Jeff's Top 13 Horror Films of 2018 Complete List

Happy New Year Creeps and welcome to another dead raising edition of our Top 13 films of last year (2018). We have all the usual suspects gathered to provide their input on what you should have seen last year or at least should add to your list for this year. I have a feeling you will find some bleed over from last year given that some of the films that debuted in late 2017 weren’t available until early 2018. Thus why you’ll find films that should have made the 2017 list got carried over to this list and some that made the 2017 list weren’t available for general consumption until 2018. So, though TRAGEDY GIRLS made my 2017 list it couldn’t hack the competition for 2018, but is still deserving of your watch list if you haven’t seen it yet. Speaking of being able to hack this list, there was a lot of great horror that came out of 2018 that shows wonderful promise for the land of horror like HEREDITARY and SUMMER OF 84. You may even find a tie or two on this list. There was also enough bad stuff to make you question why you wasted your time and money on them, like SLENDER MAN and TRUTH OR DARE. Sometimes Hollywood surprises us with an excellent horror film, like the SUSPIRIA remake which you won’t find on my list, despite being just as amazingly mind boggling as the original, simply because there is still no replacing the original no matter the argument. You will find a sequel that reshapes an iconic franchise, and another that bend your perception of reality. There seems to be more serial killers than monsters on this list as well as if there truly is a difference.

Before we get started on the films that did make The Best 13 Horror Films of 2018 let's take a look at those that didn’t make that list but definitely deserves notoriety either negatively and/or positively.
Starting with…

2018’s Worst Horror Movie of the Year goes to...

DAY OF THE DEAD: BLOODLINES

At the end of a very bloody day, DAY OF THE DEAD: BLOODLINES kind of fails at what it's trying to do. While I can respect Hèctor Hernández Vicens' vision and what he was trying to do, I think he was hamstrung by a shoddy script and a minuscule budget. Little budget or not, I've seen films on a tiny budget, pull off really big things. So that's not an excuse. Somewhere right now, Bub is rolling over in his non-existent grave.

In contrast,

2018’s Best/Worst Horror Film of the Year goes to...

HELL’S KITTY

Now I'm definitely not going to say that HELL’S KITTY is brilliant in any way. But it is everything you could possibly love and hate about a B-horror comedy. A whose who in horror royalty and a demon possessed cat. What could be better?

On to the good stuff,

2018’s Honorable Mention goes to...

THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE

THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE excels at being creepy and has a fun game you can play where you get to count all the hidden ghosts. This may require repeat viewings but that can’t be a bad thing. Be sure to read the novel too for a late night, keep all the lights on, page turner.

2018 Honorable Mentions Despite Overwhelming Odds...

MOM AND DAD

As most of you are likely to remember, I am not your everyday Nicolas Cage fan. In fact I usually can't stand him. But, as soon as the poop hit the pan and Cage went full psycho I was in for the madness. I finally figured out what Cage was good at that's being bat shit crazy.

MANDY

Part Hellraiser, part bad acid trip, all balls to the wall mayhem. Cast Nicholas Cage as John Wick, take away his girlfriend, and let him be his crazy ass self and you have MANDY. Though it started out kind of like The Grey and the whole relationship thing was boring, when he gets to The Hoard on the bad guys it is pretty epic. Best bad guy overcompensating award also goes to Linus Roache.

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Jeff's dead raising edition of the Creepercast's Top 13 films of 2018 continues with...

#13
SLICE

"When a pizza delivery driver is murdered on the job, the city searches for someone to blame: ghosts? drug dealers? a disgraced werewolf?"

SLICE is a brilliant piece of horror mish mash that is both fun and different. Sure there are a lot of projects I can compare it to like Midnight in Texas with all its ghosts, witches and a werewolf. It's reminiscence of Hot Fuzz in its final outcome and though it may not be as funny, it has plenty of belly laughs to keep you going. A24 Studios usually walks a very thin line of worthwhile horror but SLICE is an entertaining departure and I hope they bring us more. The opening murder alone where the pizza delivery guy gets his throat slit while a scared stiff ghost watches is horror comedy gold.

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#12

UNSANE vs THE POSSESSION OF HANNAH GRACE

Sometimes we can't make up our mind between two movies and have to show our respect to both. In this case we're only talking ablout #12, To not have both of these films that are excellently choreographed with solid stories but don't quite break the top ten barrier on the list would be a crime. One is another Soderbergh mind bender and the other is a demon possession. Neither are exceptional, both are worth viewing, despite their failed hype and bad press.

UNSANE

Soderbergh is working hard to continue to be a force in mind bending thrillers. In UNSANE he puts a stalker victim through the fight of her life. There are some obvious plot explanations that are hard to accept but Joshua Leonard delivers as a creepy stalker that is willing to go through great lengths to prove his love for his victim. We are always fans of experimental film making, and though it doesn't really prove itself well as a gimmick, Soderbergh has proven that an iPhone can shoot a very clean looking film.

