (Gwynyth Walsh) in Canada and finally the elusive missing film. Returning to Bellinger and receiving his dues, he hopes that will be the end, but his luck runs out when he receives an urgent call-back from Bellinger. -- This is the 8th episode of the 1st series of Masters of Horror and was first shown on US cable and satellite channel Showtime on 16th December 2005. It may seem odd that the series isn’t being released in order but the release schedule is identical to Anchor Bay’s US counterparts and I would suspect that they have chosen to release some of the strongest episodes first. The episode is certainly one for fans. The writers are self confessed film geeks - one is ‘Moriarty’ on the film buff website Ain’t It Cool News - and so two of the characters are also film geeks. Kirby runs his own cinema, Timpson (Christopher Gauthier) - the projectionist - collects cigarette burns from the film prints that are shown and Meyers obsessively writes pages and pages of critique on one single film. And then there’s the film itself. LE FIN ABSOLUE DU MONDE is not only the sought after Holy Grail but also the ultimate snuff movie. The score sounds like a classic John Carpenter composed theme. That isn’t quite the case. The credits reveal that in fact it was produced by a certain Cody Carpenter. John confirms in his commentary track that he is his son. He’s very proud of his son’s first work and the phrase ‘like father like son’ certainly applies here. It is very reminiscent of John’s score for Halloween - a small number of notes which are repeated to create a simple yet haunting theme. One final point I feel the need to say is that other reviews seem to feel the need to make a big thing about how the episode looks like it’s made for TV film rather than a theatrical release. I thought that was the whole point though, the Masters of Horror stories ARE television episodes and therefore I don’t think they should have to try and pretend to be anything else. Horror anthologies have been around for decades and I certainly don’t see any problem with continuing that tradition.
Video
The episode is presented as an anamorphic 1.78:1 transfer (PAL) which is the original aspect ratio. The picture is clean and free from any problems. You wouldn't expect anything from a production that's barely a year old yet though. Colour schemes set the mood very well, a good example being the abandoned warehouse scene where lighting is minimal and yet detail is still clear. In fact, John Carpenter mentions in his commentary that he did his best to avoid the use of artificial lighting in as many scenes as possible.
Audio
Anyone who has purchased a DVD from Anchor Bay UK will know the options by now but, simply for completeness, the disc has three audio options: a Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track, a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track and a DTS 5.1 surround track. The Dolby Digital 5.1 track is similar to other Anchor Bay remixes in that it mainly adds greater ambience to the stereo option but not much more. The episode is very dialogue driven so to be fair there is little opportunity to wallow in an all encompassing soundstage. However, there are a few occasions when the surround is used to good effect: the cigarette burns for example scream out when they burst onto the screen. An English Hard of Hearing subtitle track is also provided.
Extras
The film is accompanied by an extensive set of extras which put many feature length releases to shame. First up are 2 audio commentaries featuring Director John Carpenter and Writers Drew McWeeny and Scott Swan. Several featurettes covering interviews and behind the scenes footage follow. The extras are rounded off with trailers, stills and visual effects galleries, outtakes, a biography of John Carpenter and some DVD-ROM features. Commentary with Drew McWeeny and Scott Swan: Drew McWeeny and Scott Swan are the writers of this episode. It’s their 1st feature film having worked on stage productions prior to this. They comment on how well the director and actors brought their writing to life and apologise for laboured exposition at the start, although I think that’s probably necessary when the story has to wrap in under an hour. They also provide insight into the differences between their original script (and personal ideas) and the finished product, including the fact that John Carpenter made a lot of script changes to trim it down, cutting out unnecessary dialogue. They are also full of behind the scenes anecdotes, especially regarding the excellent makeup effects by Greg Nicotero and their opinions about how to scare the audience. Commentary with John Carpenter: John Carpenter provides a lone second commentary which seems very personal, open and honest. Many of his observations are production based and he usually introduces the listener to the character and the actor when they first appear, providing brief additional insight. One of his first comments regards the aspect ratio - "it’s only semi-widescreen" - this of course being a reference to his preference for 2.35:1. That point is also mentioned in the writer’s commentary. He certainly isn’t afraid to criticise his own work. He points out a couple of occasions when actors noticeably look for their ‘mark’ or right at the camera. One fact that is repeated many times during his chat track is his dislike of ‘cheating’. The location used for filming the majority of the episode is a particular sore point. Vancouver ‘stands in’ for a variety of locations, including Paris, and he clearly hates it. He ‘gets his own back’ my using the cheesiest stock footage of the Eiffel Tower he could find! He also seems frustrated at being forced to use clichéd methods such as the ‘television insert’ shot used to reveal that a character has a gun - he was left with little choice when it was established that firearms couldn’t be used in the street outside the building. It’s interesting that he notes that the elevator sequence was one of the few non dialogue changes he made to the script produced by McWeeny and Swan. It had been a scare scene in the building’s stair well - and the writer’s commentary confirms it was a driving scene before that. Celluloid Apocalypse - An Interview with John Carpenter: This is an interesting featurette which runs 18:07 and encompasses Carpenter's previous productions and his Maters of Horror episode. The first half is basically an interview where he explains his career development from enjoying films as a child, going to film school, making Dark Star - expecting that to be his ticket into directing - it wasn't so he started writing