Editorials
Meagan Shares Her Picks For 10 Best Horror Moments of 2017
*Keep up with our ongoing end of the year coverage here*
Horror has had a tremendous year, especially when it comes to box office success. While horror has always been a healthy, profitable genre of film, the massive box office victories from just Get Out and IT alone have really made the general public take notice. It’s not just the mainstream triumphs of horror that’s worth celebrating, but also the simple fact that 2017 ushered in a ridiculous amount of great horror movies. From major theatrical releases to smaller, independent offerings, 2017 has made it extremely difficult to narrow down the best horror films of the year. Instead, let’s look back at horror’s best moments of the year. Warning; there will be some spoilers, but I’ll keep them out of titles and images so you can skip them. From explosive scenes of brutality or overwhelming surprises of fan service, here are horror’s 10 best moments of 2017:
Split – The Final Scene
After a string of not so well received films, M. Night Shyamalan revitalized his career by teaming up with Blumhouse Productions, a production company with an uncanny ability to take a low budget horror film and make massive profits. This also happened to be the case with Split, released in January, a month known as a sort of wasteland for theatrical releases. Casting James McAvoy as lead antagonist Kevin Wendell Crumb, a disturbed man suffering dissociative identity disorder with 23 distinct personalities, was a stroke of genius. McAvoy’s performance was worth the price of admission. But even if you were feeling lukewarm on the film, it was the final scene after the narrative wrapped that landed one of horror’s biggest surprises of the year: Bruce Willis reprising his role as David Dunn from Unbreakable. Shyamalan just unleashed a secret sequel to his hit from 2000, and none of us knew until the final reel. Brilliant.
Get Out – The Police Lights
There are so many great moments in Jordan Peele’s directorial debut that it’s tough to hone in on just one. The imagery, the symbolism, and the amazing cast made for one of the year’s best films. Catherine Keener’s Missy sending Daniel Kaluuya’s Chris to the Sunken Place was a tough contender, as were any of Betty Gabriel’s scenes as the tortured Georgina. Throughout all of them, the audience remained in enraptured silence, a rarity for the theater-going experience these days. It wasn’t until Chris gained the upper hand over his treacherous girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams) that hope deflated the moment the police lights started flashing on the quiet road. That is, until Lil Rel Howery’s Rod emerges, along with the reveal that it wasn’t the police but a TSA patrol car. It was the moment the audience erupted in cheers, receiving the most cathartic ending possible for both viewers and Chris. It wasn’t Peele’s original ending, but I’m so glad this was the one he ultimately went with.
Better Watch Out – Home Aloned
Chris Peckover’s demented Christmas set home invasion film never takes the expected route, a sort of rarity in the sub-genre. In fact, there’s a point in the story where the entire set up, in which teen Ashley babysits 12-year old Luke only to find themselves victims of intruders, is completely yanked out from under the viewer. From there, it gets extremely dark and twisted. While Levi Miller and Olivia DeJonge’s performances as Luke and Ashley, respectively, would warrant them award nominations in any other context, it’s the scene in which the film Home Alone becomes a verb. Spoiler: The scene where Luke tries to demonstrate how Kevin McCallister’s booby trap involving a swinging paint can would really work in real life makes for one of the most shocking, memorably violent scenes of the year.
Cult of Chucky – That Exclusive Blu-ray Post Credit Scene
Don Mancini’s latest in the franchise dropped on Netflix in October, which is likely where most people caught up on what happened to Nica after the events of Curse of Chucky. The Netflix version still offered that fun reunion of sorts, bringing Nica, Chucky, Tiffany, and Andy Barclay together in one bold sequel. But watching it on Netflix meant missing out on a lot of great gore. Most importantly, it meant missing out on one of the biggest surprises of fan service of the year. The post credit scene, offered exclusively for home release, brought one more important franchise character back into the mix; Christine Elise’s Kyle from Child’s Play 2.When things seemed dire for Barclay, Kyle brought a thrilling beacon of light. The continuity is fantastic, but even more exciting is the prospect of seeing more of a beloved character I’d never thought I’d see again. Well done, Mancini.
