She Screams, He Screams: Top 10 Horror Films of 2008

Welcome to another edition of She Screams, He Screams. In this edition, me and Kelsey are looking back at the year that was, 2008. We have are top 10 lists already, so lets get to our lists.

Kelsey's Top 10 horror films

1. Frontier(s): This is one of my favorite horror films of the year, because it uses horror as a platform with such understanding of the genre. It uses crisis, deception, and injustices that the filmmakers saw in France and injected it to this film to give us a creative and very symbolic film. The movie is extremely brutal and it uses the massive bloodshed to show the harshness in the world.

2. Inside: Along with Frontier(s), Inside is a great example of French horror at its best. The intensity level is the same, but it is far more simplistic. There is very little dialogue and aside from a few policemen who aren’t around for very long there are only two characters: the victim and the killer. The entire film is a very engaging, especially the intense cat and mouse chase. The whole film takes place in the same house and for most of it the victim is stuck hiding out in the bathroom. This gives it a very claustrophobic and entrapped feeling that is exposed through the tension that builds up. Motherhood and protecting it is of the most importance to the characters of the film. We learn that there is a reason to what happened to cause this hunt and it is more than a random home invasion. There is a desperation and desire to have and protect children. However, it turns in to a supplier of evil that will spur further lies. There is no real build up in the film, we are just thrown in to a bloody battle between these two women. The gore is continuous throughout the entire movie, giving us a fast paced horror film that still seems to take its’ time with all that it conveys.

3. Repo! The Genetic Opera: Repo! The Genetic Opera is daring, creative, and gives us something completely original unlike anything we have seen before. It takes us in to a completely different world and really goes in to deceit, corruption, and desperation of the characters and the twisted roads they are heading in. With Alexa Vega, Paris Hilton, Paul Sorvino, Bill Moseley, and Sarah Brightman in a film together it is one of the oddest casts, but an incredible one at that. I probably wouldn’t be crazy about the music itself, but it really fits the characters perfectly and furthers the story. The entire film with many different sub-plots and characters is all told through these songs. The music is inventive, full of atmosphere, and has a purpose in that it tells us the story effectively. Repo! The Genetic Opera is a very gothic film with dark shadows and tones. There is great contrast in the lighting though as it seems so much, but particularly Shilo and Mag, are constantly glowing. There are comic illustrations in between several of the musical numbers that help give clear context and narrates what is happening now and the horrors of some of the characters’ pasts. There is a lot that is hidden from other characters, but we are able to understand these prevailing lies and injustices even when the characters are still ignorant of this. The colors and drawings are vibrant and really jump out at you. All of the images in the film really take you in to this dreamlike, very dark and disturbing world.

4. The Orphanage: The Orphanage is one of the best ghost movies in the past decade. It is layered with so much that draws us in to the film. Built up tension leads to evils that piles up to a terrifying mirage. The visuals between the past, present, and the new state that is found in the end is very well done and explores what each of these mean. The characters are strong and through the bond that is established in the beginning as well as the history that we learn give us an understanding and connection through the hardships that our main character, Laura, goes through. Through her we get the powerful psychological side to the film that brings everything alive. The film has a way of showing the horrors that come to surface when you try to bury the past and does wonders with displaying the tension building up to this. The house itself has a very creepy feel adding on to the suspense. The cinematography is stimulating and brings us in to a new world that plays with darkness, fear, and how this can strangely be a miracle in the right context.

5. Baby Blues: Baby Blues is a very disturbing look inside real life horrors. It takes a very depressed and paranoid mother and takes away the nurturing and protective role that she is supposed to uphold, turning her in to a vicious and relentless murderer. The film has plenty of blood, but really what made it such a great horror film is how much depth the characters had. The oldest child who was being hunted was the symbol of innocence, yet one who refused to let himself be a victim. He showed more intelligence and strength than most adults would have in a similar situation. You hear about mothers murdering their children all too often, but it is quite another thing to witness this on screen. The film is one take on it, but it includes many universal themes that speaks to these tragedies. What I really appreciated about this is it wasn’t just done for shock factor. Every second of the film is shocking, but more importantly somehow through the cruel acts it manages to be so personal and compassionate. As murderous and horrid the mother is, I didn’t see her solely as a monster. I saw her struggle and the pain emerging throughout her. The fact that I was able to feel for a women that sets out to murder every one of her children says a lot regarding the time that was put in to her character, the writing, and the performance. Everyone is given such human qualities that what we are watching seems all too real.

