For a less than an hour TV series episode,this is a darn good one.The story is quite simple,yet original and effective.A notorious film that can cause extremely violent reactions to the audience is the object protagonist Norman Reedus is paid to find,since it was banned after only one viewing in the theaters.His curiosity and urgent need for money is what pushes him to accept the job,only to find out that the stories about the movie are more than just simple mythology...This episode has a uniquely dark atmosphere you cannot find in other Masters of Horror episodes.The plot builds up through the stories you hear about the infamous film from various characters,and when you actually get to see segments of "La Fin Absolute du Monde"(the name of the film),it seems totally disturbing and creepy,while nothing over-the- top is actually shown in it.Reedus was a great actor even from back then,and succeeds to portray a "badass" yet likable character who is also tormented from his own demons.Even before sh*t hits the fan and serious stuff goes down,the addictive storytelling and eerie atmosphere wont let you get bored.Everything is great about this episode.I highly recommend you to see this one,even if you had bad experiences with other MoH episodes.

Of the Master's of Horror movies I have seen (which there have been a few here and there) this still stands out as one of the more unique ones. Sure there is a bit of "In the Mouth of Madness" in it, but it still left me wanting to know what was going to happen. The master of horror to do this one is the same fellow who did "In the Mouth of Madness" John Carpenter and let me just say that it is pretty much better than any of his recent movies have been. Of course, it also shows me he has still got it and it makes me sad that there really have been no movies from him in a while that I can remember. This film revolves around a man who tries to find older films or rare films. He is hired on by a man to find this movie that sounds ominous and quite frankly is when one considers one of the props of said movie is a strange old looking man that looks as if something like wings have been chopped off his back. The man has to do a lot to find this film, all the while I am wondering what is one said film. It is a bit of a disappointed when they show the film, but then are they really going to be able to show me something that will supposedly make me mad? Still, very interesting and makes me wish John would write something at least one more time for the big screen.

The Plot: Kirby Sweetman is the bankrupt owner of a movie theater, which shows classic midnight movies. Kirby's job is to find prints of films and take it to the theater to be shown. Then he comes upon the biggest job he's ever had: finding the print of a notorious French film for an anxious collector. The film is "Le Fin Absolue Du Mond," in English: "The Absolute End Of The World." The film is so notorious, it has caused viewers to go homicidally insane. Kirby will get a lot of money if he finds "Le Fin Absolue Du Mond," and it will be enough to pay for his theater. Although many people try to warn him of the film's traumatizing power, Kirby is willing to go to extraordinary lengths to find the film, and, perhaps, watch it himself. Soon, he will discover that the stories of "Le Fin Absolue Du Mond" are undeniably true.The Film: John Carpenter has always been a master of horror, and "Cigarette Burns" is yet another achievement. This episode of the popular "Masters of Horror" series is one of the most original and disturbing short films in the series. Carpenter creates a tension-filled surrealism with this film, and it has some pretty eerie and scary moments. Norman Reedus and Udo Kier, star of "Suspiria," are delightful as Kirby and Ballinger, the strange fanatic who is dying to get his hands on the infamous film frequently talked about. The music is very spooky, it is composed by Cody Carpenter, whom I believe is another member of the Carpenter clan. Carpenter creates a chilling main theme.The Result: John Carpenter's "Cigarette Burns" is one of the most disturbing episodes in the series. The man who brought you "Halloween," "The Fog," "The Thing" and "Christine" does it again.

This is the fifth episode I've watched from the popular horror series, which gave a lease of life to many a genre exponent from the 1970s onwards; surprisingly, it was shown on a weekday on late-night Italian TV (albeit in English with subtitles). It is easily the best I've seen so far and also one of Carpenter's most satisfying efforts in a very long time.The premise is fascinating – especially for people like us, given that it basically deals in the workings of being a film-fanatic – but, needless to say, it's treated as fantasy and obviously taken to extremes for greater dramatic impact. In fact, the title is a reference to the reel-change indicators visible on celluloid – though here it's also the precursor to hallucinatory visions which afflict the various characters in search of a legendary 'lost' snuff film which, when viewed, changes the spectators into homicidal or self-mutilating maniacs! For the record, the overall style and level of gore displayed throughout is more typical of the series than the director's traditional oeuvre; incidentally, his son provides a score which is highly reminiscent of the elder Carpenter's compositions for his own earlier work! The protagonist, a young theatre owner specializing in cult horror films (including DEEP RED [1975] by Dario Argento, whose two "Masters Of Horror" entries are among those I'm familiar with and which I even own), doesn't exactly cut it – but Udo Kier (from Argento's own SUSPIRIA [1977]) generates the requisite sinister obsession in his role of the ageing millionaire after the dangerous rolls of film. He even keeps one of the surviving crew members of that particular film, "La Fin Absolue Du Monde", chained up inside a hidden room in his remote mansion – and, although the latter has shriveled to a wraithlike figure, his devotion to the cursed film itself hasn't abated with time! Incidentally, it's somewhat lame to have the elusive film traced after so many years at the place which it would have been automatic to look first i.e. in the possession of its late director's widow (nonchalantly stashed in her living room despite its 'explosive' nature!) but, I suppose, it's a flaw that can be overlooked when seen against the carnage going on around it!