Is it wrong for me to like 'Pelts' just because it's so darn excessive? As a horror fan, I shouldn't be so apologetic. Simply put, Dario Argento's efforts in the "Masters of Horror" arena are very offbeat, with stories that are far from his usual giallo/fantasy stylings, but still passionate about the excesses he holds so near and dear. God bless this dirty old man! 'Pelts' is an over-the-top supernatural exercise wherein trapper John Saxon (of Argento's "Tenebrae" and numerous other genre offerings) comes across some stunning raccoon pelts in a mysterious-looking shrine; but the skins come with a price, inflecting those who dare touch with murderous and/or suicidal tendencies. Argento gives us in-your-face gore, from a bear trap tearing off a face to a climactic act of self-mutilation that has to be seen to be believed. While creative gore is a given from this director, 'Pelts' also has its fair share of prurient, guilty-pleasure sleaze: if you like lesbians and sultry strippers (and hell, who doesn't?), then welcome aboard! While the film's tone is less serious than 'Jenifer' (Argento's season 1 offering), its escalating madness veers more into surrealism than camp. Contains an impressive, tongue-in-cheek performance from Meat Loaf Aday, as well.
45 Reviews
Erotic, Gory, and well, Gory & Erotic
tribalxgecko2 April 2007
This is one of the best MoH episodes I have seen. The acting is well done, and Meat Loaf (yes that Meat Loaf) does an outstanding job surprisingly enough.
The story is a bit thought provoking, focusing around the greed of people, but really that is a slight backdrop for what is much more of an erotic and gore filled movie. Essentially it goes like this; Two guys trap some raccoons in an old cursed witchy type of cemetery. But the raccoons are not quite that normal, and their pelts charm people, making them lust with greed, and eventually kill others or themselves, through self mutilation.
That basically sums it up. This is a great choice for good solid gore. Not the cheesy simple gore, but real, stomach clenching type of gore that makes you want to divert your eyes. More than once I had that tingle run up my spine as I realized what was about to come.
It's rare to find a movie that pulls together all three; good acting, fair story, and good gore, but this one does it masterfully. And it all leads up to an insane climax that is just, well, disgusting and fun at the same time. Definitely worth picking up the DVD if you can.
The story is a bit thought provoking, focusing around the greed of people, but really that is a slight backdrop for what is much more of an erotic and gore filled movie. Essentially it goes like this; Two guys trap some raccoons in an old cursed witchy type of cemetery. But the raccoons are not quite that normal, and their pelts charm people, making them lust with greed, and eventually kill others or themselves, through self mutilation.
That basically sums it up. This is a great choice for good solid gore. Not the cheesy simple gore, but real, stomach clenching type of gore that makes you want to divert your eyes. More than once I had that tingle run up my spine as I realized what was about to come.
It's rare to find a movie that pulls together all three; good acting, fair story, and good gore, but this one does it masterfully. And it all leads up to an insane climax that is just, well, disgusting and fun at the same time. Definitely worth picking up the DVD if you can.
Delightfully Nasty Episode from the Master of Horror-Masters
Witchfinder-General-6663 February 2009
If there is one man on this planet who deserves the title "Master Of Horror" it is doubtlessly the great Dario Argento. The genius behind masterpieces such as "Profondo Rosso", "Suspiria", "The Bird With The Crystal Plumage", "Phenomena", "Tenebre" and others is doubtlessly one of the greatest Horror directors who ever lived (to me personally, he's one of the greatest directors ever, regardless of genre), and it is therefore no wonder that his entries to the "Masters Of Horror" series were those I was most looking forward to (which is probably the case with most Horror fans). His contribution to the first season, "Jennifer" was an incredibly creepy and deliciously demented little film that ranked among the best episodes in the first season, but I personally liked "Pelts" even more. After Takashi Miike's "Imprint" (Season 1, Episode 13), "Pelts" is arguably my second-to-favorite entry to the "Masters Of Horror" series. While the premise of the MoH series, and the 1 hour Runtime does not allow Argento to build up his brilliant mysteries (be it with supernatural elements, such as in "Suspiria" and "Phenomena" or without, such as in his Giallo-masterpieces), Argento still delivers genuinely creepy and purely ingenious Horror. In "Pelts" it is a curse that has been placed upon the pelts of a rare raccoon species that brings Horror into the life of the sleazy fur-trader Jake Feldman(Meat Loaf Aday)... I do not want to give away too much, but I can assure that this episode delivers about everything one could desire in a "Masters of Horror" episode - Genuine creepiness, extreme gore and brutality, a very morbid sense of Humor, lots of female nudity, a sublime atmosphere and a great cast. Rockstar Meat Loaf Aday has given proof of his acting skills on several occasions by now, and he fits perfectly in his role here. Horror lovers, however, will be even more delighted to see cult-actor John Saxon in a supporting role. The female cast members are entirely hot, especially the lesbian stripper that Feldman is obsessed with. Overall, this bizarre and genuinely nasty episode is yet another proof that Argento is an absolute master of atmosphere and creepiness, and one of the most highly recommendable entries to the "Masters Of Horror" series.
