Masters of Horror (TV Series) John Carpenter's Cigarette Burns (2005) User Reviews

Classic Carpenter - dark and suspense-filled

[DVD_Connoisseur · 8/10 · 6 November 2006]

"Cigarette Burns" is a wonderful tale from John Carpenter that was a delight to watch.

This "Masters of Horror" episode is dark and grim. It's both surreal and frighteningly real, like a bad nightmare. There are images contained in this hour of television that are original and shocking.

Carpenter's touches are filled with a wicked sense of humour. For those cynics who state that this master has lost his earlier powers of film-making, watch this episode! Udo Kier is creepy as hell in this tale and Norman Reedus is gripping as the lead character.

Surprisingly violent and challenging, "Cigarette Burns" is a very strong entry in the "Masters of Horror" series.

The Cursed Movie

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 8 June 2007]

The bankrupted owner of the movie theater Vogue, Kirby Sweetman (Norman Reedus), is hired by the eccentric private collector Mr. Bellinger (Udo Kier) to search and find the cursed horror movie "Le Fin Absolue du Monde". This film is considered lost and magic, and has been presented only once in the Sitges Festival, driving the audience insane and violent, causing bloodshed in the theater. The director, crew and everybody involved in its production has also died. Kirby owes US$ 200,000.00 to his father-in-law, who blames Kirby for the death of his daughter Annie (Zara Taylor), and accepts the assignment to pay his debt and for his own satisfaction. Bellinger shows him a souvenir from the film in his basement, a chained angel that had his wings torn off in the movie. Kirby travels to France to meet his contact and has glimpses of his beloved Annie, initiating his journey to hell.

"Cigarette Burns" is the best episode of "Masters of Horror" so far among the ones that I have watched. The dark story slightly recalls in some moments "In the Mouth of Madness", also directed by the awesome John Carpenter, the best director of horror movies that should win an Oscar for his magnificent filmography and contribution to this genre. The uncomfortable and surrealistic story has the atmosphere of a nightmare, with excellent performances, and a great potential of cult-movie. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Pesadelo Mortal" ("Mortal Nightmare")

Still a master

[ODDBear · 8/10 · 1 December 2006]

A film collector/sleuth accepts an assignment from an eccentric millionaire to locate a notorious film that caused mass hysteria and madness upon it's one and only showing. As he gets nearer to finding it he experiences the film's profound effects and the horror it possesses.

A good and original horror story gets supreme treatment from a master horror director. Striking images (one in particular) fuel this intriguing story which builds good momentum and climaxes in a very satisfying and bloody way. People have noted the similarities between this film and Carpenter's earlier In the Mouth of Madness but when all is said and done this is pretty effective stuff and handled beautifully by Carpenter. One scene is as gruesome as they come and I'm amazed it wasn't edited out since this is a TV movie. It could easily be stretched out for feature length and that's maybe it's only problem; it unveils too fast.

Although not written by Carpenter this still feels and looks like a film made by him. Highly recommended.

A rarity of originality, has to be seen to be believed

[stephen-kyle · 10/10 · 8 July 2006]

Wow. I was not ready for what this compact hour contained. So much more imaginatively written and better directed and acted than any crap that has passed for horror in the past 30 years.

I have seen most of J. Carpenter's films, some I like, some I don't. But with this piece he has surpassed not only himself but most horror films made either for theaters or TV.

It is hard to write about and describe because it is best to not give away too much, other than the premise involves a rare film that was shown only once, and it caused a riot to erupt in the theater, with deaths involved. The protagonist is hired to find the only known remaining print of the film, and finds himself drawn into something that was much more than he bargained for. Is there something supernatural involved? Does the film drive people insane? How can this be?

In some respects, there are more questions at the the end that remain unanswered. But, as with the best films, that's the way it should be; it stays with you, haunts you, and nags at your brain -- just like the legendary film within the film, "Le Fin Absolue du Monde."

