Masters of Horror is back and (apparently) better than ever!

Unless you've been living in a horror-cave, you know about Showtime's "Masters of Horror" series. One of the only, yet undoubtedly the best, horror shows on television today, "Masters of Horror" features a different one-hour horror film for each episode. The real kick comes from the directors that make the films. Masters of Horror draws in the biggest names in the horror industry – names like Don Coscarelli, Dario Argento, John Landis, John Carpenter, Stuart Gordon and Takashi Miike. Most of these directors are returning for a second film for season two. The second season kicked off with Tobe Hooper's "The Damned Thing."

Tobe Hooper. His name is nearly synonymous with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and his second "Masters of Horror" entry strongly deviates from that flick and his other previous works. Although, it does incorporate several things that Tobe Hooper does extremely well: the small, rural town; close-ups of running through fields; and brutal, graphic violence and gore. "The Damned Thing" stars Sean Patrick Flannery of Boondock Saints fame, and features other well-known faces like Marisa Coughlan (Super Troopers) and Ted Raimi.

The story revolves around Kevin Reddle (Sean Patrick Flannery), whose early family history is documented in the opening of the film. After a one-might-say traumatic childhood, Reddle becomes sheriff of the nearly crimeless town, and just happens to be a little obsessed with personal home security. The plot unravels with a number of twists and developments that slowly start to explain what's going on. Saying too much would ruin the story, but it's safe to say that a violent, evil force is on the verge of sweeping through the town and bringing murder, suicide and general violence along with it. In the end, "The Damned Thing" still doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but it keeps you in the dark for so long that semi-explanation feels satisfactory. Really though, the plot becomes secondary to Hooper's stylistic horror filmmaking.

As I said before, Hooper stays cinematically close to what he knows best. The direction is quite suspenseful and alternates between feelings of claustrophobia and isolation. Then there is the gore; oh, the gore. "The Damned Thing" features some truly jaw-dropping (and pretty disturbing) gore-effects. If you’ve been wanting to know what someone beating his own face in with a hammer looks like, you're going to find out in complete bloody splendor, and it sure as hell doesn't end there.

Also, unlike some of last season's films, "The Damned Thing" features some superb acting. Sean Patrick Flannery and the rest of the cast do a great job at trying to get a handle on the hell that is breaking loose in their town, even if there are the occasional poorly written B-movie lines. Tobe Hooper's "The Damned Thing" is a pretty good start to the second season of "Masters of Horror." It's nowhere near as good as some of the entries from last year, but it's much better than the worst from season one. All in all, "The Damned Thing" features some of the best acting and gore yet in "Masters of Horror." With this, Tobe Hooper has given us another piece of decisively "American" horror, which is becoming harder and harder to find these days. Hopefully, "The Damned Thing" is indicative of the good things to come in the next 12 episodes of this season.