A Rundown of the 13 (plus) Best Horror Movies I’ve Seen in the Past Year
[6 of 13]

KILL LIST
(March 2011)


Ben Wheatley’s Kill List is yet another of those films that’s best seen knowing as little as possible about it beforehand.
Suffice it to say it’s about a pair of hitmen (played by Neil Maskell and Michael Smiley) who take on a job that goes way off the tracks into disturbing and unsettling territory.


Provided you appreciate horror that’s ambiguous and engaging, horror that leaves the audience anxious and contemplative long after the end credits have finished rolling, then Kill List is most definitely for you.


(Kill List UK quad courtesy of impawards.com; Mondo quad by Iron Jaiden courtesy of twitchfilm.com; composite assembled from images courtesy of thechurchoflondon.com.)

A Rundown of the 13 (plus) Best Horror Movies I’ve Seen in the Past Year
[5 of 13]

THE WOMAN

(January 2011)

 

“God only knows where she’s been living, Peg. In the woods. In caves. We’re gonna help her…”

Premiering at Sundance 2011 on the same day as fellow ¡Qué Horror! 2012 title, Red State, and causing quite the controversial stir, Lucky McKee’s The Woman is ostensibly a sequel to Andrew van den Houten’s Offspring (both films adapted from the works of Jack Ketchum).

Now, honestly, I wasn’t overly fond of Offspring, so I really only gravitated to The Woman on the strength of McKee’s name, and after having seen it, I have this to say for starters: if someone were to have told me three years ago that Offspring would beget a sequel, I wouldn’t have pictured it to be the feral and ferocious cinematic experience that is McKee’s The Woman.

Truth be told, you really don’t need to have seen Offspring to appreciate what McKee and company have done with The Woman. All you really have to know is, a wild woman (Pollyanna McIntosh, reprising her role as “The Woman”) is living in the woods.

It isn’t long after The Woman starts though, that she’s no longer running loose in the woods. Then, of course, the fit hits the shan, and off we go.

McKee (working together with his May star, Angela Bettis, for the fifth time, if my count is right) shows us just how primal and vicious the female of the species can be, particularly when cornered by the more idiotic and presumptuous members of the opposite sex.

This is strong and potent stuff, not for the easily offended.

You have been warned…

“We’re gonna train her, Brian. Civilize her. Free her from herself, from her baser instincts.”

(The Woman OS courtesy of bloody-disgusting.com; UK quad courtesy of impawards.com.)

A Rundown of the 13 (plus) Best Horror Movies I’ve Seen in the Past Year
[4 of 13]

RED STATE
(January 2011)


Given that the last Kevin Smith film I enjoyed without having any major issues with it was Chasing Amy, and still holding out the hope that he could once again win me over, it was with a generous amount of curiosity that I looked forward to checking out Red State, considering that it was also going to be his first “horror movie,” something that appeared to be way out of his comfort zone.

(As evidenced below on the final one-sheet, it is billed as “An Unlikely Film From That Kevin Smith.”)
Of course, by the time I finally got around to having the opportunity to see it, the whole “I’ll sell the distribution rights, oh no, let me buy them instead for a negligible fee” auction thing came and went, and it had also just been announced that the film had taken home the Best Motion Picture award at Sitges 2011, where Michael Parks (who plays cult leader Abin Cooper) was also awarded Best Actor.
Regardless of whether I agree or not with its Sitges Best Motion Picture win, I will say that it’s a very good film, quite possibly the most accomplished one of Smith’s career.*

It’s always been evident that Smith has very strong and pointed opinions about everything from geek culture to religion, a characteristic made even more evident from his appearances outside of his own film work, and while I’ve always been fond of his smaller, more intimate films like his debut feature Clerks and Chasing Amy, in Red State, he delivers a caustic tale of (as the headings under which he divides his cast’s names in the end credits roll indicate) sex, religion, and politics.
The fact that the events of Red State kick off with three horny high school kids just looking for some sex should have put me off this one; I think I’ve mentioned it in these parts before, that I have very little sympathy for film characters who wind up in deep doodoo because of sheer stupidity. Instead, Smith succeeds in drawing me into his film and keeps me there for the duration. Sure these kids are dumb and horny, but what happens to them is simply our way into the story, and it’s a grim, disquieting one.