screenplays (Escape From New York, Eyes of Laura Mars and Black Moon Rising) until he made Assault On Precinct 13 in 1976. His next feature film was developed from Babysitter Murders - it became Halloween and although it opened initially to poor reviews, word of mouth led to it becoming the most successful independent film of all time. After Elvis, he made The Fog and Escape From New York in a 2 picture deal with Avco Embassy. The Thing was next - his take on The Thing from Another World which had had such an influence on him as a child. He then glosses over all the films he has made since - whether that was due to time restrictions of the featurette or his lack of pride in the rest of his career is unclear - certainly many critics would opt for the latter. He spends the rest of the interview talking about Masters of Horror. How Mick Garris initially suggested the idea and then about his episode - Cigarette Burns. He goes on to comment on: the dark and cynical story; the fast production (just 10 days in Vancouver); his admiration for the lead actor Norman Reedus; his thoughts on the thrust of the episode – “film is magic. And in the right hands, it can be a weapon”; just how fun the production was and finally “I think it’s a pretty sick deal - everything about the Masters of Horror’s unhealthy”. Working with a Master - John Carpenter: A second featurette about the director which runs for 18:54. This time it’s the turn of the thespians to praise his work here and in previous films. There are contributions from, in order of appearance: Greg Nicotero (Make Up Effects - Vampires) - who imparts a great anecdote about when Frank Darabont was on the set of Vampires; Sam Neill (Actor - In The Mouth of Madness); Keith Gordon (Actor - Christine); Julie Carmen (Actress - In The Mouth of Madness); PJ Soles (Actress - Halloween); Sheryl Lee (Actress - Vampires) and Keith David (Actor - The Thing and They Live). They reminisce about their respective films and discuss Carpenter’s style, suggesting that he has a much wider range of filmography than most would give him credit for. He’s not just about psychological and gory horror but also a social and political commentator with his films demonstrating cultural influences, sometimes comedic value and often a certain sensitivity. Above all, they all come across as genuinely appreciating the opportunity to work with the man. On Set - An Interview With Norman Reedus: Clocking in at 7:17, this featurette concentrates on the actor who played lead role Kirby. However, it is rather dry and is little more than Norman explaining the episode’s plot in his own words, with very minor personal insight into the character he plays. Script to Screen - Cigarette Burns: A documentary (36:40) which provides more a significant insight into the production. It is essentially the dissection of three scenes: where Kirby is shown Bellinger’s most prized movie memorabilia; when Kirby returns to Bellinger’s house and is confronted by Fung (Colin Foo) and when Kirby is joined by Annie in the elevator. All three segments begin with the script on screen and the soundtrack playing behind. We then get b-roll footage from several takes and a look at John Carpenter actually directing the actors in the scene. The first segment in particular demonstrates just how dull and boring television and film would be without the correct lighting, sound design and general ambience that are created by an expert production team. Best of all - it shows just how low tech design and effects can be - why have a motorized turntable when a production assistant is cheaper and easier! Behind The Scenes - The Making of Cigarette Burns: This short featurette (which runs to just 3:51) is simply a montage of clips from the film and behind the scenes footage. It’s little more than disc padding but there are some good sequences showing the preparation of the special effects. Special Features - Visual Effects: This is another short featurette (running to just 2:07) which briefly examines the production of a number of the visual effects used in the film. Visual Effects Supervisor Lee Wilson talks through a number of shots including how one gory suicide was constructed using CGI rather than an on-set practical effect and the addition of the cigarette burns throughout the episode. Special Features - Outtakes: Just a few outtakes which only total 1:35 because the same goofs are covered by different angles. It’s unfortunate that the one which is at least amusing is actually also included in the Script to Screen documentary. Stills Gallery: 34 photographs are played as a slideshow against the Masters of Horror theme. The photos are a mix of stills and behind the scenes shots. Biography - John Carpenter: An interesting 12 pages of text which examines his background and early films but pretty much glosses over his later works. It does include a number of quotes rather than being purely opinion and is finished off with a page of selected filmography. Trailers: An extensive selection of trailers is included. There are trailers for each of the first 8 episodes of the 1st series of Masters of Horror: Chocolate - Episode 5 (Mick Garris) 1:42; Cigarette Burns - Episode 8 (John Carpenter) 1:42; Dreams in the Witch House - Episode 2 (Stuart Gordon) 1:52; Homecoming - Episode 6 (Joe Dante) 1:32; Deer Woman - Episode 7 (John Landis) 1:52; Jenifer - Episode 4 (Dario Argento) 1:39; Incident On and Off A Mountain Road - Episode 1 (Don Coscarelli) 1:41; Dance of the Dead - Episode 3 (Tobe Hooper) 2:01. There is also a trailer John Carpenter's Halloween (John Carpenter) 2:32 and 2 unrelated films: Room 6 (Mike Hurst) 1:45; Demon Hunter (Scott Ziehl) 1:30 DVD-ROM: There are a couple of features included as DVD-ROM. The original screenplay is included as a 62 page pdf document and a screen saver which is simply a series of (mainly gory) stills presented alongside the Masters of Horror theme. John Carpenter’s note in his commentary regarding the elevator scene confirms that the screenplay included here is the final version used. It would have been interesting to have also included the original script by McWeeny and Swan - or at the very least their alternative scene. Although, having said that, perhaps it didn’t actually differ that much from the scene finally shot.
Overall
Masters of Horror: Cigarette Burns is presented in a great package which puts many a DVD release to shame, especially when the main feature is essentially an episode of a television series. It's a pity that other, bigger DVD production companies can't take leaf from Anchor Bay's book.
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