THE POSSESSION OF HANNAH GRACE

Even though its getting panned by critics and didn't really deserve the all the fanfare their add campaign created, THE POSSESSION OF HANNAH GRACE isn't a horrible demon possession film. Its obvious they were counting on the cult success of The Autopsy of Jane Doe and it doesn't fail in creating the same type of atmosphere. In the end that's what makes this a bottom three film but still on the list. The characters are pretty one dimensional but the demonic effects are everything you expect.

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#11

BIRD BOX

I'm a sucker for horror that can expertly use the art of what you don't see is worse what than what you can and BIRD BOX pulls it off better than I have ever seen (or not seen?). The closest we come to knowing what the monsters look like is a series of scribbles by one of the survivors. It feels like an attempt to A QUIET PLACE to another level and though I feel it fails in that department it is worthy of this number 11 spot.

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#10

GHOST STORIES

GHOST STORIES is the perfect classic British horror film. It feels like a Hammer film chock full British supernatural images and mind bending story telling. We have the stereotypical skeptic whose forced to face the worst of his fears and Martin Freeman is the perfect antithesis. The English landscape plays just as much of a role in GHOST STORIES to remind us it is the home of all things ghostly.

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#09

HEREDITARY

A24 horror films are sometimes touch and go, I mean, The Witch and It comes at Night were brilliant additions to the genre with deserved praise. HEREDITARY is one of those films that came on the heels of an outrageous ad campaign that promised the most disturbing horror film you've ever seen. As usually turns out to be the case, I assure you that it isn't. I'm still a fan of the style of shock advertising made popular in the 50's and love the way HEREDITARY was able to make it work. The film is disturbing, very reminiscent of Rosemary's Baby, with decent jump scares and mind numbing mental horror, its hardly the film the advertisements and critics are promising but it is different enough when it comes to possession films to make it number 9.

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#08

TERRIFIER

Our new favorite evil Halloween clown is, without a doubt, Art from TERRIFIER. He had earned that position already with his brief appearance in the anthology All Hallows' Eve. He has cemented that postion with his feature film debute. TERRIFIER is everything a slasher fan loves with equal percentages of indy glory, grindhouse gore, torture porn, and 80
's nostalgia. Art, truly is, an artist.

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# 07

BAD SAMARITAN

David Tennant is, without question, my favorite Doctor. Not only that, he's also one of the best British actors to cross the pond. Alright, so maybe he's Scottish, but that doesn't change the fact that he embraces every role as if they are life and easily convinces the watcher he is who he's playing. In this case he takes his evil villain role from Jessica Jones and turns him into a serial killer. There is no way this a bad thing. Tennant commands the screen with ultimate evil and root-able bad guy. Sure there's nothing ultimately new or fantastic about the rest of the film other than the use of technology. And Robert Sheehan isn't especially memorable. Tennant and his OCD twisted alter ego is unforgettable.

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#06

HELL FEST

HELL FEST debuted with lots of mixed results. Many panning it for being a schlockey slasher without much originality. Personally I found it pleasingly predictable, everything I would expect from the plot with a nice little exposure at the end. There will obviously be no end to amusement park slashers. It is a place full of killer possibilities that seems only natural. So I don't feel its fair to judge it entirely on that alone, although I can't help wanting to attend a Halloween based amusement park. What's important is whether the plot and story are fun and HELL FEST is is full of screaming fun. Including ring master Tony Todd.

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#05

THE CLOVEHITCH KILLER

Dylan McDermott has proven himself to be an amazing actor. Recently he has been involved in independent projects that truly test those skills. THE CLOVEHITCH KILLER is one of those that cleaned up at Sundance and for good reason. It is an artistic yet realistic look at learning that the good God loving man that heads your family may have some demons inside lacking exercise. THE CLOVEHITCH KILLER isn't the first film to explore urban life with a serial killer on the loose, nor is it the last one on this list. But it does examine the subject much closer up than most and reminds us that the least likely of us are most likely.

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#04

SUMMER OF 84

Yes, SUMMER OF 84 is everything you want and expect from a serial killer among us film. What's more is it is set in a time period where, for some reason, we never considered was a real thing that could happen. 80's nostalgia comes in Spielbergian form with best friends on bikes, parents that barely pay attention to them, and a mystery that is more true than they could hope. It's a coming of age movie in a time of innocence that many of us remember fondly our many brushes with death and survived. In the end, the mystery is only the vehicle by which one of our innocents must come to terms with his own mortality and the constant threats life has to offer. There's nothing more evil as a child to find your life constantly in danger and not knowing from where that danger might come.

