Editorials
2017’s Best Horror Films to Watch With a Crowd
*Keep up with our ongoing end of the year coverage here*
There is nothing quite like getting together with some friends, grabbing a few drinks, and having a horror movie night. Whether you’re revisiting the classics or catching up on the latest in the genre, there’s no denying the ability of a horror movie to bring people together and make for a hell of a good time.
Granted, some films tend to be more explosive and outright entertaining than others, making for more of a crowd-pleasing time than perhaps the latest arthouse horror flick. While there’s nothing wrong with the latter, you’d probably get a more enthusiastic response if you popped in The Evil Dead or Hatchet at a party than, say, The Witch or The Innkeepers (though I suppose that depends on how you and your friends like to get hyped on horror). In any case, we compiled a list of some of the year’s top horror flicks that we feel are best enjoyed with a crowd of good friends–either because they are non-stop thrill rides, deeply satisfying crowd-pleasers, or just plain hilarious.
Alright, here we go…
The Babysitter
McG’s The Babysitter seemingly came out of nowhere, with an action-packed trailer dropping just a couple of weeks prior to its Netflix premiere. The film follows Cole (Judah Lewis), a 12-year-old boy who discovers that his babysitter Bee (Samara Weaving) is the leader of an evil, murderous cult. While some have argued that The Babysitter is not quite as riotous as they’d hoped it would be (I’d disagree!), it is hard to deny that everyone is having a blast here. The outlandish death scenes and gleefully wicked performances from Weaving and her fellow cult members (Robbie Amell, Andrew Bachelor, Hana Mae Lee, and Bella Thorne), who play up a few of our favorite high school archetypes, definitely make the film a worthy group watch.
Don’t Kill It
Catching Mike Mendez’s Don’t Kill It back at its Fantastic Fest premiere last year with a packed crowd unquestionably convinced me that we need to see at least one Dolph Lundgren-fronted horror flick released every year. The perennial action icon delivers a riotously self-aware performance as demon hunter Jebediah Woodley in this underrated and under-praised gem, tracking down an evil force that body-hops to a new host every time the previous one is murdered. Characterized very quickly by outrageous, hyperviolent action sequences and laughably-written dialogue, Don’t Kill It is the best made-for-Syfy movie that Syfy never made.
Get Out
For all of the focus on its effective social commentary, it may be easy to forget that Jordan Peele’s breakout horror hit is also one of the year’s most undeniably enjoyable genre rides. Adeptly using humor to both call out racism and break up the tension in an otherwise dark story, Peele succeeds in bending genres and broaching sensitive subject matter in a way that mainstream audiences can truly get on board with. You and your friends will no doubt root for Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) as he begins to discover the truth behind his girlfriend’s (Allison Williams) very suspicious family and friends, and it’s impossible not cheer when the film finally reaches its cathartic finale.
Happy Death Day
Happy Death Day got some notable flak once it was stamped with a PG-13 rating–a brand in the horror genre often conflated with watered down violence and hack-job edits for the sake of reaching wider audiences. Yet Christopher Landon’s film–which follows Tree (Jessica Rothe), a sorority girl who must relive the day of her murder over and over again until she finds her killer–genuinely feels like it was always meant to be a more accessible in its execution, focusing more on snarky dialogue, familiar college stereotypes, and humor than gruesome death sequences. Say what you will, but I found Happy Death Day–and Rothe’s insanely likable performance particularly–to be pretty damn fun. Sure, it may not bring much new to the table and it is clearly geared towards the genre’s younger fans, but where it lacks in lasting chills and gore, it delivers in spirit and enough entertaining twists and turns to make for a good (if not inoffensive) time.
Mayhem
Joe Lynch’s Mayhem boasts a general set-up comparable to that of this year’s The Belko Experiment: workers in an office complex commit violent acts against each other, this time due to a mysterious virus. Yet Mayhem succeeds for me where Belko faltered in that it makes ingenious use of its office setting and the props at hand in its wild and violent ride. Beyond being a fast-paced and comedic thrill ride, the film is worth watching alone for Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead) and Samara Weaving (who deserves to be a genre staple at this point); the pair’s chemistry and pitch-perfect comedic chops are electric as they fight off infected coworkers acting out their worst and most violent impulses. Think of it as horror’s comedy-tinged answer to Gareth Evans’s The Raid.
