Five Fake Horror Films I Want To Watch
What is better than a horror film? A fake horror film! What I love about the fake horror films that inhabit horror films is they leave a lot to your imagination. For instance, I really want to see the Wes Craven movie about a monkey killer in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
.
In movies like The Final Girls, Scream 2 and Grindhouse we are shown glimpses of horror films that might actually be good. A great example of a fake horror film I want to see is Jaws 19. How is that shark still plaguing that poor family? These fake films raise more questions than answers and I really want to see them!
Here are five fake horror films I really want to see.
Jaws 19 – Back to the Future 2
Jaws is my favorite film and I would love to see the 19th installment. I recently broke down the plots of Jaws 5-18 and I think 19 could be one of the best. I’m pretty sure it revolves around an underwater city being attacked by Jaws and that is awesome! The tagline says “This time it’s really really personal” so we know we are in for some great revenge carnage. I appreciate that the Brody and Jaws clans are basically the Hatfields and McCoys of the cinematic world.
.
Camp Bloodbath – The Final Girls
After watching The Final Girls I’d love to see Camp Bloodbath in a packed theater. It seems like perfect horror fodder that is good enough to be fun and bad enough to be a cult classic. I think what most impresses me is that it tried to be a good movie that turned out very cheesy. I love when directors and writers try to create something good and end up failing. That means the movie will have character and be a lot of fun. Creating a good/fake movie is damn near impossible and I think The Final Girls creators pulled it off.
.
Stab – Scream 2, 3 & 4
I love the Scream movies and consider Scream 2 to be the perfect horror sequel. So, I’d love to see these fake movies based on a movie. I think the best part would be watching Parker Posey run around as Gale Weathers. I loved Posey and Courtney Cox together in Scream 3 and I think Posey would nail the role.
.
Squid Lake and The Perfect Horror Film – Movies, Films and Flix
We’ve recorded over 40 podcasts and our most popular episode is called “Crossbow and Tentacles.” It is a bonkers thing full of crossbows, jam shops and boat chases. The bad guy is a sea beast who wears overalls and is lethal with a crossbow. The good guy’s name is Mason Jar and it all gets crazy and hilarious. Listen to the podcast and you will love hearing a horror film built from scratch.
Also, if you are into totally fictional oral histories you will love Squid Lake. Squid Lake tells the age old story of a guy battling a squid somewhere around Lake Michigan. I got together with the Sharkdropper guys and we recorded quite possible the weirdest podcast ever. It gets crazy and fun. You will want to watch this movie.
.
Don’t – Grindhouse
Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) has proven himself adept at making horror comedies and I’d love to see what he could do with this weird film. It basically realizes that every decision in a horror movie is bad and it plays with that trope. I think Edgar Wright would be the perfect choice for a self-aware horror film and I think he needs to make it….now…..please.
Share this post:
No one is more excited than I am to see Deadpool in less than two months. Since ComicCon, we have been blessed by various teasers and trailers that tease of the R-rated superhero movie of a lifetime! At least…our lifetime so far.
CHECK OUT OUR PODCAST DISCUSSION OF THE DEADPOOL TRAILER
Release date: February 12, 2016
With some notable exceptions like The Woman in Gold (2015), Buried (2010), Smokin’ Aces (2006), Safe House (2012) and The Amityville Horror (2005), Ryan Reynolds has always been that guy who pretty much plays various iterations of himself on screen. And we LOVE seeing him play that guy. Movies like The Change Up (2011), Buying the Cow (2002), Waiting (2005), Blade: Trinity (2004), Just Friends (2005) and even the generally detestable Green Lantern (2011) all gave us that Ryan Reynolds who, regardless of the quality of the movie in general, brings a smile to our face when he runs that witty mouth of his. I suppose the ladies also don’t mind seeing him without his shirt as well….so here’s Deadpool in a sultry pose in front of the fire!
Right, ladies???
Plus, I’m sure some folks are excited to see Gina Carano’s action as Angeldust and T. J. Miller’s dirty sense of humor. In fact, we were so excited that we discussed the Deadpool trailer in our recent podcast: Trailer Talk #2.
This new red band trailer shows loads of that Reynolds personality. In fact, it glows so brightly you have to wonder how much direction and script he was really given. These scenes just feel like…well…him being him–which is exactly what we all want! From tinkering with the window in the back seat of the cab and references to Shake-Weight infomercials to his playfully witty narration and prom sex peer pressure jokes, Reynolds gets to lay it on as thick as he wants.
This older trailer was every bit as enjoyable, showing Deadpool doodling while singing along to Salt ‘n Pepa, giving laughably expository speeches to bad guys, and then of course there’s all the descriptions of what he looks like.
