"Masters of Horror"
The Fair Haired Child (2006)

Director:

William Malone

Writer:

Matt Greenberg (writer)

TV Series:

"Masters of Horror" (2005)

Original Air Date:

6 January 2006 (Season 1, Episode 9)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Romance

Plot:

A warlock couple abduct a young teenage girl to sacrifice her to a mysterious and evil entity as an offering to resurrect their long-dead boy.

Plot Keywords:

Loss Of Son | Kidnapping | Demon | Child Sacrifice | Attempted Suicide

Cast

Lori Petty	...	Judith
Lindsay Pulsipher	...	Tara
Jesse Haddock	...	Johnny
William Samples	...	Anton
Walter Phelan	...	Johnny Thing
Ian A. Wallace	...	Math Teacher (as Ian Wallace)
Haley Morrison	...	Teenage Girl

Runtime:

55 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:TV-MA

Company:

IDT Entertainment

Goofs:

Plot holes: When Judith calls Tara by her name, Tara freaks out because she wants to know how Judith knows her name. Judith then explains she read her name in Tara's text books. Tara then says that she doesn't write her name in her text books and makes a run for it. However, Tara mentioned her own name in a phone conversation to her mom only a minute before this.

"The Child" suddenly turns Malone into a Master!

Based on what he achieved until now, William Malone doesn't really deserve to be called a "Master" of horror. "House on the Haunted Hill" and particularly "FeardotCom" annoyed the hell out of many devoted genre fans (yours truly included) and his 80's movies ("Creature" and "Scared to Death") are the total definition of cheesy garbage. I guess if it were up to the public to select the directors for the "Masters of Horror" project, Malone would never have made the list. But I bet no one is complaining about Malone's contribution to the series now, as his little movie is one of the absolute highlights of the first season and unquestionably his best work to date! "The Fair-Haired Child" is a macabre fairy-tale that offers a constantly unsettling atmosphere as well as several genuine shock-moments and great visual effects! The desperate couple Judith (a splendid Lori Petty) and Anton made a pact with the devil to bring their teenage son back from the dead after a terrible accident. The service in return, however, demands that no less than 12 innocent have to die before Johnny is his old self again. The plot follows the last victim Tara, as she's abducted by Anton and locked up in the cellar with Johnny still in his "monstrous"-phase. Unlike, say, Tobe Hooper's segment, "The Fair-Haired Child" is both genuinely creepy AND bloody and the story is also a lot more coherent and easier to follow. Malone puts a lot of effort into the character drawings and it pays off, as Tara is a truly likable heroine and even the motives of the "evil" parents are understandable. The "Child" is an engaging monster creation, sinister & nightmarish yet not overly grotesque or ridiculous. The acting is superb (who is this adorable Lindsay Pulsipher and why isn't she a major star yet?) and Malone's directing is skillful like that of a true master. Great horror!