Argento does it again; another excellent MOH episode
LoneWolfAndCub16 November 2007
I loved Jenifer, it was an eerie, sexual, bloody affair that was one of the best of the first season. Dario Argento (Suspiria, Opera, Deep Red, Tenebrae) makes another brilliant entry into the series. Packed with vicious gore, lesbians, a bunch of great actors and an incredibly eerie score Pelts is my favourite of the second season.
Jake (Meat Loaf) is a sleazy fur trader who is desperate to succeed. He meets a stripper, Shana (Ellen Ewusie), who he desperately wants. He promises her the coat of her dreams, and fame as well. Unfortunately he the pelts he obtains (from farmer John Saxon) are cursed and what follows is a trail of death and revenge.
This episode proves that Dario Argento is probably THE Master of Horror. He consistently makes provocative, in-your-face and horrifying movies and MOH episodes. The gore in this comes in bucket-loads and is always graphic and disgusting, the acting is quite good from all (especially Saxon) and the story moves along quite well. While watching this I sensed an underlying message about animals used for fur and if that is what he was going for he definitely achieved it.
If there is a third season I hope they ask Argento back to horrify us once again!
5/5
Jake (Meat Loaf) is a sleazy fur trader who is desperate to succeed. He meets a stripper, Shana (Ellen Ewusie), who he desperately wants. He promises her the coat of her dreams, and fame as well. Unfortunately he the pelts he obtains (from farmer John Saxon) are cursed and what follows is a trail of death and revenge.
This episode proves that Dario Argento is probably THE Master of Horror. He consistently makes provocative, in-your-face and horrifying movies and MOH episodes. The gore in this comes in bucket-loads and is always graphic and disgusting, the acting is quite good from all (especially Saxon) and the story moves along quite well. While watching this I sensed an underlying message about animals used for fur and if that is what he was going for he definitely achieved it.
If there is a third season I hope they ask Argento back to horrify us once again!
5/5
Bizarre, but entertaining.
aguel13 January 2008
Since this episode involves Dario Argento, I'm not going to complain about the unlikelihood of raccoon pelts inspiring muurrrrrder. Pelts is actually pretty entertaining, although that has to be the first time I've ever seen a man nuzzling soft fur to Enya-esquire nature music.
I would have liked to know a bit more about the "mysterious ruins" and the woman who owned the land the raccoons were hunted on -- because honestly, seeing her threaten Meat Loaf with dooooooom was the highlight of the episode for me.
My only complaint is this: Why does every other MOH episode involve titty bars, bare tits, or a combination of the two? Guess they're not going for big female viewership.
I would have liked to know a bit more about the "mysterious ruins" and the woman who owned the land the raccoons were hunted on -- because honestly, seeing her threaten Meat Loaf with dooooooom was the highlight of the episode for me.
My only complaint is this: Why does every other MOH episode involve titty bars, bare tits, or a combination of the two? Guess they're not going for big female viewership.
Very un-Argento, but a creepy movie for sure.
coldwaterpdh10 January 2009
Fans of Argento will be in for a surprise here: this film is perhaps the most different out of everything he has done, and I have seen pretty much everything.
It is directed like a modern-day horror film. There are lots of computer generated effects and trendy ideas, stereotypical characters, etc... But fear not (or fear big time) because this movie is a lot scarier than some of his recent efforts.
"Pelts" is a true statement on the fur business and it makes you sick. Animal lovers will cower and close their eyes as our furry friends are butchered for the sake of human vanity. But later on, justice comes to call who deserve it in what proves to be excellent, poignant and graphic criticism from Argento, a TRUE master of horror.
7 out of 10, kids.
It is directed like a modern-day horror film. There are lots of computer generated effects and trendy ideas, stereotypical characters, etc... But fear not (or fear big time) because this movie is a lot scarier than some of his recent efforts.
"Pelts" is a true statement on the fur business and it makes you sick. Animal lovers will cower and close their eyes as our furry friends are butchered for the sake of human vanity. But later on, justice comes to call who deserve it in what proves to be excellent, poignant and graphic criticism from Argento, a TRUE master of horror.
