Inaugural Post...Best of 2014

The year of our lord 2014. The year that Independent Horror kicked the shit out of mainstream Hollywood releases...and I couldn't be more pissed off about it.

“Why?” You ask.

Good question.

Because I know despite how amazing and critically acclaimed indie horror was in 2014, I know that the major studios won't learn a goddamn thing.

Because I know that despite the overwhelming evidence that there are great, original horror films out there, there are still going to be a bunch of assholes saying how there is nothing original going on in horror.

Because I know that those same people will support those same major studios by going to a shitty multiplex to see whatever they shove down our faces as “the scariest movie of 2015!”

Or maybe I'm wrong, because seriously folks, these people who made these movies...they're something special.

As I look back over my list, not only are over half...over HALF of these movies debut films, but also, you will find them all on at least a dozen other “best of 2014” lists. Does that mean I'm jumping on the bandwagon?...No...I take confidence in knowing good horror when I see it. What that means is there is something in the air.

People are noticing. Hope is alive...and now it's up to all of us horror fans to keep it alive.

So please...in 2015...check your V.O.D., check your I-Tunes, and check your Netflix. Haven't heard of a movie? Haven't seen any T.V. Spots for it? Didn't see a poster for it at the mall? So what? Watch it! Yeah, I know...a lot are probably going to be pretty dreadful, but that feeling you get when you find that special one, that my friends, cannot be topped.

These movies were so great, to list them in order, 1-10, would be a disservice. I truly could not pick one on top of the other, and I hope that in future years it remains that way.

But for now, let's start it off with the film that has just catapulted itself into being an instant classic from the get go. The movie that has not only made it onto EVERY horror list of 2014, but has also crossed over into the mainstream and managed to make it onto several publications “Best Movies Of 2014” lists.

That film, of course is:

“The Babadook”

By now, anyone who calls themselves a fan of horror, knows about this film, and there isn't much else to say that hasn't already been said. Sadly, however...hype can play tricks on the movie-goers mind, and some people who were not fortunate enough to catch the film when it first broke may not understand what all the fuss is about. Regardless, “The Babadook” is receiving mass critical acclaim for a reason. It's a solid, fresh, and well-crafted work of horror. It's the perfect example of the way horror SHOULD be done.

What's even more impressive to me is that with one film, writer and director Jennifer Kent has solidified herself as a master of the genre. That's right...one film...”The Babadook” is her first film...a film in which she wrote AND directed. It may not seem like that big of a deal, but to me that is incredibly inspiring, and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.

“Honeymoon”

Not only was this year a home run for independent horror, it was also a great year for women in horror. Whether it be through performances or behind the scenes, this year the women stood up and kicked some major ass, and in this film it was both the performance by the dreamy Rose Leslie (Game Of Thrones), and the direction by (once again first-timer) Leigh Janiak that proved horror is not just a mans genre anymore.

Leslie and her co-star Harry Treadaway have such a great chemistry on screen, that it is hard to not be as in love with them as their characters, Bea and Paul, are with each other. Which makes it all the more terrifying when Bea starts displaying disturbing behavior, and things really start to head south.

Other than a very brief appearance by two other characters to move the story forward, we are left alone with Bea and Paul. So when Paul is trying to figure out what is happening to his beautiful, loving wife, we are right there with him, and on the edge of our seat the whole time.

“The Purge: Anarchy”

Okay, so ONE major release made the cut...but just barely. The movie is ridiculously flawed, but that kind of added to the charm for me, and when all is said and done, I had an overwhelming amount of fun while watching it.

You see, I am a sucker for John Carpenter. I even love Ghosts of Mars...and to me, this film is a perfect homage to Carpenter, whether that was the intention or not. It is in your face with social commentary, while still being insanely over the top and viciously entertaining much like “They Live”, “Escape From NY”, and “Assault On Precinct 13”.

Also, can we make “Snake Plisskenesque” a new way to describe characters? Cause we totally got one here in Frank Grillo's “Seargent”!

Oh, who am I kidding with “just barely”, I freakin loved this movie! I hope they keep it up with this franchise!

“The Sacrament”

Ti West is one of my favorite “new” directors working today. From “The Roost” to “House Of The Devil” to “The Innkeepers”, I love his ability to pull off the slow burn. “The Sacrament” however proves he can do even more than that. Shot in a faux-documentary style , the film is heavily influenced by the real life terrors of Jim Jones and Jonestown, which is probably one of the most terrifying stories of the human condition ever.

The film itself is incredibly tense as you follow two documentarians, played by the always awesome A.J. Bowen and Joe Swanberg, through Eden Parish. However, it really is the true story behind the movie that makes this incredibly gripping and chilling to watch.

“Housebound”

Oh “Housebound”. With so many great “serious” horror films that came out this year, I feel that “Housebound” will get lost in the shuffle. When you look back at the great comedy-horror films of the past several years, they have all been movies that have riffed on the genre. “Shaun Of The Dead”, “Cabin In The Woods”, “Tucker and Dale vs. Evil”...they were all really amazing, but they were all taking a standard troupe in horror and just playing it for laughs instead of scares.

That is what makes “Housebound” so incredibly special. The story is delightfully spooky, and takes many twists and turns. Just when you think it's going one direction, it goes right into another in the best way possible. It is incredibly smart, incredibly fresh, and even though the blood flows throughout, it's actually a pretty light-hearted fare. Joe Dante's “The Burbs” would make an excellent double billing with this!

“The Canal”

To me, “The Canal” is the slow-burn film of the year. It definitely is a film you have to have patience with as you sit down and watch, but overall, it is a beautiful and thought-provoking film. It is incredibly emotional and haunting, and relies on nothing else besides feeling in order for you to understand what is going on to its protagonist. Is what he believes real? Or is it his own feelings of dread and abandonment that are making him believe it.

If you like big climaxes and a fast paced story line, this film isn't for you...and I can understand that...but if you're in the mood for a heart-felt horror story in vain of “The Changeling” and “Don't Look Now”, I highly recommend it.

“Late Phases”

Yes! A decent werewolf movie! It has been way to long since we got one, but finally one has arrived in Adrian Garcia Bogliano's “Late Phases”. The premise alone sells it...Nick Damici (Stake Land, We Are What We Are) plays Ambrose, a blind Vietnam vet who moves into a retirement community after his wife passes away. When he survives a vicious animal attack that brutally kills one of his neighbors, Ambrose is convinced what is attacking the residents is a werewolf, and goes on a desperate search for the killer before the next full moon.

Although the werewolf effects kind of leave you wanting more, “Late Phases” should go down with “Ginger Snaps” and “Dog Soldiers” as one of the great modern werewolf movies. Damici is awesome as usual (If you haven't seen any of his collaborations with Jim Mickle, it is highly advised), and we also get a great performance by Tom Noonan, who is highly under appreciated. “Late Phases” is genuinely nail biting, and when we get to the reveal of who the werewolf is...well, it's just incredibly creepy.

“The Taking Of Deborah Logan”

Just when I think I am out...they pull me back in!

For a very long time, I have championed the “found footage” sub-genre. When most horror fans and critics had felt that the concept had run out of steam, I still was a sucker for them. I felt, if done correctly, it was a brilliant, well calculated method of delivering horror to an audience without over using gore or effects.

This year however, I finally got over it. It has become such a cheap fad, that once again, studios have watered it down, and it actually has gone from one of my favorite sub-genres to my most hated.

However, “The Taking Of Deborah Logan”, I believe is found footage's “Swan Song”. It came out of nowhere on Netflix one day, and I decided to give it a shot. Hearing nothing about this movie, and knowing it was found footage made me expect the worst, what I got instead might arguably be one of the most creepy, well thought pieces of the sub-genre ever.

Directed and co-written by first timer Adam Robitel (notice a pattern here?), The film follows documentary filmmakers as they chronicle the life of Deborah Logan, a woman suffering from Alzheimer's. While making the film, they start to uncover something more disturbing happening to Deborah.

There are several things that make this film work brilliantly.

First of all, the documentary crew, unlike in most films in the genre, are shooting the movie to chronicle something not at all sinister. It seems more legit that filmmakers trying to make a name for themselves would want to shoot a documentary about a serious issue, rather than something paranormal, doesn't it?

Another reason this works so well is the casting...and boy is it brilliant. Jill Larson and Anne Ramsay are veteran actors rather than newcomers that you usually see in found footage movies, and it works incredibly well. Larson is amazing as Deborah. You can't help but feel for this woman as she struggles with who she really is and whatever is taking control of her, whether it be the disease or something more...and Ramsay plays the daughter, Sarah, who is just trying to keep it together and do what is right for her mother and family.

Plus, if you do take my advice and watch this film, if you don't share my view...at least stick around for the last 15 minutes of the film...which has one of the creepiest scenes I ever witnessed in the sub-genre

(Note: I realize The Sacrament is also in the sub-genre, but unlike most found footage, it does not play for it to be “spooky”)

"Starry Eyes"

Starry Eyes is a crowdfunding success story. Both written and directed by first time filmmakers Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer, the film tells the story of Sarah, played marvelously by Alex Essoe, a struggling actress who is desperately trying to do all she can to catch her big break in Hollywood. When the opportunity to star in an upcoming studio horror film, “The Silver Scream”, Sarahs determination comes at a price more than she bargained for.

“Starry Eyes” is uncompromising and disturbing in the best way possible. It is a film that never truly explains why this is happening, but it doesn't need to. A major “fuck you” to the industry of Hollywood and what it seems to stand for both on and off camera, Kolsch and Widmyer deliver a brutal tale of “possession” horror that doesn't let up on the suspense. You also can't help but feel that this movie is very personal to the filmmakers as well as Essoe and the rest of the cast. This is independent film making at its finest.

Last but certainly not least, folks...

“The Guest”

I had a very hard time deciding whether or not to put Simon Barret and Adam Wingard's (You're Next, A Horrible Way To Die) latest collaboration on this list. Not in the slightest because it lacks in any way...quite the contrary. If I was making an overall “best of 2014” list, “The Guest” would be my number one. The reason is because I was finding it hard to classify as “horror”. However, after some careful consideration, I have decided that it counts...kind of. “the guest” is a thriller through and through. However with a little tweaking, and if there is possibly ever a sequel made(oh please please please!), “The Guest” becomes a slasher. Plus it takes place around Halloween! So...um...there's that! Look, I know I'm reaching here, but the bottom line is...you should probably see this. The film is kind of flawless. The performance of Dan Stevens, the soundtrack, the brilliant story by Barrett, and the beautiful direction by Wingard. Does it get scary? Yes...yes it does...and that lies in Stevens performance. You can't help but like his character of David. You know there's something wrong with him. You know he's a bad guy, but you really, really like him...and there's something unsettling about that, isn't there? Not since Freddy has an antagonist been so charming.

  So there you have it. My "Best Of 2014" list. It might not be the best way to start off a blog, but I couldn't resist the urge to feel so self-important. Regardless, if you're reading this, please, please, PLEASE check out at least a couple of these films (and the Babadook doesn't count!). Help keep great horror alive and well!

 Thanks for reading my first post on this blog, and I hope you come back for more insight into the world of horror and all things spooktacular! I'll have an official introduction to what you should expect on this blog, and maybe even a little bit about myself, next week. 

Until then, keep it creepy.