When I heard they were making a series called “Masters of Horror,” I was immediately excited. As a fan of horror films for many years, it was exciting to see all these short-form films come from the masters of the genre.

The series from television is now being released as stand-alone episodic DVDs from Anchor Bay Releasing. They represent some of the best DVD packages I’ve seen in a while.

Lucky McKee is the young turk of the bunch. He’s not like Tobe Hooper, John Carpenter of Joe Dante who have been around the horror block for decades. McKee is a recent addition to the field, mostly known for his twisted and lonely flick “May.”

Angela Bettis, the star of “May,” joins forces with McKee again in his installment of “Masters of Horror.” The episode is called “Sick Girl” and features Bettis as Ida Teeter, an uptight lesbian entomologist who is unable to find love because her bug hobby generally creeps people out. However, she eventually meets Misty (Erin Brown), a girl who has been pining for Ida for years.

Ida and Misty go out, and things go great from the beginning. Eventually, Misty moves in with Ida. However, there is another houseguest in Ida’s apartment – a massive, aggressive bug specimen sent to her by someone from Brazil. This bug hides out in her apartment and infects Misty, apparently gaining influence to her behavior.

Ultimately, “Sick Girl” is a love story, and quite a good one at that. Take out the bugs, the creepiness and the sick girl, and you have a sweet, tender story about a woman who just wants to be happy. McKee, who also did a polish on a teleplay from Sean Hood, added the lesbian element, which simply made things more interesting.

I fell in love with the characters of this film. I challenge anyone to not find some shred of tenderness in Ida’s character. Who hasn’t felt rejected by society and everyone around them. It really broke my heart when things start to turn sour for her.

In the end, “Sick Girl” is a tragedy, but with a strange level of hope in it. Yes, it’s got a big, nasty insect and some nice shock scenes, but ultimately it is a love story for those of us with a creepy side.

Like the other “Masters of Horror” DVDs, this comes with more than three hours of bonus features. Leading off the list is a commentary by Lucky McKee, composer Jaye Barnes Luckett and actors Angela Bettis and Jess Hlubik. There are also extended on-set interviews with all the stars from the film.

Two behind-the-scenes featurettes provide information about the film as well as McKee’s relatively short career as a director. These are in-depth features that give an intimate look at its subject matter without being self-congratulatory or making itself overly important.

Additional features include trailers, still galleries, Lucky McKee’s bio, the original screenplay and “Sick Girl” screen savers.

Lucky McKee shines in this episode of “Masters of Horror.” Here is a guy to watch in the coming years.



Specifications: Digital Stereo Sound. Widescreen (1.77:1), enhanced for 16x9 televisions.