7 out of 10, kids.
Argento hits rock bottom
gridoon202411 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I have not seen any other "Masters of Horror" episodes so far, so I can not compare "Pelts" to them. But I have seen some Dario Argento films, and this is the worst thing he has directed that I have seen. There is no trace of Argento the stylist; any hired hack could have made this. The story, the production values, the dialogue ("It's too big"....nuff said), the casting (John Saxon is offed after 5 minutes of screen time)....everything screams grade-Z, direct-to-DVD exploitation. It's also one of the goriest horror shows ever (it goes beyond "Hellraiser" levels of gore). The KNB-supervised special effects are indeed well-done, but "Pelts" has nothing to offer besides its three or four disgusting set pieces (better see this one on an empty stomach....or preferably not at all). * out of 4.
As A "Master Of Horror" Dario Argento "Wears" His Title Well...
cchase3 December 2006
Watching a lot of the Season One episodes of MOH, I found myself wincing quite often...from painful embarrassment. Sure, some episodes were extremely gory as a horror buff might expect, but usually it's employed as a distraction to keep the viewer from contemplating how bad the writing is or how uneven the direction on some episodes.
However, the occasional segment has come up that's had me wincing and cringing for all the RIGHT reasons, and it's usually due to a true "Master Of Horror" who deserves to be invited back every season. Now, I've only heard that Takashi Miike's "Imprint" was the episode to raise the bar for sheer, overwhelming horror. But since it was never broadcast, I never got the chance to view it, so I can only go by what I've seen. And for my money, the goriest and most disturbing episode in the entire series was Dario Argento's rendering of the classic horror tale, "Jenifer." This is one director who's shown that he's not afraid of testing the limits of what this series can achieve, not to mention stretching the talents of makeup FX wizards KNB Studios to the very snapping point.
And he's managed to do it again. If anyone not in the know is wondering why Argento is most remembered for his magnum opus, SUSPIRIA, he provides a juicy, shocking reminder by once again kicking it old school with a 'giallo'-styled tale of ancient curses, based on "Pelts," a short story by genre master F. Paul Wilson (THE KEEP.)
Marvin Lee "Meatloaf" Aday plays amoral furrier Jake, who lusts obsessively for Shana (Ellen Ewusie), a beautiful exotic dancer who tauntingly reminds him that unless he can "make her happy", he can never have her. Which means that he has to find a way to become filthy, stinkin' rich or die trying.
Meanwhile, a backwoods fur trapper (John Saxon) and his son have been poaching on someone else's land for their latest haul of raccoon pelts. But this is no ordinary hunting ground, and these are more than just wild animals. The resulting fur pelts from their illegal activities are some of the most beautiful, hypnotically captivating pieces that they've ever seen. Of course, that's the way it works when something is as cursed as these pelts are, and woe to anyone and everyone who comes in contact with them...as the unlucky poachers will soon discover, followed by Jake and his associates...
It's amazing how powerful Argento's command of lighting, angles and cutting is, even now all these years after SUSPIRIA. And even though you can pretty much try to intellectualize about the top-notch quality of Howard Berger and Greg Nicotero's FX work, it's still shot in such a way that you can barely look at the screen without wanting to run out of the room. And I haven't felt that way since...well, SUSPIRIA.
With just two episodes contributed to this series, Argento moves to the front of the line as the predominant "Master Of Horror" amongst his peers. I might have nightmares after watching PELTS (which doesn't happen often), but even so, I hope he'll be invited back for a third season, and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next...
However, the occasional segment has come up that's had me wincing and cringing for all the RIGHT reasons, and it's usually due to a true "Master Of Horror" who deserves to be invited back every season. Now, I've only heard that Takashi Miike's "Imprint" was the episode to raise the bar for sheer, overwhelming horror. But since it was never broadcast, I never got the chance to view it, so I can only go by what I've seen. And for my money, the goriest and most disturbing episode in the entire series was Dario Argento's rendering of the classic horror tale, "Jenifer." This is one director who's shown that he's not afraid of testing the limits of what this series can achieve, not to mention stretching the talents of makeup FX wizards KNB Studios to the very snapping point.
And he's managed to do it again. If anyone not in the know is wondering why Argento is most remembered for his magnum opus, SUSPIRIA, he provides a juicy, shocking reminder by once again kicking it old school with a 'giallo'-styled tale of ancient curses, based on "Pelts," a short story by genre master F. Paul Wilson (THE KEEP.)