Totally stunning, horrifying and awe-inspiring. A day later, I still can't shake it from my mind.

it works because of Carpenter's faith- and tricks- with the material

[Quinoa1984 · 9/10 · 21 July 2006]

Cigarette Burns is one of the more entertainingly shocking little horror films I've seen in a while. It's only an hour long, but it still kind of sits well in that area between a short film and a 'real' feature-length film. If anything a story like this could be made into a slightly longer film (whether it would be better or give more chances for fright I don't know). But for TV it's pretty amazing stuff, mostly as it builds and builds in the climax. What was interesting too was watching the DVD extras and seeing Carpenter's own view on some of the film's clichéd sayings about how 'film can change you', which even he admits is BS. To him, the whole Le Fin Absolue du Monde part of the story could be anything supernatural (and its practically a retread of similar material from In the Mouth of Madness) or anything that keeps the plot moving along. It's a MacGuffin that does have a need to actually be seen by the audience- if not the audience's in the film then us watching at home- but when it is it's genuinely creative in an ironic way.

Norman Reedus proves he can act with a good script and defined character as a theater owner and rare-film buff who meets up with a spooky collector (Udo Kier as usual quite creepy and darkly funny in equal measure) who wants him to track down the obscure French film titled The Absolute End of the World, which only screened once to a violent crowd. But right off the bat things don't seem right as Kier's character keeps a living 'Angel' from the film's production with its wings clipped off. As Reedus goes deeper into the search, he then starts to realize its effect as it stirs up old rotten memories into his consciousness. Carpenter deals with the dialog scenes really quite well, and it's refreshing to see him direct more realistic scenes here and there as opposed to his recent films where style and flash trumps the words. And there really can't be enough said about Gregory Nicotero's make-up, which is there at best to totally supply Carpenter with what he needs to work off his visual scares.

And towards the end, as Kier finally gets a print of the film in his possession, it really is some of the more freaky, bloody, and unexpected scenes in a Carpenter work I've seen since the Thing just for sheer visceral impact. Without giving away too much, it does kind of border on the obvious of what might occur with some of the characters. But the way the actors pull it off corresponds well with how the 'MacGuffin' is finally shown, as a rip-off on pretentious violent art-film tripe that had me grinning as I cringed. Cigarette Burns is a successful little pot-boiler that probably might work better for Carpenter fans and those who find 'cult films' fascinating as the subject matter.

Say this, the man backs up his comments

[trentj101 · 30 May 2006]

Several years ago I read a quote by Carpenter where he said that he did not understand how a film like " The Ring" can be considered to be a true horror film. I think that this short certainly backs up his vision of horror and I must agree. "Burns" is a cross between the aforementioned "The Ring" and 1 of Carpenter's best works in recent years..."In the Mouth of Madness". Carpenter's horror is not suggestive, it is in your face. A true non-conformist, he is amongst my favorite filmmakers and in a time when being PC has brought us to new levels of bland. Carpenter is the one filmmaker that will give his unabated opinion on the state of film without it having to go through a publicist first. Like his movies or not, he is an original American talent. And for the record, his 1982 remake of "The Thing" goes down as one of the underrated horror films of all time. As a remake, it is one of the best that has ever been done in the genre, that is something that these director's of 70's remakes i.e ..Hills, Massacre, Omen....can learn from. If you are going to do a remake...REMAKE IT..not copy it! Kudos to Mr. Carpenter.

La Fin Absolue Du Monde...The Absolute End of the World.

[KingM21 · 7/10 · 30 March 2006]

This is the first "Masters of Horror" episode that I've watched and I thought it was a fairly cool and creepy little story. It reminded me of The Ninth Gate, only this time, instead of books, the search was for a very rare movie called La Fin Absolue Du Monde, or The Absolute End of the World. The movie was said to be so powerful, so evil, that anyone who watched it turned violently insane. The man who wants this notorious film is played by Udo Kier, who is always fun to watch and has great expressions. The rest of the cast is adequate and Carpenter's direction is mostly solid, though it doesn't really feel like a Carpenter picture. His son, Cody, composed the music, which fit the short quite well; it was like the Halloween theme with a touch of Goblin.