6. Otis: Otis is an adrenaline pumped satire on the torture porn sub-genre that glues you to the screen. Some of the funniest moments are through how the media treats missing persons cases. The real gem of the film is how it shows suburbia gone crazy. It depicts brutally torturing and making an individual suffer in the sickest and most twisted ways as if that was the only normal and healthy response for a family member to have: the one true way to show that they cared. By doing this in the movie, it in itself is critiquing how morality is often lost in our society today. The family is more murderous than Otis was since he was actually very disappointed when his victims died. He only harmed them in hopes of scaring them in to giving him the acceptance that he has longed for. He creates a dungeon that mirrors the world of a high school girl. Otis like many others, wasn’t happy in high school and lost someone he loved. The only difference between him and a million other people who experienced this is he sets out to create new high school memories, even if they are artificial and torture induced. The writing in the film accompanied by the brilliant and energy charged portrayals of these unique, but all very likeable characters in one way or another, is spot on making it smart, hilarious, disturbing, and very real.

7. Let The Right One In: This Sweedish vampire film is slow moving, but interesting and visually vibrant movie. The bulk of it seems much more like a drama than you would expect. Rather than action or gore based, it uses a very still and strangely quiet atmosphere. It isn’t even as heavy on dialogue as you would think, yet through the relationship between a vampire girl and a weaker human outcast so much is shown to us. What sets this apart from other vampire films more than anything else though is the dedication that is clearly put in to every second of it. It actually makes the outside world and those who use violence as sport seem like the true monsters. Especially with the death and blood being spread out, it puts the concentration on our two main characters. The cinematography is visually stimulating as majority of the film is glowing white . The blood against the shining image of the snow combined with the moderation it is showed to us in makes it stand out even more. Whenever there is even a hint of light when a vampire is present, there is almost an overpowering brightness. Let The Right One In deals with injustice, dependency on violence, loneliness, friendship, and bending the rules at times. It is a very different and subtle vampire film, but one of the best films of its kind out there.

8. Dance of the Dead: Dance of the Dead is a coming of age teen comedy inside of a zombie outbreak. All of the characters, performances, and relationships seem very natural and with so many types of kids covered, there is someone for everyone to relate to. What is really fun with the wide variety of characters is how they all ban together when they learn of the zombie attack, strangely enough this is what it takes to bring them all together. Who doesn’t love two decapitating teen ferociously biting in to each others flesh to show their love for one another? It doesn’t get much better than that when meshing teen romance with horror. The film adapts a lot of zombie movie standards and pokes fun at just about all of them along the way. There is comedy in almost every situation and with the characters being so fun and likeable, Dance of the Dead gives us a very intelligent, entertaining, and inventive zombie film.

9. Nympha: The environment is very secluded and there is a very unsettling mood. It is very cold and empty, ultimately becoming very draining as it is more difficult to watch as it goes along. We watch as someone who only has intentions of doing good for the world is stripped of everything she has including faith and strength. The physical torture is attacked one sense at a time, since it is supposed to be drawn out to bring her closer to God. It has the opposite effect though as the mental torture escalates and turns in to something completely different. The ideas of good and bad are played with a lot, ensuring the viewer that nothing is what it seems to be and evil can be hiding anywhere. The corruption, abuse, and twisted mindset power the film. Tiffany Shepis gives the best performance of her career in Nympha. Shepis doesn’t have a ton of dialogue, especially in the scenes where the most is conveyed through her. She depicts so much depth, suffering, and betrayal mostly with facial expressions alone.

10. Zombie Strippers: For a film that takes place during George W. Bush’s fourth term in office, having horror and political elements only seem natural. For the horror side, you get nothing less than you would expect: cheesy gory fun and decapitating flesh among a rising epidemic of the living dead. The political subtext was handled very well as it is subtle enough to either ignore it or appreciate it, but the choice is up to the viewer. The dialogue and most of what we are seeing is very goofy and light, which doesn’t make us feel like we are being hit too hard over the head with any of the context. Using strippers as zombies really shed light on the need for acceptance and how conformity can be a necessary step towards this for some. The more political side of it is the disease itself and all of the experimentation used were designed to get more soldiers, ones that would be able to eternally fight. After they were shot down, they could just get up again; making them undefeatable. An army of zombies could be very dangerous, but this is the very thing the government is willing to take lives for. This adds a great deal of horror to the film as both aspects work very well together. Robert Englund in one of his best recent performances is reason enough to see this film. Through every crooked move and evil laugh joy is just seeping out.


