Our episode starts out in a retirement home where an old man named Robert Ross resides. Ross is a cranky old miser who has pretty much given up on life and is ready for death to take him on. One day he meets a kind older nurse Sheila who befriends him and plays checkers with him on the regular, she's also tried to put some inspiration in him and give him reason to want to live again which actually works. The two eventually fall in love, but, as Robert once hoped death eventually comes for him. Happy with his new outlook on life and his new love Robert tries and begs to make a deal with him. Death agrees, but, only if he will supply him the souls at which he needs. Robert does the deeds supplying death with a variety of the patients and staff around the facility, until death wants Shelia, Robert tries to stop this, but, soon learns to quickly there is no cheating death in the end. This is a typically good episode about on the level of "Jar". Based on a short story from Robert Bloch (this is the third adaptation of his if i'm not wrong) It's your typical anthology story with the typical anthology ending. the cast is pretty good to if your familiar with your 1950s and 1960s television as veteran TV actor George Wallace is here as is Barbara Billingsley from "Leave It to Beaver" fame. Other then that there's not much to say, the effects for death are nice and creepy looking, and there's a fun well done scene were death approaches Robert with his skeletal hand motioning for him to come with him. And above anything else it's far better then what ever the crap that last episode was suppose to be.
4 Reviews
Fairly good Bloch adaptation
Leofwine_draca11 April 2015
REAPER, an episode of the lacklustre MONSTERS TV show, is one of the better stories, adapted as it is from a short story by horror writer supreme Robert Bloch. The narrative, which is set entirely in an old people's home, sees an old man making a deal with the Grim Reaper: he'll offer him plenty more victims if the Reaper spares his own life.
It's a snappy, straightforward outing, laced with black comedy and a storyline that makes perfect sense. The special effects, although limited, are perfectly acceptable for the scope of the narrative and the acting is pretty decent. This mean-spirited outing is what I'd hoped for from the MONSTERS TV show and something they undertook all too infrequently, which is a shame.
It's a snappy, straightforward outing, laced with black comedy and a storyline that makes perfect sense. The special effects, although limited, are perfectly acceptable for the scope of the narrative and the acting is pretty decent. This mean-spirited outing is what I'd hoped for from the MONSTERS TV show and something they undertook all too infrequently, which is a shame.
Making a deal with death
Woodyanders13 September 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Bitter old man Robert Ross (sharply played to the crusty hilt by George Wallace) is afraid of dying, so he makes an unholy pact with the Angel of Death (a smoothly sinister turn by Curt Lowens) so he can prolong his life. Complications ensue when Robert falls for sweet nurse Sheila (a fine and appealing portrayal by Barbara Billingsley).
Director Jean Patenaude keeps the engrossing story moving along at a constant pace as well as ably crafts a spooky mood. Moreover, there's a neat depiction of the grim reaper as a businesslike man who's open to making deals and has a quota to always meet. The reaper looks genuinely creepy to boot. Dandy surprise bummer ending, too. A worthy show.
Director Jean Patenaude keeps the engrossing story moving along at a constant pace as well as ably crafts a spooky mood. Moreover, there's a neat depiction of the grim reaper as a businesslike man who's open to making deals and has a quota to always meet. The reaper looks genuinely creepy to boot. Dandy surprise bummer ending, too. A worthy show.
Good solid if unspectacular horror themed Monsters episode.
poolandrews31 May 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Monsters: Reaper is set at the Beachwood Guest House for the elderly, there an old man named Robert Ross (George Wallace) is visited by Death (Curt Lowens) who wants him but the two make a deal & Daeth lets Robert live in exchange for other soul's. Robert has to kill other people to satisfy Death or he will be next, Robert befriends & falls in love with a kind nurse named Sheila (Barbara Billingsley) & actually finds a reason to live & Robert becomes ever more desperate to stay alive & keep Death happy with the soul's of other's...
Episode nine from season two of Monsters this originally aired in the US during November 1989, directed by Jean Patenaude this is a fairly serious & straight ahead macabre horror tale with none of the silly comedic or bizarrely oddball fantasy elements that sometimes creep into various Monsters episodes. The script by Josef Anderson was based on a story by famed horror author Robert Bloch whose stories have contributed to other Monsters episodes including the excellent Mannikins of Horror (1989) & the not so good The Legacy (1988) both from the first season. Reaper is quite a good little darkly horror tale about an elderly man who makes a deal with Death to keep himself alive by taking the lives of other's but things go pear shaped in a satisfying but ultimately somewhat predictable twist ending in which Robert gets what he deserves in an a typically ironic horror anthology styled ending. Much more serious in tone than a lot of other Monsters episode with a good solid yet somewhat routine story on which it draws it's inspiration Reaper is definitely worth twenty odd minutes of anyone's time but just don't expect too much & there's a lot of scenes of people standing or sitting around explaining what is going on or has happened rather than us getting to see it.
This episode looks good & has the usual sound production values, while there's no monster in the traditional sense of the word Death is seen with a skeletal hand & skull like white face. There are one or two nice sequences as Death creeps up on Robert & haunts him on a couple of occasions although the ending with an old woman with glowing green eyes is a little silly looking. The acting is fine with veteran actor George Wallace who has well over two hundred acting credits to his name spanning over fifty years puts in a good performance.
Reaper is a good solid Monsters episode that tries to tell a dark horror story rather than put lots of monsters & horror imagery on screen & is somewhat successful on that basis, not the most memorable of Monsters episodes but worthwhile & watchable in it's own right I suppose.
Episode nine from season two of Monsters this originally aired in the US during November 1989, directed by Jean Patenaude this is a fairly serious & straight ahead macabre horror tale with none of the silly comedic or bizarrely oddball fantasy elements that sometimes creep into various Monsters episodes. The script by Josef Anderson was based on a story by famed horror author Robert Bloch whose stories have contributed to other Monsters episodes including the excellent Mannikins of Horror (1989) & the not so good The Legacy (1988) both from the first season. Reaper is quite a good little darkly horror tale about an elderly man who makes a deal with Death to keep himself alive by taking the lives of other's but things go pear shaped in a satisfying but ultimately somewhat predictable twist ending in which Robert gets what he deserves in an a typically ironic horror anthology styled ending. Much more serious in tone than a lot of other Monsters episode with a good solid yet somewhat routine story on which it draws it's inspiration Reaper is definitely worth twenty odd minutes of anyone's time but just don't expect too much & there's a lot of scenes of people standing or sitting around explaining what is going on or has happened rather than us getting to see it.
This episode looks good & has the usual sound production values, while there's no monster in the traditional sense of the word Death is seen with a skeletal hand & skull like white face. There are one or two nice sequences as Death creeps up on Robert & haunts him on a couple of occasions although the ending with an old woman with glowing green eyes is a little silly looking. The acting is fine with veteran actor George Wallace who has well over two hundred acting credits to his name spanning over fifty years puts in a good performance.
Reaper is a good solid Monsters episode that tries to tell a dark horror story rather than put lots of monsters & horror imagery on screen & is somewhat successful on that basis, not the most memorable of Monsters episodes but worthwhile & watchable in it's own right I suppose.
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