The doors on Tales from the Darkside had barely closed before producer Richard P. Rubinstein debuted a new horror anthology series in 1988. And for three seasons, Monsters ditched the nebulous act of its predecessor. Guesswork was no longer required in this more straightforward show—one where the threats were tangible, not to mention grotesque.
As someone who discovered Monsters only after it ended, I could at least see it on TV almost every day. Sci Fi Channel reran the series regularly, as well as hosted daylong marathons, the latter of which ultimately emphasized a small but noticeable issue with this anthology. Fun, breezy, and creative as it was, this show didn’t always prioritize scares—it was sometimes just plain unscary. That said, it was during one of those aforementioned marathons that I first saw “The Match Game“, my favorite episode from the entire run. This was unlike anything else I had witnessed in Monsters, and from there I was hooked.
In part, we have Christopher Orville, a story assistant from the last two seasons of Tales from the Darkside, to thank for this wonderful and rather anomalous episode. His simple yet fruitful idea was fleshed out by screenwriter David Chaskin (A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, The Curse, I, Madman) and actor-turned-director Michael Brandon. Neither Chaskin nor Brandon contributed to the series beyond this instance, but their collaboration is, and for good reason, ranked highly among fans. In what is essentially a campfire ghost story gone horrifically wrong, “The Match Game” switched up the show’s formula. Instead of the characters coming across an existing monster out in the wild, they encounter one of their own making.
Pictured: In order to survive, Byron Thames and Ashley Laurence’s characters finish the game in “The Match Game”.
Monsters episodes worked on very low budgets, to say the least. This show, one that made extensive use of makeup and special effects, didn’t even have the resources of an average network sitcom back then. And while you detect those financial restraints in many episodes, “The Match Game” hides its shortcomings better than others. A limit on settings—a cost-cutting method carried over from Darkside—is in force here; however, this episode’s high amounts of near darkness and indirect lighting come together to form a production panacea of sorts. It’s the kind of dreadful and eerie atmosphere that money can’t always buy.
Rarely did Monsters stray far from the inside of a building or a room. On the contrary, “The Match Game” has more of a sense of the outside world as Hellraiser’s Ashley Laurence—who is credited as a “special guest star”—and Byron Thames give us a preview of their evening’s destination. And during their brief, daytime tour of an abandoned Victorian’s exterior, the two characters set up the episode’s ghost story within a ghost story. This run-down mansion is said to be haunted after its previous occupant died by the pond out back. Naturally, this wouldn’t be the last we hear of the dead man in an episode that, while not actually set on Halloween, feels perfect for Halloween viewings.
There’s no downtime as day instantly becomes night, and the story moves indoors and to a soundstage. Jodie (Laurence) and Paul (Thames) return to the house posthaste and meet their friends, couple Matthew (Sasha Jenson) and Beverly (Tori Spelling). Spelling’s character name should offer mild amusement when remembering she was only a year away from starring in one of the biggest phenomena of early-nineties television. Here, though, the then-less famous Spelling acts on behalf of those viewers who don’t trust Paul. The newcomer to the group, someone others have nicknamed “Mr. Distant” and “The Dreamer”, shows signs of otherworldliness himself as he made contact, albeit unintentionally, with an eerie, disembodied woman’s voice outside the house (“Paul, Paul…“).
Pictured: Tom Woodruff Jr. plays his own creation in “The Match Game”.
The initial interior scenes pipe in the candlelit creepiness as Jodie and her pals gather in a circle and play the titular, kaidankai-esque parlor game. As per the rules, participants take turns adding to an original scary story, but only so long as a match burns. And following through on the setup, the players include their evening’s unofficial host in the activities. Herbert Waverly, the house’s builder and former owner, is the subject of the characters’ seemingly made-up tale. It’s not clear if every word regarding Herbert’s demise—he was killed by his lover’s husband, and his remains were then thrown into the pond behind the house—is even true. What matters is that the teenage narrators believe them to be true.
A game that usually goes off without a hitch takes the inevitable wrong turn as the new guy, someone perhaps with a preternatural ability to manifest the unreal, elaborates on the story in motion with both insight and fervor. Notice how Paul’s match never seems to go out as fast as the others. There is also the fact that this current storytelling session now has much more of a séance quality to it. Paul’s involvement, without question, is why a zombified Herbert soon rises from the pond and deals with those pesky kids up in his house. Refreshingly, though, the episode doesn’t delve into the mechanics of Herbert’s resurrection and leaves a good bit of mystery for us to ponder.
Pictured: Ashley Laurence and Byron Thames’ characters finally escape their ordeal in “The Match Game”.
Producer Michael Gornick said there were “no strict standards of practice in terms of violence” for syndicated shows at the time, which means Monsters got away with more than it probably should have. “The Match Game” is proof of this as Mr. Waverly crushed Tori Spelling’s character’s head until she was nothing but a gooey paste left dripping between the zombie’s fingers. Speaking of the episode’s rotting antagonist, this creation of Tom Woodruff Jr. and Alec Gillis is one of the series’ most ghastly. In every shot of Herbert, who is played by Woodruff, he’s a great reminder of how wet and slimy can enhance just about any monster costume.
While it’s sad to see horror anthologies no longer being as common on TV as they once were, there’s really no good reason not to visit past series like Monsters. This show alone turned in a whopping seventy-two episodes—that’s more than enough to keep you occupied. And although the majority of the stories are oddball and unserious, and they were way more keen on showing off the effects than delivering the frights, Monsters is a continuous well of entertainment. Compared to other anthologies, and bearing in mind how this one operates, you might agree the series has a pretty consistent batting average. Not every episode was on the same level as “The Match Game”, but they all had something worthwhile.
“The Match Game” can now be watched on Tubi and purchased on region-free DVD from Via Vision.
Pictured: Monsters on DVD from Via Vision.
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