"Masters of Horror" Family (2006)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

John Landis

Writers:

Mick Garris (creator)
Brent Hanley (written by)

TV Series:

"Masters of Horror" (2005)

Original Air Date:

3 November 2006 (Season 2, Episode 2)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

Harold is a seemingly peaceful neighbor in a quiet midwestern neighborhood, but underneath, he's a murderous psychopath who sets his eyes on a couple that have moved in across the street.

Plot Keywords:

Neighbor | Psychopath | Bludgeoning | Father Daughter Relationship | Cigarette Smoking

Cast

George Wendt	...	Harold Thompson
John B. Scott	...	Grandpa
Meredith Monroe	...	Celia Fuller
Matt Keeslar	...	David Fuller
Haley Guiel	...	Sarah (as Hailey Guiel)
Kerry Sandomirsky	...	Jane
Nancy Whyte	...	Grandma
Emily Tennant	...	Teenage Blonde Girl
Emily Hope	...	Teenage Punk Girl
Aleita Northey	...	Teenage Sad Girl
Frances Flanagan	...	Housewife
Donald R. Mintz	...	Interior George Wendt (as Dr. Donald R. Mintz)

Directed by
John Landis

Writing credits
Mick Garris		(creator)
Brent Hanley		(written by)

Produced by
Keith Addis	....	executive producer
Morris Berger	....	executive producer
Steve Best	....	associate producer
Ben Browning	....	co-producer
Stephen R. Brown	....	executive producer (as Steve Brown)
Andrew Deane	....	executive producer
Mick Garris	....	executive producer
Adam Goldworm	....	co-producer
John W. Hyde	....	executive producer
Lisa Richardson	....	producer
Tom Rowe	....	producer
Pascal Verschooris	....	line producer

Original Music by
Peter Bernstein

Cinematography by
Jon Joffin		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Mark L. Levine

Casting by
Stuart Aikins
Sean Cossey
Lindsey Hayes Kroeger
David Rapaport		(as David H. Rapaport)

Production Design by
David Fischer

Art Direction by
Don Macaulay

Set Decoration by
Ide Foyle

Costume Design by
Lyn Kelly

Makeup Department
Howard Berger	....	special makeup effects artist
Mike Fields	....	on-set key makeup artist
Terry Hanson	....	first assistant hair stylist
Jana Hudson	....	first assistant makeup artist (as Tanya Hudson)
Gregory Nicotero	....	special makeup effects artist
Adina Shore	....	key hair stylist
Margaret Solomon	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Margo Coughlin Zimmerman	....	production manager (as Margo Zimmerman)
Sally Dixon	....	post-production supervisor
Sheri Mayervich	....	unit production manager
Stacey Jade Smart	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ania Musiatowicz	....	third assistant director
Darren Robson	....	second assistant director
Rob Vouriot	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Andrei Andrianko	....	assistant art director
Nick Dibley	....	property master (as Nicholas Dibley)
Jim Geddes	....	construction coordinator
John McIntosh	....	greens
Jake Miller	....	assistant property master
Nathalie Morin	....	assistant set decorator
Zbibgniew Scheller	....	construction foreman (as Zbish Scheller)
John Wilcox	....	paint coordinator
Jean Brophey	....	on-set dresser (uncredited)
Doris Deutschmann	....	graphic designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Anke Bakker	....	sound supervisor
Brian Campbell	....	dialogue editor
Jay Cheetham	....	background sound editor
Jacqueline Cristianini	....	adr supervisor
Jacqueline Cristianini	....	dialogue supervisor
Kris Fenske	....	sound designer
Devan Kraushar	....	sound effects editor
Jason Mauza	....	foley editor
Laurie Melhus	....	audio post-production coordinator
Glen Noseworthy	....	adr mixer
Iain Pattison	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sebastian Salm	....	sound mixer
Adam Sharpe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul A. Sharpe	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Paul Sharpe)
Shane Shemko	....	foley artist
Colin Smith	....	boom operator
Cam Wagner	....	foley artist
Matthew Wilson	....	sound effects editor
Todd R. Mason	....	sound effects recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Derek Heselton	....	special effects best boy
Wayne Szybunka	....	special effects coordinator
Chris Sturges	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Attila Vaski	....	lead/fab/asst (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Matt Belbin	....	digital effects editor
Sébastien Bergeron	....	digital effects supervisor: Anthem Visual Effects
Jayson Castro	....	visual effects production assistant
Adrian Chan	....	modeler and texture artist
Michael Goddard	....	digital artist
Annabelle Kent	....	digital compositor
Darren MacKay	....	digital compositor
Adam Marisett	....	visual effects artist
Mladen Miholjcic	....	senior CGI artist: Anthem Visual Effects
Stephen Paschke	....	CG artist
Lisa K. Sepp	....	visual effects producer: Anthem Visual Effects (as Lisa Sepp-Wilson)
Philippe Thibault	....	digital compositor
Lee Wilson	....	visual effects supervisor: Anthem Visual Effects

