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By Tristan Bishop

I admit it – I’m slightly late on my end of year list, but then I’ve never been one to keep up with the latest trends, so, like a middle-aged man desperately trying to cling onto his youth by pumping the latest deep house sounds out of his iPhone on the back seat of the bus, I bring you my Top Ten of 2014 whilst everyone else is getting on with living in the present.

To be honest, 2014 is a bit of a strange year to evaluate – in fact the only trend I’ve really spotted is that the traditional horror film seems to have been in a recession, and genre film in general has been twisting into new and interesting shapes. Scanning my list there is actually only one film here which I would consider a traditional ‘horror’ film – and even that could be deemed a social realist drama in disguise. Nonetheless this blending of styles has resulted in an end of year list which can stand happily against any other year in the past couple of decades. Here’s to an equally interesting 2015!

10. Cold In July

Jim Mickle is turning out to be one of the most interesting directors working in American cinema. 2010’s Stake Land announced his arrival as a horror talent worth paying attention to, and 2013’s We Are What We Are managed the impossible and proved to be an English-language remake of a foreign film that was easily the equal of the original (and possibly even surpassing it). This year he branched out from straight horror with Cold In July, an adaptation of Joe R Lansdale’s novel, which manages to knock even Mickle’s previous films out of the park. A thriller which confounds the expectations constantly – by turns chilling, moving and utterly hilarious, and blessed with a trio of excellent central performances. (Keri’s review.)

9. Gun Woman

Regular BAH readers will know we have a big thing for the queen of modern Japanese cult cinema Asami, so this film was like a gift from the heavens. A lean, grim exploitation film about a former drug addict (Asami) who has been trained as an assassin. In order to bump off the VIP she is after, she has gun parts implanted in her body and has to pretend to be a corpse (don’t ask). Cue most of the film featuring a naked Asami as an angel of death, her wounds (from where she has to retrieve the gun parts) a ticking clock as she races to complete the task in hand before she bleeds to death. Woozy, violent, nasty and stylish, this harks back to the heyday of 70’s Japanese ‘pinky violence’ cinema, and proves the queen is very much here to stay. (Ben’s review.)

8. The Editor

I’ll admit I was expecting not to like this. My previous experiences of the Aston 6 crew had been varied; I pretty much hated Manborg, although I had enjoyed some of their short features, but their tribute to the golden age of Italian cult film is in a different league. Spot-on in look and feel, the jokes range from very silly slapstick to some surprisingly obscure references (Hitch Hike, anyone?) Add a couple of excellent bit parts from the legendary Udo Kier (who gets to deliver the best line) and Human Centipede 2’s Laurence Harvey, and you’ve got a great deal of fun on your hands, although it probably helps to have at least a vague grounding in the source material. (Nia’s review.)

7. Tusk

Now here’s a film that a great many claimed was one of the worst they have ever seen. I would put to those people that they really need to watch more bad films. Yes, Tusk is flawed, and it’s fundamentally weird as hell (it’s also ~extremely~ talky), but it manages a lot of laughs, some unexpectedly powerful scenes, and at least one moment of genuine horror which blows everything else this year out of the water. Add to this two show-stealing performances from Michael Parks and a certain Hollywood A-lister who will remain nameless (no spoilers here), and you have something worthy of attention. You’ll believe a walrus can talk!

6. The Forgotten

I’ve covered The Forgotten in full here recently, but suffice to say this slow-burning urban British ghost story is a film which blends a great setting (an abandoned council estate) with genuine affection for the abandoned characters it features, and the low-key chills it generates will linger in your memory long after the latest Hollywood slice of spooky bombast has faded. (My review.)

5. Captain America : The Winter Soldier

Not quite your average BAH material, I’ll admit, but as a huge fan of Marvel’s cinematic output this one managed to surpass all expectations. The first Captain America film was an enjoyable enough superhero origin story which hit a slightly sour note by casting aside the expected epic action scenes in favour of human drama. The Winter Soldier manages to keep the soap opera to a minimum (despite containing one scene – incidentally originally intended for the first Avengers film – which might bring a tear to the eye) in favour of a frankly brilliant (and very timely) meditation on the issues of surveillance in society, which just happens to beat The Avengers for spectacle, laughs and thrills. The only film I went to see three times in 2014.

4. Only Lovers Left Alive

A vampire romance for grown-ups! And waaaaay better than that might sound. Jim Jarmusch’s undead love story eschewed sparkly emo cliché and told a story of two ageless vampires who live oceans apart yet cannot live without each other. Pop culture references from through the 20th century (and beyond!) weave throughout the script, it looks utterly gorgeous, and there’s a fantastic soundtrack of gloomy drones and old-school soul, but the beating, engorged heart of the film is the chemistry between lead actors Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston. (My review – Nia’s review.)

3. Godzilla

For a film which divided much opinion, it’s appeared on a lot of end of year lists on this here site! The reason for this is pretty simple – we love our giant monsters, and they’ve probably never been done better than they have in Gareth Edwards’ reboot. Yes, there’s lacklustre human story going on here but who cares – we all know it’s filler for the main event, and when it gets going fans of the Big G will be leaping from their seats with delight – old-school monster mayhem with cutting edge digital effects. And you can skip the bits with the people when watching it at home. (Ben’s review.)

2. Housebound

Here’s one which has united film festival audiences in praise wherever it has been shown. I caught this at Abertoir without knowing a single thing about it, and it as an absolute joy to experience cold. Therefore in the spirit of this I will give away nothing except that Housebound is one of the least predictable genre pieces I have ever seen, flitting from thrilling to spooky to gruesome to laugh-out-loud funny at regular intervals. Do yourself a favour and catch it soon. (Nia’s review.)

1. The World Of Kanako

A quick read of the plot synopsis makes this sound like a Japanese variant on Taken, but what we have instead is an ultra-violent, hallucinogenic trip to hell with a main character who we alternately find ourselves hating and cheering on at various points throughout the film. Tetsuya Nakashima (Kamikaze Girls/Memories of Matsuko) here unleashes his best stylistic flourishes around a compelling, sweaty lead performance by Koji Yakusho. Kanako’s world might contain some places you would rather not visit, but the trip itself is the key here. (My review.)

By Matt Harries

I’ll begin my preamble by holding my hands up and admitting that I lag somewhat behind my cohorts on BAH when it comes to the latest horror – especially the independent variety. Perhaps because I spend so much time digging around in the musical underground, I tend to arrive upon the lesser known films rather later – usually after recommendations from sites such as this one. So in this list I’m offering a slightly different perspective, incorporating small screen as well as cinematic high points from 2014. Mark me down on kvlt points if you will, but there was some great stuff right under our noses that definitely deserves a mention to fans of dark, thoughtful and hard-hitting storytelling.

1. True Detective

That (for me) the best moments from the moving image this year generally came not from cinema but from ‘long form’ television is testament to the ever increasing quality and depth of small screen entertainment in recent years, rather than a comment on the relative struggles of mainstream horror/genre film – indeed, 2014 has by all accounts been a strong year for indie horror. In the end though, TD’s pairing of those up-and-coming young bucks McConaughey and Harrelson proved utterly inspired, and showed the powerful allure of television for some big names in the acting world. Taking full advantage of the extra time and space of an 8 episode series to develop character and storyline, TD’s ingenious use of converging timelines and superb performances by the leading men resulted in some of the richest and most immersive viewing on offer in all formats. The ‘long shot’ episode showcased arguably one of the finest heist/shoot-out sequences I’ve ever witnessed on film, and Matthew McConaughey’s portrayal of Detective Rustin Spencer ‘Rust’ Cohle realised a truly memorable amalgam of Roky Eriksson’s psychedelic paranoia and Thomas Ligotti’s black hole existentialism. Completely recommended to fans of Lovecraft, Lynch, the Coen Brothers and the Hannibal Lecter mythology.

