[BEST & WORST '11] Mr. Disgusting’s List of the Best Horror Films of 2011!

Movies
Posted by MrDisgusting on January 01, 2012 @ 7:16am
Category: Movies / Editorials

Those of you following Bloody Disgusting for the better part of the decade will know that my list is always dominated by independent/festival features, which is pretty telling about the crop of films screened throughout the year. From my perspective, the indie filmmaker is one of passion, intensity, and that of no barriers; (generally) they have no rules and nobody creeping over their shoulder telling them what to do. The result is staggering when compared to the average, bland, faceless and soulless genre flicks released by studios. (Note: some of the below films are listed as released by a major studio, although, they were actually acquired at a film festival by said studio for release in 2012.)

And speaking of major studios, there are a few that actually broke through the barrier and blew my mind; such the case with Twentieth Century Fox who has probably made my top 10 list for the first time in, well, ever.

Still, the most glaring oddity is the addition of both a direct-to-disc release and a television series, which is also probably the first time in years that either has made my list.

I digress… enough with the banter, below you’ll find the crop of the best horror of 2011. READ MORE

[BEST & WORST '11] Mr. Disgusting’s List of the Worst Horror Films of 2011!

Movies
Posted by MrDisgusting on January 01, 2012 @ 7:16am
Category: Movies / Editorials

This year totally sucked, but in all honesty it wasn’t that bad. Usually my “worst of” list requires me to thin out my selections and dump a handful under “dishonorable mentions.” Even looking back through my selections I don’t feel a burning sensation inside, at least not until I get to the bottom of the list. The fact is, this year was loaded with mediocre horror, with a few cinematic abortions trickled in here and there. I think the most disappointing aspect of the following list is that I was forced to include two television series, which is thankfully canceled out by FX’s mind-bogglingly incredible “American Horror Story”.

But when it comes to the big screen, I actually pondered the possibility of making it just a special feature on the “single worst film of 2011″. One flick is such a soulless, putrid piece of garbage that it deserves to be kicked while it’s down.

I had to stop myself, because that’s just mean-spirited (and it’s the holidays!), so without further adieu you’ll find my list of the worst horror in 2011. Let 2012 be better, please. READ MORE

[BEST & WORST '11] Evan Dickson’s 5 Worst Moments In Horror 2011!

Movies
Posted by Evan-Dickson on December 31, 2011 @ 5:18pm
Category: Movies / Editorials

Oh hey, I didn’t see you there!

I came to the conclusion that writing a list of the worst films of the year would not be an appropriate way to quantify the amount of pain some of the weaker entries in the genre have caused me this year.

So if we’re talking damages and therapy bills, I figure life comes down to handful of formative moments. Some of these moments are beautiful and grand, others are painful and wretched. For example, there are numerous films this year that would have made my “Top Worst” list – except that many of them in their entirety aren’t as painful as one single second of ‘Creature’. I also don’t want to kick a bunch of poor indie movies while they’re down – no one’s gonna see them anyway. Better to stick to the wide releases.

As a proud “bottom-feeder”, hit the jump to check out my list of the 5 Worst Moments in Horror 2011! READ MORE

[BEST & WORST '11] Evan Dickson’s List Of The 6 Best Horror Films of 2011!

Movies
Posted by EvanDickson on December 31, 2011 @ 5:18pm
Category: Movies / Editorials

Oh hey, I didn’t see you there!

Guys, I had a hard time with my year-end “best-of” list. It’s not that I didn’t see enough horror movies that I loved enough this year to make the cut (though unfortunately that’s almost true). No, it’s just that there are six movies vying for pole position that all appeal to me in very different ways.

Sure, I know that some films are “better” than others. There’s one film on here that I wouldn’t be surprised at all if it got some Oscar love. The remaining five? Well, I’d be shocked if they did. Would I place The Innkeepers above Martha Marcy Mary Marlene? No. But depending on the type of thrills and scares you’re into it might be a much better fit. Are either one of them as kinetic, chaotic and invigorating as You’re Next!? Nope. But that’s what makes horror great! It’s a surprisingly diverse genre with more to offer than most casual viewers give it credit for.

Are these my absolute six favorite films of the year? Well, almost all of them would be in my overall Top Ten along with The Descendants and Young Adult. But we’re not here to talk about those films, so hit the jump for my favorite horror (ish) films of 2011*. READ MORE

[BEST & WORST '11] David Harley’s List of the Best Horror Films of 2011!

