Lucky McKee is known for May, his artsy independant "horror" movie (moreso a weird teen drama about a damaged girl) starring Angela Bettis, a deserving and fairly-gifted actress, wasted in McKee's movies. While the movie garnered critical acclaim for being weird and portraying a strange, meek girl breaking down and doing odd, murderous things, it was shockingly mediocre to anyone that isn't some emotionally-damaged teen who identifies too closely with Bettis' beyond-strange character.
I have to question why Lucky McKee was invited to be involved with "Masters Of Horror". He is for horror what Wes Anderson is to comedy. Obviously, at some point, there's been some interest there, but their creations bear no real similarity to the genres one might associate them with. Unfortunately, there is no genre for "emotional fragile and psychologically damaged indie chick flicks". And, as such, there shouldn't have been a place for him here.
But there was. And he is. And the episode was like something lame dragged out of an episode of "Monsters". (Am I the only one that remembers that anthology?) I mean, really, this is sub-"Freddy's Nightmares" material here.
What you have, basically, is lesbian fetishism for dork-ass loser guys, featuring Angela Bettis as a nebbish. (Well on your way to typecasting now, Angela?) She's too dorky to make relationships with normal people, only insects, as McKee dwells solely in the realm of people (or should I say women?) whose social interactions are stunted by some kind of awkward inability to relate to others. And not in the cool sociopathic way.
Well, Bettis meets her dream girl in poor, sweet Misty Mundae, who does her best for someone best known for softcore lesbian porn as an insect-lover with a real interest in the disbelieving nebbish. Misty and Angela start a relationship that is complicated by a strange insect shipped to her that, of course, bites Misty and starts turning her into something else.
Really, there's no point in telling you any more than that. The episode was a consumate disappointment and felt exceptionally amateurish. Thankfully, McKee was not brought back for season two, but there was no new interesting talent added, so it's a small consolation.
I have no interest or sympathy in people that enjoy this episode, as it's just silly crap. I have nothing constructive to offer, as I have nothing but contempt for the lack of acumen shown by McKee at every turn. It's not funny, if you can even consider its lame weirdness an attempt at comedy. The effects aren't interesting, just seeming retro and bad. The acting is flat under the weight of the stupid script and Misty's acting inexperience, often called "naturalistic", but actually just amateurish.
I can only hope that Angela Bettis and Misty Mundae find better names to hitch their wagon to in the future, though it would be hard not to. The fact that Bettis is directing a film written by and starring McKee is saddening. But at least I never have to watch this episode again.