Cigarette Burns was a TV production and unfortunately, it felt like one. I think it would've been better suited as a full length feature, where the characterization and plot could be fleshed out further and fine tuned, instead of trying to cram everything into under an hour. Still, it was an admirable effort and the material is definitely interesting (I especially liked the angel subplot). And with the gore, crazy scenes, and several nods to horror fans, collectors, and cinema itself, Cigarette Burns turned out to be a pretty entertaining little picture.

The DVD has many extras (and Easter Eggs), including a commentary with the director and one with the writers. Carpenter's has a few fun moments but going by it and his interviews on the disc, he just doesn't seem to care much anymore. The writers, Scott Swan and Drew McWeeny (McWeeny…hehe), were a lot more excited and hopefully we'll see good things from them in the future. I see they're currently writing the script for the remake of Race with the Devil.

Carpenter's best flick since The Thing

[timhayes-1 · 10/10 · 2 April 2006]

First off, I've been a fan of John Carpenter's for a long time. Even when I was a little kid and not really into horror yet, Big Trouble In Little China was one of my favourite movies. While some of his more recent films haven't lived up to the potential of his earliest works, Carpenter seems to have reversed this trend with Cigarette Burns. Hands down this is my favourite episode of Masters Of Horror so far and one of my favourite Carpenter flicks ever. Nearly everything done in this film is spot on. It is disturbing, bleak and nihilistic. Just how we like our horror. No candy coating here thanks. Norman Reedus, who was just great in Boondock Saints, here plays a bankrupt, financially and morally, film collector set to finding a rare film that apparently drove its sole audience crazy with rage. While the film itself would have best been never seen to help give it more of an air of mystery and suspense, everything else about this film is perfectly timed. A must for fans of the series or Carpenter or even horror in general.

BLOOD AND HORROR

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 18 May 2019]

Cigarette Burns was a very interesting film. A film collector wants a rare film of which there may not even be a copy. The initial showing of the film caused the audience to go into a homicidal rage. During the movie we get the idea that the movie is about and angel being killed and tortured and it was produced by Lou Cipher himself. The man hired to locate the film has his own baggage and needs the money. As he gets closer to the film he gets more involved in the evil that lays within. The movie was great up to the ending when we see glimpses of the evil film and its effect. At this point it becomes clear John Carpenter really didn't know how to end the movie and just winged it.

Best film in Masters Of Horror series.

[blood-machine-official · 10/10 · 31 January 2011]

I will admit I'm bias, I am a fan of almost all of John Carpenter's work. I tend to like some of his most "unpopular" films like Prince Of Darkness and In The Mouth Of Madness, I see the brilliance in them. Having said all that, Cigarette Burns IS a good film, Carpenter fan or not. It has a well written plot, it's creepy, eerie, suspenseful and imaginative. The cast is good, and acting spot on. The film will take you on a nice spooky ride, and you won't be able to wait to see what happens to Kirby next. I won't spoil it, or waste any more of your time. Click the flick already, it's the best of the Masters Of Horror series.

TV episode better than many full-length modern horror movies

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 9 February 2016]

A television movie filmed as part of the Masters of Horror series, CIGARETTE BURNS is just under an hour in length and nevertheless achieves the same effect as a full-blown, feature-length movie. The short running time means that the pacing is nice and fast, and what plays out is a story that may be a little predictable (the idea of an 'evil' film has been done in the likes of the Ramsey Campbell novel, ANCIENT IMAGES) but is nonetheless handled very well indeed. This is horror at its most chilling: a nice combination of subtle chills with in-your-face shocking gore. And of course, most of the impact has to do with director John Carpenter, the man who brought us classics like HALLOWEEN and THE THING, and more recently trash like the bomb that was GHOSTS OF MARS.

On the strength of CIGARETTE BURNS, Carpenter's back. His direction is focused and assured, and there's only one time when his work feels false: there's a scene that rips off HOSTEL quite obviously, but Carpenter's in-your-face direction means that it's still powerful and shocking. For a television movie, the cast is fantastic. Norman Reedus plays a character who is a far cry from the nerdy geek he was in BLADE II; he's intense, multi-layered and fine. Udo Kier has a great little cameo and makes a memorable departure. The supporting players are great, and everyone seems to give a powerful, vivid turn. Special mention has to go to Douglas Arthurs and Colin Foo; they've both got small parts, but they're equally terrifying in their own way.

