Director: Larry Cohen
I think this is the first movie I saw from Masters of Horror. So, since this was the one that got me into it, it has a special place in my heart. It's not my favorite of the bunch, but it will always be the one that started it all.
It started off like any typical horror movie. There was a group of people on a bus going who knows where. The bus broke down, leaving the group stranded. One girl left, saying that she couldn't wait for help to arrive because she had something way too important to do. Two of the group went with a trucker to the nearest trading post, and the other two stayed with the bus driver. Those two and the bus driver met with a cowboy who killed them all. The cowboy was played by Warren Kole from the new TV show Common Law. He was a nut case, for sure. He was a professional hitchhiker, I guess you could say. He hitched rides with people, then he killed them and stole their vehicles. One girl he took to a hotel, tied her up, and started cutting her skin off. The girl who ran away from the group happened to be in the room next door, and she just thought it was a couple getting rowdy. Next to her was the trucker that picked up the other two. He had already killed them, and he realized that there was someone else out there taking his victims. The girl was strong; she was a fighter, they both knew it. And they both wanted her.
She was trapped between the two of them, and it didn't seem like she'd ever get away. What started off like a typical horror movie turned into a serial killer vs. serial killer type of thing. It was really interesting. In the end, I thought the girl might have a chance, but I was wrong. The message this story has to tell is that everyone is fucking crazy. You're not safe from anyone, no matter how safe you might think you are.
At just under an hour, this entry into MoH is just as good as a lot of full length movies I've seen, and better than a lot of them. That's no surprise, though, because all the Masters of Horror movies are like that. They're not long, but they pack a hell of a story, and they're all wonderful. Some are not as good as others, but I've yet to see one that I thought was bad.
Warren Kole was amazing, and he gave me that funny feeling that I like. He was one of those guys that I see so often in horror movies; the kind that are so damn crazy that it's sexy. Maybe it's just me, but I'm way attracted to crazy guys (at least, as long as they're nowhere near me). The trucker reminded me of Jack Nicholson, for some reason. One of the girls, Birdie, made me think of Suzanne Somers. So there really was only one familiar face in this one, but there were faces that made me think of other faces.
While I wouldn't call this one the best, it's definitely good. Netflix removed all the MoH movies, after having them available forever. But you can watch this one, and probably a few others, on Youtube. Pick Me up is a solid four stars, because it's different, interesting, and it's very well done. But, if you're a fan of the series, I definitely don't have to tell you that.
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