CHECK OUT OUR PODCAST DISCUSSION OF THE DEADPOOL TRAILER
Share this post:
MFF Special: Breaking Down the Plots of Jaws 5-19
Jaws is my favorite film and I’ve always loved the moment in Back to the Future 2 when Marty comes across Jaws 19. Recently, Universal unleashed some fake trailers and as much as I loved them, I felt like they didn’t adhere to the laws of horror sequels. They veered into cheeky territory and I wanted to write about the real trajectory Jaws would take. Here is the trailer Universal released.
.
If you’ve been reading MFF for some time you know that I love writing about horror franchises, sequels and remakes. The horror franchise world is littered with insane films that have no problem going to space or rebooting whenever they want. The quality takes a nosedive and we are stuck with some truly bad (but great) moments. I love how very good films spawn about 10 bad films. It is a trend we can’t avoid and instead of complaining, I’ve embraced the stupidity and learned to appreciate the shenanigans. That is why I wanted to give Jaws 5-19 the bonkers respect they deserve.
Jaws 5-19 have every right to be insane and the following films build a crazy world of money-grubbing sequels.
Jaws 5: Jaws Lives – Jaws healed up in an ocean cave for a year (the impaling was only a flesh wound) and wants to go after the Brody family once again. Jaws uses her (plot twist!) weird mental tracking skills and kills Hoagie (Michael Caine filmed the two-minute scene for $5 million dollars) via a strategically placed jump into an airplane (filmed on a soundstage). Jaws then targets Ellen Brody at Amity Island, and almost succeeds at killing her. However, Brody uses her telepathic link (explains the flashbacks in Jaws 4) and tranquilizes the shark and traps it in a convenient shark pen.
Jaws 6: The Dream Shark – We begin to learn that there is something supernatural about the shark and she has a telepathic link with Ellen Brody. Of course, Jaws comes back and has a very subpar chase scene involving Ellen and a wave runner. The chase ends with Ellen getting thrown into a buoy and being saved at the last minute by her nephew and niece. She ends up bedridden, and it is up to her niece and nephew to kill the shark via her visions that see the shark’s future. However, a mysterious cult arrives and we find out they are trying to breed sharks with Jaws. Jaws kills all the sharks (and the cultists) after they free it and it almost gets the Brodys, but is electrocuted by the kids. They think Jaws is dead, but she escapes. (The biggest dud of the franchise).
Jaws 7: Jaws Takes Cape Cod – All of the Brody clan are presumed dead except for one guy named Stu (they yada yada it into the story). He has caught a case of amnesia and decides to board a pleasure cruise that is traveling to Cape Cod. He has a psychic link with Jaws and he can see what Jaws is seeing (lots of water). People on the boat think Stu is crazy because of his insistence that he sees what a large sharks sees. Everybody on the cruise gets eaten and Jaws is blown up when Stu uses mind powers to make an underwater WWII mine explode. Jaws Takes Cape Cod is famous for an incredibly bonkers scene in which a drunk teenager tries to box Jaws and gets his head knocked off for his troubles.
.
Jaws 8: Purgatory – The shark is stuck in hell and is given the ability to turn into an adorable minnow (it’s crazy). Due to a clerical error (Hell is unorganized), Jaws is sent back to earth and whenever she is touched she wiggles into the person and turns them into a human/shark hybrid that can breathe air and swim through the beach sand. It is eventually stuck in a high tech military fishbowl.
Jaws 9: Deep Blue Space – Jaws is trapped as a minnow and the military plans to train it to do reconnaissance in caves on Mars. They recruit a cool guy to train it, but the cool guy eventually forms a bond with the minnow shark In an attempt to free Jaws he lets it loose in the spaceship water supply. Chaos ensues, and Jaws escapes in a tiny escape pod.
Jaws 10: Season of the Shark – This one is weird because it doesn’t feature Jaws. It features a weird fish tank company who are peddling very cheap fish tanks on the populace. It turns out the company “Jaws and Sons” have a weird receiver that hypnotizes people who live in coastal cities. These hypnotized people walk into the water so the sharks can eat them. It is now looked at as a cult classic.
Think Halloween III: Season of the Witch….with fish tanks.
Jaws 11 – The Final Swim – One of the tiny minnows from Jaws 9 lands in the ocean and swims back to Amity Island to destroy the populace. However, one of the kids who survived the original film senses it and goes in the “ocean world” to battle the shark. The guy is named Chuck Finley and he gathers a team of “Jaws killers.” They all die except for Chuck. (second worse film in the franchise).
Jaws 12: The New Flood– Steven Spielberg comes back to direct this film that features a very meta storyline. The original cast celebrating its 30th anniversary decides to travel back to the filming location. They are visiting an amazing new shark aquarium when a massive hurricane comes in and floods the aquarium. They are stuck battling sharks in a very ironic situation.
Jaws 13 – Jaws vs. Deep Blue Sea – It turns out a shark did escape from the Deep Blue Sea laboratory area and it has been wreaking havoc in several films (all are surprisingly good and star Thomas Jane and LL Cool J). However, it finds its way to Amity Island and a pissed off Jaws doesn’t like new blood on its turf. Thus, Jaws becomes the somewhat good guy as it battles the genetically mutated shark.