Marvin Lee "Meatloaf" Aday plays amoral furrier Jake, who lusts obsessively for Shana (Ellen Ewusie), a beautiful exotic dancer who tauntingly reminds him that unless he can "make her happy", he can never have her. Which means that he has to find a way to become filthy, stinkin' rich or die trying.
Meanwhile, a backwoods fur trapper (John Saxon) and his son have been poaching on someone else's land for their latest haul of raccoon pelts. But this is no ordinary hunting ground, and these are more than just wild animals. The resulting fur pelts from their illegal activities are some of the most beautiful, hypnotically captivating pieces that they've ever seen. Of course, that's the way it works when something is as cursed as these pelts are, and woe to anyone and everyone who comes in contact with them...as the unlucky poachers will soon discover, followed by Jake and his associates...
It's amazing how powerful Argento's command of lighting, angles and cutting is, even now all these years after SUSPIRIA. And even though you can pretty much try to intellectualize about the top-notch quality of Howard Berger and Greg Nicotero's FX work, it's still shot in such a way that you can barely look at the screen without wanting to run out of the room. And I haven't felt that way since...well, SUSPIRIA.
With just two episodes contributed to this series, Argento moves to the front of the line as the predominant "Master Of Horror" amongst his peers. I might have nightmares after watching PELTS (which doesn't happen often), but even so, I hope he'll be invited back for a third season, and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next...
"I set my standards pretty low, so I'm never disappointed..."
Disarmed-Doll-Parts13 May 2007
Dario Argento is my all-time favourite director. PHENOMENA, TENEBRE, INFERNO and SUSPIRIA all rank on my top 20 horror films of all-time, and I own all of his films available in Australia. So when I viewed his very disappointing Masters of Horror entry JENIFER, I decided not to expect much from PELTS. Thankfully, my low expectations were more than met with this frantic and exciting Masters of Horror episode, restoring my faith in the series after JENIFER, HAECKEL'S TALE, DANCE OF THE DEAD and the abysmal CHOCOLATE bombed out and ruined the credibility IMPRINT, CIGARETTE BURNS and SICK GIRL had built.
PELTS follows a slimy, bitter fur trader (Meat Loaf) who is hopelessly in love with a lesbian stripper (Ellen Ewusie). When a sadistic poacher (John Saxon, one of the main reasons I saw this) sells him some mesmerising raccoon pelts, his obsession turns to them and he decides the only way to win the object of his affection is to make her the ultimate coat. But obsession can turn to insanity...
PELTS is moral-heavy, but if you ignore those themes it is a simple supernatural revenge film, with a twist. PELTS is gory, fast paced, creepy, unnerving and occasionally hilarious, and the film has an Argento vibe all over it. The acting is fair, but I do think the masters of Horror episodes are too focused on people obsessing.
Overall a solid entry to the series and to the horror genre on a whole. 7/10.
PELTS follows a slimy, bitter fur trader (Meat Loaf) who is hopelessly in love with a lesbian stripper (Ellen Ewusie). When a sadistic poacher (John Saxon, one of the main reasons I saw this) sells him some mesmerising raccoon pelts, his obsession turns to them and he decides the only way to win the object of his affection is to make her the ultimate coat. But obsession can turn to insanity...
PELTS is moral-heavy, but if you ignore those themes it is a simple supernatural revenge film, with a twist. PELTS is gory, fast paced, creepy, unnerving and occasionally hilarious, and the film has an Argento vibe all over it. The acting is fair, but I do think the masters of Horror episodes are too focused on people obsessing.
Overall a solid entry to the series and to the horror genre on a whole. 7/10.
Argento's "Pelts"
babslove6716 April 2009
Warning: Spoilers
This was not a very good episode of Masters of Horror. For starters, the acting was absolutely bad and very amateur.
Even Meat Loaf came across as stiff and unconvincing as an actor. The gore part was okay, if you are into that kind of thing, but it was too little. The nudity sex scene of the stripper and the other girl came across as cheap, too, and fake.
All in all, there's not much good to say about this, except I was sorely disappointed. The positives were that the story was kind of original about the animal pelts. But that was not enough to keep my interest for the full hour of the episode.
Even Meat Loaf came across as stiff and unconvincing as an actor. The gore part was okay, if you are into that kind of thing, but it was too little. The nudity sex scene of the stripper and the other girl came across as cheap, too, and fake.
All in all, there's not much good to say about this, except I was sorely disappointed. The positives were that the story was kind of original about the animal pelts. But that was not enough to keep my interest for the full hour of the episode.