Victor Crowley – Adam Green Pulls a Fast One
In August, a special anniversary screening was held to celebrate the 10th year of director Adam Green’s slasher Hatchet. The swamp-dwelling killer, played by fan favorite Kane Hodder, met his final end in Hatchet III, where Green announced he’d finished with this particular franchise, much to the dismay of a rather fervent fan base. Yet it was George A. Romero that convinced Green that Crowley wasn’t finished. Somehow, Green managed to pull off an incredibly difficult secret to maintain, working on a new sequel in the series. For the lucky fans that thought they were seeing an anniversary showing of the original Hatchet were the first to lay eyes on Victor Crowley, instead, with the cast and crew in attendance. That no one knew or suspected the sequel was in the works made for one of the best, most memorable moments in horror this year.
IT – Rock Fight
There’s so much that made IT such a monstrous hit at the box office. Bill Skarsgard’s take on Pennywise surely inspired a new generation of coulrophobics, and the various ways in which It terrified its child prey was the stuff of nightmares. What really made Andy Muschietti’s adaptation of Stephen King’s beloved novel, though, were the Losers Club and the actors who portrayed them. While Pennywise handled all of the scares, it was the main core of kids that really made you care. So in a film full of standout, chilling scenes, it’s the rock-throwing showdown between Henry Bowers and his bully gang versus the Losers Club. Why? Not only is it ridiculously satisfying to see the group pay Bowers back, but it’s the first time the group becomes whole. It’s not only a major bonding incident, but a crucial practice run for working together to defeat Pennywise.
Annabelle: Creation – Setting up the True Dark Universe
This summer brought a prequel/sequel to less than well-received spinoff of The Conjuring, Annabelle. Luckily, with David F. Sandberg at the helm, this prequel far surpassed its predecessor in terms of quality, story, and scares. Oh, so many scares. As fun and as terrifying as this entry is, it’s the small scene where Sister Charlotte (Stephanie Sigman) shows Samuel (Anthony LaPaglia) a photo of her and her fellow nuns at her old convent. Samuel points out a fifth, creepy nun that Sister Charlotte hasn’t seen before. That nun, of course, is the very same one from The Conjuring 2, in a set up for the upcoming spinoff. This small nod is hugely significant, because this is the precise moment where it hits home that The Conjuring universe is the exact Marvel-like equivalent in horror that the Dark Universe was hoping to achieve, starting with The Mummy.
Gerald’s Game – That Cringe-Inducing Scene
Whether you loved or hated the epilogue at the end of Mike Flanagan’s adaptation of the “unfilmable” Stephen King novel, there’s no denying that you’ll ever forget that scene once you see it. There are a number of creepy moments, especially thanks to Carel Struycken’s Moonlight Man. But the scene that steals the entire show is that in which Carla Gugino’s Jesse uses broken glass to cut deep into her wrist, use her own blood to lubricate, and slowly pull her hand free from the handcuffs, skin and all. The slow, excruciating peeling of her skin, in a brutal de-gloving, was enough to cause actual fainting during its premiere at Fantastic Fest, in Austin, TX.
The Devil’s Candy – Jesse Takes Zooey to School
In a year of insane moments of gore and scares, the moment in which Jesse (Ethan Embry) drives his daughter Zooey (Kiara Glasco) to school, bonding over metal the entire way, seems like a rather bland scene. It is, and it isn’t. It doesn’t offer much in the way of anything remotely shocking, but it does manage to achieve something that most films don’t bother with much; character development. The relationship between father and daughter in director Sean Byrne’s highly anticipated follow up to The Loved Ones was so relatable and endearing that it made you completely invested in their plight. Jesse and Zooey bonding over a mutual love of heavy metal was affectious, but more importantly, it made the stakes extremely high.
