The MFF Podcast Special: Cabin in the Woods: The Best Horror Film of the 21st Century
Hello all. Mark here.
The MFF podcast is back and we are talking 21st century horror films! The last pod focused on the best critic/audience rated 21 st century horror films and now we have the reader favorites. You can check out the pod on Blog Talk Radio or Itunes. Please make sure to share, rate, review, and share again!
Cabin in the Woods is the #1 horror film of the 21st century!
I recently unleashed the 21 best horror films of the 21st century as voted on by MFF readers. It was a fun success and I loved reading the message board discussions and listening to the radio segments spawned by Cabin in the Woods being crowned #1. Here are the top 10 and you can check out the top 21 here.
10. Drag Me To Hell
9. Mulholland Drive
8. Shaun Of The Dead
7. The Babadook
6. It Follows
5. Let The Right One In
4. The Descent
3. 28 Days Later
2. Pan’s Labyrinth
1. The Cabin In the Woods
The MFF and Sharkdropper crew got together and broke down the data analysis and why each film was picked to be in the poll. Then, we talked about the top 21 and the response to the films on the list. Of course we discuss The Shining, Kurt Russell dolls and the best horror of the 21st century.
Check out the pod and let us know what 21st century horror movies you love! Enjoy, rate, share, review, share and watch more Kurt Russell movies!
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Hello all. Mark here.
The results are in and they cover pretty much every aspect of the “horror” genre. We received over 3,500 votes (you listen to the podcast where we break down the films/voting on Itunes or Blog Talk Radio) and appreciate everyone who stopped by to vote (Big thanks to the AV Club for sharing!). The 21st century post was a lot of fun to write and I’ve enjoyed the discussions, podcasting and complaints that The Shining wasn’t on the list. If you didn’t catch the original post, I sorted through hundreds of 21st century horror films, gathered a list of 160 and broke down the data into four categories. Here are the four lists I came up with.
Top 20 Critically Rated Horror films according to Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic Critics
Top 20 Audience Rated Horror films according to IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes Audience Scores and Metacritc Users
Top 25 Rated horror films from Rotten Tomatoes Critics, RT Audience Score , Metacrtic, Metacritic User Score and IMDb Users
The Top 10 rated according to Shocktillyoudrop,Dread Central, Fangoria (with info from the chainsaw awards), Bloody Disgusting and Bloody Good Horror
When I finished the lists I took the top ten critic/audience rated horror films and combined them with favorites that were left out or featured on the horror movie critics overall best list. It was a comprehensive list that offered an “other” box for write-ins so all 21st century horror films could be covered and voted on (the poll is here if you want to see it).
I originally was only going to write about the top 10 but when I looked through the list I had to cover the top 21. What I like about the 21 films is they cover every aspect of horror. It is an eclectic mix that features French transcendent torture, demon goats, ivory business cards, death via Merman and quite possibly the scariest child killer ever (the only competition is the Troll from Ernest Scared Stupid. He wrecked my youth).
Peekaboo, I see you! Now, I’m gonna walk all creepy like and attempt to eat you.
There was no runaway winner and I love that the voting was so close. The films were directed/written by first time directors or crafted by savvy genre veterans . It is young meets old and all of it is fresh (except the zombies). Horror is such a tough genre to predict because it is full of cult classics, loud supporters and incredibly dedicated fans. It offers a little bit of everything and I don’t think anybody will ever agree on what is and what is not horror. Before I wrote the post I was doing some horror homework and I came across an indiewire article about the top 25 horror films (very good list) of the 21st century. I found this quote and it intrigued me:
A vocal contingent flew the flag for movies like “Haute Tension,” “Martyrs,” “A Field In England” and “The Devil’s Rejects,” but were shouted down by the equally vocal anti-contingent.
Through the course of writing, publishing and sharing the horror data it has been fun listening to the different vocal contingents of horror go at it. I believe the final product of the original 21st century horror data was pure because it covered every base and gave the user/audience a chance to have their voices heard. The glory of this poll is that votes speak the loudest. That is why I am happy to share the top 21 with the readers because you voted for it.
Thank you voting! Enjoy! Comment and share the post. Never go spelunking in unknown cave systems.
I compiled a list of the films available for streaming on Netflix or Amazon and we recorded a podcast about the creation of the list and response to the data. Also, if you are into horror films I’m pretty certain we came up with the most random horror film ever on the podcast.
If you get a chance check out these five horror hybrids that I really like. They deserve a bigger audience.
When you are done with this post check out the results of the “What are Your Favorite 21st Century Horror Films That Don’t Appear on “best of” Lists.” poll. We had 5,300 votes and I really like the films that made the cut.