Very gory, erotic and beautifully looking flick from Argento
ODDBear27 February 2007
Once again combining eroticism with buckets of blood and guts, Italian maestro Dario Argento makes another memorable entry in the wildly uneven Masters of Horror series. The story is slim this time around and it's not as thought provoking as Jenifer but it's got a point and it slams it in your face.
Supernatural forces allow animals (racoons to be precise) to take revenge on their killers and those who profit with their slaughter. When their fur is handled in any way the people begin to either kill others like them or begin self mutilation in explicitly graphic ways.
Argento says it's a story about greed and where it leads and that's another way of looking at Pelts. But however you look at it, Pelts at least sets the motion for some incredibly horrific and gory set pieces and who better than Argento to be at the helm. Some truly disgusting scenes of violence, murder and self mutilation are displayed and for gore fans it doesn't get much better than this.
Another thing Argento doesn't skimp on is the visual aspect. Bathing the film in strong and glorious colors and some beautiful set design, Argento still has the visual sense down to a tee.
Pelts is also very well acted, with Meat Loaf in top form and genre legend John Saxon makes a welcome return in an Argento film. Pelts may not require much brain power but just sit back and enjoy a gore filled, gloriously looking ride from a true master in bloody good form.
Supernatural forces allow animals (racoons to be precise) to take revenge on their killers and those who profit with their slaughter. When their fur is handled in any way the people begin to either kill others like them or begin self mutilation in explicitly graphic ways.
Argento says it's a story about greed and where it leads and that's another way of looking at Pelts. But however you look at it, Pelts at least sets the motion for some incredibly horrific and gory set pieces and who better than Argento to be at the helm. Some truly disgusting scenes of violence, murder and self mutilation are displayed and for gore fans it doesn't get much better than this.
Another thing Argento doesn't skimp on is the visual aspect. Bathing the film in strong and glorious colors and some beautiful set design, Argento still has the visual sense down to a tee.
Pelts is also very well acted, with Meat Loaf in top form and genre legend John Saxon makes a welcome return in an Argento film. Pelts may not require much brain power but just sit back and enjoy a gore filled, gloriously looking ride from a true master in bloody good form.
Cool Idea But Overall Meh
ShadowsBeneathTheLight18 August 2022
The story is a neat concept. Trapper/Fur trader finds the perfect pelts, but in his quest to make the perfect coat, a horrible curse is inflicted on all who touch the pelts. Meatloaf does a great job as the obsessed Fur Trader who both wants to become famous but also wants to win the heart of his love intrest, a stripper lol. John Saxon also is great for his brief cameo. However the stripper I just didnt like, and kind of killed the episode for me. Her performance was meh, nor did I find her attractive, which given how crucial she was to the story was a let down.
The gore is great and there are some truly chilling deaths. I agree with other reviews that the story doesn't really go anywhere, but then again where is it supposed to go? It's a short, fun albeit dark one hour segment that'll make you question the next time you pick up a fur coat.
The gore is great and there are some truly chilling deaths. I agree with other reviews that the story doesn't really go anywhere, but then again where is it supposed to go? It's a short, fun albeit dark one hour segment that'll make you question the next time you pick up a fur coat.
Was there any point?
Vic_max8 December 2006
Starts out decently but after about 20 minutes, we get the point and yet the movie goes on and on trying to tell us the same thing. It's just empty repetition - so I didn't see a big point to this movie - I am actually surprised that the movie got greenlit (studio approval).
A few specifics:
Story = Interesting setup, but it goes nowhere. However, one of the very few good aspects of this movie is that it introduces the viewer to the somewhat interesting (albeit unsettling) process of trapping and skinning animals for their fur.
Gore / Special Effects = There is gore - some very good scenes and some embarrassingly bad ones. A couple of scenes are so obviously fake, it would have been more effective to have turned the camera away and left it to viewer's imagination. Many of the scenes seem physiologically impossible - very hard to accept.
Actor / Acting = "Meat Loaf" is great in the lead character role of a sadistic business owner. He is effective and his talents are wasted here.
Overall Recommendation: Pass on this one.
A few specifics:
Story = Interesting setup, but it goes nowhere. However, one of the very few good aspects of this movie is that it introduces the viewer to the somewhat interesting (albeit unsettling) process of trapping and skinning animals for their fur.
Gore / Special Effects = There is gore - some very good scenes and some embarrassingly bad ones. A couple of scenes are so obviously fake, it would have been more effective to have turned the camera away and left it to viewer's imagination. Many of the scenes seem physiologically impossible - very hard to accept.
Actor / Acting = "Meat Loaf" is great in the lead character role of a sadistic business owner. He is effective and his talents are wasted here.