Lake Bodom
Finnish slasher Lake Bodom starts off in very familiar territory, with four teens stealing away to the woods for a camping trip at a site where famed murders once took place. Once its more traditional first act ends, however, Lake Bodom heads into a very different direction, recalling some of Europe’s other well-known horror favorites. And even so, the film doesn’t stop there; it continues to unapologetically twist and turn, either to the sheer enjoyment or laugh-laden incredulity of its audience. Whatever you may ultimately think of it by way of plausibility, it’s hard to deny that Lake Bodom is one of the most enjoyable straightforward horror rides this year. Stick around at least for the second twist if nothing else–which is paired with a Fast & Furious-worthy chase scene that everyone slasher lover should see at least once.
Better Watch Out
Chris Peckover’s Better Watch Out is primed to be a new holiday favorite for modern horror fans, taking the very familiar home invasion formula and turning it on its head with nasty glee. Starring impressive Levi Miller and The Visit‘s Olivia DeJonge and Ed Oxenbould, the film pairs perfectly with the aforementioned The Babysitter, sharing a similarly dark sense of humor and unpredictable narrative course. Simply put, Better Watch Out is a demented spin on Home Alone, and you’re likely to hear numerous gasps at the film’s audacious use of violence between its young cast members.
Tragedy Girls
Tyler MacIntyre’s Tragedy Girls is both an effective take-down and outright celebration of modern millennials dressed up in very stylish horror-comedy trappings. Where films like Detention did not necessarily work for me in similar execution, Tragedy Girls more cohesively and humorously weaves familiar slasher tropes with commentary on social media, teenage narcissism, and the vapidity of youth. The film, boasting quick-witted humor reminiscent of 2009’s Sorority Row, is carried by razor-sharp dialogue and biting performances from Brianna Hildebrand and Alexandra Shipp as two high school students exploring the world of murder in the name of fame. Tragedy Girls also features some of the year’s best sequences of physical comedy, as well as two hilarious appearances by Craig Robinson and millennial icon Josh Hutcherson.
Cult of Chucky
If you haven’t followed the last few films in the Child’s Play franchise, you will likely be extremely taken aback by how damn weird the world of Chucky has become. Cult of Chucky is by and large the most out there entry to date–which of course makes it a perfect flick to pop on with a crowd of unsuspecting viewers. Some will love it, some will outright loathe it, but Cult of Chucky delivers some of the franchise’s most fun death scenes, ridiculously entertaining twists, and memorable Chuckyisms in years. Almost 30 years later, it remains a joy to revel in the insanity of Don Mancini’s creation, and franchise fans particularly will be hollering at the return of Alex Vincent, Jennifer Tilly, and (new franchise favorite) Fiona Dourif in one film. Stick around for that post-credits stinger, too, and you’re bound to hear some major cheers from the more die-hard fans of the series.
Editorials
Before ‘The Blair Witch Project’, ‘Alien Autopsy’ Showed How Real Found Footage Could Feel
The line separating artist from con man is a lot thinner than you might initially believe. While I think we can all agree that lying for the sake of profit is actively malicious behavior, isn’t it also true that the faux documentary aspect of The Blair Witch Project is half the reason why that film became such a cultural phenomenon? After all, if there’s one thing filmmakers have in common with stage magicians, it’s that misleading and misdirecting audiences is simply part of the job.
That’s why I’ve developed a habit of mostly ignoring the moral quandaries behind many of film and television’s biggest “hoaxes” in favor of appreciating the narrative elements that drive productions like Mermaids: The Body Found and even Animal Planet’s highly underrated The Cannibal in the Jungle. However, if there’s a definitive case of a highly publicized broadcast fooling the world into taking it seriously, it has to be Fox’s infamous 1995 TV special Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction.
It’s been over three decades since that eerie footage first haunted television screens right at the peak of the ’90s ufology craze, and in that time, the video has taken on a life of its own. From countless parodies and references in everything from The X-Files to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater (as well as John Dower’s recently released tell-all documentary The Alien Autopsy Scandal, which I’d highly recommend to genre fans everywhere), there’s no denying the legacy of the Alien Autopsy video. However, I rarely see the tape discussed as what it truly is: a highly convincing found footage film directed by a passionate stage magician and brought to life by masterful practical effects work.
That’s why I’d like to invite readers to join me on a deep dive into one of the most infamous broadcasts of all time in an attempt to reevaluate the footage as a fascinating narrative experience rather than a complete hoax.
The TV Special That Convinced Millions It Was Real
Ray Santilli next to Extraterrestrial replica in ‘The Alien Autopsy Scandal’
For starters, regardless of whether or not you believe that there was in fact an extraterrestrial crash in Roswell during the summer of 1947 and that some form of autopsy was performed on the victims, the producers behind the black & white recordings, Ray Santilli and Gary Shoefield, insist that their video was a “restoration.” Though I’d argue that the proper word is “remake”of genuine footage that was too damaged to air on television. That’s why the duo went on to recruit filmmaker and eccentric magician Spyros Melaris and sculptor/monster designer John Humphreys to bring their version of the autopsy to life and sell it to the highest bidder.
This is where the story of the Alien Autopsy as a narrative experience really begins. Melaris claims that his approach to the faux recording consisted of striving for extreme period accuracy in both shooting equipment and setting while also planting subtle details that would initially seem like mistakes but could later be revealed to actually fit the time period. That being said, the filmmaker was under the impression that the short would be released for free as a PR stunt, with the team later producing and selling an informative documentary chronicling exactly how the footage was faked and commenting on how easy it is to manipulate public perception with a good old-fashioned magic trick.
This obviously isn’t how things went down, and that’s likely the reason why Melaris has since distanced himself from everyone else involved with the project. Yet, no amount of behind-the-scenes drama can undermine the genuine effort that went into making the short as impressive as it is. From the sourcing of real animal organs from a local butcher to make the organic part of the creature more lifelike to the highly detailed sculpt that made use of a hollowed-out underlayer that could be filled with fake blood and assorted viscera, there’s a reason why so many Hollywood specialists are still impressed with the artistry on display here.
Of course, the believability is only half the story, as I think that the best part of the autopsy is how Melaris builds on the existing tension by obscuring certain details and often embracing the chaos of what a real examination of extraterrestrial life could feel like. The camera often goes out of focus at just the right time to make certain effects hit even harder, and we can only speculate as to what the hazmat-suited doctors are gesticulating about during the operation. There’s a real air of mystery to the whole thing that almost makes it feel like a cosmically terrifying, cursed film containing forbidden knowledge that civilians were never meant to see.
So when Fox’s Fact or Fiction brings in the specialists to comment on the film and its otherworldly subject, it’s no surprise that we end up with one of the most memorable mockumentaries of all time – albeit one where the participants are unaware that the footage they’re commenting on is basically a large-scale practical joke. A joke that the network was obviously in on, as many participants claim that the TV special cut out significant portions where guests point out that they believe the footage to be an elaborate hoax.
The Lasting Impact of the Hoax Turned Cultural Event
Regardless, I remember going to bed terrified after watching reruns of the special and thinking about the respected pathologist who claimed that the body was almost certainly inhuman, with even effects maestro Stan Winston commenting on how difficult it would be to recreate some of these visuals through practical puppetry. That’s not even mentioning Jonathan Frakes’ dramatic hyping up of the disturbing imagery as if he was talking about the tape from The Ring, with his spooky demeanor here likely being responsible for his later role as the host of Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction a few years later.
Personally, I’d argue that the Alien Autopsy phenomenon had just as much of an impact on me as a horror fan as The Blair Witch Project, a film that was almost certainly influenced by the success of this immensely popular hoax (to the point where they even produced their own TV special commenting on Heather’s found footage). Even if Fox didn’t intend to produce a narrative feature about the aftermath of the Roswell crash, the end product still holds up remarkably well as a highly entertaining mockumentary exploring the idea that we may not be alone in the universe.
While neither Santilli nor the rest of the production team has ever commented on this, I also think it’s very likely that the idea of a faux Alien Autopsy could have been influenced by Dean Alioto’s The McPherson Tape/UFO Abduction. I’ve already written about how this granddaddy of found footage was co-opted by rogue ufologists who began selling bootlegs of the tape at conventions as if it were real evidence of a close encounter, so it’s not that much of a stretch to imagine that Santilli and company could have heard about this phenomenon and been inspired to come up with their own highly profitable hoax.
At the end of the day, it’s unlikely that the Alien Autopsy film is recreating any real footage from Roswell, but I can still appreciate the short and the accompanying television event as a standalone horror story that still influences the way we see found footage to this very day.
After all, the possibility that something could be real is often much scarier than finding out for sure – and that’s why I think Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction is still worth revisiting three decades down the line.
You must be logged in to post a comment.