This morning Tex sent in his review of the latest episode of Fear Itself (all reviews), "In Sickness & In Health," which was directed by John Landis ("An American Werewolf in London") from a screenplay by Victor Salva ("Jeepers Creepers"). Airing this Thursday, the film takes place on the protagonists wedding day, where a beautiful bride receives a mysterious note that reads: "The person you are marrying is a serial killer." Read on for Tex's negative review and drop back tomorrow to let everyone know what you thought.
I’m going to come right out and say it. This week’s episode of FEAR ITSELF wastes what was inarguably the series most promising logline. What if, on your wedding day, you received an anonymous note that simply read, “The person you are marrying is a serial killer”? The realm of psychological possibilities are endless and the conclusions that can be drawn, both accurate and inaccurate, both benign and brutal could make for a compelling piece of entertainment. Sadly, Director John Landis and Writer Victor Salva are not up for the task of delivering such profound plot conclusions. Instead what they convey is an ending that only shocks because it has no justification in the whole of the film that preceded it.
Sam (Maggie Lawson) is about to marry Carlos (James Roday)—a man that we are told, by a pair of overprotective bridesmaids—she has known only for an indeterminate, but short, amount of time. The question they needle on about, is whether or not, she really knows the man she’s about to commit the rest of her life to. When the ominous note arrives, Sam is torn between her obvious feelings for Carlos and her terror of the unknown. Before and after the ceremony, Sam tries desperately to quell her fears and uncover the truth. But, every action raises more suspicion than the last and every twist reveals that Carlos is clearly hiding something from his new bride. But who is Carlos? What is he hiding? Is he a killer, and who delivered the note?
As I said before, the possibilities are endless and under that vast umbrella it’s certainly conceivable that Salva and Landis accurately reached their climax—but without giving the ending of the film away—it’s difficult to describe why the film ultimately fails without once again reiterating that you would actively need to be already considering the conclusion to recognize any signs in the film that lead to it’s reveal. It feels like a cheat, a way to end a production when the filmmakers didn’t know how to end it.
Truthfully, the ending is not the only problem with the episode either. It doesn’t seem to know where it’s going. It’s missing a traditional act structure and the mystery that Sam is trying to solve is not really proving any monumental clues that would cause the suspense to ratchet up. Lawson’s performance, as well as that of her bridesmaids, is a bit to sing-song and stilted in the beginning, lending a kind of hyperrealism to the story, in much the same manner that Landis employed in his twin entries for MASTERS OF HORROR. However, both those films (FAMILY and DEER WOMAN) bent to more of a fairy tale setting and thusly the characterizations flowed much better in the whimsical environments Landis created. Here everyone feels cardboard and plastic. Even minor appearances by some noted genre vets like William B. Davis (The Cigarette Smoking man of X-FILES fame) and Marshall Bell (TOTAL RECALL) are cast-offs with Bell suffering through some odd exposition that is supposed to increase the cloud of doubt on Carlos, but ultimately makes little waves in the grand scheme of things.
I’ve always been a fan of Landis, even when he’s been saddled with more minor fluff pieces. Since he doesn’t write as much as he used to, he’s had to conform his comic-horror stylings to suit other people’s material and he’s nearly perfected making a gun-for-hire film feel like it’s from the mind of “John Landis”. This time around Salva’s screenplay is killing him and what we wind up with is a film that has none of the absurd Landis flourishes and frankly could have been directed by any unknown television series regular. It’s a waste of talent in front of and behind the lens. Let’s hope it’s the last time we see such a fiasco on this season of FEAR ITSELF.
my g-d, this was HORRIBLE!!! The writing. The acting. thank g-d for Tivo and fast forward...if this episode doesn't kill the series i can't imagine what will...scary.
I think everybody KNEW the ending from the trailers, the only thing we needed to watch was the conclusion, which was the only good thing in the episode.. "you will tell me when you´re ready" line... but not a twist whatsoever---
Hi everyone. I just joined the site today. You know, I was surprised by the ending. I did not know the serial killer was really the bride. But anyone notice that back at Steve's house, that the faces in the jars looked like people from Carlos's family. Its almost as if Steve killed the uncle and the best man, cut their heads off, skinned their faces and bodies, and used the faces to infiltrate the wedding. He was their at the wedding the whole time.
So do any of you think that Sam was in on the whole "note" thing from the beginning. Did Sam and Steve set that up? Was she just testing Carlos's love and loyalty? And the reason that she hadn't made it back to the house with Steve was because Carlos kept her there to talk, but also that once she realized his true love for her, she decided that she would stay with Carlos, but reveal her secret to him some time later when she was really ready to kill him?
And what was with everyone evading the question of what really happened to Carlos's parents? That part was so strange and seems that it didn't fit into the plot. The priest didn't want to go into it, the uncle didn't want to go into it, so why all the suspicion about it to begin with? It may had been that they disappeared because they were murdered, but what did that have to do with Sam's and Carlos's wedding day?
I really do think that the brother Steve was killing the people in the wedding party, and using their faces as disguises throughout the wedding and reception. I think he was really sad and jealous about his sister getting married, and wanted to ruin it for her. And he stuck around to watch how the note thing (revealing who she really was) would affect her and Carlos. But his plan backfired when no one ever found out what the note really said, and Sam was able to keep it a secret. And Sam decided to stay with Carlos.
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I’m going to come right out and say it. This week’s episode of FEAR ITSELF wastes what was inarguably the series most promising logline. What if, on your wedding day, you received an anonymous note that simply read, “The person you are marrying is a serial killer”? The realm of psychological possibilities are endless and the conclusions that can be drawn, both accurate and inaccurate, both benign and brutal could make for a compelling piece of entertainment. Sadly, Director John Landis and Writer Victor Salva are not up for the task of delivering such profound plot conclusions. Instead what they convey is an ending that only shocks because it has no justification in the whole of the film that preceded it.
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