Incident On and Off a Mountain Road
Encyclopedia
Incident On and Off a Mountain Road is the premiere episode of the first season of Masters of Horror
directed by Don Coscarelli
. It originally aired in North America
on October 28, 2005. The screenplay is based on an original short story by American author Joe R. Lansdale
.
) loses control of her vehicle and collides with an abandoned car on the side of the road. When checking to see if the other driver is all right, she finds a trail of blood leading into the forest. Following it, she encounters a deformed serial killer
known as Moonface (John DeSantis
), dragging the driver of the other vehicle. Narrowly escaping him, Ellen flees into the forest, with Moonface following her trail.
Through flashbacks spread throughout she is shown receiving training from her survivalist husband Bruce (Ethan Embry
), training her with both weapons and guerrilla
tactics. She attempts to use these skills several times, but despite her best efforts is still captured by the killer, taken to his workshop deep in the forest on a ridge overlooking a large waterfall.
After awakening in the basement, filled with the corpses of Moonface's previous victims, she encounters the delusional Buddy (Angus Scrimm
), apparently insane but seemingly unharmed by Moonface. He speaks cryptically of the killer's methods and intent. Shortly thereafter the killer comes downstairs, turning on a generator. Police sirens begin sounding as various lights around the room begin flashing. Lifting the other woman onto a large table, he uses a drill press to remove both of her eyes.
After Moonface leaves, Buddy talks Ellen into picking the lock on the chains binding her with a sharp object that had been jabbed into her shoulder. Buddy, who seemed to be tied up, suddenly stands up and began shouting that Ellen is free. Moonface returns, and Ellen attacks Moonface and Buddy with a piece of wood. She runs upstairs where she is again attacked, but this time manages to overpower Moonface and knock him out a window. Looking out, she sees him dangling by a blanket several meters below, hanging above the waterfall. She watches as the fabric rips, turning away as he finally falls. Finding a gun, belt and boots, she leaves.
Returning to her car, she opens her trunk to reveal the body of her dead husband. In another flashback it is revealed that her husband had brutally anally rape
d her during a brutal fight, shortly after which she strangled him with his own belt. Taking his body to Moonface's workshop, she removes his eyes and strings him up in the front yard in the same manner as Moonface's other victims. Before leaving she shoots Buddy, mimicking Moonface's "shh" gesture before killing him.
on May 9, 2006. The episode was the first episode broadcast, but the third to be released on DVD. It includes a commentary with writer / director Don Coscarelli
and writer Stephen Romano, as well as a number of featurettes. It also includes the first in a series of short documentaries on the director of the featured episode. The episode appears on the third volume of the Blu-ray compilation of the series.
Masters of Horror
Masters of Horror is an informal social group of international film writers and directors specializing in horror movies and an American television series created by director Mick Garris for the Showtime cable network.- Origin :...
directed by Don Coscarelli
Don Coscarelli
Don Coscarelli is an American film director, producer and screenwriter best known for horror films. His credits include the Phantasm series, The Beastmaster, and Bubba Ho-Tep.-Biography:...
. It originally aired in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on October 28, 2005. The screenplay is based on an original short story by American author Joe R. Lansdale
Joe R. Lansdale
Joe R. Lansdale is an American author and martial-arts expert. He has written novels and stories in many genres, including Western, horror, science fiction, mystery, and suspense...
.
Plot
While driving on a secluded mountain road Ellen (Bree TurnerBree Turner
-Childhood and family:Turner was born in Palo Alto, California. Her father is a former pro-football player for the Washington Redskins. In 1995, Bree graduated from Monte Vista High School in Danville, California, where she was voted 1994 Homecoming Queen, class of 1995...
) loses control of her vehicle and collides with an abandoned car on the side of the road. When checking to see if the other driver is all right, she finds a trail of blood leading into the forest. Following it, she encounters a deformed serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
known as Moonface (John DeSantis
John DeSantis
John DeSantis is a Canadian actor, perhaps best known as Lurch in the 1998–99 Fox Family production of The Addams Family, entitled The New Addams Family. This role was originally portrayed by Ted Cassidy. He is 206 cm tall. Because of his great height, he has been recognised as one of the...
), dragging the driver of the other vehicle. Narrowly escaping him, Ellen flees into the forest, with Moonface following her trail.