The focus is on a film-within-a-film here and there are plenty of nods for fans, including references to Dario Argento and the like. The glimpses of the 'evil' film that we see are intensely disturbing and not for the faint-hearted. Neither is the bloodshed, which includes a very realistic decapitation and a bit with a projector which is very nasty. The climax is well-achieved and the film as a whole is an effective piece of work. I especially liked Carpenter's traditional, simplistic synthesiser work; the score here is one of the best things in the film, adding a subtle layer of dread and foreboding to the proceedings. Good work!

Incredible!

[MaskedSuperstarMrX · 9/10 · 31 December 2009]

This episode of "Masters of Horror" was incredible. With John Carpenter directing it, I knew it would be good. Boy, was I sure right! I would of definitely liked to see this as a full length film because it was that good. Norman Reedus (Blade 2) who played "Kirby" was very believable on his quest to find the only copy of this extremely rare and only viewed once film called, "Le Fin Absolue Du Monde". At the only showing of this film, many deaths followed, within that theater! The only known copy of this film was then taken by the government and burned, or so it is believed. Although, the character of "Bellinger" believes a copy still exists. Bellinger, played by Udo Kier needs to get his hands on this film at all costs! He is obsessed with this film. The cost, comes to $200,000, which is exactly what Norman Reedes needs to pay a debt he owes on this theater. But, is putting his life on the line to find this film worth the price? Time will tell. Udo Kier who I've always liked since "Blade" did a great job portraying his character: sick, twisted, and creepy. As Bellinger gets closer to discovering the film reel, more dark and mysterious secrets are revealed, or should I say, relived! Hats off to John Carpenter and I hope he does more films like this. This is a must see! Great pace and suspense. Now the only thing I wish is that I could see "Le Fin Absolue Du Monde"! Even if it means death!

Builds a lot of intrigue, but loses its way...

[Jonny_Numb · 6/10 · 28 March 2006]

'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

Okay but needs a better scriptwriter

[crooow-2 · 5/10 · 11 August 2007]

The storyline is interesting enough (although it's a blend of 8 MM, The Ring, and In the Mouth of Madness). The acting is fine. Cody Carpenter's soundtrack is good. I didn't really mind the angel portion even though it doesn't seem necessary. My problem is that you shouldn't set up a difficult situation and then try to resolve it in a one hour episode with lots of subplots thrown in. The film has had many people searching for it (some are willing to spend lots of money for it), yet Kirby finds it way too easily. He is told that the critic doesn't see anyone and won't talk about the film, yet how does he gain immediate entrance? By saying he is there to discuss the film. He is told it is difficult to get anything from the wife yet she buzzes him in on no basis whatsoever and hands over the film easily. And of course, when you are killing someone and demand information, the victim will spend his dying breath telling you exactly what you want to know. Just weak and lazy writing all around. Chop out the subplots and maybe you can do a better job of moving the main plot along intelligently. Another writer's error is to build something up throughout the story (the most horrific film ever) and then actually show it so the audience can be let down. Otherwise the story could have worked fairly well.

Before you Die You See the Ring - Major Spoilers

[Chicky5150 · 31 March 2006]

The problem with being a critic is that eventually someone will ask if you can do better. I enjoy Ain't it Cool News, and I enjoy writer Drew McWeeny aka Moriarty, and so I was looking forward to him writing for the legendary John Carpenter.

The plot is as follows. A washed out theater owner is asked to retrieve a lost film, one that inspired its audience to rip each other to shreds. He's haunted by his past drug use, and vision of his druggie girlfriend who committed suicide in his bathtub. Her father is the one that gave him the money for the theater, and he wants his money back now. He sets out to retrieve the film, despite warnings that it was produced by evil. He runs across a snuff filmmaker, and the director's wife before he actually gets the film. Apparently it gets its power because the collector (Udo Kier) tortured an angel and recorded it. Eventually, the film causes everyone to hallucinate and kill each other. The angel escapes and takes the film.