Stunts
Jim Dunn	....	stunt coordinator
Krista Bell	....	stunt driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Sandy Cooper	....	first assistant camera
Alexander Glua	....	camera assistant
Aaron Haesler	....	second assistant camera
Brian Johnson	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Mike Kolafa	....	gaffer (as Michael Kolafa)
Jos Oman	....	first assistant camera
Steve Sherlock	....	key grip
Jared Smith	....	best boy lighting
Jeremy Spofford	....	second assistant camera
Shai Vera	....	best boy grip (as Shae Vera)
Peter Wilke	....	camera operator: "a" camera (as Peter Wilkie)
Michael Wrinch	....	camera operator: "b" camera (as Mike Wrinch)
Ian Gariepy	....	dolly grip: "b" camera (uncredited)
Pascal Jean Provost	....	cinematographer: second unit (uncredited)

Casting Department
Sandra-Ken Freeman	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Glenna Owen	....	assistant costume designer
Tyler Tone	....	set costume supervisor
Debra Torpe	....	costume truck supervisor (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Asim Matin	....	assistant editor
Matt Venables	....	post-production coordinator
Mike Williamson	....	editorial coordinator

Music Department
Mike Beckett	....	music editor
Jennifer Ross	....	music supervisor
Ed Shearmur	....	composer: theme music (as Edward Shearmur)
Michael Aarvold	....	music scoring mixer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Louie Hausner	....	transportation captain
John Swetlikoe	....	transportation coordinator
Duane Shearer	....	office driver (uncredited)
Jovan Vujatovic	....	picture car coordinator (uncredited)

Other crew
Christine Barrie	....	stand-in
Stephanie Brown	....	production assistant
Genessa Davis	....	assistant production coordinator
Annie Doyon	....	assistant accountant
Terri Garbutt	....	production coordinator
Cameron Grierson	....	assistant to producer
Cameron Grierson	....	script coordinator
Richter Hartig	....	production auditor (as Richter Q. Hartig)
Dave Harvey	....	assistant accountant
Tom Hoeverman	....	assistant location manager
Elissa Howarth	....	administration manager
Alison Hunter	....	script supervisor
Andrea Kaufman	....	production coordinator (as Andrea M. Kaufman)
Katy Lew	....	executive administrator
Ross Redhead	....	assistant to producers
Tracey Renyard	....	location manager
Adrian Salpeter	....	assistant to producers
Stephen Tibbetts	....	stand-in
Bill Vigars	....	unit publicist
Beverly Wiens	....	production accountant
Nancy Heller	....	office manager: Anthem Visual Effects (uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Mick Garris		creator

Makeup Department
Grady Holder	....	dental prosthetics: K.N.B. EFX Group
Leanne Rae Podavin	....	special makeup effects artist
Sherry Van Gool	....	additional assistant makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Raj Uppal	....	first assistant director: second unit

Art Department
Martin P. Blaine	....	lead carpenter
Bill Morrill	....	lead carpenter

Sound Department
Kris Casavant	....	assistant sound editor
Dario DiSanto	....	foley editor
Talvinder Gill	....	assistant sound editor
Shawn Miller	....	sound mixer: second unit

Special Effects by
Ozzy Alvarez	....	lab technician: K.N.B. EFX Group
Jenny Wallace	....	special effects runner