Overall Recommendation: Pass on this one.
what's the song in the club????
not_even_for_a_scooby_sn18 May 2008
I loved this episode. I've become quite obsessed with the Masters of Horror series and the After Dark Horrorfest films. A huge thanks to everyone who strives to bring horror back without the crappy PG-13 attempts of late. I'm dying to know what song was playing in the club scene in this episode. Is it called "Hot Model?" I can't find info on this ANYWHERE! This song has burrowed into my head like a curse and I must know who sings it.
IMDb is pissing me off about some bullshit that my message has to have 10 lines or can't be submitted. So here let me ramble nonsense to satiate its stupid quota requirement. You needn't read this part. I might have mentioned that earlier, sorry.
IMDb is pissing me off about some bullshit that my message has to have 10 lines or can't be submitted. So here let me ramble nonsense to satiate its stupid quota requirement. You needn't read this part. I might have mentioned that earlier, sorry.
Dario SERVED Masters of Horror realness here.
Fernando-Rodrigues21 November 2020
MASTERS OF HORROR: PELTS (Dario Argento, 2006) (TV) **1/2
Bunuel197629 October 2007
Like his previous "Masters Of Horror" effort, JENIFER (2005), this feels nothing like the typical Argento film; reportedly, however, his latest project the much-anticipated (and long-awaited) THE THIRD MOTHER (2007) is a return to form of sorts for the Italian maestro. Anyway, PELTS again features a surprising emphasis on sex with lead actor Meat Loaf shown being obsessed with a black stripper! While his role is too small, it was still nice to see an aged John Saxon re-united with the director (24 years after TENEBRE [1982]).
The engaging plot provides the excuse for a simple enough message "Be Careful What You Wish For" but the level of gore (even if the make-up in some scenes leaves a lot to be desired) displayed throughout the episode is so extreme, to say nothing of outrageous, as to be amusing rather than repellent or disturbing! Sado-masochism is perhaps a logical step from fetishism, but there's no real explanation as to why the raccoon fur should have that effect on people who come into contact with it unless a suggestion of black magic is intended with the presence of the old woman who owns the land on which the animal was hunted...
The engaging plot provides the excuse for a simple enough message "Be Careful What You Wish For" but the level of gore (even if the make-up in some scenes leaves a lot to be desired) displayed throughout the episode is so extreme, to say nothing of outrageous, as to be amusing rather than repellent or disturbing! Sado-masochism is perhaps a logical step from fetishism, but there's no real explanation as to why the raccoon fur should have that effect on people who come into contact with it unless a suggestion of black magic is intended with the presence of the old woman who owns the land on which the animal was hunted...
Best of a cheesy series.
doctorprogress16 June 2008
I love these MOH episodes, except for one thing - why why why why why are they so terribly acted? These are some of our most prolific and talented horror auteurs at the helm here, and I have yet to watch one episode that doesn't feel like an old "Freddy's Nightmare's" or worse.
Argento's "Pelts" is at least horrifically gory. I mean really really gory. Like, over-the-top brilliantly gory.
Are these horror director idiot-savants? Are they just exceptionally talented when it comes to inventing new ways to kill someone, but completely incapable of directing an actor to be natural? Argento should stick with these hour-long creepies and stay away from the feature circuit for a while. His last few movies were deplorable, but his MOH shorts are some of the series' highlights.
Argento's "Pelts" is at least horrifically gory. I mean really really gory. Like, over-the-top brilliantly gory.
Are these horror director idiot-savants? Are they just exceptionally talented when it comes to inventing new ways to kill someone, but completely incapable of directing an actor to be natural? Argento should stick with these hour-long creepies and stay away from the feature circuit for a while. His last few movies were deplorable, but his MOH shorts are some of the series' highlights.
Stupid, even for a gore horror
Bored_Dragon8 May 2018
A film, which tries to cover complete lack of at least decent plot with plenty of gore, so extremely disgusting that it will turn your stomach inside out. But apart from explicit butchery and leading actress, who is almost completely naked almost all the time, this movie has nothing to offer. Stupid, even within the genre which by default does not rely on a quality of a story. Lack of good story could be easily forgiven to a horror flick, but this one also lack any tension, suspension, fright or good acting. It has nothing but tons of blood.