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#03

HALLOWEEN

There is so much that can and has be said about the best Halloween "sequel". HALLOWEEN 2018 rewrites the Meyer's legacy and returns the cannon back to the original model. He was just a focused killer out for babysitters but has a specially affinity for the one who got away. I am all in, personally hating all the humanizing back story created by the franchise. I like my masked killers to remain blood thirsty killers and really don't care about their lives before I was introduced to the mask. The return of Jamie Lee and Nick Castle further cement the nostalgia. David Gordon Green and Danny McBride obviously love the original. The jabs at sequels are clever, and Carpenter's involvement a blessing like no other. The only thing lacking is I only wish that I had stock in Blumhouse.

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#02

THE ENDLESS

A sequel to their independent masterpiece RESOLUTION, THE ENDLESS takes us into the heart of two young survivors (played by Benson and Moorehead) of what may have been a death cult as they decide to go back and visit after escaping. Their lives haven't gotten much better since leaving, so why not? Once there the film turns into exactly what you expect as things go from ok to downright creepy. There are few writers and directors in the independent world that can weave a tail as engrossing as Benson/Moorehead and still keep it on the edge of horror. THE ENDLESS is another winner on both the psychological and entertainment front. It's likely THE ENDLESS would have been number one on my last years list if I'd of seen it then.

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#01

A QUIET PLACE

Krasinski knows the rules of survival horror but doesn't feel limited by them. Instead, he builds the opening tension, sets us up for something bad to happen, then lets it happen before we've had a chance to register exactly whats going on. This introduction does nothing to give us the background to the conditions the family has found themselves in but focuses us on the family and their loss, suffering, angst, and struggle to find normalcy in a new world where to make noise will promise certain death. From this point on the attention to detail is incredible as we learn just what this family has done to adjust their lives, like sandy walkways that mute footsteps, homemade crochet game pieces, and even the elaborate set up created to distract the creatures when Blunt's character is ready to give birth. This scene alone is enough to garner awards for everything from acting to visual effects and has earned its place in iconography via the still that graces the official poster art. Finally, we do get our exposition through the eyes of their deaf child, and from then on anything that can go wrong will.

Jeff's The Best 13 Horror Films of 2018: Honorable Mentions

your list for this year. I have a feeling you will find some bleed over from last year given that some of the films that debuted in late 2017 weren’t available until early 2018. Thus why you’ll find films that should have made the 2017 list got carried over to this list and some that made the 2017 list weren’t available for general consumption until 2018. So, though TRAGEDY GIRLS made my 2017 list it couldn’t hack the competition for 2018, but is still deserving of your watch list if you haven’t seen it yet. Speaking of being able to hack this list, there was a lot of great horrors that came out of 2018 that shows wonderful promise for the land of horror like HEREDITARY and SUMMER OF 84. You may even find a tie or two on this list. There was also enough bad stuff to make you question why you wasted your time and money on them, like SLENDER MAN and TRUTH OR DARE. Sometimes Hollywood surprises us with an excellent horror film, like the SUSPIRIA remake which you won’t find on my list, despite being just as amazingly mind-boggling as the original, simply because there is still no replacing the original no matter the argument. You will find a sequel that reshapes an iconic franchise, and another that bend your perception of reality. There seem to be more serial killers than monsters on this list as well as if there truly is a difference.

Before we get started on the films that did make The Best 13 Horror Films of 2018 let's take a look at those that didn’t make that list but definitely deserves notoriety either negatively and/or positively. Starting with… 2018’s Worst Horror Movie of the Year goes to...

DAY OF THE DEAD: BLOODLINES

At the end of a very bloody day, 'Day of the Dead: Bloodlines' kind of fails at what it's trying to do. While I can respect Hèctor Hernández Vicens' vision and what he was trying to do, I think he was hamstrung by a shoddy script and a minuscule budget. The actors seemed to be straight out of film school and there was never really any drama, danger or a real plot to speak of. Imagine taking your favorite story and removing all of the things you really loved about it and replacing it with excerpts from the phone book. That's kind of what we ended up with here and it's a shame. While the original isn't crying out for a remake, after what 'Dawn of the Dead' (2004) did for upping the remake game, there's a potential there to create something amazing. Only time will tell if we'll ever get a version of this story that will stand alongside the original and don't get me wrong, it wasn't a perfect film. However, it's stood the test of time and has still managed to set the tone for generations of zombie films that followed it. It's quotable and has one of the most horrific scenes of undead violence ever committed to the screen. If you don't know what I'm referring too, just think back to when Rhodes finally got his comeuppance. I'm giving this film 1 out of 5 stars. Sadly, it just fell far too short of the mark. Little budget or not, I've seen films on a tiny budget, pull off really big things. So that's not an excuse. Somewhere right now, Bub is rolling over in his empty grave. Also, what was up with Johnathon Schaech's mouth?!?! 

