| "Family Man" | |
|---|---|
| Fear Itself episode | |
 Dennis Mahoney talks to Brautigan | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 3 |
| Directed by | Ronny Yu |
| Written by | Daniel Knauf |
| Featured music | Jeff Rona |
| Original air date | June 19, 2008 |
| Guest appearances | |
| Colin Ferguson; Josie Davis; Brent Stait; Stephen Lobo; Clifton Collins, Jr.; Terence Kelly; Michael St. John Smith; Gig Morton; Nicole Leduc | |
"Family Man" is the third episode of the NBC horror anthology Fear Itself . [1] [2]
While driving to work Dennis Mahoney, a responsible husband and father, switches bodies with a man named Brautigan. The two men were brought into the same hospital emergency room, albeit for very different reasons. Dennis had gotten into a car accident while Brautigan was shot while being apprehended for being a prolific serial killer called the "Family Man".
Horrified and frightened for his family, Dennis makes an attempt to convince Brautigan's lawyer that the two have swapped bodies, only to have his pleas for an investigation ignored. He is visited by Brautigan, now in Dennis's body, who suggests that they help each other get through their daily lives in each other's bodies. Dennis refuses. While in jail Dennis is pressured to reveal where his victims' bodies are buried, as this will help him escape the death penalty. Dennis maintains that he is not Brautigan and therefore doesn't know where the bodies are located, repeating his plea for the attorney to investigate his claims of being Dennis. He also makes unsuccessful attempts to call his family, only for Brautigan to vow to change the phone number. His lawyer does check out his claims and says that his story details check out - but that since the two men have met it's likely that this is just a story the two have cooked up for Brautigan's defense.
Meanwhile, Brautigan has found it difficult to adjust to his life as Dennis, particularly as his personality has changed and he has trouble controlling his temper. Dennis realizes that it is just a matter of time before Brautigan hurts his family. He contacts Sherriff Weller and claims that he's ready to show them where the bodies are located. He leads them to the neighborhood where his family lives, where he successfully steals a gun and escapes. He makes his way home, where he fights Brautigan and chokes him into unconsciousness just as Weller comes into the home and shoots Dennis.
Dennis comes to in his own body, only to discover that Brautigan has murdered his wife and son. Only his daughter Courtney was spared and when the sheriff asks the girl who hurt her mother and brother, she points at Dennis, who realizes that he will not be able to convince anyone of his innocence.
"Family Man" received reviews from outlets such as Slant, The A.V. Club, and Bloody Disgusting, the latter of which wrote that it was "the first episode of FEAR ITSELF that approximates the kind of vibe that the old horror anthologies provided in spades." [3] [4] [5] IGN was critical of the episode, criticizing the writing and joking that the 1987 Dudley Moore film Like Father, Like Son was more terrifying. [6]
Robert Barton Englund is an American actor and director, best known for playing the supernatural serial killer Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street film series. Classically trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Englund began his career as a stage actor in regional theatre, and made his film debut in Buster and Billie in 1974. After supporting roles in films in the 1970s such as Stay Hungry, A Star Is Born, and Big Wednesday, Englund had his breakthrough as the resistance fighter Willie in the miniseries V in 1983. Following his performance in the original A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984, he became closely associated with the horror film genre, and is widely-regarded as one of its iconic actors.
Kane Warren Hodder is an American actor, stuntman, and author.
Thirteen Ghosts is a 2001 supernatural horror film directed by Steve Beck in his directorial debut. A remake of the 1960 film 13 Ghosts by William Castle, the film stars Tony Shalhoub, Embeth Davidtz, Matthew Lillard, Shannon Elizabeth, Alec Roberts, Rah Digga, and F. Murray Abraham.
Cradle of Fear is a 2001 British horror film, directed by Alex Chandon. It was released direct-to-video on 4 July 2001. Taking inspiration from the anthology films produced by Amicus Productions in the 1970s, it features three separate half-hour segments, linked by a fourth story. The main narrative involves imprisoned serial killer Kemper wreaking vengeance on those responsible for his capture. This he does through his son: Dani Filth playing an unnamed character referred to in the credits as "The Man".