21. (tie) Session 9 (2001)
I remember hearing about Session 9 back in the day and I couldn’t find it anywhere. So, I went on Ebay and bought it for way too much money. The gamble was worth it as the mostly day time horror film mesmerized me. It didn’t rely on jump scares and instead created creepy new scares to wreck my sleep. I don’t think I can ever forget the sound of the tape recordings playing inside the abandoned mental hospital (they found a perfect location). Director Brad Anderson blended new school digital photography and an old school adherence to creating dread and the result was a little film that defied expectations
Nothing good could ever happen here.
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21 (tie). The Devil’s Rejects (2005)
The Devil’s Rejects is the kind of film that wears you down, tests your resolve and stresses out your television. That is not an insult. It is a well made grime fest that proved Rob Zombie was a man with a dark humorous vision. The Devil’s Rejects is skillfully made, acted to perfection and almost makes you feel sad when a Free Bird soundtracked gunfight opens up. Rob Zombie succeeded in finding art in depravity and even if you find the film deplorable you can’t say it wasn’t well made. Also, it features this line spoken by a guy named Otis B. Driftwood.
Boy, the next word that comes out of your mouth better be some brilliant Mark Twain sh**. ‘Cause it’s definitely getting chiseled on your tombstone.
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20. What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
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.
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19. Paranormal Activity (2007)
Paranormal Activity is a tiny $11,000 film that exploded in the theaters. It placed a camera in a static position and managed to create more scares via dread and anticipation than I could’ve ever imagined. The best thing about PA is that it introduced us to an incredibly jerky demon that loved to pull bed sheets and occasionally drag people out of rooms. There is a moment that I love when a paranormal investigator walks into the house and immediately realizes he needs to go because it isn’t safe. PA did something many movies fail to do. It created a villain that scared the crap out of the audience (until they named it Toby)
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18. The Mist (2007)
The Mist is a proof that quality finds a way. I am 100% certain audiences weren’t ready for this bleak and tragic Stephen King adaptation. They went in expecting a creature feature and instead were treated to religious zealots, terrifying monsters and an ending that reached through the screen and punched them in the face. Scott Mendelson of Forbes wrote a post entitled the Five “Best” Horror Films That flopped. In that list he included The Mist. Here is what he had to say about its failure at the box-office and eventual resurrection on DVD
Thanksgiving isn’t exactly the time to release an insanely grim spine-tingler that explicitly condemns human paranoia and religious-fueled mania, so it didn’t exactly light the box office world on fire. The Mist opened with $8 million over Thanksgiving weekend 2007, ending up with just $25m. Thanks to a surprisingly robust $31m overseas take, the $18m horror tale eventually turned a profit, and the multiple DVD/Blu-Ray releases helped too, including one that included the film as Darabont intended, in black-and-white. No matter in color or black-and-white, the film is genuinely terrifying, and it’s a shame it hasn’t developed more than a passing cult following.
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17. The House of the Devil (2009)
House of the Devil does something gloriously audacious. It builds to a single scare that is so effective you are left absolutely deflated and exhausted. Ti West (Innkeepers, Sacrament) directed House of the Devil with a rare patience and clear vision. He takes the story of a babysitter in an old house and puts a new spin on it by focusing on dread and patience instead of blood and guts. West clearly knows that the fun is in the journey and the payoff is in the unexpected beauty of a really ugly face.
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16. American Psycho (2000) (Despite it being released in 2000 American Psycho was added to the list)
Do you like face cream, chainsaws, business cards and blood? Well, American Psycho is for you. This book adaptation features an all in Christian Bale performance and savvy direction by Mary Harron. It is like a fever dream of pent-up frustration that goes to spectacularly bloody lengths. You’ll laugh, cringe and appreciate a movie that captures a tone so perfectly. I love that Bateman is an obvious monster but everyone around him is too self-centered to notice. He thrives in a corporate wasteland where his eccentricities and evident insanity are easy to hide even as his mask of sanity peels off. American Psycho wears many hats and manages to stay true to its source material and remain in the cinematic lexicon by sheer audacity and memorable carnage.
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15. Trick r’ Treat (2007)
Trick r’ Treat has had a unique journey to cult classic success. It was filmed, shelved for years, released on DVD and has since built an incredibly loyal fanbase. Here is what TrT’s director Michael Dougherty had to say about the journey to IGN.
It feels great. There’s nothing like it. It’s a very unique path for a movie to take. Usually, your movie comes out, and it’s a big deal for a month — if you’re lucky — then it sort of just fades and goes off onto DVD, and that’s it. That includes most big awards films and whatnot, tentpoles — same thing. But for this tiny little movie, which didn’t have a lot of support, to continue to grow year after year solely from fans showing it to people, obviously using the love of the holiday itself, it’s kind of amazing. I don’t know of too many other films that have had this kind of a journey. For me, personally, it’s very rewarding because it’s a really personal film. This has very much been a passion project of mine for a long time. It was a very emotional journey. So to continue to watch it grow and never plateau — it just continues to grow — I’m kind of speechless.
