Before I get to the first half of my top 10 list, I’m gonna
rant for just a sec. It’s a rant you’ve
heard from me before, but I’m gonna bang this drum as long as my banger still
works. Whenever I tell someone that I
write about horror movies, they often say, “They just don’t make any good
horror movies any more.” When someone
says that, I ask them how many independent horror movies they’ve seen
lately. Nine times out of ten, their
response is “Huh?” There’s the problem
right there.
One criticism I know I’m gonna hear about my top 10 is “But
Nathan, I’ve only seen two or three of these.”
That’s because only two of my top 10 got a major theatrical
release. If you’re relying on your
local multiplex for good horror, you’re shortchanging yourself folks. I implore you, look deeper. The good stuff isn’t coming out of
Hollywood. If you really want to see
the best of what the genre currently has to offer, you’re gonna have to dig. Not far, mind you. Of the 8 indie flicks on my top 10, 7 are available at Redbox, on
VOD, from Amazon, or are a simple google search away. I’ve seen way too many top 10 lists this year that include
mediocre major studio fare just because they only take big releases into
account. For the sake of the genre and
for the sake of your entertainment, SUPPORT INDEPENDENT HORROR!
Look, I'm really not trying to sound like a film snob here, I just want more people to get a chance to see these kick ass movies. Ok, now that I’m done proselytizing, lets get on with the
countdown…
10. Nazis at the
Center of the Earth
I’ve spoken before about my love of The Asylum, the
preeminent purveyors of mockbusters and SyFy channel guilty pleasures, but they
outdid themselves here. This gem is, in
my opinion, the best movie ever to come out of The Asylum’s hallowed
halls. It has everything. There’s gore, Nazi flying saucers, human
experiments, gratuitous nudity, gunplay, lost worlds, and a perfectly played
Dr. Mengele. Yes, it has the over the
top insanity that they are known for, but it’s got a darker, grittier, and
nastier undercurrent than their usual output.
It makes for a potent b-movie cocktail.
The essence of this flick can actually be distilled into one scene. Yes, this is a spoiler, but it’s the kind
of spoiler that will only make you want to see it more. Trust me.
There is a scene where Jake Busey performs a forced abortion on his own
baby momma, then throws the stem cells into a machine that immediately gives
birth to Robo-Hitler! If you can read a
sentence like that and not immediately add this to your necessary viewing list,
there’s something horribly wrong with you.
I saw a lot of movies this year that may have been technically better,
but I honestly can’t say that I had more fun watching any movie this year than
I did with this one.
9. TIE: The Revenant and A Little Bit Zombie
Yeah, I know, a tie is technically cheating. It’s my countdown and I’ll cheat if I want
to. In a year that provided us with a
whole lot of godawful horror comedies, there was a pair of zomedies that got it
right. They both featured excellent
comedic timing, good acting, crisp dialog, and quotable one-liners. So many horror comedies are purely
splatstick or “dumb comedy.” While
there is definitely a place for both of those styles, and both of these films
embrace those elements, thankfully they also have brains…and not just the ones
being devoured. Both flicks also
feature relatable, well-rounded characters.
The Revenant, in particular, had sequences that left me thinking “that’s
EXACTLY what me and my friends would do in that situation." I think I need new friends. Anyway, I laughed hysterically at both of
these, and I’m picky as hell about my comedy.
It’s the perfect ZomCom double feature.
8. Sinister
Take a bunch of tried and true horror tropes, throw in a
couple of original ideas and interesting visual flares, and you’ve got the
makings of a nice little creepfest. I
just saw this one last night, and it was a great way to close out my viewing
year. Yes, it’s painfully obvious where
it’s going, but getting there is an entertaining ride. There is some excellent spooky imagery. Ethan Hawke does a good job in the
lead. There is even come awesome comic
relief embedded in the dialog. The
“bedroom argument” scene had me rolling.
Plus, Mr. Boogie is just plain cool looking. I’ve seen this film compared to Insidious in some reviews, but
Sinister is the superior of the two in every way. What really cemented this flick’s place on the list however, is
that – I can’t believe I’m gonna admit this – this was the only movie I saw in
a theater this year that actually got me with a jump scare. In fact, it got me twice. One of them I even saw coming a mile away
and it still worked. Well played
gentlemen, well played.
7. Cell Count
Body horror came back in a big way this year, with Cell
Count being one of the films leading the charge. We can all relate to the fear of our own bodies turning against
us and the unease of not really understanding what our doctor is doing to
us. Cell Count plays on these very real
fears with a clinical ferocity. This
kind of claustrophobic ensemble piece requires good performances all around to
work, and this cast definitely comes through.
I’m a sucker for mad scientists, and Dr. Victor Brandt is the best one
since Dr. Heiter. Director Todd E
Freeman mainly sticks with practical effects, and when he does, they’re
imaginative and messy. By never
revealing too much at one time, the film creates some real tension while still
providing sick jollies for the gorehounds, which is a balance many can’t
manage. This refreshingly “old school”
combination of the prison/isolation and disease/infection subgenres really gets
under your skin.
6. The Collective Volume 4
Some of the best, most innovative filmmaking going on today
can be found in short films.
Unfortunately, they’re criminally underseen because, outside of
festivals, they don’t really have a showcase.
JABB Pictures is changing that with their Collective series. The Concept: ten filmmakers each make a ten-minute
film based around a central theme. It’s
basically an indie horror sampler platter.
JABB released volumes 3-5 of the series this year; and Volume 4, with
each film tackling a different emotion, proved to be the epitome of what the
series is all about. From the gritty,
nihilistic realism of Luke 1:71 to the gross out excesses of Epidemic to the
faux grindhouse madness of Bloody Hooker Bang Bang: A Love Story, this one
truly has something to scratch everyone’s particular
macabre itch. The Collective series
gets my vote as the best horror value for your buck on the indie market right
now, and Volume 4 is the best of the bunch…so far.
Come back tomorrow for 5-1.
UPDATE:
- Nazis at the Center of the Earth, A Little Bit Zombie, and The Revenant are all available on Netflix or on DVD/Blu Ray.
- Cell Count is available on itunes, Amazon instant, VUDU, Playstation Network, XBox Live, and just about every other VOD service you can think of.
- All 5 Volumes of The Collective are available at http://www.jabbpictures.com. They're just 10 bucks each, or get all 5 (that's over 8 hours) for $40.
- Sinister, well, you shouldn't have a hard time finding that one.
See, your old pal SOC made it easy on 'ya.