A lot of this plays like a gory version of Ringu. The cigarette burns that appear on screen before something happens, look and are treated like Verbinski's Ring jump cuts. The film causes bad dreams, and eventually becomes real...just like The Ring. At the end, the visions step out of the screen...just like the Ring. Sadly this episode isn't as deliberate as the Ring, since it had various set pieces of gore for gore's sake.

In one scene a woman is beheaded by a snuff filmmaker (she is rather calm about it too-) and our hero is in danger...until he blacks out. When he wakes up, everyone is lying on the ground. Huh? Our hero was given $200,000 to open a theater by his girlfriend's father, and he is fighting to keep it open, but I'm not sure why. In the end, the angel takes the film, and says thank you, to the room full of dead people. Why did he take the film? Where is he going to go? Why wasn't the hero more surprised to see him when he was revealed? I guarantee you, if I see an angel chained in a hidden room, I'm going to have lots of questions.

But the most damning thing, the worst mistake of all, is that Carpenter shows us the film. Its been built for an hour as the most horrible thing ever, and it looks like a student music video. The audience should never have known what the film looked like.

Disturbing and awesome

[JaniceNicole · 10/10 · 14 February 2012]

"Cigarette Burns" is about a financially struggling movie-theater owner who makes money by seeking out hard to find copies of films. He is approached by a man to find the only known print of a film that is notorious for causing its viewers to become homicidal. For being such a short film, the story line is really suspenseful and interesting. As an avid horror movie viewer, it is difficult for me to find things scary or creepy, but during this one I found myself cringing multiple times. In the end I was left with a "what did I just watch" feeling, which in my book is a strong win for a horror film. I definitely recommend this to any fans of the horror genre.

Astonishing

[morerockin · 10/10 · 1 May 2006]

What an awesome way for Mr. Carpenter to get back into the swing of things. This 1 hour of brilliance will FREAK YOU THE HECK OUT!!!!!!!!

Filled with surprises, twists and turns that don't stoop to the pathetic level of modern movies. However, its a signature Carpenter flick, thus it takes a few minutes for the movie to take off.

I will not sit here and tell you what the movie is about, thats your job to go and witness that for yourself. However, I will say that it is worth your time and money to pursue the entertainment of this flick.

I haven't seen any of the other MAH movies, and I really have no desire to. There isn't anyone who can give me the thrill that John Carpenter does. There isn't a modern horror movie worth watching I might add. Nobody does it like John

Solid Filmmaking

[davidmvining · 7/10 · 25 September 2021]

This is what John Carpenter needed after Escape from L. A. He didn't need to keep trying to make big films after his largest production bombed critically and commercially. He didn't need to try and keep making action films into his 60s. He needed to pull back and find the kind of filmmaking language that he started with, crafting a more focused and less ambitiously scoped story on a smaller scale, and the Masters of Horror television show on Showtime seems like it was a good place for him to land. The script by Drew McWeeny and Rebecca Swan, squeezing what could easily have been a short feature film into fifty minutes, provides that kind of canvas Carpenter needed to possibly reinvigorate himself creatively.

Kirby Sweetman (Norman Reedus) is the owner of a small independent theater who has a side gig of tracking down hard to find film prints for independent collectors. He arrives one night at the home of Mr. Bellinger (Udo Kier) who invites him to find La Fin Absolue du Monde, a film of almost mythic proportions that there are questions about whether it exists at all. It was shown publicly only once, and the screening ending in violence within the crowd. With a promise of $200,000, Sweetman accepts the job. The only real issue with this opening is that it is just a mountain of exposition all delivered really quickly and purely through dialogue.

Another small issue with the movie's opening minutes is that the character introduction of Kirby actually comes after the plot introduction. All we learn about him in the opening scene is part of his profession (tracking down prints), but his past is completely unexplained. However, immediately after this scene with Mr. Bellinger we do get that introduction, and it's kind of weirdly delivered. Kirby was married to the daughter of a rich man, and they were both druggies. In an effort to straighten both Kirby and his daughter out, the father gave Kirby $200,000 to buy the theater, but the daughter ended up committing suicide anyway. Told in fractured moments as brief flashbacks, the information does get laid out, but it's just kind of weirdly delivered.