2. Gone Girl

One of the dwindling pleasures in modern cinema seems to be the tension arising from the viewer not knowing exactly where the film will end. Gone Girl was a film I knew virtually nothing about when I went to see it, and as the central premise arose and evolved – Rosamund Pike’s Amy Dunne disappearing from her home in suspicious circumstances – I was kept guessing right until the end. The twisting of the plot was in itself a real pleasure but there is a lot more to it than mere cleverness; an excellent cast sees Ben Affleck’s star continue to rise, as he is perfectly cast as Amy’s husband Nick. Pike is similarly excellent as the complex and conniving Amy, while Carrie Coon as Nick’s sister and Deadwood’s Kim Dickens as the leading detective assigned to the case offer fine support. A film that works as a confusional whodunnit and internecine thriller as well as offering a sharp comment upon relationships and the media, Gone Girl displays a hugely impressive depth of scope.

3. Fargo

Back to t’telly, and another sign of how far it has come in recent years with the Coen brothers Joel and Ethan (who of course directed the 1996 film of the same name) now lending their talents to the first season of this FX anthology as executive producers. As with True Detective’s Matthew McConaughey we have a leading man who is very much at the forefront of some of the biggest movies currently laying waste to multiplexes across the globe, Martin Freeman. The Hobbit star plays everyman with an edge Lester Nygaard, and it is a real pleasure to see him take the character William H. Macy so excelled in portraying (as Jerry Lundegaard) in a new direction while retaining much of his underdog qualities. In terms of his morality and motivation Nygaard sits somewhere in the middle between opposite forces personified by the vulpine Billy Bob Thornton as killer Lorne Malvo and Alison Tolman as Deputy Molly Solverson, very much a force for light and as similarly excellent as 1996 Academy award winner Frances McDormand. For anyone who enjoyed the original film, Fargo the series showcases the classic quirky small town characters you expect from the Coens, whilst retaining the black-comedy element that helped make the original such a success. However, it is Thornton’s turn as the malevolent and seemingly omnipotent Malvo that really drives the story forward.

4. Hannibal

Now in its second season, Hannibal continues to provide some of the most mind-altering entertainment out there as Hugh Dancy’s Will Graham and Mads Mikkelsen’s Hannibal Lecter continue their deadly dance. The show fluctuates between stark, meathook reality and a hallucinogenic visual style seemingly gleaned from PCP induced psychosis, while featuring some of the most elaborate deaths imaginable and a deliciously murderous take on haute cuisine (or should that be a haute cuisine take on murder?). Mikkelsen’s Lecter draws upon the familiar combination of predatory social Darwinism and cultural superiority, but his brooding presence and more youthful physicality allows him to make this incarnation of the character all his own. Witness the brilliant beginning of the second series; Lecter clashing with Lawrence Fishburne’s Jack Crawford in an epic battle that plummets us into a future in which Crawford takes refuge in Lecter’s pantry, bleeding profusely from a wound to the neck. Then the clock is rewound to 12 weeks earlier, and the tale begins to unfurl again. The cast is uniformly excellent, with Dancy, Mikkelsen and Fishburne supported by a powerful female presence, with Caroline Dhavernas, Gillian Anderson, Lara Jean Chorostecki and newcomer Katherine Isabelle all excelling in important roles. Besides, what’s not to love about a show of which Bryan Fuller, the man who developed it for NBC, said “When I sat down to do the script, I was very consciously saying ‘what would David Lynch do with a Hannibal Lecter character? What sort of strange, unexpected places would he take this world?’”

5. Under The Skin

Surprise! Okay, perhaps not. The film that truly, er, got under people’s skins this year, Under the Skin has been discussed by greater minds than mine already on this site in some depth. A wonderful example of the enduring fascination afforded to something mysterious and unexplained, something that defies easy classification. Unsettling and thought provoking.

6. The Babadook

A powerful study of the life shattering effects of grief, The Babadook is a resolutely grim depiction of one woman’s struggle to raise her young son following the tragic death of his father. As she battles to hold on to the vestiges of normality, Amelia ( the excellent Essie Davies) initially invokes our deepest sympathy as she is beset by the seeming tyranny of her difficult son Samuel (Noah Wiseman). The discovery of a mysterious book heralds the coming of a darkness that threatens to claim Amelia’s sanity and as she begins to unravel, the life of Samuel as well. Finally it is young Samuel who surprisingly proves his strength, as we learn that some things have to be endured – you can’t get rid of the Babadook…

Honorary mentions (all genres); Starred Up, ’71, Oculus, Coyote, Wolf Of Wall Street, Housebound, Dead Snow 2: Red vs Dead, The Rover, Edge Of Tomorrow.

Man of the Year – Matthew McConaughey for ‘Rust’ Cohle (True Detective).
Woman of the Year – Rosamund Pike for Amy Dunne (Gone Girl).
Best Soundtrack – True Detective, closely followed by Only Lovers Left Alive.
Two to Watch – Trevor Juenger (Director/Writer, Coyote), Cary Joji Fukunaga (Director, True Detective).
Best Comic Turn – Jonah Hill (Wolf Of Wall Street).
Best Use of Cheese Grater – Housebound.
Winner of the ‘Please No Sequels’ Award – Dracula Untold.

By Quin

I realize that last year I proclaimed just how much I love lists, but I must echo something that was always said by Roger Ebert, especially in the last few years of his life. When making his end of the year favorites lists he insisted that the best are the best – ordering them is silly. This makes a lot of sense. I would also add that that lists are fluid and always changing. Even my favorite films of all time go up and down on the list depending on my mood. Keep in mind that Penny Marshall’s Big is in my top ten and it always will be no matter what. So without further ado, here are my top ten for 2014 – a list of 10 films that are all great and all made me feel something. I hope they make you feel something too.

10. The Town that Dreaded Sundown – A remake of a film that desperately needed to be remade and it was done with charm and the most beautiful swirling cinematography I’ve seen in a while.

9. Life After Beth – The best zombie film of the year, and let’s face it, there’s going to be a lot of these for years to come. Aubrey Plaza is a comedic genius.

8. The Sacrament – I have no problem admitting that I’m a huge Ti West fan. I’ve liked everything he’s ever done and House of the Devil and The Innkeepers have both made my top ten lists in their respective years. The Sacrament takes a narrative that so many of us know about and makes it real. The whole Jim Jones thing is pretty terrifying. The documentaries are great, but this film really makes you feel like you’re there.

7. Willow Creek – I’ve been a huge fan of Bobcat Goldthwait’s comedy for over 20 years. When he started making movies, I was right there with him. Shakes the Clown, Sleeping Dogs Lie, World’s Greatest Dad and God Bless America are all amazing. But Bobcat has managed to take the Patterson-Gimlin film from 1967 and add this story surrounding the investigation and make it scary as hell.

6. Summer of Blood – Onur Tukel has made a hipster vampire film and for that I say thank the Lord. It’s smart and funny and my Brutal As Hell review will appear soon.

5. Soulmate – Being in the US, hulu.com has made this film available in its entirety. There has been a huge fuss over the opening scene and the meaning behind it. My opinion is that this film does not suffer without the opening scene. There are still many clues that fill the viewer in on what’s going on. The rest of the story is beautiful. The best ghost story of the year.

4. Only Lovers Left Alive – Jim Jarmusch is a genius and add vampirism and you have nothing short of brilliance.

3. Housebound – A funny, creepy and original film. The best acting, direction and twist.

2. Under the Skin – A beautifully disturbing film that manages to combine Eraserhead, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Koyaanisquatsi and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

1. The Babadook – Like going through the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland on acid. Yes, it’s as great as that sounds.

