[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

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

Movies
Posted by BC on December 27, 2011 @ 4:37pm
Category: Movies / Editorials

Mildly improving on the previous year, 2011 was still a letdown from the “golden” years of 2007-2009, with few future classics and even fewer box office hits that would keep the studios interested in producing movies for us horror fans. Unsurprisingly, all but two of the films on my list were barely released in theaters (if at all), even though some were crowd-pleasers that could have packed a multiplex theater had their distributors had any faith in them. Yet Creature gets 1500 screens. I don’t get it. On a more positive note, however, all but one of the films on this list are original properties – not remakes/sequels or based on comics/books. Hell, even a number of my “Worst” list are technically original – a good sign that we’re moving away from the dependence on “known property” movies and back into original territory.

Anyway, here’s my top 10 of 2011. As always, this is my opinion – you might have loved The Thing and I’m glad you did – I found it too plot hole ridden and populated with vague characters to ever get truly engaged by it (looked nice, though). You probably won’t agree with every choice, but just remember that my liking a movie you hated or not choosing one that you loved doesn’t necessarily mean I enjoy having sex with members of my family and/or animals – let’s keep those comments respectful. Also, unlike some of the other B-D writers, I only include films that were commercially released in the US in 2011. Festival films, movies that just hit DVD this year after theatrical release in 2010, and films that have been released overseas but not here (insert annual Mandy Lane joke here) are not eligible.

Of course, the first ten comments will be “FUCK YOU!” or “Where is (movie that came out in 2009)?” anyway, so why I bother making that disclaimer is beyond me.

Happy new year! READ MORE

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

Movies
Posted by BC on December 27, 2011 @ 4:37pm
Category: Movies / Editorials

As I mentioned in my “Best of” list, this wasn’t exactly a banner year for horror, and thus it was a lot easier finding 10 stinkers than 10 flicks that will continue to find audiences for years to come. Indeed, many of the films below are disposable, worthless efforts (to use the term loosely) that were cynically produced in order to cash in on a craze, fill in a gap on a studio’s slate, or (in at least one case) merely extend a property’s lease on life. Others… I have no idea why they exist, unless “Giving BC a headache” is something that folks actually set out to do. If so: mission accomplished, and out of nearly 400 horror movies, these 10 were the ones that made me wish I had absolutely no interest in the genre in the first place. READ MORE

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

Movies
Posted by Ryan Daley on December 26, 2011 @ 4:34am
Category: Movies / Editorials

This was a great year for horror movies. But really, how is this different from any other year? Other than a brief period in the early 90s, every year has been a great year for horror cinema. Journalists have been predicting the “death of horror” since I was an 11-year-old reading Charles L. Grant anthologies, and the cynicism continues to this day. According to writers and bloggers, any year now, at any moment, horror is going to suddenly disappear in a huff of black smoke, the end of the genre, gone forever.

Except the readers of this Bloody-Disgusting know that will never happen. Horror is perpetual, it always has an audience, and unlike Meg Ryan or TGIF sitcoms or leg warmers, horror will never, ever go away. Of my five years writing for Bloody-disgusting, this the easiest Top 10 list I’ve ever compiled. There were just so many good movies to choose from. Whether or not you agree with the following list, let’s raise our glasses to one agreed upon fact: 2011 was a great year for horror. READ MORE

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

Movies
Posted by Ryan Daley on December 26, 2011 @ 4:34am
Category: Movies / Editorials

If I were to compile an honest list of the truly awful films I watched in 2011, it would be dominated by the homemade screeners we critics receive on a weekly basis. But it’s no fun ripping on bad movies nobody is ever going to see, so I’ve chosen to focus on bigger releases, giving a pass to the shittier efforts that have crossed my path this year.

In short, I’ve definitely seen worst DVDs in 2011 than the five listed below. But trust me, you don’t want to hear about those. READ MORE