Jaws 14: Evolution – This one gets a little crazy as it flashes back to the dawn of human-kind and the creation of man. We see a muscular shark man sacrificing himself into some water and we cut to the future. A group of smart scientists are looking for the gods and they come across the earth. Two very smart scientists die stupidly and we are left with the rest of the crew mutating into shark creatures. A woman who had a shark baby (and recovered quickly) and a mutilated cyborg escape.
The shark guy looks like the person from Prometheus.
Jaws 15: Planet of the Sharks – This one takes place in a future where the world is populated with incredibly smart sharks. A man crash lands on the planet and leads a revolution that ends with him falling in love with a shark/human hybrid. The bad sharks get their comeuppance, and the man realizes he crash landed on Amity Island and not another planet.
Jaws 16 – Jaws is remade by director Michael Bay. It’s loud, dumb and kinda awesome.
Jaws 17: The Beginning – With the success of the remake they do a prequel where a bunch of nubile twentysomethings get stuck on catamarans and are attacked by a shark. Michael Bay didn’t return to direct so the movie is basically a glossy drone of a movie that was a glossy drone.
Think Jaws 2 meets Shark Night.
Jaws 18: Before the Beginning – The prequel to the remake gets a prequel where we learn that Jaws was angry at shark finners and had a terrible home life so it attacked the coast and murdered nubile twenty-somethings.
Jaws 19 – Read Jaws 19
Share this post:
The 11 Nicest Cinematic Characters Who Can Beat You Up
Part of the reason why I love Goon, Rocky and Say Anything so much is that they feature incredibly nice and genuine people who can also beat the crap out of you. These characters prove that nice people can finish first and beat people up. Characters like the ones below are rare because there is a thin line between angry man-child (think Waterboy) and blowhard (Macgruber). It is a difficult task making someone violent yet chill. They need to possess the skills to wipe out bad guys but also be trusted to be a best friend or teammate.
The following post examines 11 characters who are nice butt kickers. You don’t have to be a monosyllabic cruncher to be a hero and these characters are proof.
Lloyd Dobler – Say Anything
Say Anything isn’t an action film but it proves that a romantic film hero can still kick you in the face. Dobler was a sensitive kid who could hold his own and kick some serious butt. When I watched this movie as a teenager it was a mini-revelation because I had never seen a character like Dobler before. In the pantheon of film Lloyd Dobler might be the most sensitive force of destruction ever.
.
Doug Glatt – Goon
Doug Glatt is wreaking ball of niceness who only wants to protect his team. He is honorable man with fists of fury who is either a loyal friend or a dreaded temporary foe. He sticks up for injustices and will take a punch to the face when he deserves it. It is rare when you see nice guys beating people up. Most sports films feature the anti-hero (Longest Yard, Slap Shot) engaging in anti-hero antics. Doug Glatt might be my favorite sports character ever.
.
Kyle Reese/Corporal Hicks – The Terminator/Aliens
Kyle Reese and Hicks were good dudes who were up against something much greater than themselves. What I love about Michael Biehn in these movies is how sensitive he comes across. He is doing crazy dangerous work yet is always brave and unselfish. He trusts his partners and you can’t help but like the guy. There is a reason why he is fan favorite. The video below proves what a good dude he was in a very random way.
.
Wang Chi – Big Trouble in Little China
Wang Chi is a good dude who can wreck shop and carry mulleted blowhards on his shoulders. When watching Big Trouble in Little China you realize that he is the hero and also very nice. It helps that Dennis Dun is ridiculously likable and capable of awesome spin kicks.
.
Jackie Chan in anything
The guy is in a movie called Mr. Nice Guy. What I love about Chan is he is an unstoppable force who is always nice. You can’t help but like the guy as he was doing everything in his power to hurt himself.
.
Rocky Balboa – Rocky
Rocky is a nice dude that could clear a bar in five seconds. I love that he had a big heart and his relationship with Adrian was really nice. He is a simple dude who can take 1,000’s of punches to the face and still keep his spirits high and cause world peace. What cements his niceness is that he keeps a chair near Adrian’s grave in Rocky Balboa. It is such a nice gesture and I also love how he also employs former opponents to work in his bar.
Susan Cooper – Spy
While she is surrounded by self-absorbed weirdos she quietly does her work and kills a few people in the process. I love she thinks fast on her feet and never loses her niceness. She is constantly forced to have terrible aliases and she is underestimated 100% of the time. In the end, she does the right thing and remains true to her friends. Becoming a super spy won’t get to her head.
.
Jack Travern – Speed
Jack is a nice dude who respects other people’s opinions and forms a great bond with Sandra Bullock. He is the nice hero and a pleasant change of pace from the muscled up lugs who controlled the action films throughout the prior decade.
.
