When I began watching the MASTERS OF HORROR episodes years ago (back in 2007-2008 to be exact), I was kind of an elitist, only getting on DVD the ones made by directors I already knew and admired (like John Carpenter, Dario Argento and Takashi Miike). Out of the thirteen episodes from the first season only five had directors I didn't know at the time; so I didn't pay much attention to this ones: "Chocolate" (Mick Garris), "Fair Haired Child" (William Malone), "Pick Me Up" (Larry Cohen, who now I know thanks to a couple of films -BONE and HELL UP IN HARLEM- that I haven't' seen yet but that are on my DVD shelf), "Haeckel's Tale" (John McNaughton) and "Sick Girl" (Lucky McKee). Recently I got the second Blu-Ray of season one; it contains two familiar ones (Argento's "Jennifer" and John Landis' "Deer Woman") and only one that I had yet to see; this one, of course. Filmmaker Lucky McKee has only two directing credits prior to his contribution to MASTERS OF HORROR, but he did a very nice, classic kind of thing, with "Sick Girl"; and after this I'll try to watch his 2002 film MAY, by the way. McKee's episode has a really strange tone thanks to its main character Ida (played by Angela Bettis). She's like the ultimate shy and weird young woman. And this is a love story, actually. It's the classic one in which we all are hoping that our main character can do it just fine when she, after a failed romance, goes out on a new first date - I must add that Ida isn't into guys, at all… so yes, "Sick Girl" has some of that irresistible-for-dudes lesbian material. Much of the reason why I gave to this a very high rating is its ending. The whole trip is enjoyable but that final scene is the thing that really makes it pure and great horror. *Watched it today

I was going to start off by saying that Angela Bettis looks like a cross between that "May"/"Toolbox Murders" actress and the shpeech-impendimended Holly Hunter. However, it turns out that Angela IS the former, and isn't nearly unattractive enough to deserve to be insulted by a comparison with the latter. Misty Mundae (if that's her real name) is the real attraction in this slow-moving, rather mediocre episode about a couple of lesbians getting impregnated by a Brazilian creepy-crawly. Almost nothing happens in the first half, and not a great deal more occurs in the second. The humour is predictable and lame - as in 99% of all horror comedies - and the final twist not nearly exciting enough to justify sitting on my derrière for an hour waiting for it.True to the "Masters Of Horror" tradition, evil wins yet again, which is becoming a bit predictable and stale too...The author of the site's plot synopsis muses over the episode being "a commentary on the dangers of moving into a relationship too quickly". Some people have their heads so far up their trusted rears that they'll over-analyze a f**t, let alone a dumb little horror story. Those are probably the same people who find meaning in a Picasso scribble or a Rothko "carpet".

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Edy's Grand Light French Vanilla Ice Cream. Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. John Waters and Divine. Russ Meyer and Tura Satana. I never thought I'd find a pairing more sublimely perfect than these...before Angela Bettis and Lucky McKee came along. Without Lucky, Angela on her own is so good, she got me used to the idea of a remake of something as timeless as CARRIE, and then actually got me to LIKE it. With Lucky McKee's direction, she introduced me to a character that gave me hope for the future of original horror: MAY. So, when I heard that they were teaming up for an episode of MASTERS OF HORROR, I was practically sreaming with joy! The majority of the episodes preceding SICK GIRL had been fair to partly cloudy, to downright DISGUSTINGLY disappointing. I was hoping against hope that they could break the curse.And did they? For me it wasn't the beautiful lightning bolt I'd hoped for, but it comes very, VERY close!Meet Ida Teeter, a character as close to Angela's heart as she will be to yours. Hers is a tender and tragic tale of babes, bugs and the blackest kind of betrayal. Ida is a full-time entomologist for a university, but not just in the lab. Bugs are her bestest pals at home as well, which explains her obsession with her work and her complete lack of a love life. Well, strike that, actually. She has one of sorts, but it's constantly screwed because she loves her colorful collection of creepy-crawlies more than her ex-girlfriends. (Yep, she's a 'scissor sister'! Is that cool, or what? And it gets better!)Two entities come into Ida's bleak existence almost simultaneously: a brand new and very different species of insect she's never seen before, which promptly proceeds to start running amok in her apartment the moment she receives the little sucker; and the other is one exquisite creature more rare and beautiful than anything with more legs than two: one Misty Falls, (Erin Brown, formerly the indie darling known as 'Misty Mundae'), who has been harboring an unrequited crush for Our Bug Girl for a very, very long time.And before you can say "pass me the OFF, please," love between these two lasses is in its pupal stages, ready to burst forth as something new...and very deadly. Because the new bug in Ida's life has its own agenda, just like her new girlfriend. It's a menage-a-trois made in hell. Not that her only pesky guy buddy and fellow lab-rat, Max (Jesse Hlubik) gives a rat's ass about that. He just wants the details of Ida's love life for getting a daily handle on his morning wood. And like Ida, he's not nearly ready for the outcome of his gal pal's latest excursion into 'l'amour du jour.' (And wasn't it the French who first associated sex with death, anyway?)Well, no surprise spoilers here! SICK GIRL is as unique, quirky, horrifying, titillating and well, SICK, as what you'd expect from Lucky (directing and co-writing with Sean Hood) and his marvelous muse, Angela.There are a few story problems here and there, but too minor to quibble about. And the special effects go back to the best of what Roger Corman and his protégés were whipping up back in the Eighties...with a few new wrinkles. And I really dig that crazy, non-conventional ending as love conquers all...well, sort of.I can guarantee that of all of the MOH episodes, you will be entertained at the very least by SICK GIRL, whether you're already familiar with the McKee/Bettis brand, or even if you're not. At the most, you'll be like me...waiting in anticipation to see what these two will SCREAM up next!

SICK GIRL is the worst episode of Masters of Horror series this far, and that's quite an achievement as there have been some really poor ones (Homecoming, Dance of the Dead & Jenifer to name 3). Everything about this episode is poor; story, acting, direction, special effects. It's about some retarded(?) woman who one day receives an evil super-bug in the mail. The evil bug then bites her girlfriend, girlfriend becomes sick and turns into a giant bug (featuring some not so special effects). Next scene is the lesbian couple, both pregnant, sitting on the couch with the father to be (the evil bug). Oh, and the retarded main character also has trouble with her landlady who doesn't appreciate her bug-pets and/or lesbian lifestyle. The EndThe main character delivers possibly the worst performance of all time. I was left speechless after seeing this. Don't know if the actress just acted the way the director told. The other actors/actresses do a poor job too. Can't help thinking of what the director was thinking when he made this? Is he proud of his creation?.