Masters of Horror – Pick Me Up (DVD)

This episode from Masters of Horror's first season may not be the "worst" one, but it's definitely the blandest. (Find out why I think so, by reading my original review)

For a series that is pretty top-notch and has, since its debut in 2005, won a few awards, Pick Me Up is a rather weak entry. It's worth watching, but only just — that is, unless you are already and Larry Cohen (director) or Michael Moriarty (actor) fan. Then, you just might love it. I'm not overly familiar with either of their previous works, so I actually learned a lot from the additional release material on this DVD.

The story of Pick Me Up takes place on the open road, and in seedy motels. Wheeler (Moriarty) is trucker/serial killer who murders anyone stupid enough to hitch a ride, and Walker (Warren Cole) is a hitchhiker who slays anyone dumb enough to pick him up. It would have been cool if the whole story had been about them, but this episode follows the standard damsels-in-distress route. (Damsels: Fairuza Balk, Laurene Landon, Crystal Lowe)

DVD Features:

Working With a Master: Larry Cohen — This is a particularly interesting featurette, especially for those who don't know much about Cohen's background; I've seen, or heard of, quite a few of his non-horror movies (Black Caesar, Wicked Stepmother, and he's also the writer of more recent hits such as Phone Booth and Cellular). Of course, in the horror world he is best-known for 1974's It's Alive, about the baby from hell. There are interviews with some of the stars he's worked with in the past, including Karen Black and David Carradine.

Behind The Scenes: The Making of Pick Me Up featurette — Here's an interesting peek at the master at work and how he interfaces with his actors and crew. We also get to see how some of the effects, and the gore, were done.

Fantasy Film Festival: Mick Garris Interviews Larry Cohen — One from the vault, showing Masters of Horror creator Mick Garris, who worked as an interviewer for The Z-Channel in the 1970s, interviewing Cohen at the time. A great addition to the DVD, for sure.

On Set: An Interview with Michael Moriarty — OK, Moriarty's officially weird. I have no idea what he's talking about half the time, but I will say it's intriguing!

Also:

• Commentary by director Larry Cohen
• Death on the Highway: An Interview with Larry Cohen
• On Set: An Interview with Fairuza Balk
• On Set: An Interview with Warren Cole
• Script To Screen: Pick Me Up
• Larry Cohen Bio
• Still Gallery
• DVD-ROM: Original Screenplay and screen saver

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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson