By Tristan Bishop
Editor’s note: as we come to the close of the year, keep an eye on Brutal As Hell for a run-down of our favourite movies of 2013. First up is Tristan, seeing the year out with a range of movies that feature parallel universes, human trafficking and some old school creepiness along the way…
1. John Dies At The End
Well, end of year lists can be a tricky business – I first saw John Dies… back in November 2012, but it’s only now coming out in the UK, and since it’s easily the most original and entertaining film I’ve seen in a few years then it’s very much worthy of top place here. Coming on like a collaboration between HP Lovecraft, Monty Python and a bathtub of potent LSD, JDATE is psychedelic, constantly inventive, and incredibly funny. Although the plot is heavily cut down from that of David Wong’s novel, the essence is perfectly captured, and the characters look and act exactly as many a reader has pictured them. Don Coscarelli (Phantasm, Bubba Ho-Tep) has yet again pulled off miracles on a low budget. Do the film world a favour and go out and buy this – Then maybe Don can adapt the (even better) sequel, This Book Is Full Of Spiders. (See Ben’s review and Marc’s review.)
2. The Seasoning House
Paul Hyett’s film was quite the surprise – A dark, brutal fairy tale based around the trafficking of girls during the 90s Balkan conflict, The Seasoning House does sympathetic justice to the real life horrors it portrays whilst working as a thrilling ride too – a balancing act that few directors would be able to manage. That it is a first feature makes it even more impressive, although Hyett has been the go-to FX and make-up guy for pretty much every decent British genre piece from the past 15 years and has obviously been studying the directors’ craft with a keen eye. The visuals, and especially the sound design are absolutely first rate, and young British actress Rosie Day gives a revelatory performance as the deaf-mute heroine Angel. A must-see film for those who can stomach it. (See my review and Keri’s review.)
3. Kiss Of The Damned
Time for a bit of controversy – This film seems to divide horror fans something chronic, with one camp dismissive of the script and acting (many of the actors speak English as a second language), and others lapping up the old-school 70s Euro horror angle. As a fan of Jean Rollin and his ilk, I was overjoyed to find a modern vampire flick which took elements of recent vampire mythology (specifically True Blood with the themes of ‘mainstreaming’) and laced it with style and sex straight out of 1973. Xan Cassavetes (daughter of the legendary John Cassavetes and his muse Gena Rowlands) directs with an obvious love for the material, but the film is really stolen by Roxane Mesquida as a sexy, mischievous and downright dangerous vampire. If you’re into Rollin pictures you’ll dig this film’s languorous style and sexual tension. If not, you’ll likely find it a tiny bit dull. (Review soon.)
4. The Station/Blood Glacier
You may have seen the news last week that the Austrian creature feature which has been doing the festival rounds as The Station is to go under the much shlockier title of Blood Glacier. To be fair, the original title made me think of worthy Hungarian drama, but it’s preferable to the SyFy Original style of the new one, especially as the film behind it is such a delightful romp. Basically a re-imagining of The Thing, but with a wonderful creature conceit, it also gets major props for a decent script and interesting characters. It’s so rare to find a straight-up horror sci-fi film with genuine humour and human interest these days that this comes across as a real breath of fresh air. Make sure you see it. (Again, review soon.)
5. Dark Skies
I really wasn’t expecting much other than a diverting 97 minutes from this fairly mainstream sci-fi horror film. Yes, it’s highly derivative of Insidious and Poltergeist, but it’s also one of the most efficient horror films I’ve seen In recent years. Dispensing with gore and, surprisingly for the theme, laying off the CGI-overload button (even more surprising given director Scott Stewart’s previous work), it instead gives us slow-burn creepiness and a palpable sense of threat, plus one of the best endings to a film I have in recent memory. Dark Skies will probably come to be regarded as one of the best of the current haunted house cycle – even if it’s not ghosts you have to worry about…