DEER WOMAN

Fear and laughter have been viewed as complimentary facets of similar human impulses since primal man first jumped upon seeing his shadow, and then laughed at himself for doing it! Fear and sex are two other unlikely yet perfectly matched bedfellows, varying degrees of emotional response to shared instincts. The shaman spinning tales by firelight knew this, as did our earliest scribes. Filmmakers ignore it to their own peril. John Landis has made a career out of combining all three, using the friction of one to build off the others. While his career consists mostly of comedies, what induces laughter more than someone else's misfortune, or a close escape from some our own? And it has been with those films that merge horror, humor, and eroticism together, large as life but twice as bright, that have brought Landis lasting recognition. For this director understands that the same actions, thoughts, and emotions that make us afraid also make us horny, and that both death and sex, if taken with a grin, are easier to survive. This is precisely what makes Deer Woman such a treat -- a medicine for melancholy darkly comedic even as it is a bitter.

The plot, a modern re-envision of a folk tale in feel and structure, features Dwight Faraday (Brian Benben) as a homicide cop who was demoted to the department of "animal attacks," and who spends equal time bemoaning the sordidness of life and his ex-wife. When a new assignment crosses his desk involving the death of a trucker who was kicked to death, he's snapped from his lethargy. He and carefree partner Jacob Reed (Anthony Griffith) are on the case . . . And taken from it once it has been determined to be a homicide. The strange details haunt Dwight, particularly the discovery that the corpse had hoof marks on it. When other men began appear murdered in a similar manner, Dwight is alerted by Dana (Sonja Bennett), a morgue attendant, that each of the victims died with an erection. Things get increasingly weirder from there, and during a buffet at a reservation an Indian Chief tells them the legend of the Deer Women, sirens/nymph-like shape-shifting spirits. The Deer Woman (Cinthia Moura) has little trouble seducing men before kicking them to death, and she is not long in crossing Dwight's path. When his partner is found killed, he determines to track down the legendary creature. Question is, what will he do when he finds her?

While in no way comparable to that other shape-shifting masterwork, An American Werewolf in London, Deer Woman achieves impressive heights of terror and pathos with a simplistic artistry. As bold as it is in its sexual frankness and foolish humor, the laughs are believable. Similarly, the character's reactions to the threatening and titillating ring true. The all American fantasy of men looking for quick, stress-free sex turned inside out and trampled on by deer hooves, this could be seen as both cautionary tale and acknowledgement that we want what we fear, and fear what we get. Or, taken at face value, Landis has created a fast-moving, socially scathing laugh at morality and mortality. The characters range from purposefully goofy to moving, just as the themes veer from pathos to parody. Landis was out to have a good time. By extension, so do we . . . and unlike the horn-dogs in this film, don't get kicked to death for our troubles! While some naysayers who have apparently never opened a mythology book bemoan the figure of a half woman/half deer character, all one need do is look back at early Greek, Roman, Nordic, Eastern, and, yes, Native American folklore to see the rich variety of shape-shifting, animal totem spirits thought to walk this old earth. The figure of the Deer Woman lends cultural authenticity and a sense of wonder to the story -- a naturalistic poetry missing in too much modern horror.

Deer Woman is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.77:1), enhanced for 16x9 televisions, and both looks and sounds wonderful. Special features are again plentiful, a trademark now for the Masters of Horror series put out from anchor Bay, and include "Animal Hooves," a clever career-long retrospective interview with John Landis, who regrettably does not contribute a commentary. "Working with a Master" comes next, and features interviews with a cross-section of comedians and genre personalities, including Don Rickles, Forrest J. Ackerman, Max Landis, Rick Baker, Dan Ackroyd, etc. On-Set Interviews with Benben, Anthony Griffith, and Cinthia Moura are less substantial, but certainly appreciated. More intriguing is "Behind the Scenes: the making of Deer Woman" and, a fine surprise, the 11 minute "Fantasy Film Festival." Featured at one point on the Z Channel, the interview is conducted by series creator/director/writer Mick Garris. Thankfully, there is an audio commentary with Brian Benben and Anthony Griffith, which is more comedic than many dryer efforts one usually sees on discs. Remaining treats include the standard trailers for other episodes, still gallery, and a John Landis bio. Hey, and don't forget those nifty trading cards!

Review by William P. Simmons