I am – Hercules!!

More than two decades after “Re-Animator,” writer-director Stuart Gordon, screenwriter Dennis Paoli and actor Jeffrey Combs are apparently still cranking out the coolness. Here’s “subpardaemon”:

you may want to post it, it's up to your discretion. Keep up the great work!

masters of horror: the black cat (d: stuart gordon, sp: stuart gordon & dennis paoli)

while stuart gordon's body of work has been largely hit-and-miss, this episode by him definitely delivers. in all, it may even be his best work yet -- low-key yet haunting, slow-paced yet tight as a drum, with a surprisingly confident mix of chills and art-house sensibilities.

despite the commonly held belief, poe was much more a master of macabre than a pioneer of horror (which one of poe's avid admirers, lovecraft was a true pioneer of), and gordon's low-key approach here fits this macabre like a glove.

from the subtle use of colors (dull, grayish tones with the exception of sharp red tints for blood and red wine and green for the titular cat's glowing eyes), through the aptly twisted screenplay by paoli and gordon (based on, of course, poe's original story), outstanding acting (a much-welcome reunion with classic gordon star jeffrey combs, who turns in a convincing, haunting performance as poe; the other actors are just as great in their supporting roles) and the period music, this episode is definitely a highlight of this much-criticized anthology series, and just as well a playful tribute to a man whose body of work laid the foundations for much of today's suspense, macabre and, well, horror.

while last year's lovecraft adaption was decent yet missing the mark of greatness, this season's outing by gordon shows that there is indeed potential both in the series and gordon himself. (give the man a decent budget and no pressure and let him handle the case of charles dexter ward next season (if there is one); this episode just proved that he is up to the task of filming a lovecraft adaptation as a period piece.)

although this season got off to a slow start (ah, the abomination that is pro-life; however, family was a riot), the recent episodes (valerie on the stairs, the screwfly solution, right to die) made me change my mind which was about to write off this series for good. there is still life in it, even if it is more like... undead.

12:30 a.m. (Early) Sunday. Showtime.