And not only is Red State the best-looking Smith film I’ve seen (Smith on edits; DP, David Klein, who’s shot most of Smith’s films, including the Reaper pilot), it also sports the best cast Smith has ever assembled, with John Goodman; Kevin Pollak; Oscar, SAG, and Independent Spirit Award winner, Melissa Leo; the Sitges winner, Parks; and Stephen Root.
There are also other familiar faces in this like Kevin Alejandro (as with Root, a True Blood alumnus), Buffy alumnus Marc Blucas, and younger, recognizable actors, like Kyle Gallner and Michael Angarano.
In a fun bit of casting, Smith also ropes in noted casting director Deborah Aquila (instrumental in casting shows like Dexter and The Shield, and films like The Mist, One Hour Photo, and Sex, Lies, and Videotape) for a small role.

If you think Smith is only about raunchy, potty-mouthed comedy, then give Red State a look. It’s mean and nasty, but it certainly proves that Smith can step away from his comfort zone and deliver the goods.


* I have yet to see both Jersey Girl and Cop Out, so, for all I know, either of these films could whup Red State’s a$$ from here to Timbuktu and back.
Or not.

(Red State OS’ courtesy of bloody-disgusting.com and impawards.com.)

A Rundown of the 13 (plus) Best Horror Movies I’ve Seen in the Past Year
[3 of 13]

KOKUHAKU
(CONFESSIONS)
(June 2010)


Though it did receive a number of Asian film awards, Tetsuya Nakashima’s Kokuhaku didn’t quite make the final cut into the Oscars’ Best Foreign Language Film category; it got onto the shortlist but didn’t make the final five.
Still, this is a truly excellent and riveting cinematic experience. Based on the equally lauded novel by Kanae Minato, Kokuhaku begins in a raucous classroom as a schoolteacher (K-20: Kaijin Nijû Mensô Den’s Takako Matsu) lectures about the importance of milk during the teen years, then proceeds to spiral inexorably into a dark tale of murder and revenge.
There is something both brutal and poignant about the intricacy with which the film’s narrative is structured, showing the audience (among other things) how self-absorbed and unprincipled youth can turn into inadvertent monsters, how tragedy can wipe out a person’s faith in humanity, how appearances can be deceiving, and, as much as we would wish otherwise, that time really does only move forwards, with the seeds of dire, implacable consequence lying at the bloodily beating heart of every action.


(Kokuhaku OS courtesy of redfordfilms.com; DVD cover art courtesy of nipponcinema.com.)

A Rundown of the 13 (plus) Best Horror Movies I’ve Seen in the Past Year
[2 of 13]
The Apocalypse Cinema Slot

CTHULHU

(June 2007)

I’ve known about this one for awhile though only now have managed to catch up with it, and I must say, this one’s an interesting and excellent Lovecraft adaptation by director Dan Gildark, a piece that tries things and goes places that are foreign to other Lovecraft adaptations.

Take “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” as a foundation, then splice in some gay themes and strains of apocalypse cinema, and throw in Gus Van Sant stalwart Scott Patrick Green and the Tori Spelling, and you’ll have a vague notion of what’s in store for you in Cthulhu.

For my money, one of the best Lovecraft adaptations I’ve seen…

THE DIVIDE

(March 2011)

This is one of those films I got to see over the past year, but didn’t have the time to write about previously.

Apologies, Monsieur Xavier Gens.

This one takes the boiler room scenario of titles like The Mist, as a bunch of tenants in an apartment building are crammed into the basement with the crotchety super, Mickey (Michael Biehn, baby!), in the hopes of riding out the nuclear devastation that’s wreaked havoc aboveground.