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14. [Rec] (2007)
[Rec] might be the most pure horror film on the list. It is a non-stop death machine and it builds to an iconic moment involving one of the best horror drags ever. [Rec] never lets you catch your breath and feels like a 90 minute roller coaster. I guarantee that [Rec] is the only horror film that requires you to drink Gatorade halfway through because you are sweating so much. It is an economic wonder that proves when done right the found footage style can aid in the killing.
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13. Martyrs (2008)
Pain and transcendence paint the theme of this intense, cruel, relentlessly brutal film that will lead you to dark places free from the moral burdens of compassion.
MFF co-writer John wrote the above quote and he is right. Watching Martyrs is like a ten-mile hike in the rain that only goes uphill. You will not enjoy the experience but when you are on top of the mountain looking down the journey doesn’t seem all that bad.
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12. The Conjuring (2013)
The Conjuring is a wonderful beast. The acting, storytelling and massive amounts of dread are proof of a director on the top of his game. James Wan directed the wonderful Insidious and proved horror can be told on a budget and not be a remake, sequel or prequel. Certain critics complained of Wan’s usage of Poltergeist themes but as Alonso Durade of The Wrap so elegantly put it:
The Conjuring doesn’t try to reinvent the tropes of horror movies, whether it’s ghosts or demons or exorcisms, but Fred Astaire didn’t invent tap-dancing, either.
James Wan has become a maestro of mini-budget mayhem. He tells tightly knit stories in which family is important, demons are totally evil and the acting is always wonderful. Wan made the incredibly smart decision to bring back Patrick Wilson from Insidious and add the wonderful Vera Farmiga. Together they play the real life couple Ed and Lorraine Warren who believe they were put together to do the world good. Aside from being the world’s best looking paranormal duo they have grace, charm and the authority to go head to head with persistent spirits
What I like most about this couple is they have a locked room inside their house where they keep all the evil (?) artifacts. They don’t want them destroyed because the spirits will be released and they don’t want them in the populace because they will continue to terrorize. You have to appreciate people who risk their safety to protect the world.
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11. The Ring (2002)
The Ring might be one of the best looking horror films ever made. Gore Verbinksi directed the hell out of it and Naomi Watts does a brilliant job of being scared by a little girl who crawls out of televisions. I am still amazed that this bleak and melancholic little thing blew up so big. The beauty of the cinematography and overall grayness created a mesmerizing and occasionally terrifying dread machine.
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10. Drag Me To Hell (2009)
Written by Megan (my beautiful wife).
I first watched Drag Me To Hell on one of my first dates with my now husband (your esteemed author). As you might imagine, a creepy old woman, a goat, curses and a kitten’s death scene made for a memorable date. While I mostly dislike movies with gratuitous pet deaths, I’ll always have fondness for this one because it is part of ‘our’ story and the beginning of my insight into Mark’s love for movies. We have rehashed our favorite scenes many times, both the funniest and grossest, and those conversations never fail to bring back the memories of our few dates and the movies that we watched. I hope you watch this movie, enjoy the absurdity of it and are lucky enough to find a partner to share all of your favorite movie moments with. Moral of this story: make sure your buttons are sewn on tightly!
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9. Mulholland Drive (2001)
Written by Zach Beckler (Check out the trailer for his feature film Interior!)
It seems fitting that a film about the Hollywood dream becomes the definitive cinematic depiction of a nightmare. Is Mulholland Drive a horror film? I think that question infects most of David Lynch’s films, as the narrow-minded idea of tropes and sub-genres does not really apply to them. Lynch is an original; he does not follow any rules or aesthetic cues of horror, he creates them. After the droning sonic ambiences of Eraserhead, horror films never sounded the same. You can divide the history of sound in horror into Pre-Lynch and Post-Lynch (The Shining being the definitive Post-Lynch horror film.) This is the same reason people have difficulty labeling Hitchcock films as horror, even though he pioneered most of the theories of suspense filmmakers still use today.
There are many moments of dread and suspense in Mulholland Drive that cannot be traced to this genre, like the Club Silencio, “This is the girl,” and the unexplained changes in identity. But if there was still any doubt, the “Man Behind Winkies” scene puts it to rest and delivers one of the most effective scares in the history of cinema. It is a perfect self-contained unit, using the sort of dream logic you find in 70’s Italian horror that Lynch perfected throughout his career. Two men in a restaurant who we have not met in the film, nor do we really see again except in a cutaway later, are having a conversation about a dream. In the dream, there was a man behind the restaurant, and everyone was terrified of him. “I can see his face,” the man says. “I hope I never see that face ever outside of a dream.” As the other man reassures him and goes to pay, the man sees his dream coming to life. Then he walks, painstakingly slowly, to the back of the restaurant. When I saw this in theaters, I remember thinking, “There is nothing they can show me that is worse than what I am imagining.” Then we see the man… And for the first time ever, I felt the true fear of a nightmare in a film; that helplessness that this was happening to me and there was nothing I could do. That face was worse than anything I could have imagined because it was so simple and so haunting. This sort of uncanny horror is something I have been chasing in my own work ever since I saw that man behind Winkies. To lead the audience to a mind state in which anything can happen, and the uncertainty of whether it will. The process of watching any film is a dream, and this film perfectly captures how easily it can turn into a nightmare. This is horror at its finest.
