Sick Girl

This episode of Masters of Horror revolves around a killer insect that isn't your run of the mill bug; large spider legs, slim tentacles and a face like something that would audition for a Cronenberg movie.

Bug fanatic of service is Ida Teeter, a single white female living in an apartment packed with bug displays and shirping noises. One day she receives a package (with our little friend) and accidentally lets the content break loose.

The body count begins; the building's dog gets hunted by the killer insect; don't ya just love this? In the meanwhile Ida falls in love with Misty, a girl who spends her time drawing sketches at Ida's work. It doesn't take long before our sketch artist, Misty, gets invited to Ida's apartment and ends up getting bit by the killer bug. Pus, transformations, infections make Ida slowly realise what's happening to her newly acquainted girlfriend!

This episode features very likable characters and some very creepy special fx; The bug isn't CGI which makes it look more convincing and menacing.

The only downside to this episode is that -like "Accident on and off..."- it becomes a parody of itself near the end. That aside, you're in for some under the skin scares and some gruesome splatter gore!

***1/2 out of *****

The lonely, shy and lesbian etymologist Ida Teeter (Angela Bettis) of The McNaughton Museum of Natural History is obsessed by her "pets", actually her collection of insects. She works with her colleague and friend Max (Jesse Hlubik), also her adviser in sexual behavior. Ida receives an anonymous package from Brazil with an unclassified insect but the weird bug breaks free from the box. Meanwhile Ida falls in love for the gorgeous Misty Falls (Erin Brown), who is bitten and infected by the bug and moves to Ida's apartment. When Ida receives letters from her former Professor Malcolm Wolf explaining how the insect reproduces and transforms the animals he bites, Ida is apprehensive about Misty.

"Sick Girl" is one of the best episodes of "Master of Horror" show. Directed by Lucky McKee (of "May") and with Angela Bettis performing another weird and eccentric character, the story recalls the sci-fi / horror genre of the 50's or 60's with eerie monster and lots of black humor. I was surprised with the extensive filmography of the good and beautiful actress Erin Brown, who is completely unknown for me. I believe most of her movies have not been released in Brazil, and this is certainly the first film that I see her. Surprisingly there are bad reviews in IMDb of this episode. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Criatura Maligna" ("Evil Creature")

Much like Landis' Deer Woman, Lucky McKee goes for laughs over straight horror. Sick Girls stars Angela Bettis as Ida Teeter, a shy, lesbian entomologist. She doesn't do so well relationship wise as her apartment filled with bugs is quite off-putting. That is, until she meets Misty Falls (Erin Brown) her new lover who doesn't get creeped out by the bugs. Unfortunately she gets bitten by a bug sent to Ida, a very mysterious bug that changes people's personalities for the worst.

McKee is actually a lot like John Landis, mixing gory horror with hilarious comedy. This works on a lot of levels, the acting is great (I love Bettis, she is an excellent actress), the humour is actually funny, the gore sickening and the monsters big and ugly. This episode is highly recommended.

4/5.

Being a fan of the "Masters Of Horror" series, I was quite curious to see this 10th episode of the first season, Lucky Mc Kee's "Sick Girl" starring Angela Bettis, the star of McKee's 2002 film "May". "Sick Girl" is not quite a typical MoH episode, as it could best be described as a very black comedy with a fair amount of creepiness and a twisted sense of humor.

Ida Teeter (Angela Bettis), a lesbian etymologist, is a shy person who is desperately looking for a companion as her romances usually end quickly due to her obsession with her beloved insects. Shortly after she is sent a mysterious Brazilian bug by mail, Ida's luck changes, when she meets Misty (Erin Brown), a peculiar but lovable and beautiful young woman...

"Sick Girl" is quite different to any of the other MoH episodes I've seen (nearly all). This is a quite unique and bizarre little black comedy with a weird sense of humor and two great leading performances. Angela Bettis is excellent as Ida, and so is Erin Brown (aka. Misty Mundae, star of a vast number of softcore erotica and B-movie horror flicks). These two ladies fit perfectly in their roles and make this black horror comedy very lovable in many aspects. "Sick Girl" is generally highly entertaining, my only regret is that this clever episode lacks the suspense of may of the other episodes. This is highly amusing and, due to the two young ladies in the lead even heart-warming at times, and there is no doubt that it has a lot of wit and originality, but I personally missed the Horror.

Over all, however, this may not be one of the episodes that are going to give you the creeps, but it is nevertheless highly entertaining, witty, greatly acted and quite original. MoH fans should not miss this one. Recommended!

"Sick Girl" is a 60 minute episode of the Showtime series "Masters of Horror" and like "May" was also directed by Lucky Mckee. "Sick Girl" is a bizarrely funny romantic comedy surrounded by bugs and small doses of horror that make it really fun.

Starring Angela Bettis, as Ida Teeter, an entomologist who is looking for a woman who's not disgusted by her obsession with the creepy crawly things she keeps all over her apartment. As a character Ida seems to have been transported from the 1940s. She has the period hairdo and talks in a sort of way that is hard to describe. Erin Brown AKA Misty Mundae plays Ida's love interest Misty Falls, yeah sounds kind of confusing. Misty spends her time drawing fairies and pixies in the lobby of where Ida works. Ida works up the courage to ask Misty out and their whirlwind romance begins.

The episode opens with a guy capturing a big exotic bug and mailing it to Ida, who is excited about the mysterious and very aggressive specimen. This bug eventually does escape and makes a home for itself inside Ida's pillow. Talk about your bedbugs. Misty is bitten by the nasty thing that starts a gradual transformation in her. The whole episode is B-movie-ish and campy but is also fun and horrific. Like in "May" Ida is a lonely soul who surrounds her self with surrogate friends in the bugs. She is anxious and nervous of what people think of her, afraid of rejection. She finally finds a kindred spirit in Misty, who accept her for who she is, but Ida's bug obsession comes back to literally and fugitively bite her back.

Their relationship is put to the test as the bug starts to take over Misty and culminates in a pretty insane ending. Ida and Misty do end up together but under some pretty strange circumstances. "Sick Girl" is available as a stand alone DVD packed with special features and is pretty cheap.