Movies
Posted by David Harley on December 30, 2011 @ 5:51pm
Category: Movies / Editorials

Like my worst-of list, my best-of compilation was really easy to put together. There was quite a bit I liked this year and, unfortunately, six of the films below haven’t been released stateside yet – The Divide and Kill List are around the corner, though. Every year, I toy with the idea of not including unreleased films because it leaves little room for discussion once it’s posted, but in the end, I just wouldn’t be happy with the list- for purely selfish reasons, it’s a little easier to do it like this since I wouldn’t have to hold off on (and possibly forget to use since I saw it so long ago) films like The Loved Ones, which I used last year.

Out of the thirteen films on this list (including three honorable mentions), more than half are foreign, six are performed in a foreign language (seven if you count hood slang), one received a perfect score from me, and zero are remakes, sequels, reboots, or prequels. READ MORE

[BEST & WORST '11] David Harley’s List of the Worst Horror Films of 2011!

Movies
Posted by David Harley on December 30, 2011 @ 5:50pm
Category: Movies / Editorials

As far as the genre goes, there were a lot more films that I found to be mediocre than ones that I outright hated, which made compiling this list extremely easy. If I were to generalize 2011, I’d say the biggest problem was that a lot of the films were too long. Many of them could’ve benefitted from being 20 minutes shorter, or even just being a short rather than feature-length. Then, of course, there are others that just simply shouldn’t have been made – I’m still having nightmares about Peter Sarsgaard’s giant deformed head in Green Lantern. Bereavement and Hellraiser: Revelations were disqualified because I couldn’t sit through more than 20 minutes of either – life is too short, guys.

Out of the ten films on my worst-of list (plus three horrible mentions), five are sequels or prequels (which shouldn’t surprise anyone), three were directed by once prominent names in horror, one is an abomination of a script that was pretty good once upon a time, and all of them are hard to sit through. Not counting the horrible mentions, I would award each film one skull, putting them all on an even playing field. Putting them in sequential order was extremely difficult and even though I’m happy with my final decision, just remember: I hate them all equally (for different reasons)! READ MORE

[BEST & WORST '11] The 5 Best Performances of the Year!

Movies
Posted by EvanDickson on December 30, 2011 @ 12:08am
Category: Movies / Editorials

Oh hey, I didn’t see you there!

When it came time for me to write this list I was utterly surprised by the choices I was making. I saw a lot of great films this year, horror and non-horror alike, but there was a certain freedom in limiting myself to films that (more or less) fit in the horror genre. For instance, I loved George Clooney in The Descendants and I thought Charlize Theron was pitch perfect in Young Adult. But those are great performances that are already going to make almost every list out there.

So by shaking off the burdens of consensus (whether or not I largely agree with it), I was able to focus almost solely on roles that surprised me. There’s a couple of performers included that I would have never in a million years considered putting on any list – good or bad – even just a couple of weeks ago. It was such a great pleasure to strip away my own expectations and simply write about what performances made me happy – for various reasons. I guarantee that there’s only one in here that has a chance in hell of overlapping with the Academy.

Hit the jump to check them out! READ MORE

[BEST & WORST '11] Micah’s List of the Worst Horror Films of 2011!

Movies
Posted by Micah on December 29, 2011 @ 4:02pm
Category: Movies / Editorials

Horror movies can be outstanding in the right hands (Kubrick, Scott, Polanski). And can also be a lot of fun if done right (Raimi, Jackson). These picks have none of those qualities.

Instead, the flicks I’ve chosen are a wasteland of disappointment and opportunity lost. It goes to show that there are a lot of ways to screw up a film and that there are always individuals / studios out there willing to do just that. The films range from a cringe-inducing horror comedy based on a solidly hilarious comic, an angst-ridden bastardization of a famous fairy tale, to a mind-boggling suckfest that might be the worst film of the decade so far. These five films should exercise the right to remain silent (and unseen)…forever. READ MORE

[BEST & WORST '11] Micah’s List of the Best Horror Films of 2011!

Movies
Posted by Micah on December 29, 2011 @ 4:00pm
Category: Movies / Editorials

2011 was a surprisingly good year for horror. For one, torture porn appears to be on the way out. Thank Zeus. And the films that are gaining momentum and praise (Insidious, Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil, Attack the Block) have clearly taken The 1980′s out behind and woodshed and made sweet love to one of the best decades of horror. This return to form gives much to be excited about.

Some of these films were released at the end of 2010 in other countries. But for the most part, these are films that you can see *legally* for the first time this year in the States. I tried to stay away from stuff that I saw at festivals or whatnot that won’t be out to the masses until later in 2012. And honestly, I had a hard time putting #2-9 in order. I think a case could easily be made for any of those excellent films to be near the top of the list. READ MORE

[Special Feature] 2011: The Rise Of VOD!