Courtney Gains is an American character actor best known for his portrayal of Malachai in the 1984 horror movie Children of the Corn.
Mortuary is a 2005 American zombie horror film directed by Tobe Hooper. It stars Dan Byrd, Alexandra Adi and Denise Crosby. Mortuary was Tobe Hooper's last US-produced film before his death in 2017.
Angst is a 1983 Austrian horror film directed by Gerald Kargl, who co-wrote the screenplay with cinematographer and editor Zbigniew Rybczyński. It follows a psychopath recently released from prison and is loosely based on real-life mass murderer Werner Kniesek. Though relatively obscure, the film was acclaimed for its camera work, score, and Erwin Leder's performance. It was banned all over Europe for extreme violence in 1983.
The Poughkeepsie Tapes is a 2007 American pseudo-documentary horror film written, directed, edited, and co-developed by John Erick Dowdle. It is about the murders of a serial killer in Poughkeepsie, New York, told through interviews and footage from a cache of the killer's snuff films.
Lake Dead is a 2007 American horror film directed by George Bessudo. It was released as part of the 2007 After Dark Horrorfest. The film follows a group of teenagers who inherit a motel on a lake, only to uncover a series of dark and frightening family secrets.
Darren Lynn Bousman is an American film director and screenwriter, best known for his work in horror films. He has directed four of the Saw films: Saw II, Saw III, Saw IV, and Spiral. He also directed the horror musicals Repo! The Genetic Opera and The Devil's Carnival movies. Bousman is co-creator and writer of alternate reality games (ARG) and immersive experiences, The Tension Experience (2016), The Lust Experience (2017), Theatre Macabre (2018), iConfidant (2020), and One Day Die (2020).
"Spooked" is the second episode of the NBC horror anthology Fear Itself.
"In Sickness and in Health" is the fourth episode of the NBC horror anthology Fear Itself. The episode guest-starred Psych co-stars Maggie Lawson and James Roday.
"Eater" is the fifth episode of the NBC horror anthology Fear Itself and is based on the Peter Crowther short story of the same name.
"New Year's Day" is the sixth episode of the NBC horror anthology Fear Itself. This episode is based on the short story The Dead Time by Paul Kane.
"Skin and Bones", also stylized as "Skin & Bones", is the eighth episode in the television series Fear Itself on NBC. The plot revolves around a man who becomes possessed by a Wendigo.
The Brotherhood is a series of homoerotic horror films directed by David DeCoteau. The first film in the series is also known as I've Been Watching You in the United Kingdom.
Silent Night is a 2012 slasher film directed by Steven C. Miller and starring Malcolm McDowell, Jaime King, Donal Logue, Ellen Wong, and Brendan Fehr. It is a remake of Charles E. Sellier Jr.'s 1984 film Silent Night, Deadly Night and the sixth installment in the Silent Night, Deadly Night film series. The film was given a limited theatrical release on November 30, 2012, and was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on December 4, 2012.
David Bruckner is an American film director. With Jacob Gentry and Dan Bush, he co-wrote and co-directed the 2007 horror film The Signal. Bruckner also co-wrote and directed the "Amateur Night" segment of the 2012 horror anthology film V/H/S, as well as directed the 2017 film The Ritual and the 2020 film The Night House.
Into the Dark is an American horror anthology television series produced for Hulu. The first season premiered on October 5, 2018, and consists of twelve feature-length episodes of television films. Into the Dark was renewed for a second season, which premiered on October 4, 2019, and also consists of twelve episodes.
The Wolf of Snow Hollow is a 2020 American comedy horror film about a small Utah town that is seemingly terrorized by a werewolf. It was written and directed by Jim Cummings who also stars along with Riki Lindhome, Chloe East, Jimmy Tatro, and Robert Forster. The film is dedicated to Forster, as it was the last of his career, completed shortly before his death.