Anthony T’s Top 10 Horror Films

1. Inside: “Inside” is probably the most shocking and ultra-violent slasher film, I’ve seen in years. I could see, why both Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury were highly rumored to directed “Halloween 2”. Their direction was perfectly flawless, as it had the suspense that classics are made of. The suspense makes this film, as you begin find out why, the person is stalking the mother to-be. They also did a great job developing the characters and the film’s story until its shocking end. Also, the film has great performances, from both Alysson Paradis and Beatrice Dalle. They make their characters, so believable; it helps sells, the film’s suspense. It’s a film; I highly suggest you seek out, if you are a true slasher fan.

2. Brutal Massacre: “Brutal Massacre” was a very funny mockumentry, on the horror genre. Director Stevan Mena, does a great job with both the screenplay and the direction here. This film felt like a Christopher Guest, with the zany humor and weird characters. What makes this film entertaining was the fact that each of the cast was very funny. This was one of those comedies where I was laughing out loud, a lot. The film has a lot, of very notable horror personalities, like David Naughton (An American Werewolf in London), Ellen Sandweiss (The Evil Dead), Ken Foree (Dawn of the Dead (1978)), and Gunner Hansen (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) who steal the show, with his performance.

3. AM 1200: There were a couple of short films, I was considering for my list. This is the only that made it. I first caught this film, at the Rhode Island International Horror Film Festival. AM 1200 was a throwback to the days of “The Twilight Zone” and The Outer Limits”. This film has a dark and suspenseful story. Director David Prior, did a great job building up the suspense through atmosphere, character, and story development. It’s definitely, a short film that can’t be missed. You can purchase a copy of this film, at the film’s official website at http://www.am1200.com/.

4. The Signal: “The Signal” was an original and interesting horror film that didn’t get much attention, during its theatrical run, which was very sad to see, as this was the best theatrically released horror film of the year. The directors did a great job keeping the action moving. One of the things that make this a very good job film is the fact that each of the three stories felt different, from one another, while continue on the main plot line throughout, as it felt like a combination between “Pulp Fiction” and “Videodrome”. The acting was also very good, as the actors made their characters believable. In return, that provided some interesting and entertaining stories.

5. Mulberry Street: Even though this film was released back in 2007. I didn’t consider it a 2007 film because I consider After Dark’s Horrorfest, a film festival. “Mulberry Street” was the best film, from the “2007 After Dark Horrorfest. This film had a lasting impact, on me, especially with the end of the film. This film was frightening and intense. The performances were very good, as I really cared about the characters. Beneath all the action, they’re good political subtext, about society today.

6. Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead: What 2008 horror list, wouldn’t be complete with Lloyd Kaufman on it. Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead” is Kaufman’s best film, since “The Toxic Avenger” and “Tromeo and Juliet”. One of things that make this film very good, the way Kaufman directs. He keeps the action moving, through the story and the performances This film also was entertaining, as the musical sequences was well timed and the screenplay pokes fun, at various issues, which you will enjoy.

7. Dance of the Dead: “Dance of the Dead was a fun film. I liked, how the film actually lived up to the buzz, from the SXSW Film Festival. This film had a good screenplay that focuses on the characters. These characters were written, very well, as they didn’t seem stupid or dumbed down. They were fun to watch, I wish more films would do this, as some of the horror films that I watched this year, featured groups of teens that were either annoying or felt lifeless to the point that I didn’t care. The film also features some very good action and humor that made this film, very enjoyable.


8. Bloodstained Romance: Along with another film further up, on my list, “Bloodstained Romance” was very shocking and gory. This film does a great job, focusing on the psychology, of the demented killer. Travis B. Miller did a great job covering up the production value, with a very frightening story. His screenplay really focuses on the killer’s state of mind and the obsession that he has with the female lead. The film features a very good lead performance, by Chris Bruchette, as he makes his performance terrorizing, to the point there you felt shocked, throughout the course of the whole film. The film will be out on DVD February 24th.

9. Gutterballs: This is a film that I almost forgot about, if it wasn’t the fact that it’s coming out on DVD, this month. “Gutterballs” was a very fun and shocking send off to the grindhouse and 80’s horror films, as most of the kills, are those that you have to see to believe. Ryan Nicholson’s screenplay was also very good, as the story was entertaining and contains some of the most original deaths, you will ever see, in a horror film. The film will be out on DVD, via “Danger After Dark” on the 27th of this month. The good thing about this release, you’ll be able to see, the version I saw, as some of the stuff, in the film, wouldn’t get by, the MPAA.