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8. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
What I love most about Shaun of the Dead is how they featured an incredibly rehearsed and ambitious two-minute steadicam shot. The moment isn’t about terror, violence or showing off. The shot centers around a slacker making his way to a shop while not noticing the carnage around him. He is so checked out that he doesn’t notice the blood he slips on or slow-moving zombies all around him. It is a moment of pure cinematic nerd glory and proves that this film about two dudes, a lady and a pub is a lovingly made zombie film. Viva la Cornetto and Edgar Wright!
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7. The Babadook (2014)
The Babadook is a visually arresting horror hybrid that proved to be an amazing calling card for director Jennifer Kent. The Babadook is the type of movie that transcends genre and much like Rosemary’s Baby adds class to the horror world. The fact that The Babadook was universally praised by critics while featuring a truly bonkers plot proves that we are in a solid time for horror. I love what Kent said about horror filmmaking to New York Magazine.
I continue to watch modern horror films, despite the constant disappointment. I don’t think a lot of the filmmakers making horror now know its worth, or realize the potential of the genre. Just because it’s a horror film doesn’t mean it can’t be deep. I think a lot of filmmakers who make horror now go in with dubious motives — money, predominantly. They want to make a film that will feel like a theme-park ride, and ultimately make a lot of money.But horror is a pure form of cinema. I think there are some modern-day filmmakers our there who understand that. The films that will stand the test of time are the ones that have depth
Film title – The Babadook……Noah Wiseman in Film title – The Babadook…, released in cinemas 24th Octoberfilm title: Film title – The Babadook… (2014)
Noah Wiseman as Samuel
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6. It Follows (2014)
Director David Robert Mitchell (The Myth of the American Sleepover) takes my favorite aspects of horror (urgency, dread, patience) and combines them with a beautifully simple story about the dangers of sex. Mitchell lets the film breath and this allows the rabbit and hare story to unfold organically. The teens sleepless state creates a dreamy atmosphere that is captured nicely by the lingering camera and patient editing. The film moves at a methodically slow pace yet you have a hard time catching your breath. It Follows is a perfect example of 2014-2015 horror. It takes familiar elements and makes them fresh again.
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5. Let the Right One In (2008)
Let the Right One In takes zero shortcuts, makes nothing easy and might be one of the best looking horror films ever made. It is painfully serious and respects the audience in its desire to hold nothing back. It is the rare film that appeals to the arthouse and grindhouse. It is an unforgettable masterpiece that will linger in your memory and make you think twice about bullying somebody while in an indoor swimming pool.
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4. The Descent (2005)
Director Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers, Game of Thrones, Doomsday) is a maestro of mayhem who keeps his films moving briskly and expertly. He understands urgency and the need to keep moving forward. If you stop you die, and the ladies in The Descent have no choice but to keep moving. He directed a beautifully layered horror film that juggles, claustrophobia, monster mayhem and urgency. If you listen to the commentary you realize that it wasn’t a fluke. It is a carefully crafted movie that was thought out on every level and achieves the “pure cinema” label.
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3. 28 Days Later (2002)
Written by VJ Long (occasional contributor of amazingly VJ posts)
As an extreme alpha male (joke) I’ve often had the daydream of saving my girlfriend from an attack of infected rage zombies. The film 28 Days Later coupled with the fact I’ve no formal fighting experience continues to squash that daydream. This movie is a constant reminder just how scary the rampage apocalypse could be and I’m not just talking about the infected. It gives a frightening portrayal of how harsh the human race can be in times of crisis. I think that’s the true element of fear! 28 Days Later leaves the viewer terrified not only due to the infected rage zombies but also due to the fact that we can’t always trust the very people we are supposed to turn to in times of dire need.
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2. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
I will let Roger Ebert and his immaculate prose speak for Pan’s Labyrinth.
“Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006) took shape in the imagination of Guillermo del Toro as long ago as 1993, when he began to sketch ideas and images in the notebooks he always carries. The Mexican director responded strongly to the horror lurking under the surface of classic fairy tales and had no interest in making a children’s film, but instead a film that looked horror straight in the eye. He also rejected all the hackneyed ideas for the creatures of movie fantasy and created (with his Oscar-winning cinematographer, art director and makeup people) a faun, a frog and a horrible Pale Man whose skin hangs in folds from his unwholesome body.