5/10
5/10
Absurdly Disturbing...
terrible26 March 2008
Dario Argento truly seems to "Get It" when it comes to horror. As in "Jenifer", Argento knows how to get under (or through) a viewer's skin, and "Pelts" is no exception. I sit through horror films on an almost daily basis, yet I find myself squirming more then sitting when I watch Argento's extremely graphic stories of utter gore and chaos. The tale is an odd one, combining greed, lust and absurdness to great effect and featuring a very well acted Meat Loaf as the main protagonist. Of course, it's always good to see an old favorite, as John Saxon delivers a stellar performance as well. I stand in awe of Argento's ability to constantly turn out over the top, disturbingly beautiful and horrific works, but I certainly will not question his integrity. As far as "Masters Of Horror" is concerned, he has proved himself a true "Master"... "Pelts" is definitely one of the top three episodes of the series... Well done.
lame story and acting, visually dull, but even though I'm not really into gore, the kills are "wow"!
marymorrissey3 December 2010
Warning: Spoilers
so I'll give it a "5" although maybe I should have divvied up kill as not half but 1/5th of the "content" .... component-wise/dimensionally speaking . . .
really the story is so idiotic "so many amazing pelts you can have whatever your heart desires!" we are supposed to imagine that one fur coat will set someone up for life and then some, I guess? how is it possible to imagine such a thing?! the acting was flat out whore-endous! not a decent performance or anything close in the whole she-bang... especially Mr. loaf, who was just pathetic. it's not unusual for foreign language directors to do a terrible job directing films in English from the point of view of the acting. it's harder for them to sense what isn't working, big time in this case! but the kills were all quite surprising and disgusting and... the sole interesting aspect of the story as told. and I guess I give this movie some points for not involving a lot of mental cruelty. I get so tired of the teasing that killers/monsters and other bad guys in film these days have such a predisposition towards... the kills were definitely sources of any of what Roland barthes would call "jouissance" that this movie provides!! you will certainly have to laugh and look away or else you are one sickly kitty!
really the story is so idiotic "so many amazing pelts you can have whatever your heart desires!" we are supposed to imagine that one fur coat will set someone up for life and then some, I guess? how is it possible to imagine such a thing?! the acting was flat out whore-endous! not a decent performance or anything close in the whole she-bang... especially Mr. loaf, who was just pathetic. it's not unusual for foreign language directors to do a terrible job directing films in English from the point of view of the acting. it's harder for them to sense what isn't working, big time in this case! but the kills were all quite surprising and disgusting and... the sole interesting aspect of the story as told. and I guess I give this movie some points for not involving a lot of mental cruelty. I get so tired of the teasing that killers/monsters and other bad guys in film these days have such a predisposition towards... the kills were definitely sources of any of what Roland barthes would call "jouissance" that this movie provides!! you will certainly have to laugh and look away or else you are one sickly kitty!
Deep cuts for a deep message...
ravenlord6665 December 2006
The more a movie is horrifying and gory, the more it's shallow and "cheesy", right??? WRONG. Episode 6 of the second season of Masters of Horror, directed by Dario Argento, is the proof of this.
Now I will not spoil things for anyone who has yet to see this, but let me state the following fact: "Pelts" carries a message as deep as every gory cut and act shown in this episode. It's amazing that Dario Argento has made the most of a short story bearing the same title as this 6th part to put across his love of Nature and the idea that Nature will get even with those who abuse and kill other living creatures for profit (and maybe for ANY reason, who knows?). And he has done so very successfully, let the truth be told.
So,if you're looking for mere gore and entertainment, watch something else. "Pelts" is definitely not something to watch with friends while munching on chips or popcorn(or hardly anything else,if you know what I mean:). But if you've been longing for a horror that delivers extremely gory scenes, thrill and something you can think about long after you've switched the movie off, I cannot recommend this enough - especially if you're an animal lover.
Now I will not spoil things for anyone who has yet to see this, but let me state the following fact: "Pelts" carries a message as deep as every gory cut and act shown in this episode. It's amazing that Dario Argento has made the most of a short story bearing the same title as this 6th part to put across his love of Nature and the idea that Nature will get even with those who abuse and kill other living creatures for profit (and maybe for ANY reason, who knows?). And he has done so very successfully, let the truth be told.
So,if you're looking for mere gore and entertainment, watch something else. "Pelts" is definitely not something to watch with friends while munching on chips or popcorn(or hardly anything else,if you know what I mean:). But if you've been longing for a horror that delivers extremely gory scenes, thrill and something you can think about long after you've switched the movie off, I cannot recommend this enough - especially if you're an animal lover.