Through flashbacks spread throughout she is shown receiving training from her survivalist husband Bruce (Ethan Embry
Ethan Embry
Ethan Philan Randall , although he is known and usually credited as Ethan Embry, is an American film and television actor. He is known for his role as Declan Giggs on the Showtime television series Brotherhood.-Personal life:...
), training her with both weapons and guerrilla
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
tactics. She attempts to use these skills several times, but despite her best efforts is still captured by the killer, taken to his workshop deep in the forest on a ridge overlooking a large waterfall.
After awakening in the basement, filled with the corpses of Moonface's previous victims, she encounters the delusional Buddy (Angus Scrimm
Angus Scrimm
Angus Scrimm is an American actor, best known for playing the Tall Man in the 1979 horror movie Phantasm and its sequels.-Life and career:...
), apparently insane but seemingly unharmed by Moonface. He speaks cryptically of the killer's methods and intent. Shortly thereafter the killer comes downstairs, turning on a generator. Police sirens begin sounding as various lights around the room begin flashing. Lifting the other woman onto a large table, he uses a drill press to remove both of her eyes.
After Moonface leaves, Buddy talks Ellen into picking the lock on the chains binding her with a sharp object that had been jabbed into her shoulder. Buddy, who seemed to be tied up, suddenly stands up and began shouting that Ellen is free. Moonface returns, and Ellen attacks Moonface and Buddy with a piece of wood. She runs upstairs where she is again attacked, but this time manages to overpower Moonface and knock him out a window. Looking out, she sees him dangling by a blanket several meters below, hanging above the waterfall. She watches as the fabric rips, turning away as he finally falls. Finding a gun, belt and boots, she leaves.
Returning to her car, she opens her trunk to reveal the body of her dead husband. In another flashback it is revealed that her husband had brutally anally rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d her during a brutal fight, shortly after which she strangled him with his own belt. Taking his body to Moonface's workshop, she removes his eyes and strings him up in the front yard in the same manner as Moonface's other victims. Before leaving she shoots Buddy, mimicking Moonface's "shh" gesture before killing him.
Cast
- Bree TurnerBree Turner-Childhood and family:Turner was born in Palo Alto, California. Her father is a former pro-football player for the Washington Redskins. In 1995, Bree graduated from Monte Vista High School in Danville, California, where she was voted 1994 Homecoming Queen, class of 1995...
as Ellen - Angus ScrimmAngus ScrimmAngus Scrimm is an American actor, best known for playing the Tall Man in the 1979 horror movie Phantasm and its sequels.-Life and career:...
as Buddy - John DeSantisJohn DeSantisJohn DeSantis is a Canadian actor, perhaps best known as Lurch in the 1998–99 Fox Family production of The Addams Family, entitled The New Addams Family. This role was originally portrayed by Ted Cassidy. He is 206 cm tall. Because of his great height, he has been recognised as one of the...
as Moonface - Ethan EmbryEthan EmbryEthan Philan Randall , although he is known and usually credited as Ethan Embry, is an American film and television actor. He is known for his role as Declan Giggs on the Showtime television series Brotherhood.-Personal life:...
as Bruce
DVD and Blu-ray
The DVD was released by Anchor Bay EntertainmentAnchor Bay Entertainment
Anchor Bay Entertainment is a U.S. based home entertainment and production company and is a division of Starz Media, which is a unit of Starz, LLC. It was previously owned by IDT Entertainment until 2006 when IDT was purchased by Starz Media. Anchor Bay markets and sells feature films, series,...
on May 9, 2006. The episode was the first episode broadcast, but the third to be released on DVD. It includes a commentary with writer / director Don Coscarelli
Don Coscarelli
Don Coscarelli is an American film director, producer and screenwriter best known for horror films. His credits include the Phantasm series, The Beastmaster, and Bubba Ho-Tep.-Biography:...
and writer Stephen Romano, as well as a number of featurettes. It also includes the first in a series of short documentaries on the director of the featured episode. The episode appears on the third volume of the Blu-ray compilation of the series.
External links
- New York Times biography of "Don Coscarelli".
- Review for Incident On and Off a Mountain Road at Dread Central
- "Coscarelli biography" at phantasm.com.