In contrast, 2018’s Best/Worst Horror Film of the Year goes to...

HELL’S KITTY

Now I'm definitely not going to say that 'Hell's Kitty' is brilliant in any way. But it is everything you could possibly love and hate about a B-horror comedy. You'll love mining the film for popular horror references. Between all the blatantly placed callbacks ('The Shining', 'Children of the Corn', and 'The Exorcist' just to name a few) and all the well-placed items in a scene, or even cleverly placed lines in dialogue, there is a lot of horror nostalgia to look for. You'll also love the cameos that not only strengthen the homages but humorously play on what we think we know about these characters based on their iconic roles. My favorite is when Michael Berryman, a very scary looking guy who (if you follow him at all on social media, is really a pussycat) first pops into a room to a startled Nick and says "Do I scare you?" Bill (Oberst Jr.) as a creepy vicar is, as always, brilliantly portrayed. Also, Doug Jones possessed by a cat demon is horror comedy gold. How's that for a tease?

On to the good stuff, 2018’s Honorable Mention goes to...

THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE

The new kings of horror releases Netflix have been dominating the genre for the last few years. By attracting the best in horror filmmakers and putting together ensemble casts they’ve managed to populate tons of year-end lists with well-crafted stories. It's not only exciting for us horror fans but is legitimizing the genre in ways we never would have dreamt possible. Mike Flannigan's mini-series event THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE is an epic piece of work that far surpasses any previous adaptations of Shirley Jackson's novel. THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE excels at being creepy and has a fun game you can play where you get to count all the hidden ghosts. This may require repeat viewings but that can’t be a bad thing. Be sure to read the novel too for a late night, keep all the lights on, page-turner.

2018 Honorable Mentions Despite Overwhelming Odds...

MOM AND DAD

As most of you are likely to remember, I am not your everyday Nicolas Cage fan. In fact I usually can't stand him. When it comes to acting he doesn't, instead who shows up all stained faced and seems to deliver lines thinking the influence in his voice is enough to convince us he's really sad, or mad, etc. Otherwise, his face never changes. That has been the case for at least 2 decades now and although I may be a late bloomer while watching Mom and Dad I finally realized what Cage is really good at. He's really good at being friggin crazy! Why they tried to make him a serious actor when it's obvious he should always play the nutjob I have no idea. I was almost bored to death during the somber moments before parents starting killing their kids and even the supporting cast couldn't keep me awake. But, as soon as the poop hit the pan and Cage went full psycho I was in for the madness. When I declared I'd finally figured out what Cage was good at to Joel he laughed and said "that's because he wasn't acting. He really is crazy." That seems true since he isn't acting any other time, so why would I think he was now?

MANDY

Part Hellraiser, part bad acid trip, all balls to the wall mayhem. Cast Nicholas Cage as John Wick, take away his girlfriend and let him be his crazy ass self and you have MANDY. Though it started out kind of like The Grey and the whole relationship thing was boring, when he gets to The Hoard on the bad guys it is pretty epic. Best bad guy overcompensating award also goes to Linus Roache.

my thoughts on.... 'Halloween' (2018)

As with all of my reviews of films for The Creepercast, I fully recommend that you check each and every one of them out. I am one man and this is my opinion. I've seen plenty of movies that received reviews that were the complete opposite of how I saw the film. These writers, directors, producers and actors all put a lot of time and love into these projects. They deserve to be seen and appreciated for what they are. Everyone has a dream and I fully support the people that take the time to make theirs a reality. With that being said....

Every once in a while you get excited about something that's coming out. I'm not talking about general excitement, but honest to goodness, kid on Christmas, excitement. That's how it was when I went to the theater to see the newest installment in the 'Halloween' legacy. Way back when I first heard about a pitch that had happened by David Gordon Green and, none other than, Danny McBride for a new 'Halloween' film.... needless to say, I was confused. What on earth does this comedic actor and (primarily) television writer/director, know about horror? But the more I read about it and saw the legitimate passion they had for the project, the more interested I became. Then they dropped the bombshell. This was going to be a direct sequel to the original 1978 John Carpenter film. Once again, I was a little bit gobsmacked. Why on earth would you retcon everything from the past 6 sequels (not counting part 3) and/or not continue what Rob Zombie had started? It seemed a rather bold decision. Once again, I read all of the articles and saw that they had a vision. They saw something fresh and new that the rest of us did not and genuinely wanted to make the 'Halloween' film that we'd all been waiting for. I mean, the original part 2 was written in a drunken stupor and John Carpenter himself, wasn't really keen on how it turned out. Part 3 was it's own thing. Parts 4-8 created an almost impossible timeline of events and confusing back story that watered down the original material to an almost unwatchable place. Even part 8, that really could have been something good, turned into one of the biggest farces ever committed to the screen. Rob's films, essentially, could stand on their own and didn't leave much room for a continuation of the story. So, when I looked at it as a whole, what other direction could you go? Then, Jamie Lee Curtis signed on and all was well in the world. At that point, we all knew that this may be something special. Here we are, a couple of years later and the film has been unleashed to the world and it is doing some crazy box office. This just proves that Michael Myers has a staying power that can't be underestimated and that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

