John Carpenter's Cigarette Burns

Now This is how I love the "Masters Of Horror" series. Master Carpenter delivers an great, creepy and brutal episode with a very original storyline and an excellent cast. "Cigarette Burns" is obviously considered the best MoH episode by many. I personally wouldn't consider it the very best episode, but it is definitely one of the truly great ones, an episode that should impress and give you the creeps. The cast includes the German specialist for sinister characters, the great Udo Kier, the atmosphere is very creepy, and the plot is obscure and highly original.

Kirby (Norman Reedus), the bankrupt owner of a Movie Theater and a specialist for finding rare films, is hired by the eccentric millionaire Bellinger (Udo Kier) to find the rarest of all films, "La Fin Absolue Du Monde" (The Absolute End of the World) - a film rumored to cause mayhem, bloodshed and death, simply by being shown...

"Cigarette Burns" is arguably the second most violent and disturbing MoH episode next to Takashi Miike's brilliant "Imprint". The atmosphere is highly creepy and the episode is at times wonderfully bizarre. Norman Reedus delivers a great leading performance and Udo Kier is, as usual, excellent and very sinister in his role of the rich eccentric Bellinger. Anyone who likes the "Masters Of Horror" series should make sure not to miss "Cigarette Burns". This is how I love the show - brutal, bizarre, very creepy and highly atmospheric. Furthermore, it was nice to see Carpenter pay tribute to one of my favorite films ever, "Profondo Rosso", by fellow 'Master Of Horror' Dario Argento. Highly recommended!