A few of my least favorites of the year are The Pact 2, Alien Abduction, Afflicted and Tusk. Kevin Smith makes me want to die (Comes the Krampus better be amazing, but I won’t hold my breath.) Two movies that were just okay are Found and See No Evil 2. Found had major problems, but was entertaining and brutal. See No Evil 2 was pretty bad, but entertaining and the Soska twins have proven that they know what they’re doing.

I missed The Green Inferno due to the release of that film and I fully expect A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night to be one of my favorites of the new year.

By Stephanie Scaife

Overall I think that 2014 has been a strong year for film, and genre film in particular. In a time when we see endless remakes, reboots and sequels it has been refreshing to see a number of high profile original and independent films being released. As always there have been a few standout films, for both good and not so good reasons, and here are my picks of the films I’ve seen in 2014.

The Good…

Love it or hate it, you can’t deny the unique vision and cinematic accomplishment that is Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin. Scarlett Johansson is the last person you’d expect to see driving around Glasgow in a white van, and this was utilized exceptionally well by the director who filmed a lot of her interactions with the public on the sly with hidden cameras. On the streets of Govan, in the shopping centres and dreary nightclubs this ethereal Hollywood film star really is an alien, and this sense of otherness takes the film to a whole new level, along with the fantastic score by Mica Levi and the flawless direction from Glazer, making this a film quite unlike anything I’ve seen before. Having read Michael Faber’s book, which is far more of a straight up horror narrative, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the film, but by stripping the story down to its barest of bones Glazer managed to create something that, whilst capturing the essence of the novel, has created something completely different and fresh for the big screen.

I saw Under the Skin three times in theatres when it was released which says something in itself as to what it is that I love about film… the ability to create a sense of awe and wonder. Interestingly, two of the people I saw it with took away completely different and sometimes contradictory things away from seeing the film – a film to be experienced and admired more than it is to be enjoyed, but undeniably a triumph.

2014 has been a fantastic year for female filmmakers with Jennifer Kent’s incredibly successful Aussie creepfest The Babadook, which features a powerhouse central performance from Essie Davis as the embodiment of every mother’s worst fear – driven to madness and violence through the grief of losing her husband and subsequently not being able to unconditionally love her child in the way we’re led to believe every mother should. The manifestation of this mother/son relationship comes in the form of the sinister Mr. Babadook, a children’s storybook bogeyman that is one of the most genuinely frightening horror movie creations in recent years. The ending is also my favourite of the year by far!

Leigh Janiak’s Honeymoon also impressed with that very rare of feats – the creation of a believable onscreen couple. As a viewer you come to care about and invest in these characters and the actors (Rose Leslie and Harry Treadaway) have genuine onscreen chemistry – so when things take a turn for the worse I was genuinely devastated. To have two exceptionally good films, made by first time female filmmakers that come from original material is really great and absolutely something we should be seeing more of in future! Both come highly recommended.

Comedy horror is usually neither, so it was great to see both Housebound and Life After Beth this year, both of which surprised me by being extremely funny as well as effective horror films. Housebound is a kiwi film that harks back to the likes of Braindead in the screwball stakes with petty criminal Kylie being sentenced to eight months under house arrest with her mother in the spooky family home (an interesting way to get over the problem of why she doesn’t just leave the house, which is a complaint often made of the haunted house film). What elevates Housebound above bring merely just a competent horror comedy (a feat in itself) is the performances from Morgana O’Reilly as Kylie and Rima Te Wiata as her mother, both of whom manage to bring some real human drama and emotion into characters that could so easily have been stock performances.

With Life After Beth I’d read some not quite favourable reviews beforehand so was pleasantly surprised to find that it was actually quite good and that it managed to do something slightly different with the zombie subgenre, which has been feeling a little stale in recent years. Aubrey Plaza is hilarious as the titular Beth and clearly a star in the making; again it’s very exciting to see original fimmaking with strong female characters. Speaking of which, although far more serious in tone Starry Eyes features the standout performance of the year by Alex Essoe as an aspiring actress who makes a Faustian deal in exchange for fame, which goes about as well as you’d expect. With echoes of Isabelle Adjani in Possession, Essoe really needs to be seen to be believed. I’d also like to give a shout out to Jake Gyllenhaal whose performance as Lou Bloom in Nightcrawler is genuinely terrifying, a Patrick Bateman for the internet generation.

The Bad…

One of the biggest disappointments for me this year was Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo’s Among the Living as I’d been a huge fan of Inside and the coming-of-age premise sounded intriguing. To begin with I thought it might’ve held out on its promise as we follow a group of three friends who skip the last day of school before the summer vacation and whilst investigating an abandoned fairground they witness something terrible. However, things quickly go downhill, characters you are invested in are killed quickly and off screen, everyone behaves in a completely ridiculous and unrealistic fashion and the film morphs into a substandard slasher before the ludicrous ending. A real disappointment and one that has left me very dubious about the directors’ upcoming Leatherface project.

The Green Inferno was another that I was eagerly anticipating. Although I’m not a huge fan of Eli Roth’s work I always found his films to be entertaining and good fun, and as this was his return to the director’s chair after Hostel 2 in 2007 I was keen to see what he’d do. Turns out it was pretty darn awful, and there’s a good reason the cannibal tribe subgenre has (mostly) remained a thing of the past – it’s actually a bit racist. To add insult to injury the group of student activists who travel to the Amazon to save the rainforest all look like American Apparel models and are so annoying that you are relieved when they are killed. So not only is The Green Inferno saying that all environmental activists are stupid, egotistical or both, but also that the savage tribes really do want to eat people, with a few added penis and poop jokes thrown in for good measure. I see a lot of films that I don’t like, but rarely do I see any that make me this angry.

Another major disappointment for me was Alexandre Aja’s adaptation of Joe Hill’s Horns. It had a great cast, good source material and a capable director… so where did it go wrong? Tonally it was all over the place; one minute a crime thriller, the next a fairytale, the next a black comedy… the separate elements work on their own, and the cast is great, but as a joined up piece of filmmaking it just didn’t come together in a way that made any sort of sense to me. A shame really, because as with a lot of the films I’ve loved this year it was trying to do something unique, so I respect it for that but I can’t recommend it either.

The Ugly…

I’m really not sure why, but I was looking forward to seeing Zombeavers… I should’ve really learned my lesson by now when it comes to these high concept movies where the entire sell is reliant on a ridiculous title. This was basically an exercise in why sometimes having a solid script is important and that just because the cast think they can improvise doesn’t mean they should. It’s not in the least bit funny, in fact the humour is so repetitive and low brow that it isn’t even offensive, it’s just plain dull. Not to mention the irritating, schlubby male leads who happen to have found themselves girlfriends that look like porn stars. A vanity exercise on behalf of the filmmakers and actors who clearly think they’ve created something a lot funnier and subversive than it actually is.

My Top Ten of 2014…

1. Under the Skin
2. Honeymoon
3. The Babadook
4. Nightcrawler
5. Starry Eyes
6. The Guest
7. Housebound
8. Life After Beth
9. The Rover
10. Nymphomaniac

Special Awards…

Most Fun Had in the Cinema in 2014: The Guest
Best TV Show: Hannibal
Scariest Non-horror Movie: Nightcrawler
Best Non-horror Movie(s): Frank, Pride, Paddington.
Biggest Disappointment: Godzilla
Most Overrated: The Sacrament
Why the Hell Hasn’t This Been Released (because it’s awesome) Award: Snowpiercer
The I’m-Sorry-but-I-Fell-Asleep Award: Only Lovers Left Alive
Best Beard Award: Macon Blair in Blue Ruin
Surprisingly Good for a Sequel: Wolf Creek 2
Most Anticipated of 2015: It Follows

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.