The movie picks up when Kirby flies to Paris to begin his search. The horror elements up to this moment had been an overall sense of mood that things weren't really right, highlighted by the moment Mr. Bellinger shows his angelic prisoner with obvious stumps where the wings he has on display in his office were once attached. The sense of unease heightens with the first appearance of the titular cigarette burns. On film prints, there are small circles in the upper right corner at two points near the end of every reel to help the projectionist time the switch from one reel to the next (usually done with dual projectors side by side, turning one on and the other off at the same time). The movie's rumored power begins manifesting in the form of cigarette burns that Kirby sees in his day to day life, combined with images of his past centered on his dead wife, and it's where the movie's horror elements really begin to ramp up.

Kirby's search takes him to an archivist in Paris who seems to have some knowledge of La Fin Absolue du Monde, but he's unwilling to speak much beyond vagaries. When Kirby wrings the next steps out of him, Kirby heads to the French countryside to meet some shady guys with connections to the estate of the film's director, Hans Backovic. Thing get weirder with a kidnapping and a mysterious escape that leads Kirby to British Columbia where Hans' widow, Katja, lives.

As the film moved from Canada back to Los Angeles, Kirby having accomplished his mission, I was really grooving with this film. The awkward opening was well behind me, and everything seemed to be coming together into a great, small, and cohesive horror experience. And then the ending, while gruesome and somewhat effective, ended up feeling a bit too pat, and I think that's mostly because of the limited runtime. The part that felt the least natural dealt with Kirby's father-in-law, showing up where he probably shouldn't show up, and the horror of La Fin Absolue du Monde feeling rather generic in nature rather than penetrating to the core of Kirby's character. It's an effective enough ending from a thrills point of view, but the movie seemed to be using the journey as an excuse to dig into this character and his fears. The ending, while using the ephemera of his past, ends up feeling more generic than actually about it, like the movie within the movie is just using the iconography of Kirby's past to attack him instead of finding the things that matter most to him and really tearing him apart from the inside, which seemed to be the implication of the idea of La Fin Absolue du Monde based on all that had been spoken about it.

The episode of television lacks Carpenter's voice, but it is proof positive that he could take a solid script and turn it into a solid piece of cinema. He didn't elevate it, but he did make the most of what was there.

Cigarette Burns proves that John Carpenter is indeed a Master of Horror

[LoneWolfAndCub · 10/10 · 2 January 2007]

Cigarette Burns is a truly disturbing entry from John Carpenter (The Thing, Halloween, Christine, The Fog, Assault on Precinct 13). Although it's only one hour in length, it still manages to feel like a normal, feature-length movie. Packed with great performances, an eerie score, vicious gore, perfect direction and an original premise, Cigarette Burns beats almost all modern day horror movies.

After meeting with a collector (Udo Kier), Kirby Sweetman (Norman Reedus) goes on the hunt for "Le Fin Absolue du Monde," the Holy Grail of horror cinema. Although he has heard of the many things that befall anyone that tries to hunt down, Kirby goes after it and ventures into a world of the macabre.

Norman Reedus is truly a good actor. He takes the role of a man with a haunted past and really lets us into him. I came to care for the man, although I knew he was doomed. Udo Kier was extraordinary as the obsessive collector. His character was twisted and Kier really plays it for all he can. Cody Carpenter creates a very moody score that suits the movie perfectly.

But the one thing I need to mention here is the gruesome, disturbing special effects. The last 20 minutes feature some of the most bloody things I've ever seen (eyes gouged out, intestines being reeled through a projector) and "Le Fin Absolue du Monde" is easily the most disturbing "movie in a movie" I've ever seen, it was truly unsettling.

This is easily the best Masters of Horror episode from Season 1 and a brilliant, dark little horror movie.

5/5.

Creepy, Brutal And Bizarre - That's How We Love Masters Of Horror!

[Witchfinder-General-666 · 7/10 · 12 October 2007]

Now This is how I love the "Masters Of Horror" series. Master Carpenter delivers an great, creepy and brutal episode with a very original storyline and an excellent cast. "Cigarette Burns" is obviously considered the best MoH episode by many. I personally wouldn't consider it the very best episode, but it is definitely one of the truly great ones, an episode that should impress and give you the creeps. The cast includes the German specialist for sinister characters, the great Udo Kier, the atmosphere is very creepy, and the plot is obscure and highly original.

