This was a really tough year for horror films. You either needed to be a “possession” of some sort or “found footage” to succeed. So piecing together any “best of” list was kind of tough because most of the good stuff was not mainstream, as always the case. I was able to nail down some great movies from 2012 and they go as follows:
5. V/H/S
The main story arc follows a group of thieves looking for a specific video tape in a creepy house. What better way to find that than watch each one. Each story is interesting enough to keep the viewer dialed in. In no way am I saying things were perfect but I did not turn it off.
I am firmly against the entire found footage genre currently thanks to titles like, Paranormal Activity 4 and The Devil Inside. Neither of which made the list, for good reason. V/H/S was a long shot for me and I did not expect to watch the entire thing.
4. The Collection
In The Collection we saw the return of Arkin from the first movie and also a slew of new kills along with some creative writing. This time around the action took place in the home of our beloved Collector as Arkin and a group of hired guns try to rescue a rich father’s daughter.
In a sequel driven industry it is pretty rare to see one outshine it’s predecessor, but The Collection did just that. A larger budget helped to flesh out a lot of the things left to wonder in the first movie. We also got a chance to spend more time with the killer as he dispatched of those pesky victims.
3. John Dies at the End
A new drug referred to as “soy sauce” gives users the ability to hallucinate and also mentally focus with incredible accuracy. This leads David and John on a wild and weird goose chase to eventually save the world before it’s too late.
This movie is just so weird and entertaining that I could not leave it off this list. Dark comedy-horror films have become a lot more common and John Dies at the End does an excellent job of making you laugh as you cringe at every gruesome scene. A monster made of meat and a giant dick door knob, need I say more?
2. American Mary
Mary Mason is your average bright eyed student with a future in the medical field. As the bills pile up it seems like Mary may need to supplement her income. Why not take a job at the local night club? What’s this? You need a surgeon to help with a few things behind closed doors? Mary is just your girl.
This movie does not pull any punches in the gore department. You will see plenty of blood and guts as Mary works her way up the chain in the underground world of Body Modding. Plenty of viewers will pass this one as it could carry the torture porn tag. There is plenty here to keep even the most discerning horror fan entertained.
1. Cabin in the Woods
Take a handful of stereotypical 20 somes and fire them off to a cabin for a little R&R. What could go wrong here, right? This “cabin” happens to be very special and serves as a testing ground for monsters and ghouls of all sorts. Can the kids survive an onslaught of creatures without the whole bit becoming too cliche?
This movie was a great example of what creative writing can do for a washed out and worn cliche. You have the kids and the cabin. We all have seen that before but what followed was executed almost perfectly. I personally could have done with out the corny ending but understand why they did it.
Honorable Mentions
A few honorable mentions would be, Silent Night, great homage to 80’s slasher films and Cockneys Vs Zombies, think Shaun of the Dead part two. Both of these films were good for different reasons and ended up just being nudged out of the top 5.
So there you have it! Did I miss any other 2012 favorites? Feel free to leave a comment and tell us what you think.