By Svetlana Fedotov

Disney has always been a solid go-to for feel-good times and sing-a-longs about ice and snow and love or some junk. Bright-eyed princesses solving all the world’s problems with equally bright-eyed forest creatures skipping around their toes like the black plague of happiness has made the animation giant its own world power, with theme parks and merchandise stores dotting the global landscape as far as the eye can see. But despite its overwhelming success, even the Magic Kingdom has more than a couple of movies that disappeared into obscurity as soon as they hit the market, of which the most famous (or infamous) is The Black Cauldron. Squished between the super bummer of Fox and the Hound and the high-spirited adventures of The Great Mouse Detective, the 1985 movie was considered a box office flop thanks to its dark-hearted nature and a down-right terrifying villain, netting it a PG rating to the horror of parents everywhere. Yet now, almost thirty years later, perhaps it’s time to revisit this forgotten classic and see why a whole generation of kids have repressed ever experiencing it.

For those who haven’t seen it, the movie revolves around the rare male lead named Taran, a young assistant pig keeper who lives with a wizard and dreams of being a knight. Unbeknownst to him, the pig he has been watching is a very special creature, one capable of seeing the future – and she has seen a future most grim. The Horned King has risen once again and is searching the land for the Black Cauldron, a magical item that can create an unlimited army of soldiers, also known as the Cauldron Born. Entrusted with the pig’s safety, Taran is forced to flee his cottage and embarks on a hero’s journey full of strange creatures, beautiful and headstrong princesses, and the most devious of witches. Along the way, Taran must truly examine his worth as a soldier and how much he is willing to sacrifice for those worth saving.

As stated, one of the most glaring differences between the Black Cauldron and other Disney films is the overall dark and mostly serious atmosphere of the movie. There are no musical numbers, no bright color palate, but a high fantasy look popular for the Dungeons and Dragons-type audience that was so abundant in the 1980’s. In fact, it’s no surprise that it movie ran as risqué as it did considering Disney was aiming to attract to teenagers following United Artist Studio’s success with The Secret of NIMH in 1982. Along with the dark tone, there is also a very noticeable shift in animation styles, most notably the first use of CGI in Disney animation. Blending real world effects such as bubbles and steam into the animation, the movie managed to create an otherworldly feeling that worked beautifully with the larger theme. Though a bit dated in terms of what we’re seeing today, it was a landmark accomplishment for a studio looking for a fresh start almost two decades after Walt Disney’s death.

Unfortunately, it might be the animation that was the main plus side to this movie (and I’m including the choppy editing and the slow deterioration of character animation quality after a series of animator strikes). Don’t get me wrong, the story itself is fantastic. With its menacing villain and unique secondary princess character, along with the smart fantasy take, the film managed to break away from the childlike atmosphere of its predecessors. Also, if you’re a soundtrack buff, the music is top notch! That being said, not all the characters got the special treatment of being treated like adults. The fuzzy, cuddly character dubbed Gurgi was perhaps the most annoying character to ever tread proper animation. A failed attempt at comedy relief, he came off as the Jar-Jar Binks of the movie and though he is a regular staple in the The Chronicles of Prydain, the book series that the movie is based off, I hate him and he can go die. Also, there is a group of fairy characters (adorably voiced by actual children) who I’m pretty sure were made to sell fictional merchandise as their design lacks any semblance of originality. Imagine floating smurfs and you get the gist.

But for all its flaws, we can’t put the blame on the shoulders of sloppy book adaption or poor cuts. In reality, there was a series of last minute changes and underlying tensions inside the Disney company itself that unraveled onto the Black Cauldron. Frequent animator, over-seer, and management changes bogged down the animation process, leaving the movie to basically survive on its own. In hindsight, it wasn’t a bad idea, it just came at the wrong time, like a giggle at a funeral. It marked a time of high tension in the studio and its incomplete look was a glaring reminder that Disney didn’t quite have everything figured out. Honestly, give Black Cauldron a watch and determine for yourself. Perhaps a new audience, powered by the internet and nostalgia, is all this movie classic really needs.

By Nia Edwards-Behi

I feel like my end of year list this year’s going to be a little bit of a weird mix. Finishing off my PhD (and working full time and doing that whole film festival thing) has somewhat limited my ability to watch many films this year. If there are some cracking films missing from my list, chances are I just haven’t seen them yet. For once, I’m not just being contrary! Anyway, that also means there’s a couple of obscure-ish titles on here which I really hope see the light of day outside festival screeners. Don’t worry though, I’ve not gone full hipster – there are also some glaringly mainstream additions to the list too. There seems to be two clear ‘types’ of film on my list, though – high-energy, fast-paced, mostly action-led films, and quiet, slow, fairly meditative films, usually about women. I am nothing if not predictable.

Enough preambling. This final ten is presented in no particular order, and because – despite the lack of films I’ve watched this year – I still found it painfully difficult to whittle this list to just ten, there are a few special mentions at the end.

MISS ZOMBIE (SABU, 2013)

I dove straight into Miss Zombie with zero expectations, or if anything, somewhat dubious, and I found a moving, precise film of subtle horrors. In the very near future, wealthy families can buy domesticated zombies on the black market as servants. The film offers a portrait of the exploitation of one particular zombie servant. The trailer implies a certain level of action in the film, but it’s no such beast, and instead the film is an incredibly subdued affair. There are so many real-world issues and ideas that are tied up in the film’s narrative (exploitation of the domestic workers? Subjugation of women? Medical ethics?) that the film becomes an incredibly rich experience. Ultimately, it’s the stunning direction and editing of the film that makes the film really moving, as I found myself completely captivated by the relatively straight-forward story. Similar shots are used again and again to hammer home the repetitive nature of the servant’s work, often combined with an incessant use of sound. However, there is a subtle escalation of the servant’s woes woven into these repetitive tasks which provide a wonderful sense of dread – something terrible is going to happen. Ayaka Komatsu’s central, restrained performance as Sara, the zombie, is an astonishing feat. Only in compiling this list did I realise I’ve seen another recent horror film in which she takes the lead role, and although that film, Talk to the Dead, is significantly more prosaic, she ensures the film is nonetheless quite enjoyable. Here she has a much meatier role to play with, and she fulfils the part wonderfully. I’m hoping Miss Zombie gets an English-subbed DVD release, because it’s a film that deserves to be seen widely.

ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE (JIM JARMUSCH, 2013)

My review.

I reviewed Only Lovers Left Alive earlier this year, and covered more or less everything I had to say about this wonderful film. However, I failed completely to mention a really crucial aspect of the film’s lushness, which is its soundtrack. Quite how I managed this oversight is beyond me, as music is an integral part of the film’s narrative. Jarmusch takes charge of the soundtrack, with his band Sqürl providing most of the languid and sultry soundscape. Yasmin Hamdan’s performs her song Hal in the film itself, in a scene which crystalises Jarmusch’s love for music in a beautiful way. Back when I reviewed the film in February, I accused the film of gazing at its own navel a bit too much, probably my only criticism of it. Having watched it a couple more times since then, I realise actually, that’s just what you want from a film which is very much about individuals. It’s a lush and indulgent film that manages to be quite subtly sad. However, the film is one that ends in hope, and in such a way that reminds us why vampires really are fabulous monsters.

 
GUN WOMAN (KURANDO MITSUTAKE, 2014)

Ben’s review.