The film begins in Smith's Grove Sanitarium, the home of Michael Myers for the past 40 years. Now, an old man, he's never spoken a word and lives his days out as a bit of a modern day boogeyman; retired. Two podcasters come to visit him, in the hopes of getting some kind of an interview and a story for their latest episode. Upon meeting with Michael, one of them shows him the mask and we get the idea that perhaps there is something still a bit supernatural about 'The Shape'. They then head to the home Laurie Strode. The survivor of that single murderous night, in which Michael killed five other people and left her alive to tell the tale. She now lives in, basically, a compound that's compete with a shooting range, floodlights, all kinds of security and no one else but herself. The two podcasters once again attempt to get a story, in the hopes of possibly having her and Micheal sit down together to hash out their differences. We see Laurie is now a PTSD sufferer and has had a life full of sadness and struggle. All because of the actions of one man. She turns down the offer and escorts the two off her property. We then meet her daughter and granddaughter, who rarely see her, but are soon joined together for a meal. This turns out to be a bit of a good bye dinner, as Laurie plans to murder Michael as he's being moved to another location. She realizes that she can't go through with it and while Michael is on his way to his new home, he escapes. From there, it's back to Haddonfield, to once again pick up where he left off and possibly finish what he started.

I really don't want to divulge much more than that, because this is such a new film and part of the joy in seeing it is the ability to watch the events unfold naturally. While this might not be a perfect film and may have been a bit to over hyped by the press, it does pay off on the majority of what it promised. A return to form and a story that's worthy to be included in the canon that is 'Halloween'. One of the big things that immediately jumps out at you, with this film, is the score. John Carpenter returns to take what he originally wrote and expands on it in ways that punctuate the film beautifully. There are some intense moments that are only amplified by the musical score. What he's done with the music is perfect and fits tonally with what David was going for with the film itself. They really work quite well together and it lends some credence to the entire affair. Another aspect of this film that really spoke to me was the erasing of all that came after part 1. Now, don't get me wrong, I enjoy 2 and 3 quite a bit, but never really could appreciate the later outings like the rest of the fandom does. It wasn't until Rob Zombie's films, that I really got into the Michael mythos. I always felt like they were continually diluting what made the main character scary in the first place and making him more of a puppet that a monster. Whereas Jason was an undead killing machine and Freddy was a murdering mirth maker, Micheal became confusing. This wipes that slate clean and leaves you with the impression he may be more than just a man, but maybe not? It seems as though they were taking aspects of the other ten films and incorporating them into this one, in bits and pieces, but never really giving the audience more than a nod that they even existed. All in all, this film just felt 'right'. Like it fit perfectly in the world that John created and gave us some much needed closure on the story. Not that it's necessarily over....

With all of that being said, there were some things here that didn't work. There are some logic jumps, which kind of come with the territory. I mean, you can't make a horror film without it. At least not with a modern day boogeyman. There was one scene in particular that seemed a bit out of left field. I don't want to provide any spoilers, but it involves the doctor and.... well, you'll know it when you see it. However, the moment that part has ended, what happens next raises a lot of very interesting questions that make me look forward to the commentary on the DVD/Blu-ray release. I've also got a few minor issues with the mask itself, as I think I got a little bit spoiled with the quality of the one that Rob had created for his films. Not too mention, that if this is supposed to be the one that was used back in 1978, I would think that it wouldn't have been wearable by 2018. Based on what I know about latex masks. (Which isn't much). Finally, the ending. I'm a little puzzled by the decisions that were made with how to close out the third act. The final two shots and the (sort of) cut scene after the credits. They leave us with more questions than answers and it felt just a bit confusing. I don't know what the plan was with the franchise, when they were writing it, or if there was a plan, but it leaves me wondering if/and or what would happened next? Maybe that was the goal? All in all, this is a solid entry into the series and bookends nicely with the original films and even the remakes. Sadly, the majority of the other big names have fallen on hard times. The 'Friday the 13th' films have all but petered out, unless they do another reboot or find a fresh way to pick up where the left off. The 'Nightmare on Elm Street' films left us on a high note, only to kill that with a horrific remake. With 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre', it's become one of the most absurd timelines in cinema history. Although, I really enjoyed the most recent installment, it didn't really leave them room to grow. It's like each films is almost it's own separate entity with only Leatherface tying it all together. The 'Child's Play' films have held things together really well, in my opinion, and may finally be making a mistake with a reboot, but time will tell. Finally, 'Hellraiser'... well, that's just a mess. For the newest 'Halloween' (2018) I'm giving it a 4 out of 5 star ranking and have added it to my list of the 'Top 13 Horror Films of 2018' and justifiably so. It's a love letter to the first films, while breaking its own new ground. If you get a chance, go see this one in the theater with a room full of people and I think you'll walk away feeling satisfied. Also, thank you to Danny McBride and David Gordon Green for not making Laurie without the flaws and scars of someone who's endured a traumatic experience. Far too many films shy away from this for their 'final girl' and sadly, it ends up cheapening the story line and the characters that have been created. Bring on the next film!