Raw – Bikini Wax from Hell
Julia Ducournau delivered one powerhouse debut with her coming of age cannibal tale. Part body horror, part cannibal horror, and all parts awkward journey into self-discovery, Justine’s first semester in veterinary school is one I wouldn’t wish upon anyone. After breaking her lifelong vegetarianism in a hazing ritual, Justine’s hunger for meat becomes insatiable. But the most memorable moment in her story comes when her older sister Alexia attempts to give her a bikini wax. When the wax gets stuck on Justine’s skin, Alexia wants to try and cut it off with sharp scissors. Justine’s flight or fight kicks in, literally, knocking Alexia over, causing her to accidentally cut off her own finger in the process. Alexia faints at the sight. Justine does the proper thing by calling an ambulance, but then hunger takes over and poor Alexia is left without a finger to reattach at the hospital. It’s twisted and shocking, and handled with a wry sense of humor that makes this scene one for the ages.
College kids, strippers and vampires—those were Donald P. Borchers’ only requirements when he approached Richard Wenk about writing and directing a movie for New World Pictures. As requested, Wenk cooked up Vamp (1986), a tailor-made blend of the decade’s teen movie craze as well as its horror boom.
Grim and earnest stories were still very much a part of the ’80s horror landscape, yet Vamp is something of a comedy. One difference between it and, say, Saturday the 14th, though, is the former avoids using schtick. Wenk’s movie proves that horror comedies also don’t have to subtract thrills from their recipes. Of course, it takes a minute before reaching that point; college antics and culture shocks preface this one macabre misadventure.
Vamp‘s initial setup is apt for a typical college-set, sex-driven comedy; to bribe their way into a fraternity house, two pledges (Chris Makepeace, Robert Rusler) go looking for some adult entertainment. Without wasting time on any further exposition, the characters embark on an all-in-one-night trip that quickly detours into terror.
To procure their elusive MacGuffin—a stripper willing to gyrate for some frat boys—Keith (Makepeace) and AJ (Rusler), plus a third wheel named Duncan (Gedee Watanabe), trade the safety of their remote college campus for the seediness of some unnamed city. The setting is recognizably L.A. by day, but as soon as night falls, downtown, along with the characters, slips into a kind of surreal universe. Director of photography Elliot Davis gave this early entry on his prolific résumé an unusual yet distinctive look; that Mario Bava-esque, magenta-green lighting is omnipresent, so much so that it’s almost its own character.
Chris Makepeace and Robert Rusler in Vamp
The faint comparisons to Martin Scorsese’s After Hours are merited, although not just because of Vamp’s distinguishing nighttime aesthetic. Save for the primary characters, the supporting roles in Wenk’s movie are also quite colorful and transactional in their behavior. The difference here, though, is the additional urge to ruin Keith and his friends at every turn. Some of that harm is humorous and tolerable enough, whereas the moment Vamp dishes out its first fatality, it’s abundantly clear how this movie qualifies as horror.
Vamp falls into that category of horror movie that reveals its genre with a scream rather than a series of whispers. The opening scene can function as a hint of what lies ahead—things are not at all what they appear to be—but otherwise, Wenk is more than happy to hold off on the horror. When that time does come, though, it catches the viewer off guard. In addition to the pure shock value is that sudden decision to upend the movie’s foremost feature. Or so it would seem.
If afraid of major spoilage, those new to Vamp would be wise to stop reading here. There’s just no skirting around the fact that the central fellowship in this buddy movie hits a serious snag when AJ is killed. That development causes the story to become more of a “long, bad night” journey for Keith and his romantic interest. So while Wenk scores points for subverting expectations, there is also a touch of sadness in his decision. Because if Vamp does anything well, it’s making the characters likable.
Something that comes easily to Vamp—and other teen horror movies from this same era—is its ability to invent young characters worth caring about, or at the very least, are interesting and not so immediately off-putting. More impressive is how Wenk did all this without actually fleshing out those characters. Still and all, Keith and his kind are a grade above cookie-cutter, and in some cases, aren’t completely devoid of growth.