Kirby (Norman Reedus), the bankrupt owner of a Movie Theater and a specialist for finding rare films, is hired by the eccentric millionaire Bellinger (Udo Kier) to find the rarest of all films, "La Fin Absolue Du Monde" (The Absolute End of the World) - a film rumored to cause mayhem, bloodshed and death, simply by being shown...

"Cigarette Burns" is arguably the second most violent and disturbing MoH episode next to Takashi Miike's brilliant "Imprint". The atmosphere is highly creepy and the episode is at times wonderfully bizarre. Norman Reedus delivers a great leading performance and Udo Kier is, as usual, excellent and very sinister in his role of the rich eccentric Bellinger. Anyone who likes the "Masters Of Horror" series should make sure not to miss "Cigarette Burns". This is how I love the show - brutal, bizarre, very creepy and highly atmospheric. Furthermore, it was nice to see Carpenter pay tribute to one of my favorite films ever, "Profondo Rosso", by fellow 'Master Of Horror' Dario Argento. Highly recommended!

John Carpenter is back!

[PeterRoeder · 8/10 · 13 March 2006]

Very good come-back by John Carpenter. This is on level with Mouth of Madness and he seems to have put some of his talent into this film, which he did not do with, for example, ghosts of mars. So it was very pleasing to see this great movie in a great series. Carpenter and Argento are masters of horror. I would like to see the other title: jenifer as well. It looks very scary. Of course, these guys are now heavily influenced by Asian horror and they must be wondering why they didn't think about those images first. Carpenter is also best when he is making these meta-fictive movies because then he is able to transcend the sloppy time which the American horror movie is in. Cigarette burns is very critical towards Hollywood. At least twice someone in the movie says that Hollywood movies are bad. Moreover, this movie is more inspired by the imagination of Clive Barker (Hellraiser) and other visionaries. 10/10.

Deadly nightmare

[Fernando-Rodrigues · 6/10 · 21 November 2020]

I don't think it is the series pinnacle as everybody says. it has weak CGI and it even gets confusing at some moments, because of the whole thing about the hallucinations the movie (Le Fin Absolue de Monde) cause to the movie hunter.

Great... Now I want to see "La Fin Absolue Du Monde" too!

[Coventry · 8/10 · 23 April 2006]

"Cigarette Burns" is the second episode of "Masters of Horror" I watched (they're getting released in random order here in my country, apparently) and I'm still very satisfied with the results, although I enjoyed this one slightly less than the short movie "Incident on and off a Mountain Road"; directed by Don Coscarelli. But actually, the only thing all these titles have in common is that they're all part of the "Masters of Horror" series, but further comparison between them is unjust as they differ in style, tone and content. For instance, Coscarelli's contribution was a rather wild but light-headed gore-ride, whereas Carpenter's movie is pretty rough and emotionally devastating. This is actually the director's best work since the mid-80's, with a fairly original storyline, a handful of genuinely creepy moments and even a couple of authentic shock-moments! Carpenter hadn't been able to frighten me since "Prince of Darkness", but here he does it again. The plot blends elements of multiple other films, including Roman Polanski's "The Ninth Gate" and Carpenter's own "In the Mouth of Madness", yet it manages to come across as original and it's already worth watching if only for the truly cool trivia bits and references towards other classic movies. Kirby Sweetman is hired by an eccentric millionaire to track down the only existing copy of "La Fin Absolue Du Monde"; a notorious horror film that caused mayhem and death when it premiered at Stilges Festival and became a legend among fans and collectors ever since. This particular film is said to literally get under your skin and once you have visions of the "cigarette burns", you're marked by its curse. Being a devoted – better make that 'obsessed' – horror film collector myself, the premise of an ultra-rare and mind-blowing forbidden movie appealed to me immensely, and I'm sure many other regular viewers felt the same. This short movie has great music, fast pacing and I was really amazed by the amount of explicit violence and disturbing images. Certain sequences in "Cigarette Burns" are surely not meant for people with a weak stomach or tangled nerves. Oh, and Udo Kier is a God!

