30 Days of Night

Hard Candy director David Slade took the helm for this adaptation of Steve Niles' terrifying comic-book series of the same name. In Barrow, AK, one night can last an eternity. One month every year, this town is plunged into darkness for 30 days due to its location on the far north of the Arctic Circle. While extended periods of darkness are something that the locals have become accustomed to, this year something sinister is about to emerge from the long and unforgiving night. As a maniacal horde of vampires assume control of the city streets and commence to freely feasting on the terrified citizens, the local sheriff (Josh Hartnett), his wife (Melissa George), and a small but resilient band of survivors will be forced to choose between saving themselves or helping the few remaining members of their community survive the blood-soaked siege. Original comic creator Niles collaborated with screenwriters Stuart Beattie and Brian Nelson to pen a film produced under Sam Raimi's Ghost House Pictures banner. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A successful young couple moves into a posh neighborhood inhabited by a killer who is far from the benign suburbanite that appearances would suggest in legendary horror director John Landis' second installment into Showtime's Masters of Horror series. David (Matt Keeslar) and Celia Fuller (Meredith Monroe) seem to have everything a young couple could want: good jobs, a great house, and plenty of money. David is a hardworking doctor and Celia is an investigative reporter with a knack for always getting to the bottom of the story. Upon moving into their new neighborhood, the Fullers soon make the acquaintance of their new neighbor Harold (George Wendt), an outwardly amiable single man who seems to be quietly occupied by his job and his hobbies. One night while drunkenly driving home from dinner, David and Celia jump the curb and slam into Harold's mailbox. After inviting Harold over for dinner in hopes of making amends for their clumsy transgression, the couple soon reveals that they have moved into the new neighborhood in a bid to recover from the recent loss of their young daughter. As the pair gradually becomes better acquainted with their jovial neighbor, it soon becomes obvious that all involved have their fair share of dark secrets. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Dario Argento's contribution to the first season of Showtime's Masters of Horror, Jenifer is based on a story by Bruce Jones which appeared in Creepy Magazine and illustrated by the legendary Berni Wrightson. Steven Weber, who wrote the script, also stars in the episode as Frank, a depressive cop who has a life-changing encounter one fateful afternoon. He comes upon a man (Kevin Crofton) brandishing a meat cleaver, who looks like he is about to murder a young woman. When Frank draws his gun and orders the man to stop, the man refuses. "You don't know what she is," he tells Frank, pleadingly. "You have no idea." Frank is forced to shoot the man to save the young woman (Carrie Fleming), who turns out to be hideously deformed from the neck up. She also can't speak, but appears very grateful to Frank. Frank goes home to his wife, Ruby (Brenda James), and his son, Pete (Harris Allan), but he can't get the deformed woman off his mind. The next morning, he finds out that the dead man's family won't claim him, and that he had a note that read "Jenifer" in his pocket. He finds out the woman was brought to the mental hospital at Watkins Island. He goes to visit her, and when she sees him, she races out of the shower to tearfully embrace him. Unable to leave her in such a place, he brings her home. Ruby is horrified, and Pete is inappropriately amused. "She's awesome," he exults. "She's got a great rack...for a Morlock." Threatened, Jenifer bites Ruby and runs out of the house. Still, Frank cannot get past his obsession with her, and things only get worse when she eats the family cat. But Frank strangely finds himself willing to sacrifice everything to protect the strange girl. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide