Originally slated for George Romero's directorial whims--Haeckel's Tale--Based on a short story by Clive Barker--is a gruesome take revolving around necrophilia, necromancy, and of course Ernst Haeckel (Derek Cecil.) The film journey begins by showing a man desperately in love with his deceased wife. So much so, that he pursues an old woman evidently capable of raising the dead. However, he finds that his request is not as easy as he'd hoped for and must entertain the tale of Haeckel, as orated by the old hag, before he makes a final decision about his lady six feet under.The rationality of medicine & science drive Ernst Haeckel on his quest to prove reanimation is possible without God. That in fact, God is completely unnecessary in such matters. Needless to say, his pious peers are less than impressed when he sets a corpse on fire in his laboratory during a Dr. Frankenstein type experiment gone terribly amiss. Later on, Haeckel meets with the great necromancer: Montesquino. A sideshow act to some. Ernst thinks he's a charlatan, but is convinced otherwise via the help of his own senses and clamoring from the Wolfram's who let him stay at their house while en route to see his sick father. Which is another reason for Ernst's interest in necromancy... Not to mention his interest in Elise (Who the hell wouldn't be?) Anyhow, Elise is established as a necrophiliac who humps her dead husband in the graveyard surrounded by wandering corpses who join in on the orgy orchestrated by Montesquino. A ritual Haeckel & Mr. Wolfram will eventually partake in. After all, it's all about sex & death in the bloodied necropolis.This is a cool film. From the excellent script, acting, costumes, photography...it's got everything you could want, really. Most of all it feels authentic. And oh yeah, the end is pretty creepy...Mr. McNaughton, you've done well! I will definitely look into your oeuvre now, sir.Leela Savasta! You're stunning... I want to see the remake of Black Christmas now. Heh.

George A. Romero was originally meant to direct this episode of Masters of Horror and I really think he should have. The undead is his area of expertise and I think this episode would have been one of the best if he had been behind the camera. Unfortunately he dropped out and was replaced by John McNaughton, who I thought would be able to direct a rather disturbing little movie (as he did the controversial horror Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer). Unfortunately this episode was quite boring up until the final 20 or so minutes where it gets quite interesting and weird. But the first 40 minutes are quite boring with not a lot happening although I never completely lost interest. It was rather disappointing that this episode never reached its full potential as the plot was extremely interesting.2/5.

Unlike the other reviewer I don't really care about framing techniques; special effects critiques and such; I bought this DVD because I think in terms of the Horror genre in general..it pushes the boundaries! This I think is pretty much the main emphasis in all of the 'Masters of Horror' pieces! I think (listen to the commentary) that a lot of the humorous moments in the film,like the Frankenstein homage, were done on purpose; there's also an Frankenstein homage in the other 'Master's of Horror' piece "Jenifer", see my review! I personally thought, as in 'Jenifer' by Dario Argento, that the eerie combination of horror mixed with sensuality is a delightful combination; exactly what's needed given the current torrent of teen horror flicks that are awash in the marketplace! Leela Savasta is one of the most gorgeous and perfectly constructed women I've ever seen; my Frankenstein homage...and lends the piece it's sensuality. A must have if you enjoy your horror mixed with sensuality and what something new an/or different!!

I don't think I'm on my own when I say that the first few episodes of the Masters of Horror series were largely disappointing; but the series certainly took a turn for the better mid-way through, and alas; it ended up being minnow Masters of Horror; Lucky McKee and William Malone that delivered the best episodes, while John McNaughton isn't far behind. Whether or not McNaughton is actually a master of horror is debatable; as Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer aside, his successes have all been outside of the genre. But whether or not his past credits warrant his presence is beside the point, as McNaughton steps into zombie master George A. Romero's shoes nicely. The episode is based on a short story from the great Clive Barker, and features themes of necromancy and bringing the dead back to life. Haeckel's Tale might not be very original, but the way that all the story elements are brought together is superb, and this instalment certainly never lets its audience know what is going to come next, as the story jumps from science to magic, while still retaining the same basic point. I was surprised at how much gore was featured in this episode given that it was made for TV, and the pivotal sequence involving zombies towards the end is a major highlight. Overall, I won't hesitate to name this as one of the best of the Masters of Horror efforts, and it gets a big thumbs up from me!