10. The Devil’s Muse: “The Devil Muse” ends my list, at number ten. One of things that made this film great was the direction Rami Azbed. He does a great job crafting an old story based on the Black Dahlia murders and making it into neo nourish film. But what makes this film standout is Azbed’s direction, as its very surreal and dark. It’s what cinema is supposed to be, an artform. The film has also has one of the best performances of the year, as Kristen Kerr makes her character, like one of those innocent character, from those forties and fifties crime films.

Now were going to do something different, as both of us, will now comment on each other’s top 10 list.


Kelsey’s Thought on Anthony T’s Top 10

Anthony T’s top 10 list-

10. The Devil’s Muse: I was completely taken away with the film as it began to unravel.The film does have some pacing issues as it began to lose me throughout some of the film. There were a few vastly underdeveloped and unnecessary characters. The story line with our two main characters is intensely interesting though. What stood out to me the most in the film was the dramatization of the role of Elizabeth, just the presence of it. Lisa takes on the role of this character and as she is studying her and getting in to the script at some point she stops acting. It isn’t a character anymore, it seems that it isn’t even someone who has departed from the world. 60 years after her death, the mind of Elizabeth finds a way of coming back through Lisa; now residing in her head. These two characters almost become one, making for a very interesting relationship. The Devil’s Muse is a very artistic and symbolic film. Especially towards the beginning there are so many beautiful visuals that immediately take you in to the story before it has really started. They are not hollow images either, but frame the work of a certain helplessness. I would have liked for the film to go in to some of the character development and more in to the killer, but it is based on an unsolved mystery case and I can understand not wanting to make up what isn’t known. The Devil’s Muse has a few flaws, but the imagery and concepts in the film remain strong enough to make it an interesting horror film.

9. Gutterballs: Without a doubt the best horror throwback film to date. There were a few things that I think could have been handled better, particularly the characters none who were really sympathetic, but all just horrible people. Gutterballs really looks and feels like a slasher right out of the 80s though. So as a throwback film it does the job. There are plenty of slashers with throwaway characters during that time, so the weak characters were excusable. The deaths in the film were really where the originality lied. There are nods to other deaths such as one from Halloween, but as a whole the deaths were ones that I had never witnessed before. Every death involved a bowling prop, most of them were the bowling pin. There were so many sick and gruesome instances used with this same bowling pin that triggered the suspense not with the questioning of if, when, or who was going to die next, but in what creative way this bowling pin would murder them.

8. Bloodstained Romance: I haven’t seen this one yet, but I have only heard good things about it. I will have to watch this sometime.

7. Dance of the Dead: I had a great time with this one as well. It has this really fresh and fun quality to it. It really uses the teen comedy aspects and the horror perfectly together, neither seeming outweighed by the other. The cast really added to this and I hope we see some of them in the future. Towards the beginning I was worried that by using different categories of people that these characters would just be stereotypes. In the end, it was just the opposite of that though. Every character was gone in to and we were able to see several sides to them, especially when these people who would never be around one another normally banded together against the zombies. The dialogue was very well done, playing with zombie film traditions and using the teen characters to have fun with the epidemic they were facing. One scene where this really shows is when the gym teacher gives all of the kids their weaponry. There was a grave worker who saw the outbreak coming that was not only reminiscent of character in zombie films, but even reminded me a lot of one from Friday the 13th. There is a lot of great deaths as well throughout this extremely fun and creative zombie film.

6. Poultrygeist: This movie was just plain crazy, but you have to love it. Poultrygeist really is a Troma film through and through. It is definitely one of the best recent zombie films with societal critiques, mostly because it does so in such an extreme and silly way. It would have to with what type of movie it is: a musical about chicken zombies on an evil fast food chain built on an Indian burial ground. There are plenty of gross out moments in the film, some regarding the gruesome deaths, but the line isn’t drawn there as just about everything in the film is as over the top as you would expect it to be. Overall, a very wacky but fun horror film.

5. Mulberry Street: I haven’t seen this film, but one of my biggest fear is rats so I am sure at the very least it would creep me out.

4. The Signal: This film seemed a bit overrated to me. I enjoyed it to an extent and the idea of in a technology driven world the frequencies could turn everyone in to killers and spur essential chaos is an interesting premise. The first act presented this to us and engaged me in the film, but it seemed like it didn’t know what to do in the middle and I found myself getting less in to the movie as it went on. The film seemed to lose its focused and especially towards the end it seemed more hectic than natural. The performances were very good and like I said I really liked the premise for the film, I just thought it could have gone farther with it.