The Masters' Touch, Part Two: "Cigarette Burns"

[cchase · 7/10 · 22 February 2006]

Directed by John Carpenter. Written by Scott Swan and Drew McWeeny. Starring Norman Reedus and Udo Kier.

When a series like MOH makes the extravagant claim of being able to gather horror's leading lights into one anthology, what fans are expecting is no less than a love letter to THEM and what they love most about these guys. John Carpenter's CIGARETTE BURNS, his first effort in many years, is more about writing a love letter to his colleagues. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but it goes to extremes that are evident in this piece.

The script by Scott Swan and Drew McWeeny, hobbles Carpenter's knack for originality from the start anyway, just by pilfering the main themes he explored in the Lovecraftian salute IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS. But then he frosts his creepy cake with lead-footed references to everyone from Hitchcock and Clive Barker, to fellow MOH resident Dario Argento, (the "plinkety-plink" piano theme composed by his son Cody channels Goblin's nerve-jangling main theme from Argento's masterful SUSPIRIA, no less.)

Norman Reedus, who seems to be channeling Stephen Dorff by way of Keanu Reeves, stars as the ironically-monikered 'Jimmy Sweetman', a strange breed of celluloid detective who, for an exorbitant price, can sniff out and track down the most obscure films in the world for equally obscure, discerning and rich private patrons.

Cue everybody's favorite Scary German Guy, Udo Kier, as an extremely eccentric collector who wants to hire Jimmy to locate one for him. But this film is (dum-dum-DUMMMM!!!) "a film like no other." Called "LE ABSOLUTE FIN DU MONDE" – "The Absolute End of the World" - it supposedly drove audiences who saw it at its world premiere to absolute madness, with the screening ending in unspeakable acts of murder and mayhem, followed by the fiery destruction of the venue where it was shown.

And why, pray tell, would the anything-but-sweet Mr. Sweetman want to risk his own neck and sanity to find this Rubicon of rancidness? It seems that poor Jimmy, not unlike the people he works for, is haunted by a pretty big skeleton in his closeted past, and the search for "LE ABSOLUTE" becomes kind of a strange and twisted quest of redemption for him. Or so he thinks.

Turns out that even while searching for this film, the seeker begins to experience flashes and warps in the very fabric of time and space itself, as the world around Jimmy constantly shifts and changes at intervals that are beyond his understanding or control…marked by a cosmic version of the "cigarette burns" of the title – the editing sworls that used to appear etched on to a film's emulsion toward the end of a reel, to signal to the projectionist that the next act was about to start, and the reels needed to be changed. A clever enough conceit all by itself, but it still smacks of the cursed novel that rewrote time and space at will in MOUTH OF MADNESS.

Though it shoots itself in the foot as far as the battle for originality goes, BURNS also showcases some of effects masters KNB's most disturbing and cringe-inducing work, (the bug effects in SICK GIRL probably run a close second.) And Kier, as always, delivers a performance that would've made his mentors Paul Morrissey and Andy Warhol proud, especially with one of the most sickeningly original death scenes EVER. I promise you, it is definitely not for the squeamish…and that's not just hype talking, either.

But a tale like this needs a sympathetic hero, and though indie fave Reedus can't be faulted for giving his best interpretation of Jimmy Sweetman, he seems curiously detached from the audience...as if he could care less whether or not his search does bring the cursed film into his possession, (though there is one memorable sequence where he does come to care...VERY much!)

It's hard to accept the fact that Carpenter's best and most inventive days are probably behind him, like many of the directors involved in this series. But having said that, flashes of the old cinematic panache he could conjure up still spark through in BURNS; just like the 'burns' themselves that flare into Jimmy's newly warped perception of the world as he gets closer to his goal…warning him that something extraordinary is about to happen, be it good or bad. (But most usually bad.)

soso

[b_imdb-97-807596 · 4/10 · 24 July 2018]

Feels like The Ninth Gate (1999)---very few original ideas make it to film---another derivative --the lead is lame--I found myself waiting for it to end--