Gun Woman is perhaps overall something of an imperfect, messy film, its framing device which sees two hit men discuss the story of the ‘gun woman’ almost endearingly sloppy, however, I’m not here for the framing device. I’m not really here for the plot. I’m not here for anything except for Asami being a goddamn badass. The film felt like it might have been made decades ago, its grimy, thoroughly problematic plot left me feeling a little bit dirty for having enjoyed it so much. Asami is the titular gun woman, a suicidal drug addict bought by a vengeful doctor, determined to have his revenge on the maniac who killed his wife. The doctor puts his subject through cold turkey and generally mistreats her in the name of ‘training’, as he transforms her into a killing machine. The final gambit, though, in which she truly becomes the gun woman, is so luridly and unashamedly bonkers that any problems with the finer points of the story-telling are long forgotten. The end of the film left me screaming out for sequels, and I honestly hope this might be the start of a franchise. It’s frankly amazed me that Gun Woman was passed by the BBFC with such minimal cuts, given Asami spends most of the film naked and in great peril, and yet, for example, The Bunny Game was outright banned for much the same content, albeit a very different tone. Regardless, I’m just glad I’ll be able to buy the film and watch it again and again and again, because it’s bloody brilliant.

 
OVER YOUR DEAD BODY (‘KUIME’, TAKASHII MIIKE, 2014)

Karolina’s review.

Inexplicably, this wonderful film received the lowest audience score of everything we screened at this year’s Abertoir. However, I like to think that being the lowest scorer with a hefty 3/5 says more about the quality of our line-up this year than is does about Miike’s wonderful film. When I had the good fortune of a screener for this film falling into my inbox earlier this year, I knew I would immediately watch it. I’m incredibly proud that we were able to premiere the film at Abertoir last month, as it’s a quiet, creepy and unnerving film that’s a nice meld of Miike’s recent samurai films and his more horrific output. The film is a meta-adaptation of the famous kabuki play Yotsuda Kwaidan, and sees life imitate art for two actors taking on the lead roles. Much of the film is dedicated to the staging of the play, and the leads Ko Shibasaki and Ebizô Ichikawa give mesmerising performances on-stage and off it. When the gore comes it’s unnerving and effective, as one might expect, and there’s one particularly squirm-inducing scene which is as disturbing as it is fun to watch with a crowd.

 
THE EDITOR (MATTHEW KENNEDY & ADAM BROOKS, 2014)

My review.

I have swooned over this film previously, but it bears repeating that The Editor is a bloody great film that is smart and affectionate as well as truly very silly. At once a joyous love letter to Italian genre cinema and a prime slice of Astron 6 inanity, if you’re not yelling ‘wizard!’ at people or saying things are ‘really veird’ after seeing it, then, well, you probably have better restraint than me. It bears repeating that the chaps from Astron 6 who make the film also star in it, and manage to steal the show from even the impressive cameos. I will never cease to find Conor Sweeney hilarious (I don’t think anybody does ‘bad acting’ better), and if I learned nothing else from the film, it’s that I’d quite like to see polo-necked jumpers for men make a serious comeback.

THE RAID 2 (GARETH EVANS, 2014)

Steph’s review.

The Raid 2 was one of the few mainstream(ish) cinema releases that I caught at the actual cinema this year, and I would have kicked myself (heh) had I not. I’d seen the odd complaint that the film was too long, too plot-driven, too talky beforehand, so I tried to approach it level-headedly and not just excited about watching a bunch of dudes kicking a bunch of other dudes. Personally, I thought The Raid 2 was as good as, if not better than its predecessor, a well-paced cops-‘n’-gangs thriller with truly spectacular fights. For every scene in which characters talk plot, there’s an assured and entertaining fight that follows. Though we don’t learn that much more about Iko Uwais’s Rama, we care a lot for his character, trapped again in a situation in which he doesn’t necessarily want to be. Dizzying sequences such as the prison mud fight, or the kitchen showdown, really cement Uwais as an action star. This time round we have an expanded cast, and predictably, Julie Estelle’s Hammer Girl was a highlight for me, as was Arifin Putra’s Uco.

KEPT (‘RA’, MAKI MIZUI, 2014)

I consider myself really quite privileged to have seen this unusual little film from Japan. It’s quite flawed, demonstrating many weaknesses that might befall a first-time director, but the raw power behind it is something else. Maki Mizui has frequently worked behind the scenes with some of Japan’s most familiar filmmakers, including Sion Sono and Yoshihiro Nishimura, who is producer on Kept. Kept is Mizui’s directorial debut, and it’s a personal tale of assault, guilt and redemption, based on her own experiences. That it’s stayed with me as long as it has is testament to how powerful the film is, despite its flaws. I can see this film getting lazily repackaged as a ‘rape-revenge’ film. It’s nothing of the sort. This is a film about trauma, about survivor’s guilt, and about moving on with life. Elements of fantasy are used to convey these things, alongside some horrifically realistic sequences, and I’m not sure to what extent everyone might buy into the fantasy sequences. It’s a difficult film to digest, that’s for sure, but it’s one that truly left me reeling. It’s also an incredibly refreshing take on the depiction of sexual assault and its aftermath, and in a market increasingly saturated with faux-feminist revenge fantasies, a film as honest and as painful as this one feels all the more important and pronounced. The film is bleak, yet it wears its hopefulness on its sleeve, as the tagline reads: ‘You are not to blame.’

A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT (ANA LILY AMANPOUR, 2014)

My review.

A Girl Walk Home Alone at Night has got a lot of things I like going on – a female lead, vampirism, interesting visuals, a cool soundtrack, an impressive acting turn from a cat…it’s hard for me not to include the film on my final top ten of the year, despite perhaps not loving it quite as much as some people have. However, that I almost immediately wanted to see the film again once it ended says something for it. It’s quite a sparse film, filled with intense and surprisingly funny performances, and I desperately want to see it again. At its core is a relatively conventional story (boy meets girl), but it’s testament to Amanpour’s vision that she’s taken a risk on many aspects of that story’s telling – its setting, its language, its form. Films such as this and the aforementioned Only Lovers Left Alive seem to indicate that vampires have grown-up a bit, and long may that trend continue.

HOUSEBOUND (GERARD JOHNSTONE, 2014)

My review.

Housebound surpassed all my expectations of just another ‘horror comedy’. I am really not generally a fan of horror comedies. Housebound a very funny film, but it’s also a film that skilfully balances several different genres, which is no mean feat, but perhaps most importantly of all it’s a wonderfully character-driven piece. At its core is wayward Kylie, an impressively likeable miscreant who drives and grounds the twisting, incredible plot. Morgana O’Reilly displays some impressive acting chops, particularly in some of the funniest scenes. Writer-director Gerard Johnstone has sensitively written some lovely characters, and managed to throw them in at the deep end of a complicated plot without letting them drown. As a result, Housebound is an incredibly nuanced and assured debut feature.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (ANTHONY AND JOE RUSSO, 2014)

I am very much an obsessee of those there Marvel films that everyone either loves, or loves to belittle, but even so I never thought I’d include one on my end of year list for Brutal as Hell. And yet, here we are, witness to a dizzyingly brilliant paranoid espionage thriller with excellent fight choreography and a sense of humour and, phew, more please, Marvel. It’s a film which satisfies both fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is accessible enough to stand on its own two feet. The usual suspects amongst the cast are excellent, and there’s a real star in the making with Anthony Mackie. The Russo Brothers have recently been announced as directors for Avengers 3, and on the strength of this film, I think the universe is in very safe hands.

