'Fear': Chills are alive in NBC scare package

BY CRISTINA KINON
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Wednesday, June 4th 2008, 4:00 AM

Forget the campfire, NBC is bringing scary stories straight to the living room with a 13-episode horror anthology, "Fear Itself."

And even though NBC restrictions may limit the amount of gore splashed across the small screen, producer Keith Addis still promises a blood-curdling experience.

"We were anxious in the transition from the show we had done at Showtime ['Masters of Horror'] to the commercial environment of NBC and the impact that would have on the filmmakers and writers in the process of telling these stories," said Addis, who with producing partner Andrew Deane at Industry Entertainment brought the project to the network.

"But we were totally surprised, when we began talking to them, how intrigued they were about this challenge," said Addis. "It's so often much scarier not to see, than to see graphically what's going on. And that's a great advantage of telling these stories on television."

"Fear Itself" premieres tomorrow at 10 and will present a different frightfest each week. The episodes will be written, directed and acted by the genre's top talent. This week's episode, entitled "Sacrifice," was written by Mick Garris ("Riding the Bullet") and directed by Breck Eisner (the upcoming "Creature From the Black Lagoon"). It stars Jesse Plemons ("Friday Night Lights") and follows a group of four criminals who seek shelter in a fort occupied by three sexy strangers. All does not end well.

"This is actually my first horror project, but it was something that I always wanted to do," said Plemons. "I now have a new-found respect for actors and everyone involved in horror because there's just so much that goes into it - time, energy - it's not an easy process."

With the predecessors of the horror anthology long gone, Addis said it was time the genre made a comeback.

"It seems to us in a nonscientific way that there is a correlation between audience interest in these shows and the kind of general unease in the zeitgeist culturally," Addis said. "To the extent that this provides a safe escape from some of the challenges and anxieties of modern-day society, we hope it's great entertainment and a little refuge from the storm."

ckinon@nydailynews.com

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