We all know that the lifers are indeed masters of horror when it comes to their craptacular debating skills (most of them, anyway). Reading some of their posts in the debate thread and realizing that people actually believe this crap (i.e. if you had sex willingly you should be punished for it with a baby, etc.) is more terrifying than any horror movie...but I digress. What I would like to bring your attention to right now is an episode of the Showtime series Masters of Horror entitled "Pro Life" directed by John Carpenter and starring Ron Perlman. You remember a few months ago (too lazy to go looking for the post right now, sorry) where I was bitching and moaning about how the Takeshi Miike episode called "Imprint" was banned, and I had surmised it was because there were literally buckets of aborted fetii all throughout the episode? Yeah, I totally take that back.
The "Pro Life" episode begins when our protagonist, a teenage girl named Angelique who was impregnated after a brutal rape, runs through the woods from an unknown assailant with tears streaming down her face. She runs out into the street where she is almost run over by a doctor and nurse on their way to work. Afraid she may be hurt, they put her in the car and bring her with them. As it turns out, the doctor and nurse work at an abortion clinic. Angelique informs them that she is seeking an abortion and firmly believes that God sent them to her. Her father Dwayne (played by Ron Perlman) and her 3 brothers on the otherhand, are all staunchly pro-life holy roller jesus freak types, and come to the clinic to get her out. The clinic staff refuse to let Dwayne and the boys in because, not only do they have a restraining order against him as he has harrassed them on numerous occasions in the past, but also because they think he may have been Angelique's rapist. Dwayne drops to his knees in prayer outside the clinic gates, where a deep, gravelly voice instructs him to "protect the baby." Believing this to be a direct order from God, Dwayne and the boys load up their guns, cut the phone lines to the clinic and storm the place.
Meanwhile, the clinic staff are beginning to wonder about Angelique. Her pregnancy is advancing at an alarming pace and the fetus just doesn't seem right. they demand to know what really happened to her. She was deliberately vauge about the details of the rape at first for fear that they wouldn't believe her, but amid the cacophony of gun shots and screams, she decides to tell the whole truth. She informs them that she was out in the backyard one night when she suddenly hears what seems to be thunder coming from the ground. A pair of monstrous arms suddenly burst up from the ground and drag her down by her ankles, where she is then painfully raped. She realizes how bizzare her story sounds, but implores them to believe her nonetheless. She begs them to perform the abortion as she fears the thing growing inside her. The doctor and nurse can't however, as she starts going into labor.
As Dwayne and the boys take out a bunch of people at the clinic in order to rescue the baby, the baby's father shows up to see his new bundle of joy. Dwayne shoots his way into the operation room where he finds his daughter and new grandson...and realizes he made a horrible mistake. The baby is a hideously deformed lobster/scorpion monster with a baby head crawling around on the floor, and it's father is the devil himself (what a TWEEEST!!!). The devil confronts Dwayne in the hallway where he thanks him for protecting his baby, and Dwayne realizes the devil's voice is the same voice he heard when he was praying. We last see Dwayne staring horrified into the devil's laughing face when the scene changes to Angelique, gun in hand, in the operating room trying to cajole the monster baby out of a corner. As the baby approaches her, she shoots it point blank in the head, splattering it's brains all over the wall. The devil then comes in, stoops down to pick up the baby's corpse and walks away dejectedly. The doctor and nurse rush to Angelique and ask if she's okay...she reponds that she has performed God's will.
This episode won't be getting any academy awards any time soon. The violence is really ridiculous and over the top (especially that one part where Dwayne cuts off the doctor's p***s and sucks out his innards with his own abortion equipment) and some of the acting is really bad (with the exception of Ron, because he is the ********'
man.) But it is really refreshing to see the pro-choice movement portrayed in a flattering light. It was also very interesting to see how hypocritical the actions of the pro-lifers were. At one point, one of Dwayne's sons is shot in the neck and dies...Dwayne doesn't shed a single tear, and the other son doesn't even react at all, yet the prospect of killing an unwanted rape fetus fills them with rage. I feel that the lifers need to be held down and forced to watch this show Clockwork Orange-style. It probably won't do much to change their minds, but maybe, just
maybe, it might make them think a little. Here's a trailer courtesy of youtube if you are curious:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0uL-aZhbGw 
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