Special mentions: Tetsuya Nakashima’s The World of Kanako (manic), Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla (ROAR), Noboru Iguchi’s Gothic Lolita Battle Bear (adorable), Noboru Iguchi’s Live (bonkers), Shinya Tsukamoto’s Fires on the Plain (grim), Riley Stearns’ Faults (intense), Jaume Balaguero’s REC4 (satisfying), Oliver Frampton’s The Forgotten (creepy), Aaron Moorhead & Justin Benson’s Spring (charismatic), James Ward Byrkit’s Coherence (smart), and Richard Bates Jr’s Suburban Gothic (surprising).

By Karolina Gruschka

Every generation “embraces the vampire it needs, and gets the one it deserves.”

As US scholar Nina Auerbach points out in the quote above, vampires often reflect certain aspects of culture and current society. This means the image of the vampire is an ever shifting one that adapts to the requirements of the day and age. The idealized other offers an escape from ‘common’ society and its pressures but, at the same time, painfully highlights our fears, anxieties and their inescapability. In my opinion, the ambiguity between desire and aversion is the fundamental element of vampire lore that generates its magnetism. Who wants to live forever? A life for eternity sounds very tempting but it comes at a monstrous price.

Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire (written 1973, published 1976) has a great deal of homosexual overtones reflecting the gradually relaxing attitudes of Westerners towards gender, sex and sexuality in the 1970s (i.e. that is when an end was set to considering homosexuality as a mental illness in the USA!). However, similar to biblical times when sodomy took the blame for God’s wrath, people with a homosexual orientation were scapegoated for the AIDS epidemic in the late 1980s, resulting in a backlash in regards to acceptance. Around the same time, scandals around child abuse by priests started to gain more publicity, fueling the stereotypical association of homosexuality with paedophilia. As a result, the 1994 film adaptation of Interview with the Vampire toned down Lestat’s taste for little boys and, despite being greatly sympathetic towards the vampire’s queer identities, presented the idea of the gay male family in a very problematic way.

If somebody is wondering now what the heck I am talking about, maybe this is the right time to give a little synopsis of the movie. The story is framed as an interview conducted by San Franciscan reporter Daniel Molloy (Christian Slater) with 200 year old broody vampire Louis De Pointe Du Lac (Brad Pitt). In 1791, a depressed and self-destructive Louis (he only just lost his newborn and wife during childbirth) is given the option to have his longing for death satisfied or to begin a new life for all eternity. Realizing that at 24 he is not finished with life yet, Louis lets decadent European vampire Lestat de Lioncourt (Tom Cruise) turn him into one of his kind. His dilemma sets in almost instantly based on the incongruity between the newly acquired vampire instincts and a prevailing respect for human life. Lestat does not make it easy for Louis to surpress his hunger for human blood, tempting and provoking him on every occasion.

Despite feeding mainly on rats (and poodles), Louis does slip at times; in a Plague ridden New Orleans mid 19th century, he has an encounter with a helpless orphaned girl. Lestat, who fears Louis might not put up with his antics for much longer, traps him by turning her, Claudia (Kirsten Dunst), into their eternal child. She may look as beautiful and innocent as an infant, but the predatory instincts mixed with the selfish demands of a child turn her into a fierce and unpredictable killer. While mentally she goes through the changes, Claudia’s body will forever remain locked in time. Internally growing up to adolescence, it is a mother’s guidance she desires. Consequently, she rids herself violently of one of her fathers (Lestat), escapes with Louis to Europe and finds herself a female companion (Madeleine, Dominiziana Giordano) to form a heterosexual family bond like she remembers from her human existence.

The purpose of their travels is not only to escape Lestat’s control but also to search for other vampires, who might be able to provide them with answers. Close to giving up, it is an ancient Parisian coven led by Armand (Antonio Banderas) that finds them instead. Le Theatre des Vampires are vampires inhabiting a theatre space, disguised as humans pretending to be vampires; in macabre avant garde Grand Guignol-esque live sacrifices they feed on their prey in front of an unknowing sensationalist audience. While Louis is enchanted with Armand against his better judgement, Claudia feels highly suspicious of him, his hedonistic coven and their announcement of a new era. Rather than turning out to be the answer they were searching for, the coven betrays Louis and Claudia…

Almost 20 years after the cinematic release of Interview with the Vampire I went out to buy the DVD (previously having only the VHS version). As soon as I got to the till, the young cashier started raving on about how amazing this film is, how fantastic Cruise performs as a ‘baddy’, and how it is from a period where vampires were still mysterious and edgy. Well, keep on preaching to the choir. Times have changed; while we were fortunate to witness the legalisation of same sex marriages in some parts of the world and an acceptance of a variety of different family unions (although there is still a lot of work to do in regards to tolerance), vampires seem to have lost their ambiguity.

After rather soulless monster-like vampires who hide away in the shadows (even Countess Dracula sticks to her castle), it was Anne Rice who revamped the mythical creatures by making them young, sexy and ‘alive’. Her novel Interview with the Vampire paved the way for cool vampires like the Lost Boys, Angel and Blade. Rather than simply accepting ‘what’ they are, the modern day vampires became more like ‘whos,’ secretly or overtly desiring a mortal existence. Then in the noughties vampires experienced a further revival, instigated by Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga, which makes the quote in the headline atop this retrospective seem more of a threat. Rice’s and Meyer’s creatures may be very similar with regards to rules/conventions (individual dark gift, intense hunger, killing another vampire is the ultimate crime) and personal traits (romantic, lonely, thoughtful, self-reflexive, tragic, regretful, sad). However, Meyer took the fundamental dilemma away; there no longer seems a disadvantage to being immortal. You become a more beautiful, stronger, faster and better version of yourself with unlimited time at hand and no need for sleep (and of course, you sparkle like diamonds when out in the sun).

Maybe it is nostalgia kicking in here (I love movies/music from the 1990s) and I am just being too conservative in dismissing Twilight as missing the whole point of vampires. Judging by the immense popularity of it I guess these are the vampires this generation currently needs. Interview with the Vampire will, however, always have a special spot in my heart, not only because it is a great movie but also because (as with many childhood films) it reminds me of the self I used to be 20 years ago. I was always a massive fan of River Phoenix and got obviously very upset about his premature death. Phoenix had been Rice’s original choice for the interviewer Daniel Molloy, but he unfortunately died just before he was to commence shooting for Interview with the Vampire (aged 23, at 1:51am on 31st October 1993). Notoriously known for going on crazy drug binges with John Frusciante (Red Hot Chilli Peppers), River OD’ed on a cocaine and heroin cocktail in Johnny Depp’s LA night club, The Viper Room. Skeptical about appearing in a vampire movie, little did he know that he would become just like them, a beautiful but troubled and tragic character forever frozen in time.

By Ben Bussey

What are you afraid of? It’s a simple enough question, one which tends to prompt the old list of usual suspects: spiders, snakes, rats, heights and so on and so forth. But is the answer really as simple as that, for any of us? When it comes right down to it, I’m not sure any of us really know what we’re truly afraid of until we’ve had to confront it directly – and we may come to find fear in places we had never anticipated. I didn’t consider myself at all claustrophobic until I got trapped in a small lift (that’s an elevator to you transatlantic types) with more people than it should have been carrying; it was probably for five or ten minutes at most, but with the air getting thin and the temperature rising by the moment, it felt like a whole lot longer. Nor did I ever consider myself particularly afraid of heights until my first attempt at rock climbing, when dangling on a rope at about a hundred feet I was overwhelmed by the sense of being a speck in an infinite vacuum.

Those, however, were fairly rational moments of fear and panic, for which little explanation is necessary. One rather more potent moment occurred more than a decade before either incident, when I sat down to watch A Nightmare on Elm Street for the very first time.

