joel.'s top 13 horror films of 2018.... #3

Every year, you never know what the horror genre is going to unleash upon the world. You have an unsuspecting audience, just waiting to have their deepest and darkest fears manipulated.... all in the comfort of an air conditioned theater or their home. Not every year has been full of winners, some have proven to be better than others, but 2018 has yielded some very interesting genre fare that is full of a little bit of everything under the sun. My fellow creeps, I've put together what I feel (in my humble opinion) to be the best of the best for this year. There were a few that were nudged out by only inches and that's not a bad thing. It just proves that there are more stories to tell and makes me dream about all the amazing scares yet to come. So, without further adieu, I give you my top 13 horror films of 2018! (based on release dates and not the years they were filmed.... although some may be in the last quarter of 2017.)

3) 'Terrifier'

The final film that kind of came out of nowhere is 'Terrifier'. With the fear of clowns being at an all time high, Art the Clown has walked out of the shadows at the perfect time and has suddenly become part of the higher echelon of horror clowns and an instant horror icon. He's starting to be mentioned in the same breath as Freddy and Jason and Pennywise and it was all in a matter of two films time. This one is a straight up throw back to the old 80's style storytelling with a grindhouse aesthetic that works brilliantly. I can't say enough good things about this film and the ending is ultimately what put the nail in the coffin. It's so beyond belief, but fits snugly into place along with all of the other unstoppable killers, that it's like magic. Long live Art! PS David Howard Thornton embodies this role so perfectly that it's like he was born to play the part.



Suggested snack to eat while watching: pizza!

joel.'s top 13 horror films of 2017.... #3

Every year, you never know what the horror genre is going to unleash upon the world. You have an unsuspecting audience, just waiting to have their deepest and darkest fears manipulated.... all in the comfort of an air conditioned theater or their home. Not every year has been full of winners, some have proven to be better than others, but 2017 has yielded some very interesting genre fare that is full of a little bit of everything under the sun. My fellow creeps, I've put together what I feel (in my humble opinion) to be the best of the best for this year. There were a few that were nudged out by only inches and that's not a bad thing. It just proves that there are more stories to tell and makes me dream about all the amazing scares yet to come. So, without further adieu, I give you my top 13 horror films of 2017! (based on release dates and not the years they were filmed.... although some may be in the last quarter of 2016.)

3) 'It Stains the Sands Red'

Independent film making doesn't have to mean cheap looking or bad. In the right hands, a smaller budget can be made to look gigantic. In this case, the idea was not to make a giant sweeping zombie epic on a budget, but to rather take the budget and make the story fit the money that was there. (I don't think the script was written second, but you get the point) Yet again, a film that just kind of came out of nowhere. I'd never even heard of it, until it came up for sale on a Blu-ray site I visit. It looked interesting and so I invested the time to check it out. What I got in return, was a bizarrely good zombie film with little to no zombies, action or over arching plot. Just a simple story of a woman trying to get to an airfield and then off to safety. That's it. Sounds simple, but this is so much more than the sum of its parts. I left this film feeling like I'd run a marathon and wanted to know the rest of the story. I cannot recommend this one more. If you love zombie films and think you've seen everything, then you should check out my 2nd, 3rd and 4th selections this year. Excellent films that will remind you why you love the undead in the first place.



Suggested snack to eat while watching: whatever you can find in your purse or pockets

Will's top 7 horror films of 2017.... #3

3) 'The Babysitter'

We all remember The Babysitter, or at least the stories. She's always hot and fun and all the guys want details. Now what happens when the babysitter is a homicidal maniac? What if The Babysitter shows up with a bunch of crazy friends? Well, all of these questions are answered in McG's The Babysitter. This is one of the funniest horror comedies I've seen in years and deserves a view by all fans of the genre. You don't even have to be a horror fan, just love comedies, good actors and plot twists.

Jeff’s Top 13 Horror Films of 2017: #3

#3 

Samara Weaving 

My number three this year is a tie between two films that come from video distribution platforms (Netflix, Shudder) that have been working hard to redefine the way we discover new horror films. Interestingly enough, both films also star a young talent that has cemented their place in horror fandom with brilliant portrayals in equally brilliant horror film concepts.

