From The Grave
OTHER WORLDY SEXUAL OBSESSION
Jenifer (2005) is another installment from the Masters of Horror series, and in all honesty, probably the strongest. What started out as a comic book story written by Bruce Jones and illustrated by Horror artist Berni Wrightson, became a U.S. TV debut of one of Italy’s finest directors in any category, Dario Argento.
This short film proves that Argento is not just a technical filmmaker and a gorehound, but he too can make films with great acting and personable characters. The story begins with Louisiana Police Detective Frank Spivey (Steven Webber - WINGS, THE SHINING MINI SERIES) having lunch with his partner in a remote swamp area. He witnesses a man dragging a frightened woman by her hair to the lake. Spivey screams for his partner who is too busy enjoying his Chinese food and listening to the radio to hear him. Spivey decides to unsheathe his gun and follow the man and terrorized woman. He sees the man threatening the young woman with a meat cleaver, telling her; “No more…no more…”
Spivey identifies himself as an officer and commands the man to drop the cleaver. The man tells Spivey, “You don’t know what she is!” He proceeds to use his weapon of choice to lop off the young woman’s head. Spivey shoots and kills the man. Spivey moves in closer to find the woman is dirty, dressed in rags, and her arms are tied behind her back. After hearing the shot, Spivey’s partner finally makes it down to the lakeside. Spivey orders him to call it in. Spivey tries to calm the woman and notices she has some serious facial deformities, not to mention the deepest milky black eyes he’d ever seen.
Back at the station, Spivey is questioned by the Chief of Police. He is congratulated for a nice job; they even theorize that the attacker was a homeless guy that decided to chop up the young woman, except Spivey starts to remember the man had nice clothes on and even a nice watch. But his eyes were definitely showing “Crazy”. The chief also wants Spivey to see the Police shrink because protocol demands that any officer who fires his weapon has to be evaluated.
Spivey sees the girl being taken into custody by authorities, she turns around and in a chilling scene, places her hand on the window to wave to Spivey, and he catches another glimpse her strange features---smiling at him, she reveals tiny sharpened teeth.
Next, we see Spivey at home. He immediately breaks out the bottle and why shouldn’t he? With an unsympathetic wife that can’t even console the man when he tells her he killed someone while on duty. Spivey also shows signs of dysfunction at the supper table, more so after he discovers a cut on his hand (possibly from the young woman?). Even having sex with his wife turns into brutality, with the memory of shooting the man and the girl’s disturbing face, Spivey has problems and there are bigger ones to come.
Spivey discovers the guy had left a note in his pocket just saying “Jenifer”. They derive from that that the woman’s name must be Jenifer. Spivey asks how she is and by now the obsession has started get its spikes into Spivey’s brain. The authorities tell Spivey she had no real home address, nor did the man. They did however find out that at one time he was a very successful business man from upstate. The woman can’t speak and pretty much a far gone conclusion she is mentally handicapped. Jenifer has been taken to the asylum, Watkins Island.
"This short film proves that Argento is not just a technical filmmaker..."
Spivey has the great idea to get Jenifer released from the Asylum and brings her to his home. The woman has taken to Spivey, and it’s obvious she had been abused all her life, or at least that’s the assumption. Everyone in his house is either asleep or preoccupied with other things to notice Jenifer is there. Spivey fixes her up on the couch and Jenifer wants to show him her appreciation, Spivey nips it in the bud. The family cat wanders in the living room hissing at Jenifer. We soon see that she is not a victim but a predator in her own right. Spivey’s son and wife find out about her, and of course the wife isn’t too happy that Jenifer is staying in their home. Spivey tries to smooth it over by explaining she’s a victim and was in the asylum. Still her face and the fact she can’t speak is off-putting to the family. Things get worse. Jenifer lunges forward and kisses the wife, sinking her small teeth into the wife’s lips, making them bloody.
The next day, Spivey takes her to a back road, ready to leave her as if abandoning a dog. Jenifer has something else in mind. Jenifer, already sensing he has naughty thoughts about her, coerces Spivey to have sex with her in the car. Flesh has replaced fantasy, and the sexual obsession has become more than just a psychosis for Frank Spivey.
Spivey’s wife demands he takes Jenifer elsewhere, giving him an ultimatum. He begs for one more night. They hear Jenifer in the house. They run in and find Jenifer disemboweling the cat and gorging on its intestines. Spivey’s wife and son leave. Spivey knows for sure Jenifer is a monster, he is afraid of her, but he can’t live without her and the primitive, animal sex.
Jenifer looks to be making friends with Amy, the little girl next door. Spivey has turned to the bottle and frequents bars. He comes home in a drunken stupor. He hears a noise in the basement. He slowly wanders down the steps, turns the light on and discovers Jenifer chowing down on Amy. Spivey flies into a rage, tries to strangle Jenifer. He realizes he is turning into the man he shot earlier in the story.
Spivey then pays a Carny boss to break into his house and steal Jenifer for his Carnival of freaks. Jenifer, of course takes matters into her own hands. Spivey finds the torso of the Carny boss in his refrigerator.
When you hire Argento to create movie magic, controversy comes with the territory. There were two scenes removed from the episode. Both involved graphic depictions of oral sex. One involved castration and eating a man’s penis. Though this might have upset Showtime execs, those who watched the episode agree it’s one of the show’s best. Call me crazy, but I would sit this side by side with Suspiria, Deep Red, and Tenebre.
Steven Webber wrote the script and showed some flair for writing. Adapting the comic couldn’t have been easy. As with all of the episodes of Masters of Horror they were released on DVD by Anchor Bay.
Mark Slade, HMS
Read the previous installment.