Stunts
Byron Briscoe	....	stunt double
Clint Carleton	....	stunt double: Ethan Embry
Janina Dall	....	stunt double
Jim Dunn	....	stunt coordinator (12 episodes)
Ashlea Earl	....	stunt double: Bree Turner
Lani Gelera	....	stunt double
Jon Kralt	....	stunt rider
James Ralph	....	stunt double: William Forsythe
Jeff Sanca	....	stunt driver
Sharon Simms	....	stunt double
Eli Zagoudakis	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
John Brown	....	rigging lamp operator
Jeff Cassidy	....	second assistant camera
T.C. Chapman	....	rigging gaffer
Glen A. Dickson	....	camera operator: "b" camera (episode: "Deer Woman")
David Gray	....	still photographer
Gary Stamford	....	gaffer: second unit

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dawn Grey	....	dresser

Music Department
Amanda Sobeck	....	music coordinator

Transportation Department
John Sorenson	....	driver
Larry Tardif	....	driver: camera car and process trailer

Other crew
Ron Buck	....	technical advisor: military
Simon Chin	....	extras wrangler
Andrzej Dec	....	assistant location manager (odd episodes)
Krista Johnston	....	clearance
Darron Leiren-Young	....	assistant production coordinator
Nathan Lomax	....	key set production assistant (season 2)
Nathan Lomax	....	office production assistant (season 2)
Pancho Mansfield	....	network executive
Sandra Montgomery	....	script supervisor: second unit
Rainer Scheelisch	....	special equipment
Stephen Sobisky	....	interactive designer
Ryan Steacy	....	armorer

Production Companies

• Starz Media
• IDT Entertainment
• Nice Guy Productions
• Industry Entertainment
• Reunion Pictures
• Showtime Pictures Inc.

Distributors

• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2006) (worldwide) (DVD)
• Kadokawa Entertainment (2008) (Japan) (DVD)
• Starz Home Entertainment (2007) (Australia) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Anthem Visual Effects (visual effects)
• K.N.B. Effects Group (special makeup effects)

Other Companies

• Background, The  walla artists
• Sharpe Sound Studios  sound post-production
• Thomas Cobb Design  main title design

Runtime:

58 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:TV-MA | Australia:MA (2007) | Italy:VM14

Filming Locations:

British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Starz Media

Trivia:

When George Wendt's character is speaking to Matt Keeslar's character in the ER waiting room, there are a couple of pages for "Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine". This is a nod to the Three Stooges' short Men in Black (1934), which paged the Stooges with calls of "Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard".

Goofs:

Continuity: After Harold returns from the dinner and he speaks with his 'wife', she finishes her glass of wine twice while Harold holds the bottle the entire time without pouring any more for her.

Movie Connections:

References Men in Black (1934)

Not bad as recent "Masters of Horror" go

I don't have cable so I don't get the station that features "Masters of Horror", obviously, but I have to say that the DVD's I've seen of the second season pale in comparison to those of the first. "Family", starring George Wendt, though, is not bad, in fact it's a decent enough dark comedy. Wendt plays Harold, a seemingly normal bachelor type who lives in a little Wisconsin community. But after a few moments you realize that Harold has a few screws loose, at a MINIMUM, because his house is populated with skeletons dressed in clothing and he often sees them as being live humans. When new neighbors across the way move in, Harold keeps his distance, but when the new neighbors are on their way home from a night out (and too many cocktails), the hubby hits Harold's mailbox (made from bricks) and knocks it down. The next morning they go to apologize and the mailbox is already repaired, and yet they do get to meet Harold, who thinks that lovely Celia is coming on to him while her husband is sitting there, but again, that's all in Harold's little spook-house mind. Now, Celia and husband David seem to squabble a lot, and some of what they seem to be squabbling about is having another child, after their last one died. Then after agreeing with Celia to go through with their decision, David disappears. Of course Harold is delighted and ready to welcome Celia into his little family, as his current nagging skeleton/wife has been getting on his nerves. But then it turns out that what Celia and David had been discussing was of an entirely different nature than having another child and therein lies "the twist that I didn't see coming" to this episode. This is pretty well done & the twist made the episode, because I never suspected for a moment what was going on. Not bad for Landis too, considering that most of his contributions to horror have been made many years ago. 8 out of 10.