Review - Masters of Horror: Homecoming

Just goes to show you - don’t mess with a dead soldier . . .

Of course, my personal philosophy in life is to never mess with the undead in general, but that’s just me. In this Masters of Horror episode directed by Joe Dante titled Homecoming, we get a good look into the practice of the spin doctors of modern day politics. We also get a glimpse at some horrifying consequences of their actions. So do we think that writer Sam Hamm is politically influenced at all?

A very thought provoking episode; this story begs the question – what do the soldiers really think of the war they have died for? When they start coming back from the dead, the assumption is that they are going to support the cause they gave their life for but this is not necessarily the case.

David Murich (John Tenney) is part of a trio of spin doctors for the Republican Party who ends up going on the Marty Clark (think Larry King Live) show with political rhetoric harlot, Jane Cleaver (Thea Gill). During his appearance, he makes a wish that a soldier who lost his life in the war would be able to come back and tell America how he really felt about the war.

All Hell breaks loose when his wish comes true and these soldiers do come back from the grave. He finds himself on the wrong side of the conspiracy when the soldiers who have come back to vote and have their voices heard are double crossed and their votes are not counted.

It was a pretty interesting episode especially in light of today’s political climate. I really enjoyed it. Still in all, the first episode of this series continues to be my favorite. We’ll see if next week’s episode Deer Woman directed by John Landis will fare any better.

Directed by
Dario Argento (episode 1.04 \"Jenifer\") (episode 1.04 \"Jennifer\")
John Carpenter (episode 1.08 \"Cigarette Burns\")
Larry Cohen (episode 1.09 \"Pick Me Up\")
Don Coscarelli (episode 1.01 \"Incident On and Off a Mountain Road\")
Joe Dante (episode 1.06 \"Homecoming\")
Mick Garris (episode 1.05 \"Chocolate\")
Stuart Gordon (episode 1.02 \"H.P. Lovecraft\'s Dreams in the Witch-House\")
Tobe Hooper (episode 1.03 \"Dance of the Dead\")
John Landis (episode 1.07 \"Deer Woman\")
William Malone (episode 1.12 \"Fair Haired Child\")
Lucky McKee (episode 1.11 \"Sick Girl\")
John McNaughton (episode 1.13 \"Haeckel\'s Tale\")
Takashi Miike (episode 1.10 \"Imprint\")

Writing credits
Mick Garris (creator)


Don Coscarelli (episode 1.01 \"Incident On and Off a Mountain Road\") teleplay &
Stephen Romano (episode 1.01 \"Incident On and Off a Mountain Road\") teleplay and
Joe R. Lansdale (episode 1.01 \"Incident On and Off a Mountain Road\") short story


Dennis Paoli (episode 1.02 \"H.P. Lovecraft\'s Dreams in the Witch-House\") teleplay &
Stuart Gordon (episode 1.02 \"H.P. Lovecraft\'s Dreams in the Witch-House\") teleplay and
H.P. Lovecraft (episode 1.02 \"H.P. Lovecraft\'s Dreams in the Witch-House\") short story


Richard Christian Matheson (episode \"Dance of the Dead\") teleplay and
Richard Matheson (episode \"Dance of the Dead\") short story


Steven Weber (episode 1.04 \"Jenifer\") teleplay and
Bruce Jones (episode 1.04 \"Jenifer\") short story


Mick Garris (episode 1.05 \"Chocolate\") teleplay and
Mick Garris (episode 1.05 \"Chocolate\") short story


Clive Barker story (episode \"Haeckel\'s Tale\")
Matt Greenberg writer (episode \"Fair Haired Boy\")
Sam Hamm writer (episode \"Death and Sufferage\")
Sean Hood writer (episode \"Sick Girl\")
Shimako Iwai story (episode \"Imprint\")
Max Landis writer (episode \"Deer Woman\")
Drew McWeeny writer (episode \"Cigarette Burns\")
David J. Schow writer (episode \"Pick Me Up\")
Scott Swan writer (episode \"Cigarette Burns\")
Daisuke Tengan writer (episode \"Imprint\")
Steven Weber writer (episode \"Jenifer\")

Cast (in alphabetical order)
Angela Bettis .... Ida Teeter
Billy Drago
Carrie Fleming .... Jenifer
Matt Frewer
Chris Gauthier .... Timpson
Jesse Haddock .... Johnny
Jesse Hlubik .... Max Grubb
Warren Kole .... Walker
Laurene Landon .... Birdie
Lucie Laurier
Zara Taylor .... Annie