By Stephen Pytak 

     While I haven't gotten around to writing as many 
reviews here as I'd like to these days, I did want to 
mention how much I've been enjoying the "Masters of
Horror" series.
     I bought every one that has come out to date. And feel
in many ways they're like a dream come true: new, unrated
movies from my favorite directors at $10 a pop!
     All are notable for one reason or another. Carpenter's
entry, "Cigarette Burns," has an excellent cast and good
performances. I thought Udo Kier really stole the show.
     The story centers around a lost film, "Le Fin Absolute
Du Monde," which according to legend was screened once
and drove an audience so mad rivers of blood ran down
the isles.
     A rich collector (Kier) hires a theatre owner and 
obscure film researcher, Kirby (Norman Reedus) to track
this thing down. On a tour of this collector's mansion
he proves he's the "Absolute" fan of this lost movie by
showing Kirby he's acquired a few of its props, one
being a living-breathing Heaven-sent angel which had 
its wings clipped. Kier's character has this creature 
chained up, and enjoys taunting it and bouncing ice 
cubes off its head. That scene is over the top and lots of
fun.
     The film's title comes from the little cigarette marks
projectionists mar 35mm prints with to give them an 
indication when a reel is going to end.
     As Kirby gets closer and closer to finding the lost film,
he starts having nightmarish visions, which are 
accompanied by blazing burning circles -- cigarette burns
indicating his life will soon come to an end.
     The ending is very wild. It contains more blood and 
nudity that any of Carpenter's other films. But it all works.
It's all over the top and lots of fun. And I can't wait until
Carpenter does another one.
     Director Mick Garris came up with this concept and
I really got to hand it to him. We live in a day and age
when a lot of our favorite directors can't raise the bread to
go out and make big budget movies anymore. Heck, I the
last time I saw a Carpenter movie in the theatres was
"Ghosts of Mars (2001)."
     So I hope this keeps going for a while. Bravo!