Grace Jones in Vamp
Vamp appeals with an assorted cast of characters. No two are the same, nor are they operating on the same wavelength. The cinematically extroverted AJ, whose actor conveyed charm and vulnerability in near equal amounts, comes alive when he’s at his most undead. Makepeace then makes the chronically cautious Keith a sympathetic fellow, even as he’s more and more affected by the night’s bizarre events. Meanwhile, Duncan is indeed the designated loser of the whole bunch, but Watanabe still manages to humanize him. As a bonus, the role didn’t require him to pull a Long Duk Dong.
As for Dedee Pfeiffer, she is plain adorable as the mysterious After Dark server nicknamed “Amaretto”. She spends all night fixing her dress strap while at the same time trying to get Keith to remember how he knows her. As their offbeat romance grows, it becomes another highlight of this movie. Whether or not Pfeiffer’s character is really a vampire also creates some welcome tension in the story.
Like a lot of its contemporaries, Vamp went on to become a bit of a cult classic. That current status is determined by several factors, but without a doubt, the casting of Grace Jones is the most considerable. The image of her writhing on that unique-looking chair, a Keith Haring original, springs to mind whenever this movie is brought up.
Chris Makepeace, Billy Drago and Paunita Nichols in Vamp
Prior to that first display of unequivocal horror, local vampire queen Katrina (Jones) took to the stage and delivered a strip show like no other. One would expect nothing less from that renowned model and performance artist. By now reports of Jones’ tardiness on set are no secret, yet it’s also hard to deny her commitment to the part of Katrina. It was, in fact, Jones who took charge of her character’s appearance—on top of Haring painting her body and that now-iconic chair, she had Andy Warhol handle her costuming. And not too many actors could seize a room’s attention without saying a single line of dialogue.
In 2022, Vamp received a retrospective novelization from Encyclopocalypse. This literary union of preexisting source material—Wenk’s original screenplay—and new ideas from author Christian Francis amounts to a more comprehensive visit to the After Dark Club. The basic story there is no different than what’s shown on screen; however, Francis gets creative with the characters’ origins and designs, and he enhances a number of key scenes.
The novelization expands on the urban and social decay of the main setting, and supplies a background for the After Dark Club. Sandy Baron’s character, Katrina’s emcee and familiar, is given ample motivation for sticking around; up until the fiery end, he is loyal to his friend and former business partner “Squeak”, who looks like he was “fed through a combine harvester, and left as nothing more than a heap of mangled remains”. Then there is Billy Drago’s character Snow, the leader of a street gang called The Dragons. His reason for menacing Keith and AJ is more altruistic than in the movie; he and his peers act tough to scare off any potential food for the vampires.
Lisa Lyon in Vamp
If not for all the backstories, Francis’ Vamp would be a hell of a lot shorter. Instead, this tie-in read dives into how AJ met Keith—the orphaned Anthony Joseph hailed from a broken home back in Brooklyn—and how their friendship flourished over the years. Keith’s archership is no longer just an assumed part of his entire being; it’s a confidence-building extracurricular for a boy who got picked on before coming into the protection of the new kid in town. These supplemental, in-depth looks at the protagonists, plus their close connection, are maybe unnecessary. The movie already did a fair and concise job of addressing their platonic intimacy without the need for flashbacks and insights, specifically in that scene where AJ lays it all out as he sacrifices himself.
Where the novelization gets off course is its approach to the minor characters. Intermittently backstorying the likes of Katrina’s indentured servants, Seko (Leila Hee Olsen) and Vlad (Brad Logan), ends up disturbing the flow of the writing. Was it absolutely essential that readers know Vlad was the Grand Duke of the House of Romanov, or how Snow’s accomplice Maven (Paunita Nichols) became so dentally challenged? No, not really. However, one’s mileage with these random biographies may vary.
The novelization is a more substantial experience, but for a movie like Vamp, less is more. And as plentiful as they are, it never simply coasts on its campy charms, either. The character work sits comfortably in that realm between cursory and meticulous, the script is sharper than first realized, and Greg Cannom’s vampire makeup is straightforward yet effective. Most of all, the movie didn’t squander its out-of-the-box concept. Richard Wenk made his vision of a “comic nightmare in which just about anything that can go wrong does” come true, and it is very enjoyable.
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