What makes Del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth” so powerful, I think, is that it brings together two kinds of material, obviously not compatible, and insists on playing true to both, right to the end. Because there is no compromise there is no escape route, and the dangers in each world are always present in the other. Del Toro talks of the “rule of three” in fables (three doors, three rules, three fairies, three thrones). I am not sure three viewings of this film would be enough, however
The Winner: Cabin in the Woods (2012)
Cabin in the Woods put a spin on the horror genre, turned it 180 degrees and let a Merman eat it. It is a much delayed horror classic that incorporates humor, blood and a trowel as a death weapon. It isn’t afraid to kill its characters and has some huge genre killing balls. Drew Goodard and Joss Whedon have given the world a beautiful horror hybrid that started as an underdog and has become a classic of the genre. In an interview with the AV Club, Joss perfectly encapsulated Cabin with this quote:
If you love horror, then you’ll love Cabin In The Woods!” And: “If you don’t love horror, you still might love Cabin In The Woods!” It’s designed for hardcore horror fans, but it’s also designed for everybody else. There’s enough thought and care and love and great craft that went into doing it, that the fact that it has some thrills and some hideous gore is—well, it’s either the cake or the icing. I’m not sure which. There’s cake. All I know is, you see it and you get cake.
We need a prequel so we can check out more of these monsters! Enjoy the cake!
What are your favorite 21st century horror films? Comment on Facebook, Twitter or below to let us know what films you love! Thank you for voting and reading!
Polls are closed (thank you for voting!). Make sure to check Twitter (@moviesfilmsflix) for the best 21st century horror films that you won’t find on “best of” lists.
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MFF Netflix/Amazon Streaming Recomendations: Where to Find the Best Horror of the 21st Century
Hello all. Mark here.
I recently wrote about the best horror films of the 21st century and wanted to let you know where you can find some of the movies on the lists. I searched through Amazon Prime and Netflix (sorry Hulu) and found the films that were ranked in or around the top 50. Hopefully this makes your life easier as you navigate the black hole that is searching through streaming services looking for something to watch.
We searched Netflix for two hours and this is what we picked! We should have looked at MFF’s list about 21st century horror!
The following top 20 ranked horror flicks on the audience/critic lists offer something for everyone. If you are in the mood for Korean serial killers, pesky ghosts, yuppie murderers or creatures in the mist you are in luck!
Sidenote: The movies with the bold font have been reviewed by MFF. Probably the greatest reviews ever.
Let the Right One In (Netflix) – A beautiful tale about a vampire in Sweden.
The Host (Amazon, Netflix) – A perfect introduction to Korean horror. If you are into creature features you will love this movie.
Housebound (Netflix) – A New Zealand export that puts a fun spin on the haunted house genre.
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (Netflix) – The first Iranian vampire western ever made.
Maniac (Netflix) – Elijah Wood wipes out unsuspecting women in this bonkers remake
Battle Royale (Netflix) – Japanese ninth graders kill the living crap out of each other.
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (Netflix) – A fantastic revenge tale that could’ve only come from South Korea.
I Saw the Devil (Amazon, Netflix) – The most insane game of cat and mouse you will ever witness.
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (Netflix) – Two Rednecks deal with jerky college kids who are intent on killing themselves.
The Others (Netflix) – A Sixth Sense knockoff that is actually really good.
American Psycho (Netflix) – A yuppie kills a lot of people in the 80s.
The Babadook (Netflix) – A woman and her child endure some really weird and strikingly original Australian shenanigans.
The Mist (Amazon) – Mist comes in. People hold up in grocery store. It is is very bleak.
You’re Next (Amazon, Netflix) – A badass heroine wipes out dumb killers .
Devil’s Rejects (Netflix) – Rob Zombie will hurt your soul with this awesomely soul crushing road film.
The following horror treasures ranked in or around the top 50 are totally worth your while.
Dead Snow (Netflix) – A guy named Red and his friends battle Nazi zombies.
Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead (Netflix) – A guy named Red battles Nazi zombies….again.
Honeymoon (Netflix) – A honeymooning couple go to a cabin in the woods. Nothing good happens.
House of the Devil (Netflix) – Never babysit in a creepy old home full of weird people.
Grabbers (Netflix) – Irish villagers need to stay drunk to avoid death via aliens.
Troll Hunter (Netflix, Amazon) – A Swedish man battle trolls in this found footage gem.
Creep (Netflix) – Man answers Craigslist ad. It all gets weird in a gloriously original way.
Snowtown Murders (Netflix) – This movie will crush you soul. Good job Australia.
The Guest (Netflix) – Imagine if Universal Soldier met Terminator.
Berberian Sound Studio (Netflix) – An audio technician loses his mind in Italy.