Another Argento Clunker
darold_rudolph18 February 2007
Masters of Horror has been hit or miss the past 2 seasons and after viewing "Jennifer" and "Pelts" both directed by the glorified hack Dario Argento, I just had to write a comment. I think the story ideas were great, but!, as with 75 percent of Masters of Horror's episodes the screenplay's are really poorly written, and sometimes poorly executed by the directors. Mr. Argento's films suffer from style over substance, he cannot direct actors or write a coherent script. The music is strident, bombastic, annoying synthesizers and doesn't match anything happening on screen. His films are full of nonsensical red herrings and confusing plot twists(that go nowhere I might add), amateurish camera work and sloppy editing, terrible script writing etc. etc. Dario Argento is frequently called a master of suspense and compared to Alfred Hitchcock, but believe me he's not even close, that's like saying tree bark is the same as paper (but you wouldn't want to write on it). "Pelts" was scarily written by F. Paul Wilson from his book "The Barrens and Others" and I enjoyed the story better than the film version which suffers from most of Argento's self inflated weaknesses(The superior Micheal Soavi he isn't). There are better episodes in TMoH like: Neighbors, The Damned Thing, The Screwfly Solution, Right to Die, Pick Me Up, Cigarette Burns, Incident on and off a Mountain Road, The Deer Woman and the outstanding The Black Cat. As for the Argento filmography: The Bird with the Crystal Plummage, Tenebrea, Inferno, Opera, Deep Red, Susperia though not perfect by any means they're still strangely watchable.
Second worst Masters of Horror episode yet following "Pick Me Up"
jellyneckr29 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Last season with "Masters of Horror", Daria Argento presented fan boys JENIFER, a creepy adaptation of the Creepy comic that managed to combine a great deal of sex, violence, and gore while still providing an intriguing and fascinating tale of obsession. The episode was a favorite among "Masters of Horror" fans and was quite popular so it's understandable that Aregento would want to do a similar story for Season Two. This time Argento directs an adaptation of a short story by F. Paul Wilson, written by newcomer Matt Venne, about a man who runs a failing pelt business that is obsessed with becoming wealthy to impress a stripper (Ellen Ewusie) that he is infatuated with. Being a horror film, his success may come at a price. Naturally, there is an extreme amount of violence, gore, sex, and nudity, but unlike with JENIFER, Argento doesn't know how to make it all fit together to keep a proper narrative. The gore is over-the-top and cheap-looking, the violence comes across as more laughable than disturbing, and the excessive sex/nudity seems a bit gratuitous, even for a "Masters of Horror" episode. Only a brief appearance by the always dependable John Saxon keep 'Pelts' from being the worst episode of "Masters of Horror" yet. 1/10
Argento fails to be Argento - Dire
ChocOrange_20 June 2018
As a long time fan of Argento with his extremely stylish often ludicrously plotted films he frequently created some weird and brilliant cinematic moments in 'horror' film history. Admittedly, there were many moments where the brilliance didn't shine and even the most ardent fan will begrudgingly admit most of his films haven't aged too well. However, the sheer power of his set pieces and exquisite use of the cinematic medium in them more than compensates.
Sadly, Pelts isn't vintage Argento. Not even close. In fact it's dreadful.
You could show it to any Argento fan and they wouldn't recognise it as his work. Laboured, perfunctory direction at best and mainly not even that!. Any old hack could do it, and what's worse, probably better.
Excellent special effects though and the sole reason for the 3 stars.
Sadly, Pelts isn't vintage Argento. Not even close. In fact it's dreadful.
You could show it to any Argento fan and they wouldn't recognise it as his work. Laboured, perfunctory direction at best and mainly not even that!. Any old hack could do it, and what's worse, probably better.
Excellent special effects though and the sole reason for the 3 stars.
Argento, once again, pushes the line
mihgeorg3 December 2006
Undoubtfully both the episodes Italian mastermind Dario Argento has done for Masters of Horror were some of the most disturbing episodes for the series. This one, although not a match for Miikes "Imprint" truly is extreme. The basic concept is about raccoon pelts forcing anyone touching them to kill them selves. And they do with some pretty disturbing and explicitly gory ways. Adding tons of nudity to the mix this must be the most extreme episode of season 2 and a very solid (while not overwhelming) episode. The camera work, while not as stunning as some of Argento's previous works, is very good. The script flows smoothly and, while not twisty at any point, keeps the watcher interested. Acting is decent (always Argento's downfall is bad acting) and the special effects so and so. The music is very good and Claudio Simoneti manages not to sound like his former band, the Goblin. To sum up it is a very solid episode that won't be a series highlight (I think "Cigare Burns" gets it) or a season highlight (I'm torn between Carpenter and Landis) but surely is one of the good ones in a relatively mediocre season
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