The Damned Thing
Encyclopedia
The Damned Thing is the first episode of the second season of Masters of Horror
. It originally aired in North America
on October 27, 2006.
classic short-story of the same title
, is the apocalyptic tale of a monstrous force that devastates Sheriff Kevin Reddle's family and his small Texas town of Cloverdale. As a child, Reddle's father goes berserk, guns down his wife, and almost kills Kevin before being disemboweled by an invisible force. Before he dies, Kevin's father says the "damned thing" has found him.
In the present day, Kevin (Sean Patrick Flanery
) is now the town sheriff and insists on living in his childhood home. He has mounted surveillance cameras around the house. The mental strain has driven away his wife, Dina (Marisa Coughlan), who has taken their son Mikey with them.
A rash of violent deaths plague the town and Kevin begins to realize that the same force that drove his father to murder, the Damned Thing, is still active. He discovers that decades ago a neighboring town was plagued by the same madness after opening a new oil well that subsequently dried up. Many of the citizens killed each other and Kevin's parents were among the survivors. Kevin believes that the same force sought out his father and killed him, and is now after him.
Madness sweeps over Cloverdale and even Dina is not immune: only Kevin's intervention stops her from killing their son. However, he is soon swept up in the madness and his wife and son are forced to escape. A furious Kevin shoots the town priest (Ted Raimi
), who believes that Mikey has inherited the same evil.
As Kevin prepares to kill Dina and Mikey, the Damned Thing rises from the earth: a giant semi-solid creature of oil. It swallows Kevin whole and Dina and Mikey flee in their vehicle. However, they run out of gas down the road and the creature attacks them. It is not known if they survive.
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 :...
. 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 27, 2006.
Plot
The Damned Thing, inspired by Ambrose Bierce'sAmbrose Bierce
Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce was an American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist and satirist...
classic short-story of the same title
The Damned Thing (Short Story)
"The Damned Thing" is a short story written by Ambrose Bierce. It first appeared in Tales from New York Town Topics on December 7, 1893. This story focuses on how the human race takes their views of nature for granted and how there are things in the natural world the human eye cannot see or the...
, is the apocalyptic tale of a monstrous force that devastates Sheriff Kevin Reddle's family and his small Texas town of Cloverdale. As a child, Reddle's father goes berserk, guns down his wife, and almost kills Kevin before being disemboweled by an invisible force. Before he dies, Kevin's father says the "damned thing" has found him.
In the present day, Kevin (Sean Patrick Flanery
Sean Patrick Flanery
Sean Patrick Flanery is an American actor known for such roles as Connor MacManus in The Boondock Saints, Greg Stillson in The Dead Zone and for portraying Indiana Jones in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, as well as Bobby Dagen in Saw 3D.He is currently known for his role as Sam Gibson on The...
) is now the town sheriff and insists on living in his childhood home. He has mounted surveillance cameras around the house. The mental strain has driven away his wife, Dina (Marisa Coughlan), who has taken their son Mikey with them.
A rash of violent deaths plague the town and Kevin begins to realize that the same force that drove his father to murder, the Damned Thing, is still active. He discovers that decades ago a neighboring town was plagued by the same madness after opening a new oil well that subsequently dried up. Many of the citizens killed each other and Kevin's parents were among the survivors. Kevin believes that the same force sought out his father and killed him, and is now after him.
Madness sweeps over Cloverdale and even Dina is not immune: only Kevin's intervention stops her from killing their son. However, he is soon swept up in the madness and his wife and son are forced to escape. A furious Kevin shoots the town priest (Ted Raimi
Ted Raimi
Theodore "Ted"/"Half Ted" Raimi is an American actor, perhaps best known for his roles as Lieutenant Tim O'Neill in seaQuest DSV and Joxer the Mighty in Xena: Warrior Princess/Hercules: The Legendary Journeys...
), who believes that Mikey has inherited the same evil.
As Kevin prepares to kill Dina and Mikey, the Damned Thing rises from the earth: a giant semi-solid creature of oil. It swallows Kevin whole and Dina and Mikey flee in their vehicle. However, they run out of gas down the road and the creature attacks them. It is not known if they survive.