I’ve never understood while watching this entry why anyone would want a film that makes people go violent, and a good film no less. I mean I’ve seen bad films that made me go violent–watch “Gigli” or “Battlefield Earth” and you’ll want to murder someone–but a good film? I don’t know. Either way, that’s the concern for John “As long as I get paid” Carpenter’s entry called “Cigarette Burns”. Norman Reedus plays Kirby, a film aficionado who has been sent by a millionaire (Udo Kier) to search for the infamous film “Le Fin Du Monde”, a film that made a reputation of itself after the first screening caused its audience to riot violently.
As Kirby gets deeper and deeper he discovers that the film may just bear a curse. Carpenter sets out less to tell a story that’s heavily reminiscent of “In the Mouth of Madness” and more pays homage to the power of film, and the power film can have on people and the public consciousness. It’s a sentiment that’s been revealed over the years from the narrow-mindedness of “Brave New World” to Mel Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ”, all films can have a sense of trauma and immense influence on its public, and the director in the film has created a film that somehow causes people to act violently. Carpenter’s entry also shows the kind of curse film can invoke, and the kind of emotions and open wounds it can bring about. Norman Reedus gives a very good performance as a desperate man whose life has been destroyed after the loss of his girlfriend and is able to discover the darkness he’s confronted with every day through this film. Udo Kier is at his usual creepiness while Carpenter’s entry is very much energetic and disturbing.
He and Greg Nicotero go all out for this entry with some incredible gore, including one particular beheading scene. “Cigarette Burns” is one of the most fascinating of the “Masters of Horror” series, without a doubt. Hmmm, a film so chaotic it spawns ungodly acts, a film that if seen gets in to the minds of people, the very person who gets closer to the film begins to see rings in their mind and dreams. Damn, where have I heard of such a concept before? Well, it’s obvious the writers relied heavily on the influence of “The Ring” while taking pages from “In the Mouth of Madness” with a ingenious artist who created a work that made people insane, while the rings appear, and the film which bears purposeful similarity to the video in “The Ring”. Hard to believe Mr. Carpenter could be so derivative, but he be’d. Carpenter derives too much of his installment from “The Ring” and “In the Mouth of Madness” and I wish he could have contributed a more original entry, but for what it lacks, it makes up for with great direction, good acting, and a very original story that conveys the power of film.