By Ben Bussey
Good grief, Brutal As Hell is two days shy of its sixth birthday. You’d think these end of year review things would have gotten easier by now, but I’m not sure they ever will. There will always be some notable movies that the writer didn’t see (this year, I’ve missed Only Lovers Left Alive, The Babadook, In Fear and The Guest, to name but a few); and there will always be films listed which, in years ahead, the writer will question having once held in such high regard (revisiting my first end of year review from 2010, there are only a few titles I’ve had any desire to watch again*). But hey, enough of this obligatory disclaimer. For better or worse, these are – in roughly preferential order, but let’s not get too strict about that – the films I’ve been most impressed with, or at least most enjoyed, and above all the ones I suspect will most likely stay with me from 2014.
10. Tusk
I ummed and ahhed so much over this one, I started to sound like Wallace’s ringtone (sorry, you probably need to see the movie to get that one – or watch this video at least). Kevin Smith’s attempt at bizarro horror is not a great film by any means; indeed, I’m not sure whether I’d even say I like it as such. But if we’re talking memorable horror movies of 2014, there’s not a doubt in my mind that this will be one of the films that always comes up. For better or worse, it does get under your skin, and manages to blend horror and humour to surprisingly unsettling affect at times. Keri and I debated its merits after its screening at Abertoir 2014 – read that here.
9. Wakey Wakey
From one of the most discussed movies of 2014 to one of the least discussed… and worse yet, it’s not even a 2014 production, nor did it get widespread distribution this year. Nonetheless, Australian writer-director Adrian Goodman’s microbudget debut feature was another of the most unique and memorable movies I’ve seen this year, strikingly surreal and surprisingly sexy. Still popping up at film festivals around the world, Wakey Wakey isn’t the easiest film to find just yet, but I can only hope it becomes more widely accessible in 2015. Check out my review.
8. Starry Eyes
Surrealism and sexiness are also brought to the table in Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer’s festival hit – but there’s a lot more old school horror thrown into the mix on this one. While I still feel it loses its way in the final act, there’s no denying the power of its nightmarish atmosphere and stellar performances, lead actress Alex Essoe in particular, and the film’s core theme – the desire for fame and glory, and the price that must be paid for them – resonates deeply in these often shallow, celebrity-obsessed times we live in. Here’s my review from Celluloid Screams 2014.
7. Faults
There would seem to be a bit of a pattern emerging here: it’s another unconventional genre-bender with surreal overtones, and perhaps the single sexiest line of dialogue uttered on screen in 2014. Riley Stearns’ debut feature takes an unexpected approach with the intriguing subject matter of religious cultism and ‘deprogramming,’ but lingers in the memory thanks to the tremendous performances of Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Leland Orser. My review from Abertoir 2014.
6. Godzilla
Okay, now we’re mixing things up a bit. Much as Keri said when listing this in her 2014 top 10, I’m rather taken aback by how much Gareth Edwards’ revival of the King of the Monsters has divided opinion, as to my mind it beautifully captures the spirit of the Toho movies whilst making it just Hollywood enough to please western cinemagoers. Okay, so perhaps it leaves us waiting a bit for the monster-on-monster action, but a) name a Toho movie in which that isn’t the case, and b) you can’t tell me those monster fights aren’t worth the wait. Here’s my review.
5. Murderdrome
I haven’t seen Australian writer-director Daniel Armstrong’s roller derby slasher movie pop up in any other end-of-year lists just yet, and I can’t pretend I’m too surprised by that; it’s a cheap-looking, intellectually-challenged B-movie and no mistake. But what can I say? It’s great fun. While it may seem most likely to appeal to those already into roller derby, Murderdrome still has plenty to offer to a wider audience with its infectious energy and loud, colourful aesthetic. Here’s my review (in conjunction with York Minxters Roller Derby), and subsequent interview with Daniel Armstrong.
4. Oculus
A late entry for me as, I didn’t get to catch it on its cinema release – where it was sadly sold as just another Paranormal Activity type. Sure, Mike Flanagan’s mainstream breakthrough is based in large part around a paranormal investigation, exploring the science and the arguments for and against such phenomena in a really compelling manner – but at heart it’s an intensely personal and emotional account of two traumatised siblings trying to find peace with the very real horrors of their past. A great step forward for the Absentia director, and I look forward to his next movie Somnia in 2015. Here’s Steph’s review.