Movies
Posted by EvanDickson on December 29, 2011 @ 3:17am
Category: Movies / Editorials

Super, Trespass, Melancholia, Quarantine 2: Terminal, Black Death, We Are What We Are, Red State, Kidnapped, Rammbock: Berlin Undead, Phase 7 (Fase 7), Hobo With A Shotgun, The Shrine, Burke & Hare, Cold Fish, Atrocious, The Last Circus, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil , Outcast, The Pack (La Meute), The Human Centipede Part 2: Full Sequence, Chillerama.

What do those films have in common? They’re horror films (or films with enough intensity, gumption and violence for tertiary association) that incorporated Video On Demand into their distribution models in a major way this year.

That means there’s a lot going on here – and it affects you. Hit the jump to check it out and contribute your opinions in the comments. READ MORE

[BEST & WORST '11] Lonmonster’s List of the Worst Horror Films of 2011!

Movies
Posted by Lonmonster on December 28, 2011 @ 4:17pm
Category: Movies / Editorials

As you all know, along with the good come the bad and the ugly. It’s not often that I dislike a movie so much that I get angry, but that is precisely the reason each of these films find their spot in my “Worst of 2011″. This was much, much easier to put together than my “Best of 2011″ list simply because I only have so much room in my brain to remember movies I hate as much as these.

Sure, some feelings will be hurt, but before you get all up in arms, remember it’s movies like these that give horror a bad name… READ MORE

[BEST & WORST '11] Lonmonster’s List of the Best Horror Films of 2011!

Movies
Posted by Lonmonster on December 28, 2011 @ 4:17pm
Category: Movies / Editorials

I’ve been watching horror films for many, many years but this was the first year I was able to do so as a critic for B-D. Having to watch movies and consider which to rank in a “Best of the Year” list was quite daunting given the amount of movies that I watched over the past year. This is easily the most difficult list I’ve written to date, but I suppose that’s only a good thing; it means there were a whole slew of phenomenal horror movies this year.

I had my list cut down to about sixteen titles, and I struggled to cut any more for a long time. But, alas, it had to be done for you boils and ghouls. After ranking, and re-ranking my list too many times, after putting each film through the usual criteria for what makes a great film, in the end it came down to one simple question: how much do love this movie?

Any one of my top five films easily could have landed a spot as the number one title this year, but when the battle came between a horror comedy and a brilliant exploration of post-apocalyptic cinema, I had my winner. READ MORE

[BEST & WORST '11] Lauren Taylor’s List of the Worst Horror Films of 2011!

Movies
Posted by LaurenTaylor on December 28, 2011 @ 4:13pm
Category: Movies / Editorials

Much like the best of 2011, it was very easy to find a handful of films not worthy (and not in a “good” Wayne’s World kinda way). I was given a lot of movies this year when I first started writing – and I think in a way I was being tested – either that or there was nothing else to give. I’d like to put a positive spin on this, however, it is pretty hard to put a positive spin when a lot of these gave me such a negative reaction… READ MORE

[BEST & WORST '11] Lauren Taylor’s List of the Best Horror Films of 2011!

Movies
Posted by LaurenTaylor on December 28, 2011 @ 4:08pm
Category: Movies / Editorials

I really like to make lists. I do top 5′s and top 10′s regularly on my tumblr. If I were to say what would top the Best New Things of 2011 list, it would be becoming a contributor on this site. So, when I was invited to take part in our Best/Worst of 2011, I got very excited. While I didn’t see as many films as I would’ve liked this year, 5 were definitely worthy of being labeled “the best”. READ MORE

[BEST & WORST '11] The 7 Biggest Surprises of the Year!

Movies
Posted by EvanDickson on December 28, 2011 @ 5:30am
Category: Movies / Editorials

Oh hey, I didn’t see you there!

2011 was an eventful year – tectonic shifts are moving through the industry in terms of distribution methods, audience demand, and the staggeringly precipitous drop off in quality of studio releases.

When I sat down to write this piece I didn’t want to make a laundry list of complaints (or praise), but rather a collection of stuff – good or bad – that genuinely surprised me at the time. Even if much of it does make sense now.

Also, I’m not sure whether this particular piece is getting published before or after my Best Posters & Worst Trailers lists – but both of those were written beforehand and mention Red State.

Why do I bring this up? Because this editorial contains my final word on Kevin Smith and his Red State shenanigans. Sure, I reserve the right to speak up if there’s something else to contribute to the conversation – but I’m making a vow to wash the taste of Kevin Smith (2011 Edition) out of my mouth. That means that – after this article – I’m giving him a clean slate. I’d like to be pleasantly surprised by him after an unpleasant 2011.

Hit the jump to check it out! READ MORE