'Cigarette Burns,' John Carpenter's entry into the "Masters of Horror" anthology series, starts off with a LOT of promise, but becomes as tangled as intestines in a film projector in the last 10 minutes. The 59-minute run time is accommodating to Carpenter's tale, but the writing seemed to hit a wall with no way out, and therefore made a hash of the film's final minutes (or maybe I just missed something). Anyway, the plot has former junkie/current theater owner Kirby (Norman Reedus), enlisted by an eccentric film buff (the irreplaceable Udo Kier) to find an obscure French film that, during its single screening, caused the audience to go on a murderous rampage; during his journey, Kirby becomes stricken with "Videodrome"-esque hallucinations that increasingly blur the line between dream and reality. Carpenter builds a good deal of suspense and intrigue and concludes in Grand Guignol form, but ultimately leaves us wanting more. Still, 'Cigarette Burns' is a worthwhile view.
6 out of 10
6 out of 10