"Masters of Horror" The Washingtonians (2007)

Director:

Peter Medak

Writers:

Mick Garris (creator)
Richard Chizmar (teleplay) ...

TV Series:

"Masters of Horror" (2005)

Original Air Date:

26 January 2007 (Season 2, Episode 12)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

A man finds a letter behind a painting of George Washington that is supposedly written by George Washington. The painting was at the estate of his late Grandmother. The letter discusses eating children and using their bones to make tools for eating, and is later judged authentic by an expert.

Plot Keywords:

George Washington | Painting | Cannibal | Child In Peril | Massacre

Cast

Johnathon Schaech	...	Mike Franks
Venus Terzo	...	Pam Franks
Myron Natwick	...	Samuel Madison III
Duncan Fraser	...	Bearded Washingtonian
Julia Tortolano	...	Amy Franks
Saul Rubinek	...	Professor Harkinson
Caroline Carter	...	Hitch Hiker
Esme Lambert	...	Nancy Arnold
Abraham Jedidiah	...	Jared Barkish
Patrick Keating	...	Minister
Wendy Morrow Donaldson	...	Chubby Waitress (as Wendy Donaldson)
Nathan Clark	...	Deputy #1
Daniel Cudmore	...	Deputy #2
Brian Jensen	...	George Washington
Joel Wirkkunen	...	Washingtonian #1

Runtime:

57 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:TV-MA | Australia:MA (2007) | Italy:VM14 | Germany:16

Company:

Starz Productions

Movie Connections:

References A Few Good Men (1992)

Who's Afraid of George W.?

The value of Peter Medak's master degree in horror is debatable, since he only just directed one terrific classic in the genre ("The Changeling") and one inferior but fun & gory sequel ("Species II"), but he nevertheless delivered a worthwhile addition to the series' second season. "The Washingtonians" has an original premise and a fairly large amount of suspenseful sequences, particularly during the first half hour when the outcome is still somewhat of a mystery. And unlike most other installments of this show, the concept has the courage to mildly provoke. The story revolves on George Washington being a bloodthirsty cannibal – even with a preference for the flesh of young children and virgins – and a small group of Virginian disciples are still practicing his murderous habits. Considering the first President of the United States is still (and always) seen as a genuine hero and founding father of the nation, "The Washingtonians" just might upset a handful of old-fashioned people here and there. Not too much, however, as the overall tone of the episode is as much blackly comical as it is creepy. In the basement of his recently deceased grandmother's house in Virginia, Mike Franks finds a note written by no other than George Washington himself. This could be a great historical discovery, wouldn't it be that the message is hugely disturbing and talks about the dismemberment & devouring of little children. When they hear about the note, the friendly old people in town promptly turn into hostile and menacing aggressors that won't hesitate to kill and eat Mike and his family in order to recover the note. "The Washingtonians" is adequately fast-paced and well directed. Highlight of the short film is unquestionably the scene in the local restaurant, where the elderly townsfolk outrageously & primitively munch large portions of red meat. Still, in a story revolving on cannibalism, I expected a bit more gore and slaughter. Johnathon Schaech is decent in the lead role, but the woman who played his wife Pam (the largely unknown Venus Terzo) impressed me a lot more. She's a talented beauty with a gorgeous rack. That might be an infantile and tasteless thing to say, but it's the truth.