Captain Shakespeare – Stardust
What I love about Robert DeNiro’s character is that he is faux-mean. He understands how to rule with an iron fist without killing people. I have no doubt he could hold his own in a brawl but he chooses to do the right thing and save people (while looking like he killed them). The best part is that his crew loves him! I love the movie Stardust and you should check it out if you haven’t watch it yet.
.
Beck – The Rundown
The guy can beat up an entire offensive line but would prefer not to. He is a nice dude who is stuck working for a bad guy. I love that he chooses to not use guns and he actually respects the people he eventually beats up. The Rundown is a fun action film because you actually like the guys taking part in the action. The Rock has never been better.
.
Marshal Will Kane – High Noon
Kane does what is right even if it is gonna kill him. He refuses to be intimidated and I love how he is conflicted about it. Will Kane is one of my favorite characters because he gets the job done while being nice. Heroes like this don’t come along very often and the fact that Kane is still so popular is a testament to his nice brand of butt kicking.
Share this post:
The MFF Podcast #42: Fantasy, Horror and Dark Superhero TRAILER TALK
You can download the pod on Itunes or LISTEN TO THE POD ON BLOGTALKRADIO.
If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome!
We hope you enjoyed our previous episode:
The MFF Podcast #41: The 2015 Random Awards.
SUMMARY: This week we discuss our thoughts on the trailers for the upcoming movies World of Warcraft, Cherry Tree, Kung Fu Panda 3, The Boy, Monster Hunt and Deadpool.
We also answer such important questions as…
“What 2016 movies do you think will be bad but you will watch anyway?”
“Is Deadpool the best thing to ever happen to Ryan Reynolds?”
“Who is the least threatening movie villain?”
“Will The Boy be any better than Annabelle?”
LISTEN TO THE POD ON BLOGTALKRADIO.
or head over Itunes so you can download, REVIEW, RATE and SHARE the pod.
Share this post:
Five 21st Century Creature Features You Might Have Missed
I love a good creature feature. When done right they provide a fantastic combination of violence, likable characters and neat special effects. The problem with creature features is that too many of them slip under the cracks and are not viewed enough by the mainstream. The following five films all excel at creating fun stories that feature lots of booze, blood and bigfoots. I love them because they take old tropes and make them fresh via actually being good.
If you are hankering for some solid creature features I totally recommend you check out these five films. Let me know what you think!
Dog Soldiers
Dog Soldiers is one of the best 21st century horror films that doesn’t appear on “best of” lists (read the post. Shock Till You Drop loved it!). This line from Dog Soldiers sums up the film.
We are now up against live, hostile targets. So, if Little Red Riding Hood should show up with a bazooka and a bad attitude, I expect you to chin the bitch.
Dog Soldiers is an action packed spectacle that doesn’t reinvent the wheel. However, it makes the wheel look amazing. It is a fun ride that borrows heavily from other films but shows all the traits of Neil Marshall’s (The Descent) future films. Dog Soldiers walks a fine line of humor, violence and suspense. For instance, after a massive kitchen brawl the werewolves get the upper hand and a soldier says “I hope I give you the sh*ts. You f**king wimp.” Dog Soldiers exemplifies independent horror and is urgent and exciting in ways very few films can match.
.
Grabbers
Grabbers is fun, charming and rewatchable. It is a little Irish film that focuses on villagers who have to stay drunk to stay alive. The best thing about Grabbers is that it is immensely likable and doesn’t become a one-note shlock fest. It follows in the foot steps of Gremlins, Attack the Block and Tremors with its infusion of horror, comedy and oddness. You will cheer for the eventual drunk heroes as they battle ill-tempered aliens.
.
Rogue
Rogue was directed by Wolf Creek’s Greg McLean and features Michael Vartan, Radha Mitchell, Sam Worthington, John Jarratt and Mia Wasikowska. it is a well-acted and great looking monster movie that moves along quickly and logically. What I love most about Rogue is the respect it gives to the monster and the various characters. They all feel real and you grow to like the monster fodder.
McLean was incredibly dismayed with the treatment the film received yet had this to say about it:
I made exactly the film with Rogue, that I was making for ten years, exactly the way I wanted, with exactly the people I wanted and the film they put out was exactly what I wanted to make. So that’s the plus side. People will catch it on cable or see it playing and go, ‘what is this film?’ Because the quality is so good and they can’t understand how these films just don’t get released properly. So hopefully they’re the sort of things we’ll find.
Watch Rogue!
.
Willow Creek
I love what Indiewire had to say about Bobcat Goldthwait’s Bigfoot horror film:
Willow Creek stands alone because it aims to engage with several genres at once. While it eventually devolves into exploring the terrifying prospects of something hairy lurking about in the shadows, Goldthwait uses that thrill factor to validate the commitment of Bigfoot believers. Willow Creek never feels like an attempt to proselytize, but it’s a smart recognition of the dangers involved in doubt.
.