John Dies at the End (Amazon, Netflix) – This film defies explanation. That is a good thing
Under the Skin (Amazon) – Imagine if Species was directed by Gus Van Sant
Tusk (Amazon) – It didn’t do well in ranking but it features a man being turned into Walrus. That is worth something.
Ju-On (Amazon) – Japanese killer kid ghost story perfected
Spring (Amazon) Imagine if Before Sunset met Species.
Cheap Thrills (Amazon) – Two men have a very bad night. I love Cheap Thrills.
21st century horror films that you won’t find on “best of” lists. These are films that didn’t make the cut but are much beloved.
Devil (Netflix)
Jug Face (Netflix)
Oculus (Netflix)
The Taking of Deborah Logan (Netflix)
The Pact (Netflix)
Teeth (Netflix)
The Canal (Netflix)
The Houses October Built (Netflix)
American Mary (Netflix)
Pontypool (Netflix)
Black Death (Netflix)
Grave Encounters (Amazon)
The Woman in Black (Amazon)
The Battery (Amazon)
V/H/S (Amazon)
The Signal (Amazon)
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Hello all. Mark here.
The R-rated late night comedy is a staple of cinema. They won’t win any awards but they serve a very specific purpose. We need late night movies that involve zero thinking, profane shenanigans and a bunch of underdogs overcoming obstacles. These movies provide perfect background fodder and won’t trouble you with anything resembling deep thoughts. They know what they are and excel at giving you a good time.
I’ve scoured the Netflix archives and found six films that you will love while watching late at night. These movies involves zero thinking, zero twists and enough comedy to keep you awake. You can watch them over and over and the idiocy will become endearing.
Without further ado here are the films!
Inbetweeners/Inbetweeners 2
The Inbetweeners started as a cheeky little television show and grew into a record-breaking comedy smash hit in the UK. They broke records over the pond and remain an unknown commodity here in the states. You will love it as these idiots engage in all forms of stupidity. The unexpected thing is that they are really likable and they have more personality and lived in chemistry then need be. You will laugh as poop runs down water slides, dances are done with no coordination and bodily fluids touch everything. These guys fail up and no matter what they do things go wrong. You need to appreciate four cheeky fellas who continue on through every embarrassment.
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Not Another Teen Movie
I watched Not Another Teen Movie and I was happily surprised that it didn’t crush my soul. Shakespeare it ain’t but it stands tall over the majority of the spoof riff-raff inhabiting the world. It is profane, more profane and features a guy saying “Let’s make like a tree….and branch.” It is loaded with decent music and you can’t believe Captain America engaged in this insanity. Over the years I’ve found myself quoting Not Another and spelling secret like s-e-c-r-a-p-t. If you are into paint stained overalls, slow motion Lacey Chabert walking and smart stupidity you will enjoy Not Another Teen Movie.
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Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes have been making the world more profane since 1994. The fact that Jay and Silent Bob got their own movie loaded with cameos by Matt Damon, Will Ferrell, Chris Rock, Jason Lee, Wes Craven, Judd Nelson, Carrie Fisher, George Nelson, Sean William Scott, Jon Stewart, Tracy Morgan, Gus Van Sant, Jamie Kennedy, Shannon Doherty and a nut punching Mark Hamill is pretty amazing. It is late night movie personified as we get a couple misfits who save the day, punch internet haters and land Shannon Elizabeth.
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Outside Providence
My brother’s in a wheelchair because of a freak accident as a kid. One day we were playing touch football and he fell off the roof.
Outside Providence tells the age-old story of a dumbass kid being sent to a prep school as punishment for rear ending a cop car while stoned. His father played by Alec Baldwin always busts his chops and his best friend is named “Drugs Delaney.”
The name “Drugs” leads to a funny exchange at the swanky prep school:
Dean Mort: Mr. Dunphy, do you have a friend called “Drugs”?
Timothy Dunphy: Drugs Delaney?
Mr. Funderberk: How many individuals named drugs could you possibly associate with?
Timothy Dunphy: Just one.
It is one of those movies that I look back at with fondness because I watched it late at night during college. It was written by Peter Farrelly (Kingpin, There’s Something About Mary) and has a laid back stoner vibe that plays perfectly as a late night experience.
Grandma’s Boy
Grandma’s Boy is the quintessential late night comedy. It bombed in theaters but has since amassed a loyal following who adore it. It is juvenile, crude and loaded with likable characters who are juvenile and crude. I thought this would be another Adam Sandler Happy Madison bore fest. However, it rose above expectations, became a cult classic and made more than $30 million in DVD sales. Grandma’s Boy tapped into the gaming culture and they responded in kind. If you have a three TV set up go ahead and play games on two and put this on in the background.
I love this quote:
All I’ve ever cared about was video games and they made me a millionaire. So maybe I don’t know what the Civil War was, or who invented the helicopter even though I own one, but I did beat The Legend of Zelda before I could walk. I’m thinking about getting metal legs. It’s a risky operation, but it’ll be worth it.
