Five-Legged Iguana

¡Qué horror! 2014

The Preliminaries

That time of year again, but before we get to the list proper, allow me (with profuse apologies to all the filmmakers concerned) to run down the titles that were also ¡Qué horror! worthy, but I didn’t find the time to compose individual write-ups for.

Terribly, terribly sorry.

The other ¡Qué horror! 2014 Candidates are as follows:

You’re Next [Dir: Adam Wingard; September 2011]

Magic Magic [Dir: Sebastián Silva; January 2013]

Haunter [Dir: Vincenzo Natali; March 2013]

Dark Touch [Dir: Marina de Van; April 2013]

Antisocial [Dir: Chad Archibald; July 2013]

The Dead 2 [Dir: Howard J. Ford & Jon Ford; August 2013]

So, from a field of 21 Candidates, we’ve got a simple baker’s dozen this year; no ties, no runners-up.

Plus, I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention this title before we tackle the main rundown:

La Casa del Fin de los Tiempos

(The House of the End Times)

(June 2013)

Though this feature debut of Alejandro Hidalgo gives the early appearance of a horror film, it ultimately isn’t.

And though it also isn’t perfect (the intercutting between past and present in the initial parts of the film are slightly awkward, and the old age make-up leaves something to be desired), this is still a really interesting and potent piece of work that deserves attention.

In this Venezuelan production, Ruddy Rodríguez plays Dulce Alida de los Angeles, a woman who spends 30 years in prison and who is then moved back to her old house as an elderly woman, in what basically amounts to house arrest.

This is, of course, the same house in which the crimes for which she was accused and convicted took place, a house that’s gained a reputation for mysteries and disappearances.

(La Casa del Fin de los Tiempos OS courtesy of plusfarandula.com; all other OS’ courtesy of impawards.com.)