Troll Hunter
Troll Hunter is a fantastic Norwegian found footage film that revolves around what happens when trolls run amok. What makes Troll Hunter stand apart from its peers is that it is actually a good film. Everything about it is good and I will let MFF c0-writer John sum it up.
Good special effects, a dash of realistic biology and an interesting story make Troll Hunterthat which I always strive to find: something entertaining and unlike anything else I’ve seen. Clutch writing makes the characters as interesting as the monsters—a task which I feel is generally difficult. This film gets a solid, John-approved “A
Share this post:
What Are the Best Comedies of the 21st Century? An In-Depth Look Into Critical and Audience Ratings
Hello all. Mark here!
The comedic films of the 21st century have been an eclectic mix that feature 40-year-old virgins, bridesmaids and Merlot hate. We’ve been blessed with horror comedies (What We Do in the Shadows), comedy dramas (The Royal Tenenbaums) and just straight up comedy (The Other Guys) Wes Anderson, Alexander Payne, Judd Apatow and Edgar Wright directed solid gold movies that have made defining the word “comedy” impossible. So many of the 21st century comedies fall into several categories at once. For example, movies like Juno, Shaun of the Dead, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, The Station Agent, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, American Hustle and The Kid’s Are All Right cover every genre while still being recognized as comedy. Movies don’t have to be “Ow, My Balls” to be considered funny and that is why I collected so many films for the data set.
The 370 comedies I collected critic/audience data for are incredibly different but utilized laughs in brilliant ways. My favorite comedic moment of the 21st century revolves around a guy playing terrible tennis because his sister married Bill Murray.
.
Here are my 10 favorite 21st century comedies to give you an example of the varying hilarity we’ve been given.
- The Royal Tenenbaums
- Hot Fuzz
- Goon
- The Trip
- The Guard
- In Bruges
- What We Do in the Shadows
- Sideways
- The Other Guys
- Forgetting Sarah Marshall
The following lists are pure data. I’ve haven’t tinkered with the averages or weighted anything. I simply wanted the facts and I found out some interesting things in the process. For instance, here are the films that audiences loved much more than critics. The numbers next to the movie represent the difference between the critic/audience averages.
5. Van Wilder – 48.1
4. Joe Dirt – 49.5
3. Grandma’s Boy – 51.5
2. Kung Pow: Enter the Fist – 60.1
1. Out Cold – 62.6
Zach looks shocked.
When I unleashed my 21st century horror post it sparked a lot of conversations about the definition of horror and what should be included. I loved those conversations and I understood the points made. So, in order to prevent mass annoyance I included a fourth category to appease the masses.
- Top 25 critically rated comedies according to Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic critics
- Top 25 audience rated comedies according to IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes audience scores and Metacritc users
- Top 25 rated comedies from Rotten Tomatoes critics, RT audience Scores, Metacritic critics, Metacritic user scores and IMDb users
- Top 25 Rated “Comedy” comedies from Rotten Tomatoes critics, RT audience score, Metacritic critics, Metacritic user scores and IMDb users
Here is a PDF list of the 371 films ranked so you can see where your favorite films placed.
Enjoy the list and make sure to vote below!
Sidenote: I decided to exclude animated films because I wanted to save them for another post.
1. Top 25 Critically Rated Comedies according to Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic Critics
25. Volver (2006), The Station Agent (2003) – 88
24. The Host (88.5) – 88.5
23. Her (2013) – 88.5
22. Nebraska (2013) – 88.5
21. Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) – 88.5
20. In the Loop (2009) – 88.5
19. Moonrise Kingdom (2012) – 88.5
18. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) – 88.5
17. The Band’s Visit (2007) – 89
16. The Kids Are All Right (2010) – 89.5
15. The Ten Canoes (2006) – 90
14. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006) – 90
13. Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001) – 90
12. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) – 90
11. Ghost World (2001) – 90
10. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) – 90
9. Le Havre (2011) – 90.5
8. Tangerine (2015) – 90.5
7. The Man Without a Past (2002) – 91
6. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) – 91
5. American Hustle (2013) – 91.5
4. Lost in Translation (2003) – 92
3. The Artist (2011) – 93
2. American Splendor (2003) – 93.5
- Sideways (2004) – 95
Seeing Sideways at number one makes me happy. It features perfect blend of humor, drama and lines that alter the wine industry.
.
2. Top 25 Audience Rated Comedies according to IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes Audience Scores and Metacritc Users
25. Shaolin Soccer – 81.6
24. Old School -82
23. The Band’s Visit – 82
22. Juno – 82.3
21. Stranger Than Fiction (2006) – 82.6
20. Zombieland (2009)- 82.6
19. 24 Hour Party People (2002) – 82.6
18. Black Dynamite (2009)- 83
17. 50/50 (2011) -83.3
16. Silver Linings Playbook (2012) – 83.3
15. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) – 83.6
14. Volver (2004) – 84
13. Amelie (2001) – 84
12. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) – 84.3
11. In Bruges (2008) – 84.6
10. The Station Agent (2003) – 85
9. Hot Fuzz (2007) – 85.3
8. Kung Fu Hustle (2004) -85.3
7. The Big Short (2015) – 85.6
6. Her (2013) – 86
5. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) – 86
4. The Intouchables (2012) – 86.3
3. Shaun of the Dead (2004) – 86.6
2. Wild Tales (2014) – 86.6
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) – 89
I love Charlie Kaufman screenplays.