Sadly, human nature creeps to the surface and things don’t go so well for the poor unfortunates, who include Lauren German, Rosanna Arquette, and Milo Ventimiglia.

(Cthulhu OS courtesy of impawards.com and The Divide OS courtesy of reelizer.com.)

A Rundown of the 13 (plus) Best Horror Movies I’ve Seen in the Past Year
[1 of 13]
The Jaume Balagueró Slot

Yes, the admitted Jaume Balagueró slut kicks off with a Balagueró tie.
Can I help it if the man kicks righteous a$$ and deserves his own slot/category?

PARA ENTRAR A VIVIR
(TO LET)
(March 2006)


Since I’m proud to be a self-confessed Jaume Balagueró slut, it shames me to admit that it’s only now that I’ve finally gotten around to checking out the Filmax/Telecinco TV co-production, Peliculas Para No Dormir (6 Films to Keep You Awake)*, in particular, Balagueró’s contribution, Para Entrar A Vivir, which he directed between Frágiles and his collaboration with Paco Plaza on [REC].
Following the travails of a young couple (played by Dagon's Macarena Gómez and Adrià Collado) as they check out an apartment, this one turns out to be a twisted little number, a nasty piece of work that should tide me over till I get a chance to see Mientras Duermes (Sleep Tight).
If you haven’t seen this one yet, please do.


* These six television movies looked back to the original ‘60’s TV series, Peliculas Para No Dormir, and one of the 6 Films, La Culpa (Blame), was in fact directed by the show’s creator, Narciso Ibáñez Serrador.


MIENTRAS DUERMES
(SLEEP TIGHT)
(September 2011)


As it turns out, Para Entrar A Vivir didn’t have to tide me over for too long before I luxuriated in my next Jaume Balagueró fix.
In Mientras Duermes, Clara (Marta Etura) is waking up groggy and progressively out of sorts, and is being harassed by text messages, email, and yes, apparently even snail mail.
Clara’s got an obsessed stalker, and he’s a lot closer than she might expect.

Scripted by Alberto Marini (who co-wrote Para Entrar A Vivir with Balagueró), this one has a similar premise to the recently reconstituted Hammer production, The Resident, the difference being, Balagueró and Marini handle the material a lot more intelligently, creating a disturbing portrait of a sociopath who should be quite at home in this day and age of haters and Schadenfreude.

And while this dark little number is yet another Balagueró film that I love, I will admit to missing his collaborating with Xavi Giménez; Pablo Rosso has been Balagueró’s go-to cinematographer since Para Entrar A Vivir.
Of course, Giménez has gone on to directing, and I’ve been trying my darnedest to check out his feature directorial debut, Cruzando El Limite (Yellow), so maybe, everyone concerned is just spreading the love and astounding talent around a little more…
Rosso, after all, is one mean shooter too, what, with all the tricksy stuff he pulled off in the [REC] films.

So, while I eagerly await Balagueró’s [REC] 4: Apocalypse, it’s Mientras Duermes’ turn to keep me all warm and snugly…
Allow it to do the same for you.


(Para Entrar A Vivir DVD cover art courtesy of aullidos.com; Peliculas Para No Dormir screenshot courtesy of moviescreenshots.blogspot.com; Mientras Duermes and Sleep Tight OS’ courtesy of impawards.com.)

¡QUÉ HORROR! 2012
The Preliminaries

And here we are, that time of year once more…
Right up front, I’m going to say that this year, there are nineteen titles that are on the final list, and four runners-up in one category; we hit nineteen because there were ties in five categories, one of those ties, a threeway.

So you’ll note that I’ve continued to stick to the “category” system, so as not to clutter up the list with zombie films or found footage films.
And besides, as I’ve said before, the more films that get mentioned here, the more excellent horror cinema gets recognized, and that’s always a win-win.

Following the main list, I’ll be doing a rundown of the titles that I watched over the past year that I felt deserved some ¡Qué Horror! love, but I just didn’t get the chance to write about in their own Candidate posts…
And so, without further ado...