If you like this film, please revisit: 'Halloween' (1978), 'Halloween' (2007) and consider the rest of them too. We all have our favorites, eh?

Fantasia 2018: Official Poster Reveal - and First Two Titles

The Fantasia International Film Festival returns to Concordia University, The Cinémathèque Québécoise, and The McCord Museum from July 12 to August 1, 2018, to celebrate its 22nd edition. Talented Montreal illustrator Donald Caron, who has crafted emblematic imagery for the event since 2011, has designed a whimsical new original poster for the festival’s 2018 edition.

More than ever, Fantasia now provides a prominent showcase for Quebec cinema by presenting dozens of shorts by local creators, as well as a selection of feature films from Quebec. In addition, the festival pays tribute to a key figure in the Quebec film industry with its Denis Héroux Award, which has been granted since 2016 to a local creator to mark exceptional contributions to the development of genre and independent cinema in Quebec.

In celebrating this, it is with great pride that the first two features confirmed for Fantasia’s 2018 edition come from both seasoned and first-time Quebec filmmakers. First up, Fantasia will showcase the Canadian Premiere of RKSS’s acclaimed Sundance smash SUMMER OF ’84 as a gala Opening Weekend event. The sophomore film from the adored Quebec filmmaking trio of François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissel, follows up their celebrated 2015 feature debut TURBO KID (itself born out of Frontieres, Fantasia’s International Co-Production Market). A tense, gripping thriller set in mid-80s suburbia, SUMMER OF ’84 stars Mad Men’s Rich Sommer and stylistically displays an entirely different approach from what RKSS have done to date.

“François, Anouk, and Yoann are absolute family to us here,” said Fantasia Co-Director Mitch Davis. "In many ways, they’re a spearhead of a generation for Quebec fantastic filmmakers who grew up at Fantasia and are now stunning the world.  We’ve been showing their work since 2008 and we’re thrilled to be presenting SUMMER OF ’84’s Canadian Premiere. We adore everything that it represents, while showing RKSS’ striking versatility as storytellers and marking their first time directing a third party screenplay. They’ve knocked it hard out of the park. There’s nothing they can’t do."

Fantasia 2018 will also showcase the North American premiere of the omnibus feature MONTREAL DEAD END, hot off a roaring World Premiere in Belgium this past weekend at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival. Directed by no fewer than 18 emerging filmmakers, including Rémi Fréchette, Eve Dufaud, Jimmy Pettigrew, and Priscillia Piccoli, MONTREAL DEAD END is more than a film - it is the manifesto of a rising generation of filmmakers who loudly and proudly shout their love and their desire to make cutting-edge genre cinema in Quebec.

Stay tuned for our continued coverage of Fantasia!

Most Anticipated Horrors of 2018

Now that 2017 is in the books, its time to look forward to what the new year has to offer. Here is the January films we are looking forward to in 2018.

Day of the Dead: Bloodline

A reimagining of George A. Romero's cult classic, DAY OF THE DEAD: BLOODLINE is set in a post-apocalyptic, zombie-filled world where a former med school student is tormented by a dark figure from her past. The only thing is, he's a half-human, half-zombie hell-bent on destroying her world.

Directed By: Hèctor Hernández Vicens, Pearry Reginald Teo

Written By: Mark Tonderai, Lars Jacobson, George A. Romero

Stars: Sophie Skelton, Johnathon Schaech, Jeff Gum

Release: Jan 5, 2018  Limited Theater, On Disc/Streaming

Insidious: The Last Key

Parapsychologist Dr. Elise Rainier faces her most fearsome and personal haunting yet - in her own family home.

Directed By: Adam Robitel
Written By: Leigh Whannell
Stars: Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson
Release: Jan 5, 2018 Theater

Suspiria (remake)

A young American ballerina comes to train at a prestigious German dance academy and uncovers the school's dark and menacing secrets.