3. Top Rated Comedies from Rotten Tomatoes Critics, RT Audience Score , Metacritic, Metacritic User Scores and IMDb Users
25. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) – 83.2
24. Adaptation (2002) – 83.2
23. 50/50 (2011) – 83.2
22. Lost in Translation (2003) – 83.8
21. Nebraska (2013) – 83.8
20. 24 Hour Party People (2002) – 83.8
19. Ghost World (2001) – 84.2
18. Moonrise Kingdom (2012) – 84.2
17. Juno (2007) -84.4
16. Silver Linings Playbook (2012) – 84.6
15. American Splendor (2003) – 84.8
14. The Band’s Visit – (2007) – 84.8
13. Kung Fu Hustle (2004) – 85
12. The Big Short – (2015) 85.2
11. Volver (2006) – 85.6
10. Hot Fuzz (2007) – 85.6
9. Shaun of the Dead (2004) – 85.6
8. The Man Without a Past (2002) – 85.8
7. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) – 86.2
6. The Station Agent (2003) – 86.2
5. Her (2013) – 86.4
4. Wild Tales (2014) – 86.6
3. The Artist (2011) – 87
2. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) – 87
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) – 89.8
4. The 25 highest rated “comedy” comedies from Rotten Tomatoes Critics, RT Audience Score , Metacrtic, Metacritic User Scores and IMDb Users
25. Bad Santa (2003)/ I Love You, Man (2009) – (75.8)
24. Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle (2004) – 76
23. Bridesmaids (2011) – 76.2
22. Four Lions (2010) – 76.4
21. Elf (2003) – 76.4
20. 22 Jump Street (2014) – 76.6
19. 21 Jump Street (2012) – 77.6
18. The Trip (2010) – 77.6
17. Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil (2010) – 77.8
16. A Mighty Wind (2003) – 78.4
15. The Hangover (2009) – 78.4
14. Knocked Up (2007) – 79
13. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) – 79.2
12. The Guard (2011) – 79.8
11. Black Dynamite (2009) – 79.8
10. Francis Ha (2012) – 80.4
9. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)- 81
8. Superbad (2007) – 81.4
7. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) – 82
6. Zombieland (2009)- 82
5. What We Do in the Shadows (2014) – 83
4. Moonrise Kingdom (2012) – 84.2
3. Hot Fuzz (2007) – 85.6
2. Shaun of the Dead (2004) – 85.6
- The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) – 86.2
Gustave loves the news!
There you have it! Hopefully you’ve enjoyed the list! If you have some time please vote below. I want to know what the readers think is the best 21st century comedy.
You have three votes. I understand how hard it is to just pick one.
If you do not find your favorite 21st century comedy on the list please write it in!
Share this post:
John’s Horror Corner: A Christmas Horror Story (2015), a holiday anthology complete with zombie elves, evil spirits and Santa fighting Krampus!
MY CALL: If you’re looking for a campy Christmas horror anthology with a berserk Santa Claus, changeling shapeshifters, Krampus, creepy kids, zombie elves and evil seductive spirits—then this is for you! It’s a decent flick if you don’t go in expecting much. MOVIES LIKE A Christmas Horror Story: For more serious holiday horrors try Krampus (2015), Gremlins (1984), Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010), Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984), Black Christmas (2006) and Black Christmas (1974). OTHER HORROR ANTHOLOGIES: Black Sabbath (1963), Tales from the Crypt (1972), The Vault of Horror (1973), The Uncanny (1977), Creephsow (1982), Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), Stephen King’s Cat’s Eye (1985), Creepshow 2 (1987), Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990), Necronomicon: Book of the Dead (1993), Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996), Campfire Tales (1997), 3 Extremes (2004), Trick ‘r Treat (2007), Chillerama (2011), Little Deaths (2011), V/H/S (2012), The Theater Bizarre (2012), The ABCs of Death (2013), V/H/S 2 (2013), The Profane Exhibit (2013), The ABCs of Death 2 (2014) and V/H/S Viral (2014).
This playful little holiday horror anthology opens with the general feel of a higher quality ScyFy Channel movie-of-the-week. But once it gets going the gore is more than adequate and there are some decently fun jump scares. So I didn’t exactly have a bad feeling about this—just don’t expect high quality filmmaking and you should be fine.