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Hello all. Mark here.
The MFF podcast is back and we are talking 21st century horror films! You can stream the pod on Blog Talk Radio or head over to Itunes so you can download it and tell the world how great it is via ratings and reviews (Thanks!).
Sidenote: There were a few technical issues due to wonky hotel wifi. As the pod progresses the sound quality improves.
It all started with a post I wrote about 21st century horror films. I sorted through hundreds of movies, collected data on 160 and broke down the numbers in order to determine averages. Here are the four categories I researched.
- The Top 20 Critically rated 21st Century horror films averaged from Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic critic scores.
- The Top 20 Audience rated 21st century horror films from IMDb, RT Audience and Metacritic Users.
- The Top 25 Critical and Audience rated 21st Century Horror Films from Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, and Metacritic.
- Data from renowned horror websites Shock Till You Drop, Bloody Disgusting,Bloody Good Horror, Dread Central and Fangoria.
I expected that people would appreciate the post but I didn’t expect that it would be shared on The AV Club and go on to collect 10,000 views, 3,000 votes and thousands of FB likes in two days. The post hit lightning in a bottle and I loved reading the comments and discussions that were sparked by ranking 21st century horror films.
One day we will get a Merman movie.
In order to give you more insight into the collection of films and data the MFF crew read half of the article and grilled me about the data analysis and what exactly is a “horror” film (we also talk about Kurt Russell). It is a spirited discussion that covers all the bases while still managing to discuss why you should never order Bloody Mary’s in dark and loud bars.
If you get a chance check out the article and vote for your favorite 21st century horror films! I’d love to know what you think. Please subscribe, rate and share the pod. It is much appreciated!
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Ex Machina is the rare “intelligent” film that is actually intelligent. It is a fantastic science fiction film that works wonders with a $15 million budget (AKA Avengers craft service budget) and is performed to perfection. Director and writer Alex Garland (The Beach, Sunshine, 28 Days Later, Never Let Me Go, Dredd) continues his hot streak and proves he is one of the best in the business.
Ex Machina revolves around two humans, one very special A.I. creation and a whole lot of booze. It is a character heavy film that feels like a chess match played by three people. It is rare that we get these kind of movies and I love that it is getting Academy Award rumbles. The reason I am writing about it now is I want to get Ex-Machina in front of more eyes and spotlight Alex Garland.
Director/Writer Alex Garland is very good at making material fresh. He and Danny Boyle rocked the zombie world with 28 Days Later and his screenplay for Dredd was pure white-collar violence. He understands that characters need to be likable/relatable/believable and more often than not his films revolve around a journey into violence. There are Colonel Kurtz types characters, bonkers imagery and out of left field final acts throughout Garland’s scripts. Most importantly, Garland films always feature iconic imagery that become burnt in your memory.
I love what Garland had to say about writing in an AV Club article.
I really, really love cinema. And I personally think that one of the downsides of auteur theory has been too much emphasis put on the deification of directing, and some of the other roles have been dismissed—and sometimes, within the production, almost treated with contempt. Now, in particular, because I perceive myself as a writer, I notice that about writing. It’s like a math teacher who thinks math is the most important subject in school or something.
I think film has lost track of how important screenplays are. And the consequence of that is really amazing writers in the visual art form have moved to television. And since The Sopranos—this is a general truth, it’s not a perfect truth—broadly speaking, the best adult drama has been on television. And we used to get Taxi Driver and Raging Bull and Apocalypse Now and The Godfather and you just keep going. The parallax would be all these interesting adult dramas that could be also quite mainstream. And they exist now, but they’re Breaking Bad and The Wire and Mad Men and even Game Of Thrones or whatever. I just regret that.
When looking at Garland’s original scripts and book adaptations it is easy to see the Hollywood opposite.
- Sunshine – Armageddon
- 28 Days later – Dawn of the Dead remake
- Ex-Machina – I, Robot
- Never Let Me Go – The Island
- Dredd- Judge Dredd
I appreciate that there is somebody out there with the intention of bringing mature themes back to cinema. His films/scripts have gone off the rails but he has made comic book characters and attempts to reignite the sun somewhat sophisticated. His films must be an actor’s dream because they get a script that was written with care. Ex-Machina is a perfect example of great script meets A-list talent.
Ex-Machina is aided by the inclusion of Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Issac and Alicia Vikander. You will soon see Gleeson (About Time, Calvary) and Issac (Inside Llewyn Davis, A Most Violent Year) in the new Star War movies and Vikander will be in everything. It is the rare combination of three peaking actors taking solid material and making it better. I loved Issac’s bro-genius and his time alone has made him insulated and cocky. He boxes to detox himself but he drinks a lot which means he hits the heavy bag often. He can’t see anyway he could be foiled and it makes him vulnerable. When you’ve been God for so long you kinda believe it and I love how Issac underestimates his companions.