(Yes, this is going to be one of those autobiographical accounts of my first experience of a film. I’m just saying that upfront as I realise this approach isn’t to all tastes; but what can I say, we’d letting the side down if we didn’t mark the thirtieth anniversary of A Nightmare on Elm Street – which first opened in US cinemas this week in 1984 – and I’ve been wracking my brain trying to find something to say about it which hasn’t been said innumerable times before. At the end of the day, the only relatively fresh angle I could find was the personal one. That disclaimer out of the way, let us continue.)

If I remember correctly I was eleven years old. I’d not long since caught the horror bug and was eager to see as much as I could – and, being a child of the 1980s, there was one movie series above all others that I just knew I had to see. As Heather Langenkamp would later say in Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, “every kid knows who Freddy is; he’s like Santa Claus or King Kong.” This was never more true than in the late 1980s, when the popularity of the hideously burned child molester with a crumbled brown fedora, red and green striped jumper and knive-laden gauntlet was at its peak. True to form, as a child I knew the nature of Freddy’s power and was afraid of him long before I’d seen anything of the movies beyond their VHS sleeves; I remember being particularly startled by the Freddy’s Revenge cover, the antagonist’s head thrown back in an evil scowl, his claws held high.

However, I’m happy to say my first experience of Freddy was in his first, and I’d say far and away best film. I saw it at a friend’s house on a summer afternoon, on a little TV in his bedroom. The curtains were open, sunlight was pouring in and reflecting off the screen, the whir of the video recorder was almost as loud as the film itself. Nonetheless I was utterly transfixed from the opening frames, as the unseen figure crafts the deadly glove, grunting sadistically to himself as he did so; this flowing seamlessly into Tina’s first nightmare, with the sense of imminent danger following her every step, and just those few fleeting glimpses of Freddy himself which leave the viewer both eagerly anticipating and mortally dreading his every appearance.

A Nightmare on Elm Street really pushed me out of my comfort zone. At that time The Monster Squad had not long since become my favourite movie of all time in the whole world ever; as such, my few horror movie experiences were somewhat milder than what I was getting here. As much as I loved Fred Dekker’s 1987 magnum opus, the truth was that it had never truly frightened me – but A Nightmare on Elm Street did. It really unnerved me. Not only was it loaded with potent jump scares, it had at its core a genuinely scary idea: a man who could enter your dreams and kill you while you slept. There could be no escaping such a thing; we all have to sleep sometime whether we want to or not. And that night, after watching A Nightmare on Elm Street for the first time, I really didn’t want to. It was one of the few times in my life that I chose to sleep with the light on.

And the thing that has most stayed with me from that first experience was the fact that it was not Freddy himself that most haunted me. Yes, I found him terrifying; and yes, it freaked me the fuck out when his invisible form ripped Tina’s stomach open and dragged her bloodied form across the ceiling, and when his claw dragged Glen down into his own mattress and made like Old Faithful. Yet it wasn’t those images that lingered most heavily in my mind’s eye.

Rather, it was the image of dead Tina appearing in Nancy’s nightmare, standing aloft in a dirty back alley in a partially unzipped body bag, as she opens her mouth as if to speak – and a centipede falls out.

This was a whole different kind of scare. Freddy leaping up suddenly out of nowhere with a roar; that kind of straightfoward shock I could understand. The deaths of Tina and Glen, the sight of blood; again, no mystery as to why that would be scary. But seeing an insect (and not one I’d had any particular fear of beforehand) crawl out of a dead girl’s mouth for no readily apparent reason: this just did not compute. I didn’t understand the image – and more to the point, I didn’t understand why I found it so frightening. To this very day I can’t find a rational explanation.

This was quite the revelation. If I could find something frightening without having the slightest idea why, how well could I truly know myself? And perhaps even more importantly, what did it say about me that I actually enjoyed this feeling of total terror? (What can I say, I was a very deep 11 year old.)

This, I think, is the key to A Nightmare On Elm Street’s endurance: its exploration of the nature of fear. It works on both the simple jump-out-of-your-seat, spill-your-popcorn level, but it also stays with you and comes back to haunt you when you least expect it, in ways you don’t necessarily expect. It was this approach which both endeared the film to the slasher crowd, but also appeared to pave the way to a more sophisticated future… though it is of course highly debatable whether the subsequent sequels delivered on that promise.

Not unlike the original Godzilla (which recently turned 60), the cinematic franchise and marketing empire spawned by A Nightmare on Elm Street make it tricky to approach the original film in isolation today. Watching it again now, there are certain things in the film that frighten me more than they did as a child, such as Johnny Depp’s hair and wardrobe, and John Saxon’s grammar (“what the hell were you doing going to school today for anyway?”) The little errors and tell-tale signs of its low budget stand out more to me now, too; not just that godawful mannequin in the final scene, but a couple of instances of stunt performers landing on clearly visible crash mats, Freddy seemingly gaining about three stone in weight the moment he gets set on fire, and indeed Robert Englund’s make-up and costume, which looks pretty amateurish by comparison with that of the sequels (though still infinitely better than that cartoon witch look they gave him on Freddy’s Dead). But while the later films might have delivered a more polished veneer, few of them came anywhere near capturing the same genuinely nightmarish effect of the one that started it all.

By Matt Harries

What does the vampire mean to you? Looking back through the annals of cinema we are spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing our favourite manifestation of the bloodsucker. In recent times, long form television has given us vamps who look like models; sexually charged, magnetic and beautiful as in True Blood. In Guillermo Del Toro’s The Strain, The Master has some characteristics in common with the fanged denizens of Bon Temps – seemingly all-powerful and capable of inspiring fear and devotion in equal measure – but in the flesh he is all monster, an ancient horror that spreads the plague of vampirism through worm-like parasites and violent genetic mutation. In the Blade series of films the vampire exhibits elements seen in both True Blood and The Strain, combined with the achingly modern life skills such as mastery of the martial arts and expertise in the most cutting edge technological advances. Vampires come in all shapes and sizes, and often these days their story seems to be tied in with very contemporary concerns. There are surely no other creatures of fantasy out there who have quite managed the transition into modernity with such aplomb, but who yet have their roots deeply embedded in the folklore of pre-cinema.

Cinema’s journey into vampirism began in such very different circumstances of course. F.W Murnau’s 1922 Expressionist classic Nosferatu: Eine Symphonie des Grauens was an unauthorised adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula – surely the definitive vampire story. It came from a time long before the vampire had become a cliché, a commonplace staple of popular horror culture, and the subject of countless interpretations and adaptations. By the time Werner Herzog chose to make his own version of the classic tale, over half a century had elapsed. The likes of Hammer had offered their own unique rendering, but despite the plethora of vampire films released even in the same year, Herzog’s version comes from a time before all that. In choosing to create a link between the great era of Expressionist cinema and the then new-wave of German cinema, he once again tapped into that ancient wellspring from whence Murnau’s iconic masterpiece itself was derived.

Far removed from the modern tendency toward self-referential irony, Herzog’s Nosferatu paints a picture of a society for whom the light of modern age has yet to cast aside the darkness of superstition. As such the film is full of contrasts between two opposite states; light and darkness; life and death; youth and age. Water is often used as a symbolic mirror, capable in its raging torrents and calm placidity of reflecting the fluid states of human emotion. Early in the film, Jonathan (Bruno Ganz) and fiance Lucy (Isabelle Adjani) visit the beach where they first fell in love. The placid retreating tide beckons him toward the unknown Transylvania and its possibilities, away from home town Wismar, full of “canals which go nowhere”. Jonathan’s desire to explore the lands beyond Wismar, and experience a richer life, highlights another contrast – that of the modern world and the ancient wildness of nature.