This anthology bounces back-and-forth between four linked horror stories that can’t seem to agree when it comes to tone. As something of a wraparound story between segments, we have William Shatner’s silliness as a radio show host. He’s okay, not great, maybe a fraction as charming as intended. But he did his job—he got me to watch this movie after I saw him in the trailer and I chuckled at his scenes. LOL. One little Easter egg is that Ginger Snaps and A Christmas Horror Story are both set in the fictitious town of Bailey Downs.
The first story introduces a group of young documentary filmmakers producing “Horror in the Hallways” about a years-past serial killing in their high school. It seems to take itself rather seriously while trying—and failing—to embrace the notion of personable characters who don’t know what they’re getting into like Grave Encounters (2011).
After our introduction to the first and more serious story, the tone shifts to something more tongue-in-cheek. Evidently the elderly have a special intuition when it comes to the evils of Krampus…and they tend not to warn others for some reason! In Krampus (2015) the grandmother knows what evil looms but says little (and nothing clearly or in English) to try to save anyone. In this movie, the elderly great aunt kicks out her nephew and his family after his tween son deliberately breaks a Krampus figurine. Clearly an unforgivable offense—but the kid was being a little punk.
Meanwhile at the North Pole, after a self-mutilating accident in Santa’s workshop an elf becomes patient zero in a zombie outbreak of Santa’s little helpers. Now the tone has transmuted into fully slapstick, gory silliness.
Then our fourth tale, about a child behaving strangely on Christmas eve, is 100% serious. It’s hard to talk about this one without ruining it. So I’ll leave it at that. But it’s a neat little short.
These short films often feel sort of cheap—like they were the gems found in a Walmart horror movie bargain bin but just fit for Video-on-Demand. This movie is certainly joyously entertaining for horror fans, but its symptoms of weak filmmaking are readily apparent. The young filmmakers’ lines are poorly written, Krampus evidently hunts his cheerless victims by obliviously walking into traffic (like some stupid Sasquatch movie) and hoping the driver swerves into a wreck in lieu of running him over (although later he hunts them in a more appropriately fun manner), Santa’s expository dialogue was awful (but maybe funny in that respect), there were basically zero good camera shots, a girl gets possessed and immediately starts seducing teenagers with such Shakespearian prose as “I know you always wanted me”, and this was largely written like an R-rated children’s story that had to clearly and slowly verbalize EVERYTHING as if it was made for toddlers. There is also no real development. Krampus is mentioned, something bad happens, and now suddenly everyone talks about Krampus as if they have always believed in him. Silly—just dumb and silly.
Furthermore, none of the mysteries are explained. And no, they’re not the kinds of things that are better left unexplained. Directed by Brett Sullivan (Ginger Snaps 2), Steven Hoban (producer on Ginger Snaps), Grant Harvey (Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning), I’m not surprised by the randomness of quality and storytelling in this film—as this can be witnessed when comparing Ginger Snaps movies to one another. Just look at the varying quality in their respective werewolf movies.
But this movie was not without its share of bad horror charm. Seeing Santa slaughtering his elves was a great concept. Even if the action/killing scenes were ill-executed at times, it always had me grinning even if I was rolling my eyes while I was enjoying the wholesale elf murder and dismemberment. I enjoyed the mass “elficide.” Krampus looked pretty cool and basically went all Mortal Kombat wielding his hooked chain like Scorpion. And I loved how the Krampus-Santa battle transitioned us to the surprisingly satisfying ending.
This is not a “good” movie, but it’s a very enjoyable one! Highly recommended to horror fans especially around the holiday!
Share this post:
The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast #41: The 2015 Random Awards
You can download the pod on Itunes or LISTEN TO THE POD ON BLOGTALKRADIO.
If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome!
Does it bum you out that nobody will ever be recognized for their great cinematic naps or dancing? If you answered “yes” you will love the MFF random awards. Every year I sort through underappreciated moments and put together some very random awards. I’ve eschewed the stock awards and instead chosen to honor the squishy noises, arm grabs and usage of Belgian beer.
Furious 7 knows how to feature Belgian beer.
The random awards are a great way to close out the year because they cover every facet of the cinematic world. No stone is left unturned and sometimes we even give out awards for the best stone throwing!
Sit back, relax and listen to discussions about Jedi’s defeating helmet hair. Check out the MFF pod on Blog Talk Radio or head over to Itunes and listen to the randomness!
If you get a chance please REVIEW, RATE and SHARE the pod!
Share this post:
The 10 Best Films of 2015: A Collection of Beach Boys, Authors and a Guy Named Earl
I haven’t been able to catch every film that was released this year so my “best of” list isn’t all inclusive. However, I’ve watched a boatload of movies and wanted to share my favorite films. 2015 has been a great year for film because it has featured some great big budget blockbusters and a rejuvenated horror landscape. The following list is uber eclectic and features Beach Boys, space potatoes and Jason Statham wearing a fake mustache. If you are interested check out my other best of 2015 posts (you will love them!).
The Best Non-Human Characters of 2015
Here is the list! I wanted to start at my favorite films and work my way down.
