For the first episode of the fourth season, HBO managed to trap no less than Tom Hanks into co-starring and even directing a wonderfully distasteful tale. Quite an effort because, even though Hanks debuted in horror (in a forgotten 80's slasher called "He Knows You're Alone"), he was mainly occupied with doing comedy and drama during the time this episode got released. "None but the Lonely Heart" is fantastic entertainment and features a lot of gore, delightful black humor and a truly splendid performance by Treat Williams. He plays smooth but utterly shifty Howard Prince who successfully entices lonely but very rich old widows before poisoning them & claiming the inheritance. Meanwhile, Howard surely doesn't hesitate to eliminate third parties that come too close to discovering his working methods. Granted, the plot outline is among of the oldest and most overused ones in cinema, but Hanks' approach to the subject matter is surprisingly raw and very comical. Howard's macabre intentions are so obvious and yet he appears to be so natural and reliable that even the most sober widow would fall for him. The hilariously grotesque finale is indescribably cool and the make-up effects are downright nauseating. Hanks himself stars as the contact person of a dating service and there are other supportive roles for Frances Sternhagen ("Misery", "Outland") and Sugar Ray Leonard as the mysterious gravedigger. If this episode happens to be your first acquaintance with the show, I guarantee you'll be a fan for life!
Review of None But the Lonely Heart