Directed By: Luca Guadagnino
Written By: Dario Argento, Daria Nicolodi, David Kajganich
Stars: Chloë Grace Moretz, Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton
Release: TBD

The Endless 

Two brothers return to the cult they fled from years ago to discover that the group's beliefs may be more sane than they once thought

Directed By: Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead
Written By: Justin Benson
Stars: Callie Hernandez, James Jordan, Tate Ellington
Release: TBD - currently in festivals

Psychopaths

An executed serial killer, an escaped mental patient, a beautiful seductress, a crazed strangler and a masked murderer unleash blood-soaked mayhem over the course of one night.

Directed By: Mickey Keating
Written By: Mickey Keating
Stars: Ashley Bell, Josh Ethier, Larry Fessenden
Release: currently on VOD

Tragedy Girls

A twist on the slasher genre, following two death-obsessed teenage girls who use their online show about real-life tragedies to send their small mid-western town into a frenzy and cement their legacy as modern horror legends.

Directed By: Tyler MacIntyre
Written By: Chris Lee Hill, Tyler MacIntyre
Stars: Josh Hutcherson, Brianna Hildebrand, Kevin Durand
Release: currently in limited theaters

Nosferatu 

Vampire Count Orlok expresses interest in a new residence and real estate agent Hutter's wife.
(remake from writer/director of The VVitch)

Directed By: David Lee Fisher
Stars: Doug Jones, Sarah Carter, Joely Fisher
Release: TBD

Abruptio 

Les Hackel (Marsters) is a guy down on his luck who wakes to find an explosive device has been implanted in his neck. He must carry out heinous crimes in order to stay alive while trying to identify the mastermind manipulating the now twisted and strange world around him.

Directed By: Evan Marlowe
Written By: Evan Marlowe
Stars: Jordan Peele, James Marsters, Hana Mae Lee
Release: TBD

Penance Lane

A hardened criminal fresh out of the joint takes a job as a handyman in a dilapidated house; but the twisted horrors he finds inside are enough to send anyone running. So why does he stay? And why are so many people drawn to Penance Lane?

Directed By: Péter Engert
Written By: Munier Sharrieff
Stars: Scout Taylor-Compton, John Schneider, Tyler Mane
Release: TBD

Winchester: The House that Ghosts Built  

After the sudden death of her family, firearms heiress Sarah Winchester becomes convinced that she's haunted by the souls of those killed by guns. Winchester then decides to build an enormous mansion that's designed to keep the evil spirits at bay. When skeptical psychiatrist Eric Price visits the estate to evaluate her state of mind, he soon discovers that her obsession may not be so far-fetched after all.

Directed By: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
Written By: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
Stars: Helen Mirren, Sarah Snook, Jason Clarke
Release: 2 February 2018 (USA)

Victor Crowley

Ten years after the events of the original movie, Victor Crowley is mistakenly resurrected and proceeds to kill once more.

Directed By: Adam Green
Written By: Adam Green
Stars: Parry Shen, Kane Hodder, Laura Ortiz
Release: 6 February 2018 (USA)

Death House 

A power breakdown inside a secret prison sends two agents fighting through a labyrinth of horrors. As they fight to escape, the agents discover a supernatural group of evil beings who may be their chance for survival.

Directed By: B. Harrison Smith
Written By: Gunnar Hansen (original writer), B. Harrison Smith
Stars: Dee Wallace, Adrienne Barbeau, Michael Berryman
Release: 23 February 2018 (USA)

The Strangers: Prey at Night 

A road trip to visit relatives takes a dangerous turn when a family arrives at a secluded mobile home park that's mysteriously deserted -- until three masked psychopaths show up.

Directed By:  Johannes Roberts
Written By: Bryan Bertino (original screenplay), Ben Ketai (screenplay)
Stars: Christina Hendricks, Bailee Madison, Martin Henderson
Release: 9 March 2018 (USA)

A Quiet Place 

A family lives an isolated existence in utter silence, for fear of an unknown threat that follows and attacks at any sound.
(Project Green Light winner)

Directed By: John Krasinski
Written By:  Bryan Woods, Scott Beck
Stars: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Noah Jupe
Release: 6 April 2018 (USA)

Slenderman

Terror strikes when four teenage girls in a small town perform a ritual to debunk the lore of a tall, thin, horrifying figure known as the Slender Man. They soon fear that the legend is true when one of them suddenly goes missing.

Directed By: Sylvain White
Written By: Slender Man; by Eric Knudsen
Stars: Joey King, Annalise Basso, Javier Botet
Release: May 18, 2018 (USA)

Meg 

A deep-sea submersible is attacked by a massive creature, previously thought to be extinct, and now lies disabled at the bottom of the deepest trench in the Pacific with its crew trapped inside. With time running out, expert deep-sea rescue diver Jonas Taylor is recruited by a visionary Chinese oceanographer to save the crew from this prehistoric threat.

