Search - Masters of Horror - Family on DVD

In my top 3 of all MOH episodes

Monkdude | Hampton, Virginia | 08/01/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This was just an amazing episode from a hit or miss series. The acting by George Wendt was brilliant. There are many twists, some come very early on, but the final one caught me way off guard (which is hard to do). Family is much better than last seasons Deer Woman, though I enjoyed that one as well. I hope John Landis tops this one next season."

If the guys from "Cheers" only knew what Norm was doing in h

Captain Insanity | NY | 02/05/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The first scene in John Landis's second effort is dynamite.
I don't want to ruin it for you, but you'll cheer. (I did)
Grandpa's bath has never gotten him so clean.
The special effects in that scene alone, make this flick worth a purchase.

George Wendt stars as the quaint, neighborhood psychopath who collects family members, cleans 'em off, and dresses their skeletons up.
Its a perfect family that he hand-picked himself.
He converses with them, as he goes about his day,
and they respond via his hallucinations.
Problem is, is that he's tired of his hand-picked wife,
and he wants to replace her with his new neighbor.

Out of all the episodes I've seen this second season,
this is one of the best.
It has great make-up effects,
a straight-foward story,
believable characters,
a soundtrack that actually gives some insight into Mr.Psycho's past,
Add to that, a dash of humor,
a scoop of terror, and a few sprinkles of horror.
And you get a sundae topped with a twist ending that you won't see coming
(that is unless someone already told you there's a twist ending.)
(Ooops! Sorry about that)

Unlike "Deer Woman" this one wasn't particularly funny,
and it certainly wasn't horrific,
and yet it still worked as a whole.
Would I recommend it? - Definitely
Would I watch it more than twice? - Probably not.
Although I would watch that first scene multiple times.

It was good, but it wasn't great.
Worth a purchase at only $10 (especially if you haven't seen it yet.)
Watch it on showtime demand if you don't want to spend the 10 bucks.
Either way, it's an enjoyable way to kill an hour.

MORAL OF THE STORY: You can pick your friends,
but you can't pick your family.
Unless of course you have chloroform.
In which case, you can pick anyone you want.
"

The best family is a dead family

Simon | Brampton, ON | 06/18/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This entry in the Masters of Horror series is basically a suburban play on the movie 'Psycho.' George Wendt of 'Cheers' fame is your average, polite neighbour who is secretly killing people and setting up their skeletons as his own 'family.' When a new couple moves in down the road, he becomes obsessed with the hot wife and decides to add her to his collection.

'Family' mixes elements of horror, suspense, and satire. I agree with other reviewers that it doesn't ever focus enough on one element to truly standout in that category, but it's still an engaging tale with a strong script and good direction. The acting is solid, and it's fun to see George Wendt take on this kind of role.

A nice effort from John Landis. Check it out."

Worth Watching Just for the Twist Ending

Madelyn Pryor | Mesa, AZ United States | 05/23/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Bare Bones (Quick facts):
Family is the latest offering in the Masters of Horror series. This time, director John Landis (American Werewolf in London, Animal House) lends his unique vision to the horror genre. The result is a campy little horror movie that's very enjoyable.

The Meat of the Matter (The plot):
Harold Thompson is a mild mannered man with a penchant for 1950's decorating, good family values, and gospel music. He also likes to kill people and use their bodies to construct dummies in order to have the perfect family. One day a new couple moves in. They are his neighbors and become his friends. But when Harold starts coveting his neighbor's wife, he decides it might be time to trade in his old wife and get a new member of the family... but first he has to get rid of her husband.

Viscera (My ramblings):
Family is one of the better offerings from Masters of Horror. I liked the corpse scenes, nice and gross. The acting is a little flat and the interactions a bit too staged. No one has manners as nice as these neighbors! Watching this you can tell George Wendt's performance seems off slightly, like a copy of a copy. The rest of the acting is wooden as well. The plot seems to drag at some spots. However, over all, I really liked this installment. The dark humor is great, and the morality play ending is spectacular. If you like Tales from the Crypt or Alfred Hitchcock presents, I think you'll really like the episode. But if you go in expecting something spectacular, gory, or novel you will be disappointed.

Recommended for horror movie fans with patience to survive the slow bits and a love of twist endings.
"