3. Gun Woman
Straight back to the other side of the spectrum we go, with Kurando Mitsutake’s outrageously excessive and nasty old school action thriller which just might have given J-sploitation queen Asami her most iconic role yet (and, fingers crossed, may well launch a series). Drenched in splatter and nudity and morally questionable at pretty much every turn, Gun Woman is a glorious throwback to the days of bona fide exploitation, and refreshingly low on the ironic trappings that so often bog down contemporary grindhouse. Here’s my review.
2. Under the Skin
Where to begin on this one? On first viewing, I walked out unsure as to whether or not I had actually enjoyed it, and all these months later I find myself doubting it’s one I’ll be revisiting all that often – but even so, I’d be remiss not to give Jonathan Glazer’s film the credit it deserves for being one of the boldest films of 2014. It’s easy to focus on the sensationalist elements – the nudity of Scarlett Johansson, and the uncensored sight of multiple erect penises – but Under the Skin really stays with you for its striking blend of fly-on-the-wall naturalism and dreamlike surrealism, giving us one of the most captivating representations of an outsider that we’ve seen on film for some time. Another one which Keri and I debated on release, which you can read here.
1. The Demon’s Rook
Yes, in a line-up mostly consisting of films which do their utmost to avoid genre classification (many of which could quite reasonably be argued are not really horror at all), it’s the film which most wholeheartedly embraces the classic tropes of supernatural horror that winds up my absolute favourite of the year. Indeed, I knew almost immediately that The Demon’s Rook was going to be my top pick of 2014 (though it was actually in made in 2013, just making it to VOD in the US this year). There can certainly be nits picked about the story and the structure, but James Sizemore’s film easily circumvents such anxieties through its verve, style, and above all its glorious practical make-up creations – and happily, February 2015 will see the film released to DVD at last. Here’s my review, and interview with James Sizemore.
Honorable mentions: Spring, All Cheerleaders Die, Escape From Tomorrow, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Stalled, and Video Nasties: Draconian Days. And given that Nia was happy to break with site convention and list Captain America: the Winter Soldier in her top 10, I should have no qualms about mentioning how much I adored The Lego Movie and Guardians of the Galaxy.
Now to be just a little bit more controversial…
Most Overrated – The Raid 2
Was it really just me? Did no-one else find the sequel to Gareth Evans’ breathtaking 2012 breakthrough to be stodgy, overlong, self-important, implausible, a betrayal of the original film, and above all downright tedious? It’s rare that I find myself so thoroughly flying in the face of popular opinion, but while most reviews were hailing The Raid 2 as an instant classic, I was scratching my head wondering what the hell I was missing. Torn awkwardly between being a follow-up to an indisputable action masterpiece and an Infernal Affairs/Donnie Brasco-esque undercover cop crime drama, and it wound up utterly unsatisfactory in both regards, and bogged down with a smug sense of its own worth throughout. Sure, the action scenes were brilliantly realised, but they weren’t in any way natural to the story, which could never be said of the first film. A monumental disappointment, even if only to me.
Also overrated: Almost Human, Wolfcop
Here’s where I’d usually name and shame the crappiest film of the year, but scrolling back over 2014’s DVD releases, I struggle to name any one particular film that clearly belongs at the bottom of the pile – though there are clear contenders in Varsity Blood, Bloody Homecoming, Frost, and others I’ve been fortunate enough to miss (Keri speaks so highly of Muirhouse, for instance…)
However – it does strike me that one particular person has had a notably naff year work-wise…
Crappiest 2014 – Danielle Harris
Please don’t misunderstand me; I have nothing against the well-loved Ms Harris whatsoever. She’s pretty much horror royalty now, and I respect that. She also seems to do the classic horror actor thing of happily taking on just about anything she gets offered without discriminating, and I can certainly respect that too. But damn it all, look at what she was in which made it to DVD this year: See No Evil 2, the hugely disappointing and generic third film from Jen and Sylvia Soska; Hatchet 3, the predictably bland, repetitive and painfully unfunny continuation of a series that just needs to end; and Camp Dread, one of the most instantly forgettable bargain basement slashers to spill out into the direct-to-DVD market all year. No, I don’t think any of this will hurt Harris’ career at all; she’s established enough to plough on through regardless. But she deserves better – and frankly, we deserve better from her. I really hope 2015 will see her take on a role or two that actually stretches her a bit and lifts her up to a higher level, which we can safely say none of the aforementioned films came close to doing.
So, I think that’s enough of my blathering on for now. I do hope you’ll join us once again for a great deal more horror/cult movie-related blatherings in 2015 here at Brutal As Hell.
* And just in case you’re interested, here are my end of year reviews from 2011, 2012 and 2013 for reference.