Directed By: Jon Turteltaub
Written By: Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror; by Steve Alten, Belle Avery
Stars: Ruby Rose, Jason Statham, Robert Taylor
Release: 10 August 2018 (USA)

Cadaver 

When a cop who is just out of rehab takes the graveyard shift in a city hospital morgue, she faces a series of bizarre and violent events caused by an evil entity in one of the corpses.
(Director is remaking the Birds)

Directed By:  Diederik Van Rooijen
Written By: Brian Sieve
Stars: Stana Katic, Shay Mitchell, Grey Damon
Release: 24 August 2018 (USA)

Halloween

Laurie Strode comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.

Directed By: David Gordon Green
Written By: John Carpenter (characters), David Gordon Green (screenplay)
Stars: John Carpenter (characters), David Gordon Green (screenplay)
Release: 19 October 2018 (USA)

my thoughts on.... David Gordon Green and Danny McBride's 'Halloween'

Ever since Michael Myers first stalked the babysitter in 1978's horror defining classic, 'Halloween', we've longed for a return to form and a decent follow up in that original franchise. 'Halloween 2' is about the closest they ever came to a proper follow up to the original, with sequel after sequel continuing to further take the story away from it's roots. To make Michael less and less frightening and more about how messed up his mask can get. However, I'm going to leave Rob Zombie's take on the series, out of this conversation. To me, they are 2 films unto themselves. Neither carrying on the story that started so many years ago, but rather to tell the story from another perspective. Granted, I'm a huge fan of Rob's work and feel that those 2 films are great examples of how to take something and make it your own. Love them or hate them, they are what Rob wanted them to be. A boogeyman built for a new generation.

With John Carpenter's masterwork slowly losing it's credibility over the years, fans have clamored for someone new to take the helm and bring us all back to basics. A streamlined piece of horror cinema that relies as much on music and mood, as it does murder and mayhem. There have been many rumors and whispers amongst horror fans for years. There have been fan films and comics and merchandising galore. There is no doubt that Michael has just as much power over the public now, as he did back in the late 70's and early 80's. People love him. In the past year or so, there were talks of John Carpenter traveling back to Haddonfield for role as producer in a new 'Halloween' installment. The buzz around this was insane. Fans were ready for him to resurrect the monster he created and to bring him back to form. Over time though, things kind of quieted, until this week. The new word on the street is something a bit unexpected. It was just announced on February 10th, that David Gordon Green (Stronger, Our Brand Is Crisis, Joe, Pineapple Express) and Danny McBride (Alien: Covenant, Eastbound & Down, Vice Principals) were in talks to bring 'Halloween' back, but they're not alone.

Now, unless you've been under a rock for the past decade, this is kind of an unusual pairing of ideas. Taking a couple of guys who don't have any real experience in the genre and handing them the keys to the kingdom. But wait, is that a bad thing? Another unlikely horror hero came out of the woodwork a while back and has been breathing life into the genre. None other than Elijah Wood. Yes, THAT Elijah Wood. It turns out, that the man is a horror fiend and ever since dipping his toe in the pond, he's been creating some pretty amazing stuff. For example, 2013's remake of 'Maniac' or 2014's 'Cooties', just to name a couple. He's also created his own production company and has been championing scary movies left and right. If this doesn't give you a little bit of hope, that two other non-fright films kind of guys, might be able to create something good.... I don't know what will. It's been proven time and time again that some of the most unsuspecting people will surprise you with how truly terrifying they can be. Maybe it's time we got a fresh set of hands on this franchise?

Danny McBride, when talking about what their 'Halloween' would be, had this to say: “You know, it’s not a remake. It’s actually, it’s gonna continue the story of Michael Myers in a really grounded way. And for our mythology, we’re focusing mainly in the first two movies and what that sets up and then where the story can go from there. Green and I are definitely going to [do] a straight-up horror. Halloween has always been one of my favorite movies of all time. There’s a simplicity and an efficiency to that first one that I think allows the movies just to be scary as hell. And so Green and I, our approach is to get back to that.” He continued on to say, “David and I are thrilled to step outside of our comedic collaborations and dive into a dark and vicious horror. Nobody will be laughing.” Right there, I get a little bit of goosebumps thinking about the prospects. Granted, 'Texas Chainsaw 3D' was the wrong way to continue a story from a fixed point in time, but if it's done right, it could be pretty amazing. Malek Akkad was even quoted, talking about the project: “It’s been a long journey with many starts and stops, but I can honestly say that I’ve never been more excited than by the team that we have assembled for the new ‘Halloween’. I truly feel this film will thrill fans, old and new, as well as being a high point in this legendary franchise.” I'm ready to see what this team might come up with. With John Carpenter still in the executive producers chair and possibly even heading up the music, and Malek Akkad behind it all, then I say let's give someone else a chance to play in this iconic sandbox. I'm ready for Michael to get back to his roots. What say you, Creeps?