Samara Weaving is an Australian actress and model. She got her start in acting in the Australian-produced BBC television series Out of the Blue and in the Australian soap-opera Home and Away (2009-2013). Her father, Simon Weaving, is a filmmaker and the artistic director of the Canberra International Film Festival. Her younger sister Morgan is also an actress, and their uncle is film and theatre actor Hugo Weaving. She stormed into the horror genre as Heather in the first season of Ash vs Evil Dead. With this years number threes she's made the genre her own...

Mayhem  

Derek Cho is having a really bad day. After being unjustly fired from his job, he discovers that the law firm's building is under quarantine for a mysterious and dangerous virus. Chaos erupts throughout the office as the victims of the disease begin acting out their wildest impulses. Joining forces with a former client who has a grudge of her own, Derek savagely fights to get to the executives on the top floor and settle the score once and for all.

It's fantastic that Michigan native Steven Yeun is still active following Glen’s demise on the Walking Dead. In Mayhem, he is the everyday man who once was innocent and fun loving and thanks to corporate warfare became a complete and total douche. Then along comes Weaver’s Melanie, and a virus that makes it possible to commit extreme violence on those that have wronged you, to help lead him to redemption. Dare I say there are many cubicle dwellers that only dream of moments like this. The violence and humor is cranked up to eleven and Weaver is hilarious as she lets herself get swept up into the insanity. Last known to be showing on Shudder and worth every bleeding minute. This is Office Space on coke.

&

The Babysitter 

When Cole stays up past his bedtime, he discovers that his hot babysitter is not who he imagines.

I purposely edited the above logline because it gives away an important turn in the film. Because it is an important turn that the film works hard to not draw attention too until it is the perfect reveal moment, and perfect it was. Samara Weaver is the perfect babysitter for an impressionable adolescent male. Even when the blood starts to fly and everything learned comes back to haunt her. This movie is a brilliant mix of Home Alone, The Craft, Adventures in Babysitting, and drenched with blood and dark humor. Directed by McG, no stranger to the genre, McG is quickly becoming a brand unto himself that we are keeping an eye on. It is our hope that there will be more McG/Weaving projects in the future. Brought to us by Netflix, along with lots of other original content that is helping to recreate the horror genre in brilliant ways.

my top 12.... 'Friday the 13th' films - number 3

With the upcoming release of the new 'Friday the 13th: The Game', on Xbox One, it's had me thinking a lot about one of my favorite franchises. Granted, it's a bit of a guilty pleasure, Jason has always held a soft spot in my heart among the horror icons. With a new film seemingly in development hell, there is a bright spot with the fan made 'Never Hike Alone', currently in production. However, there's 12 other feature films that have been released since 1980 and I thought it might be fun to rank them, according to which ones I consider to be the best. So here we go, my personal top 12 'Friday the 13th' movies....

Number 3) Freddy vs Jason

Another trend that happened, as a way to boost a dying franchise, pit two icons against each other. This was the first of many to come and one of them that did it the best. (in my opinion) The studios had been teasing this idea, since a throwaway shot happened in 'Jason Goes to Hell'. Freddy's glove pulled Jason's mask down into hell, in the very last shot of the movie. While Ronny Yu's film may have not pleased everyone, it certainly had me in full fan boy mode. I loved this one and still enjoy watching it, to this day. 4 out of 5 stars.

my top 13 "Final Girls".... #3

What's a 'Final Girl' you might ask? She's the last woman standing at the end of a horror film. Usually the one who defeats the killer. In this list, I'll give you my top 13 'Final Girls' in horror of all time. Without furtur ado....

#3: Nancy Thompson from 'A Nightmare On Elm Street' played by Heather Langenkamp
When people think of the "Final Girl", Nancy Thompson always comes to mind first. She survived both dreams and reality coming to kill her, before Kristen Parker came on the scene and took up her mantle. Nancy grew up fighting Freddy Krueger and was strong enough to live throughout the entire franchise.