3. AM 1200: I wasn’t familiar with this movie before, but with questions of heaven and hell and going against the common thought of the purity of heaven and towards the thought that hell may be more manageable it sounds like the film deals with some interesting storylines. I am curious to see where that goes, I will have to watch it now.

2. Brutal Massacre: A mockumentary that uses very subtle but intelligent humor. It centers on a film set of a horror film where everything goes wrong, one disaster after the other. It says a lot about how non-horror fans view the genre. Cheesy and out there horror films are looked down upon. However, when the director tries to put out a film that is focused on the story and has some serious elements and real purpose to it, the only producer that will actually listen to him immediately tries to dumb it down. The element of nudity trying to be shoved in is shown here even in the case where it might not fit at all. This is actually an unfortunate fault of the core audiences, because the mainstream audiences mostly respond to low quality horror films. The film also showed the opposite example of this, while a simple part of his film, which is really a shortcoming, is mistaken for an innovative statement by a critic who wants to see more than what is really there. With actors like Ken Foree, Brian O’Halloran, and Gunner Hansen the movie is a lot of fun while still focusing on critiquing Hollywood’s flaws.

1. Inside: Definitely one of the best horror films of the year. It has a very still tone, partially because of the seclusion, the concentration of just the victim and the villain, and the limited dialogue. This really brings our full attention to the intensity of the situation and to the focus on what is going on in the context of each character. The blood is completely brutal and such a constant throughout the film. Especially that scene with the scissors stabbed through her hand on the other side of the door and of course the ending of the film are extremely intense. Inside is a great horror film that uses a constant death chase all to uphold or re-attain motherhood.

Anthony T’s thoughts on Kelsey’s list

Kelsey’s List

10. Zombie Strippers: Anything with G.W getting a fourth term, as president, will get my attention. “Zombie Strippers” was a very fun film. I had a chance to interview, Jay Lee, in 2008. That was a very good interview. His direction was very good, as this felt truly like a grindhouse film. The film also goes a good job taking shots, at the Bush administration, while adding humor that made this film entertaining.

9. Nympha: “Nympha” almost made it, on to my list. If this list were a top twenty list, then this would be my number eleven film. What made this film very good was Tiffany Shepis’ performance. Even though she doesn’t have much dialogue, it’s the way she portrays the character through the mannerisms. She makes her character, very terrified. It’s shows how she has come, from her first film “Tromeo and Juiliet”. The film also has a very dark and gothic atmosphere that makes this, very gothic.

8. Dance of the Dead: It’s number 7 on my list.

7. Let The Right One In: This is a film that I really wanted to see in 08. The only problem was, it only played, at my local arthouse theat,er for one week. This is why; I don’t like the way independent films are treated, in my neck of the woods. I will be definitely, be renting or purchasing this film, when it comes out on Dvd, because I’m very interested in seeing this film.

6. Otis: “Otis” was a good film. It was funny, as the humor was written, very well. This was a more asscible film than Tony Krane’s last film “Sublime”, which was also very good. The film does have, very good comedic performances, from Daniel Stein, Illeana Douglas and a very demented performance from newcomer, Bostin Christopher. The film was fun, but wasn’t fun enough to warrant any consideration, for my list.

5. Baby Blues: I’ve never heard about this film, until a couple of weeks ago, as I read your review for it. It’s in my Netfilx quere.

4. The Orphanage: 'The Orphanage” was a very good film, as it was haunting and suspenseful. I would highly recommend it to anyone, who is looking for a good supernatural film. It’s like another film on my list. I;m glad that this film received a decent size theatrical release. This was a frightening and intense, supernatural film. The problem was that it came out too early and got lost, in the mix.

3. Repo! The Genetic Opera: I was really looking forward to this film, but it hasn’t played, in my area at the time of this posting. I can thank Lionsgate President Joe Drake for this, as he only care about releasing boring “Saw” films and the “My Bloody Valentine in 3D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”. Hopefully, I will have my chance to review this film soon.

2. Inside: See my Number 1 film

1. Frontier(s): “Like “Nympha”, this barely missed my list. This was a very shocking film. It falls into the same trap, as “The Orphanage did. It was released to early and wasn’t shocking enough, to leave a lasting impression. Still, the film was very good. Amidst the torture that takes place, there was an entertaining and suspenseful story, which made the scares effective and makes you interested in the characters.

Thank you for taking your time to read our lists and I hope continue to read our column, as we have great things planned for 2009.