Debra Bisacchi

In the tradition of Star Trek and Twilight Zone, societal problems and injustice are made more palatable when there is a sci-fi distance instead of being in real-time, and a real-place. Two-Sentence Horror's Little Monsters, Episode 8 seems to take the same approach providing the viewer with a horror /fantasy remove, so there is distance from the here and now, and many pressing events all around us. Unlike those shows first mentioned, there is a disturbing metamessage to this little tale about three young friends who are confronted with a black-tongued, clawed shape-shifting child chomping demon to vanquish if they work as a team. No argument there. Great kids. Great teamwork. But why when this aforementioned scary monster, a monster who can give an adult nightmares, opens her front door... ...Why when we look at the door do we see a mezuzah? I don't remember Twilight Zone or Star Trek doing anything like that. No thanks I don't need to watch any more in that anthology. .

Unlike Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf’s Martha and George’s public display of verbal fisticuffs, the viewer voyeuristically watches Malcom and Marie in their circular house talking to each other in ways that spin seeming to an out of control point of no return for the recipient. But instead of leaving either physically or emotionally, there is a retort of equal weight zapping back, Boom! It’s a game and the two are well matched and into it. Complex and articulate dialogue in other movies would seem fake is convincing, a respite from hot or cold anger, more believable here . Is it foreplay, play,or afterglow? They get off on well-honed verbal sparring in their own fifth circle of hell.