Throughout the film we witness the interplay between these differing states of being. Jonathan leaves the calm order of Wismar for Transylvania. Who better to tell him of the dark lands beyond the civilised world than the gypsies who themselves live outside the strictures of modernity? Only they travel across the great chasm that divides the world’s of Jonathan’s past and future. Yet for all this they fear the darkness and are naturally suspicious of its place within the natural order of things. “No such castle exists there except perhaps in the imagination of man”, he is told. And yet, being the modern man, Jonathan quests on, driven by his desire for adventure as much as the need to provide a better future for Lucy.

Herzog’s direction focuses upon creating a powerful ambient atmosphere, utilising the grandeur of the natural world in a manner that will be familiar to those who have followed his work. The tone is set with the arresting imagery that opens the film, namely footage of the mummies of Guanajuato in Mexico. These grim figures were disinterred during an 1833 cholera epidemic. Apparently there were examples where the dying were buried before their deaths. Indeed, the corpse of one woman was found face down in her coffin biting her own arm, her mouth full of blood. Some of the post-mortem facial expressions of these unfortunates also indicate the horror of dying in their own tombs. Although unrelated in time and place to the events of Nosferatu, there is something about these mummies that strikes an horrific chord with the subject matter of the film. Mankind’s own attempt at claiming a slither of immortality; preservation of the dead and dying, their desiccated remains denied the ultimate release of decay. Powerfully redolent of Dracula’s own state of undying.

The slow motion footage of a bat flying is equally haunting, but for all its sinister overtones is imbued with a timeless dark elegance. The night hunter is focussed and seemingly swooping in to land, filmed against a grainy background. As it leans in towards the object of its attention Lucy sits bolt upright in bed, screaming one of cinematic horror’s classic screams. If her nightmares were of the images we have just watched, it is no wonder she feels such a sense of foreboding.

After this ghastly introduction we arrive at Wismar and its calm order. Filmed largely in Delft in the Netherlands, Herzog chose the location for its stylised, dreamlike atmosphere. The gentle flow of water through the town’s canal system contrasts with the white waters that churn through the Transylvanian mountains, that seem to usher Jonathan through the treacherous Borgo pass and beyond to Castle Dracula. Jonathan’s ascension to the castle is quintessentially Herzog; lingering awestruck shots of the forbidding monochromatic peaks. Clouds at once soar above and cling smothering to them. Finally we arrive at the Castle. Jonathan is beckoned in by the pale form of the Count. The heavy black iron door clanks shut like it is itself a part in the mechanism of a great lock, behind which the Jonathan Harker who enters the castle will never emerge again as he once was.

Enter then our Count himself, played by Klaus Kinski. Wearing a rather fetching hat and coat combo he nonetheless appears startlingly vampiric from the get go. There is none of the latter day shape shifting – appearing sometimes older, sometimes younger, some times more or less human altogether. No, here Dracula appears as he remains throughout the film, preternaturally long teeth and nails and all. As he watches Jonathan eat he resembles a strange amalgam of the striking images of the opening sequence. Pallid, deathly flesh toned and almost corpse still, yet at once focussed upon his guest, radiating a hunger that boils just below the surface. Yet he also exudes a sense of age, of weariness. “Ah young man”, he laments, “you are like the villagers who cannot place themselves in the soul of the hunter”. At this point Jonathan seems to lose his appetite. His pensive mood is further unsettled by the bizarre chiming of the Count’s fantastic clock and, not surprisingly I might add, by the Count’s attempt to drink his blood after he cuts his finger. Despite Jonathan’s obvious fear we can see the Count is hardly a rampaging killer. Instead he appears frail and old yet at once utterly compelled by hunger.

Isabelle Adjani’s Lucy is the story’s other principal player. With a pale complexion framed in the dark shadow of her black hair, her youthful beauty places her as Dracula’s opposite and yet eventually also his obsession. For all her innocence and loyalty to Jonathan, there is a kind of intensity to Adjani’s performance that makes her a slightly more convincing object for the undead Count’s obsession than say, Winona Ryder, who for all her prettiness lacks Adjani’s classically gothic good looks. Her wide eyed expression of horror seen during her first real meeting with Dracula himself remains one of the most haunting after images of this film, burned into the mind’s eye like those of Shelley Duvall in The Shining.

Kinski it is though, who steals the show. Out of makeup he was a striking enough presence, well known for his apocalyptic mood swings and hysterical fits that mark his relationship with the equally intense but somewhat more placid Werner Herzog as one of cinema’s great partnerships. Despite his reputation as a diva he was apparently quite taken by the Japanese makeup artist who rigorously applied his prosthetics on a daily basis, being for once the model of patience and composure, and this reflects in his rather measured and contained performance as a whole. His delivery, all far away looks and distant memories, is full of weariness and the longing for mortality. There is none of the power or grandeur of Oldman’s Dracula, nor the stern darkness of Lee’s. When we see Kinski’s Count forced to do his own donkey work, lugging the coffins through Wismar, we do feel a bit sorry for him. The whole move to Wismar has the feel of a desperate last gambit. A strategy that will only bring him true victory through its own failure. Of all the Draculas in cinematic past, it is Kinski’s who most convinces when he utters “to be unable to grow old is terrible.”

I also really enjoyed Bruno Ganz as Jonathan. At first he is optimistic and adventurous; cautious, but ready to press on and do what he considers to be the right thing. His demeanour changes utterly, of course, upon his return to Wismar. He no longer recognises Lucy and has become increasingly reminiscent of his one time employer, Renfield (the entertaining Roland Topor); now finding bizarre amusement in the stories of Nosferatu Lucy reads to him. We may suspect that when Dracula finally perishes – so consumed by his hunger for Lucy’s blood he fails to heed the cock crowing to herald the dawn – this gives him the release he ultimately craves. However the final twist of the film sees Jonathan, now sporting junior versions of Dracula’s teeth and claws, extricate himself from behind Lucy’s folk magic barrier, tear off the crucifix that hangs around his neck and summon his horse, enigmatically stating “I have much to do”. Finally he is seen galloping away by horse back, along bare wind strewn sands. This ending put an interesting spin on the tale. Ostensibly, ‘evil’ wins through, with Jonathan now seemingly lost to vampirism and Lucy dead through her sacrifice. However Dracula, in seeking out Lucy, is at last able himself to find the mortality he craves.

Perhaps I am being hasty (having yet to watch the film), but I have seen the new direction Dracula is taking in cinema and I am not overly enthralled. Dracula Untold (editor’s note – here’s Keri’s review) appears on first glance to be a CGI-fest inspired by Lord Of The Rings and Game Of Thrones. The titular prince is ruggedly handsome and resplendent, a commander of armies with a beautiful wife and son. It seems like another popcorn friendly big budget epic in age of blandly invincible superheroes. Suffice it to say, there is nothing heroic about Kinski’s Dracula, who lingers through a loveless, futile existence, his humanity an old and painful memory. Herzog’s Nosferatu does not try and romanticise the Count. Despite his machinations and his hunger there is a tormented sadness within him. Feared as a great and monstrous evil, there is a yearning there that is entirely human. This is not a film about super powers or the ultimate triumph of love over evil. It is a film about a world that is full of shadows and light, of monsters and maidens, of prey and the preyed upon. About the illuminating light of discovery and the shadows that exist within mankind’s own heart.

Fundamentally, Nosferatu; Phantom der Nacht is the perfect antidote to the modern reading of the vampire story. Richly atmospheric, well acted, full of unaffected natural grandeur and with a fantastic, dreamlike soundtrack by long time Herzog collaborator Florian Fricke, it belongs at the very dark heart of vampire mythology.