- Love & Mercy
Love & Mercy is a beautiful film. I loved every second of the biopic and the only other movie I can think of that hit me as hard was Take Shelter (one of my favorites). It is a beautifully told story that eschews the standard biopic cliches and travels back and forth during Brian Wilson’s life. Paul Dano and John Cusack are perfectly cast as young/old Brian Wilson and Elizabeth Banks finally found herself in a dramatic role worthy of her talents. I loved learning how Pet Sounds was created and I was so happy to see John Cusack back in form after some very uneven films.
.
2. The End of the Tour
The End of the Tour centers around the five day interview between David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel) and Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg). Lipsky joined up with Wallace at the end of his 1996 book tour for Infinite Jest and the following interview was pure gold. Jason Segel is stellar in the role and I love that he didn’t add massive flourishes or “acting” touches to the role. Director James Ponsoldt (Smashed, Spectacular Now) knows how to capture conversations organically and The End of the Tour flows along nicely towards its beautiful final shot. I loved the exploration into a brilliant mind and I hope Segel gets remembered come award time.
.
3. The Martian
Movies don’t get any nicer or crowd pleasing than The Martian. Everybody was on their A-game (even the potatoes) and I love how it remained faithful to the book. I loved The Martian because it was about a bunch of smart people trying to help another smart man get back home. You don’t want the movie to end and I can’t remember the last time I had such a big smile on my face while leaving a theater. Also, Sean Bean lives!
.
4. Brooklyn
Everything about Brooklyn is nice. It is the rare film that manages to create three-dimensional characters doing believable things. I love the chemistry between Saoirse Ronan and Emory Cohen and I think they are the best couple of 2015. Writer Nick Hornby is one of my favorite writers and he managed to take a popular book and translate it into a crowd pleasing yet tear jerking tour de force.
.
5. Bridge of Spies
Tom Hanks is so good in Bridge of Spies I’m pretty sure people won’t appreciate how good he is. His character James Donovan is a good man that loves whiskey and is respected by everyone. He won’t back down from a fight and I love how he clenches his fists when things get real. I love that Bridge of Spies only cost $40 million and it felt like an epic story of spies and the cold war. Steven Spielberg knocked Bridge out of the park and not a second of on-screen time is wasted.
.
6. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
I love Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. It blends quirkiness with intelligence and manages to avoid thinking it is too clever. This Sundance favorite is self-aware and the cinematography by Chung-hoon Chung (Oldboy, Stoker) is pretty amazing. I love that director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon allowed the camera to linger on the actors faces and you can tell he trusted their performances. Also, the fake movies are pretty glorious.
.
7. Spy
Spy is the funniest movie of 2015 and I can’t think of a movie with a deeper bench of funny movie characters. Director Paul Feig is a genius and he gathered the San Antonio Spurs of the acting world to do his bidding. Everybody is unselfish and it leads to a beautiful comedy that is infinitely rewatchable. I was so happy to see Jason Statham back in Snatch/Lock Stock form and it proves he has no problem making himself look dumb. I was stoked to see it nominated for several Golden Globes and I want everyone to get a spin-off movie.
.
8. Mad Max: Fury Road
What I love about Mad Max: Fury Road is that it feels like an incredibly expensive hand made film. Every stunt feels like it hurts and I can only imagine how long it took to accomplish each stunt. George Miller wanted everything on his set to be functional and it all looks f**king amazing. The world is fully fleshed out and I’m amazed at the skill and care that each character receives. Films like this can never be recreated because they left no blueprint. Charlize Theron stated that their would be days when there was no script and director George Miller was shooting from the hip. Fury Road works because the crew worked their asses off for six months in the deserts of Africa. It is a labor of love that feels totally fleshed out.
.
9. What We Do in the Shadows
What We Do in the Shadows is a glorious comedy/horror mockumentary that centers around four vampires who live in New Zealand. The horror hybrid blends comedy with lots of gore and features some of funniest characters of the last several years. It is a creative blast of niceness and violence that will most certainly become a cult classic. The 85 minute film is so full of one-liners, sight gags and hilarious characters you need to watch it more than once.
.
10. The Hateful Eight/Bone Tomahawk
The reason I lumped these movies together is because Kurt Russell is awesome. He plays a major role in both of these westerns and he is fantastic. I love that both of them subverted the western genre while feeling totally original. They are bloody, brutal, ugly and lyrically written. I wouldn’t watch them back to back (your soul would be crushed) but I totally recommend them. Both films are loaded with fantastic performances and some of my favorite actors like Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson, Richard Jenkins and Demian Bichir get a chance to shine.
.
11. It Follows, Backcountry, Spring and Creep
2015 was loaded with solid horror and these four films are very good. They do a great job creating new villains, worlds and love stories. They are stuffed with dread, urgency, believable villains (good thing) and I can’t wait to watch them again. I totally recommend you check them out and appreciate the indie horror boom.
Movies, Films & Flix 