Masters of Horror: “Homecoming”

I’ve had it up to here with politics. If I turn the TV on and see George W., Condi Rice or Scooter Libby one more time, I’m going to lose my lunch. I’m even more fed up with zombies; of all the bogeymen, they are my least favorite and their recent resurgence in popularity hasn’t exactly had me first in line to buy George A. Romero’s entire catalog on special edition DVD. So it was with some trepidation I sat down to watch Homecoming, the “political zombies” episode of Masters of Horror, directed by Joe Dante. (It’s based on the award-winning short story Death and Suffrage by Dale Bailey; adapted by Sam Hamm.)

I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy every aired episode of Showtime’s Masters of Horror on at least some level, but I thought Homecoming just might be the streak-breaker. I was wrong. Right from the very beginning, I was hooked. As the episode progressed, every time I thought there was nothing left Dante could possibly do to bring new life to the story, he did.

The story starts at the end, then rewinds in time to show how a staunch right wing, right-hand man (Jon Tenney) to “POTUS” himself sets into motion the unthinkable: body-bagged veterans of the Iraqi war returning home not to be buried, but to vote the fat cat prez right out of office. The political satire / horror mini-movie takes many unexpected twists and turns along the way that will make you think, laugh out loud, and sometimes even jump. While not a comedy per se, the dialogue is brilliantly funny; while not a brain-eating zombie tale, the ungrateful dead are indeed chilling.

In keeping with the Masters of Horror theme, Homecoming does not shy away from the blood and gore. And as with last week’s episode in which there was a tip of the hat to that director’s (Mick Garris) next horror project, viewers of Homecoming are advised to keep their eyes peeled for the names on the tombstones in a certain cemetery scene. The best thing about Homecoming is that unlike its rotting central characters, the story stays fresh right up until the very end.

For those who’d like to see a cross between classic a Saturday Night Live political poke, Shaun of the Dead, and a more bang-up version of Uncle Sam (which was, incidentally, directed by an upcoming Master of Horror, Larry Cohen) stay home on Friday night for Joe Dante’s Homecoming.

Forget the Republicans and the Democrats. Register Zombie — and don’t forget the red, white and blue popcorn!

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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson