Best of 2012
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17 titles
- DirectorDrew GoddardStarsKristen ConnollyChris HemsworthAnna HutchisonFive college friends head out to a remote cabin for a getaway, but things don't go as planned when they start getting killed. They soon discover that there is more to the cabin than it seems.I’ve yet to meet a horror fan that wasn’t completely smitten with this movie. In a genre that often lacks true originality, this was loaded with creativity in both story and execution. If you haven’t had the pleasure yet, do not watch any trailer or preview. Simply know that, as my friend Mike has said (http://www.fangoria.com/index.php/reviews/movies/6718-the-cabin-in-the-woods-movie-review), this is likely the best horror film of the century.
- DirectorBen WheatleyStarsNeil MaskellMyAnna BuringHarry SimpsonNearly a year after a botched job, a hitman takes a new assignment with the promise of a big payoff for three killings. What starts off as an easy task soon unravels, sending the killer into the heart of darkness.Kill List is another original genre-bending film. The story centers around two aging hitmen who decide to do one last job. From this fairly typical action premise, the storyline quickly unfolds into a dark, suspenseful realm, as subtle hints make the viewer continuously rethink what is taking placing from the very onset. If you’re a thriller, suspense, and/or horror fan just jump right into this and avoid the trailer.
- DirectorCheol-soo JangStarsSeo Yeong-hieJi Seong-wonMin-ho HwangA woman subject to mental, physical and sexual abuse on a remote island seeks a way out.Bedevilled is a story of isolation, vengeance (something S. Korean films are renowned for), and betrayal. Thanks to the tremendous acting ability of the two lead women and the beautiful cinematography, this is a film that engages you from the onset and grapples your emotions for 115 minutes. As one friend said, “It *beep* me up.” An added bonus is that the ending is perfect.
- DirectorWoo-sang ParkY.K. KimStarsY.K. KimVincent HirschJoseph DiamandA martial arts rock band goes up against a band of motorcycle ninjas who have tightened their grip on Florida's narcotics trade.Originally, this was released as a martial arts action movie with a positive message. The absurdity of the film made it a cult film and it has since been released after it's showing at the New York Asian Film Festival. Watch this trailer!http://vimeo.com/44349389
- DirectorSean ByrneStarsXavier SamuelRobin McLeavyJohn BrumptonWhen Brent turns down his classmate Lola's invitation to the prom, she concocts a wildly violent plan for revenge.It took three years, but this was finally released in the U.S. late last year. The film is a welcome addition to the increasingly popular, though not often well-executed, horror-comedy genre. Set in a small town in the outback of Australia, the story follows a shunned high school girl who kidnaps the cute boy at school in hopes that he’ll take her to the prom. Chaos, gore, and hilarity unfold as this steadfast girl tries power-drills, needles, and wealth of other fun tools to win his heart. The cinematography and the rural setting contribute greatly to making the viewer feel as isolated as the film’s inhabitants. A few shots toward the end are especially terrific.
- DirectorJoe CarnahanStarsLiam NeesonDermot MulroneyFrank GrilloAfter their plane crashes in Alaska, six oil workers are led by a skilled huntsman to survival, but a pack of merciless wolves haunts their every step.I expected a generic "man vs nature" biopic, but was pleasantly surprised that it was far from it
- DirectorGareth EvansStarsIko UwaisAnanda GeorgeRay SahetapyA S.W.A.T. team becomes trapped in a tenement run by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs.A S.W.A.T. team infiltrates a tenament building to arrest a local drug kingpin. In order to reach him, they have to fight their way through the boss’ thugs as they ascend thirty floors of the complex. As a child of the ’80s, I can’t help but be reminded of classic “beat ‘em up” third person video games like, Final Fight, Streets of Rage, and Double Dragon. That element, compiled with some of the best (and most painful looking) fight choreography I’ve ever seen, makes this highly entertaining and immersive.
- DirectorChris ButlerSam FellStarsKodi Smit-McPheeAnna KendrickChristopher Mintz-PlasseA misunderstood boy takes on ghosts, zombies and grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse.I was pleasantly surprised by this. It was inventive, humorous, visually striking, and at times actually pretty creepy.
- DirectorBenh ZeitlinStarsQuvenzhané WallisDwight HenryLevy EasterlyFaced with both her hot-tempered father's fading health and melting ice-caps that flood her ramshackle bayou community and unleash ancient aurochs, six-year-old Hushpuppy must learn the ways of courage and love.Probably the most beautiful film of the year
- DirectorMartin McDonaghStarsColin FarrellWoody HarrelsonSam RockwellA struggling screenwriter inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends kidnap a gangster's beloved Shih Tzu.There are dogs, violence, Christopher Walken, and a rabbit-loving Tom Waits. It's highly entertaining.
- DirectorPaco PlazaStarsLeticia DoleraDiego MartínIsmael MartínezA couple's wedding day turns horrific as some of the guests start showing signs of a strange illness.Though it doesn’t directly relate to it’s predecessors, this is the third installment in the REC (2007) trilogy that inspired the U.S. remakes, Quarantine (2008). Where the previous films focused on jump out of your seat scares and paced like some of my favorite first-person shooter video games, this one toned down the suspense a bit and displayed some terrific death scenes. In fact, the plot alone is praiseworthy: zombies ruin wedding, bride embarks on bloody revenge. Simple.
- DirectorTi WestStarsSara PaxtonPat HealyKelly McGillisDuring the final days at the Yankee Pedlar Inn, two employees determined to reveal the hotel's haunted past begin to experience disturbing events as old guests check in for a stay.From the director of The House of the Devil (2009), this is similarly atmospheric. A great ghost story that mixes humor with good scares.
- DirectorPascal LaugierStarsJessica BielJodelle FerlandWilliam B. DavisWhen her child goes missing, a mother looks to unravel the legend of the Tall Man, an entity who allegedly abducts children.A dark suspenseful mystery set in a small Canadian town. Although it was considerably more toned down than the director's incredibly disturbing earlier film, Martyrs (2008), it was similarly well shot and ended creatively.
- DirectorJay RoachStarsWill FerrellZach GalifianakisJason SudeikisAn incumbent Representative embroiled in personal scandal faces a no-holds-barred challenge from a naive newcomer funded by two unscrupulous billionaire lobbyist brothers.I can't help it. Somehow Will Ferrel is still hilarious. I got drunk and laughed like an idiot
- DirectorMike FlanaganStarsKatie ParkerCourtney BellDave LevineA woman and her sister begin to link a mysterious tunnel to a series of disappearances, including that of her own husband.Everything a low budget, independent horror film should be; simple, yet creepy
- DirectorMatt Bettinelli-OlpinDavid BrucknerTyler GillettStarsCalvin Lee ReederLane HughesAdam WingardWhen a group of misfits are hired by an unknown third party to burglarize a desolate house and acquire a rare VHS tape, they discover more found footage than they bargained for.I applaud the film for it's attempt at originality, but overall I felt it wasn't as fully developed as it could have been, nor did it meet the hype it garnered from the festival circuit.
- DirectorLeos CaraxStarsDenis LavantEdith ScobEva MendesA man boards a limousine to be driven to his day's work: nine mysterious "appointments."An exemplary piece for what people love/hate about "artsy" films. I couldn't find any concrete conclusions about what the film was about, but it touches issues of mechanization/industrialization, identity, progress, etc. Although there is surely a lack of clarity, the film is visually striking and the performance by Denis Lavant is outstanding. The homage to the classic French horror film, Eyes Without a Face (1960) was also a nice touch