Halloween Countdown (Day 12: The Hangover)

This weekend I've been pushed for time due to hangovers and prior engagements. So in the meantine, while experimenting with the Blogger App on my phone (which I'm still trying to come to grips with, but may be handy in future) I'm gonna do a top 5 list of the best horror genre films I've seen so far this year.

Of course there is the possibility of one or two films to be released before the end of the year that could make the top 5, but at this moment no further film releases come to mind. I did watch Mama, but it was on a poor quality pirate DVD, so I'd rather watch it again to get a better opinion of it. Plus I never got the chance of getting to see You're Next in the cinema. Instead I chose Pain & Gain when I had the chance. Big mistake.

5. Byzantium

A very interesting gothic tale that managed to go back and forth in time seamlessly, with interesting characters and scenery. One or two small problems I had with the film are merely nitpicking and doesn't take away the enjoyment from the film as a whole. Plus it has Gemma Arterton as a sexy vampire, which is always a plus.

4. Maniac

It has been a years since I saw the original, so I can't decide which version is better. On its own merits, this is a pretty inventive slasher flick with hints of Drive and Enter The Void. Plus I found it funny that the song Goodbye Horses shows up in yet another serial killer film.

3. Evil Dead

Another reimagined version of an infamous 80s horror flick, if it wasn't for the participation of Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell I would have dismissed this film right away. As it turns out it was pretty decent, with a few nods to the original films. May not have a lot of laughs, but then again the original Evil Dead flick was meant to be serious when released.

2. The Conjuring

While coming in at the number two spot, this is not only the best "pure" horror film of the year (so far anyway) but it's actually one of the best horror films I've seen in a long while. Granted there's nothing overly original about it, and Patrick Wilson is still terribly wooden. But it was a nice throwback to the horror movies of the late 70s/early 80s.

1. Stoker

Another gothic tale that manages to get a passable performance from Nicole Kidman (although I still wish someone else was cast instead of her). That aside the plot and characters were intriguing, it was beautifully shot, and is also in the top 5 films of the year so far. As a fan of the original Oldboy (don't know what to expect from the Spike Lee remake at this time) the director's first effort at an English language film was impressive.

And on a final note.....

Special mention goes out to Sharknado, which so far is the most fun movie I've seen so far this year (for better and worse).