gruesome episode goes direct to DVD

Via Bloody-Disgusting.com I found out about the New York Times article that details the dropping of one of the episodes in Showtime’s Masters of Horror series.

Japanese director, Takashi Miike, will be familiar to all horror fans. He is a prolific director, who has created an inconsistent but attention-grabbing body of work. He’s best known outside of Japan for Audition (2000).

Masters of Horror paid directors to create a one-hour episode that would be aired on US cable channel Showtime. Veterans of the genre, like John Carpenter, Joe Dante and John Landis, and newcomers like Lucky McKee (May) and William Malone (Fear Dot Com), were invited to contribute. Takashi Miike was likewise contracted to produce an episode, and the resulting story, “Imprint” has been deemed too horrific for even a cable television channel.

“I think it’s amazing, but it’s even hard for me to watch,” said Mick Garris, the creator and executive producer of the series. “It’s definitely the most disturbing film I’ve ever seen.” It will now be released directly to the DVD market through IDT’s home video subsidiary, Anchor Bay Entertainment, along with the rest of the episodes in the series. No date has been announced.

At least “Imprint” will be available via the DVD box set, and I’m sure this controversy will push up sales of the product. There’s nothing like the slogan “too scary even for cable” to attract hardened horror fans.