Fear Itself is an ambitious horror anthology which aired on NBC to low ratings and was promptly canceled before all the episodes were aired. Like many horror anthology series not every episode is a winner, and the series is quite uneven at times. The best episodes of Fear Itself push the boundaries of what can be aired on network television and were quite impressive. The series brings together an impressive roster of horror writers and directors which include John Landis, Ronny Yu, Stuart Gordon, Mick Garris, and many others.

The three best episodes of the series are “Eater: Director’s Cut” (Stuart Gordon), “Family Man” (written by Carnivale creator Dan Knauf), and “Skin and Bones: Director’s Cut”. “Eater” is a particularly graphic account of a serial killer who eats people and is directed with great flair and gory style by Stuart Gordon. “Skin and Bones” is incredibly intense and “Family Man” (a story about a family man who switches bodies with a serial killer) is clever and riveting. Familiar actors like Eric Roberts, Brandon Routh (Superman Returns), and Elizabeth Moss (Mad Men) pop up throughout the series. The series looks good too, but sadly the packaging is cheap and not very well thought out. The tombstone/skeleton packaging looks cool, but it is flimsy and the discs are double-sided and touch each other, so they can scratch easily. Each episode features a 5 minute making of featurette, which contains interviews with the cast and crew. It’s a nice touch, but the featurettes should have been longer.

Fear Itself is a mixed bag, and not every episode is a winner, but the ones that are, can be quite intense and riveting. Overall, the series is above-average and fans of horror anthology will definitely want to pick up the DVD set, which is attractively priced. Lions Gate deserves a jeer though for Fear Itself’s flimsy packaging for an otherwise notable series.

DVD Grade: B+

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