There is a hynoptic vibe to Ex-Machina and I love how a film predominately about people talking has you 100% engaged. A big part of the cinematic engagement belongs to Vikander. I had never seen her in a film before so there was no familiarity. Vikander is wide-eyed yet aware and she uses every opportunity to work her end game.
Ex-Machina isn’t all pretentious talk and chess matches. It has a wicked sense of humor and humanity that has sparked copious online debates about its content. Ex-Machina should be applauded for trying something new and I totally recommend that you check it out and learn some dance moves.
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Hello all. Mark here.
I watched A Royal Affair last night and it proved to be a fantastic romance involving politics, Enlightenment and Mads Mikkelsen . It got me thinking about other Mads Mikkelsen’s movies/television shows. I started looking around on Netflix and Amazon and I found five really solid Mads films/television shows that show off his wide range of roles. The dude will kill you, teach you and use a bird of prey to do his bidding. He has an eclectic filmography that ranges from Art house (After the Wedding) to Blockbuster (Clash of the Titans, Three Musketeers) and you never know where he will show up or if he will cry blood.
Never play Mads in poker
Roger Ebert summed up Mikkelsen’s penchant for villainy and look perfectly.
Mads Mikkelsen’s face suggests weathered, weary iciness: slit-like eyes, thin lips, skin pulled tightly across high cheekbones. Perhaps that’s why the Danish actor — who is best known to American audiences as the bad guy in “Casino Royale,” and currently plays Hannibal Lecter on NBC’s “Hannibal” — is so often typecast as a villain.
Without further ado here are five Mads starring productions you should check out on Netflix/Amazon.
Hannibal (Amazon)
Hannibal is an expensive, beautifully filmed and well-acted show that has no peer on network television. I am constantly amazed at the depravity, gore and human filled dinners. Hannibal might be the best looking television show ever filmed and your jaw will drop as you watch Hannibal cook, kill and dress himself in expensive tailored clothes.
Here is how the three seasons have gone down. A bunch of smart people are constantly stymied by the even smarter Hannibal (It gets a little old until season three changes it up). The supporting cast (Hugh Dancy, Laurence Fishburne, Gillian Anderson) is fantastic and you will savor every moment of the weirdness.
Sidenote: Gillian Anderson is pretty much the best.
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King Arthur (Netflix)
Before they were sitting at a dinner table they were the knights of the round table!
Ok, hear me out. The reason I added this is because it features Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy as badass knights. King Arthur may be a bunch of hooey but it features some solid violence and a game cast. You kinda need to watch a movie that features Clive Owen, Ioan Gruffudd, Joel Edgerton, Hugh Dancy, Ray Winstone, Ray Stevenson, Keira Knightley (with amazing prison eyebrows), Stellan Skarsgard, Til Schweiger and Stephen Dillane.
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The Hunt
Nominated for the 2014 foreign language Academy Award The Hunt will put your emotions in a blender then put them in another blender. Mads tones down his murderous shtick and plays a kind man who is falsely accused of doing a terrible thing. The ending will linger in your memory and I guarantee you will not leave uplifted. The Hunt is drama at its finest and does a fine job of telling a crushing human story.
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A Royal Affair (Netflix)
If you are into period romance films you will love this movie. It is sumptuously (I love using that word) filmed and Vikander and Mads give it enough spice to rise it above the standard well dressed people in love fare. It tells the story of pre-Enlightment Denmark and actually gives insight into why the French Revolution was fought. The movie belongs to Vikander. She was wonderful in Ex-Machina and here she gives a sly performance that is well beyond her years.
Valhalla Rising (Netflix)
If you like Drive and dislike Only God Forgives you will not be a fan of Valhalla Rising. Valhalla Rising is a fever dream loaded with violence, insanity and beautiful vistas. Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, Only God Forgives, Bronson) is a maestro of mayhem and has a way of creating glorious violence. Mads plays a guy named One Eye who travels around the world and kills many people while saying nothing. This film will leave you exhausted, exhilarated and wanting to pillage a small lake town.
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What is the Best Horror Movie of the 21st Century? An In-Depth Look Into Critical and Audience Ratings
Hello all. Mark here.
If you’ve been reading MFF for sometime you know that we love writing and podcasting about horror (we recorded a podcast specifically for this post where I break down the research and talk about Kurt Russell. You can listen to it on Itunes or Blog Talk Radio). We’ve written and talked about horror wardrobes, tank tops, survivors, villains, monsters, gore, zombie survivors, trolls, 1999 horror and the best moments. I recently wrote an article about the exciting horror hybrids that have been unleashed in the last several years. When I finished up the article I saw a fantastically researched Reddit post where somebody combined the Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb and Metacritic scores to reevaluate the Top 245 Films of all time. It got me thinking about a 21st century horror ranking system involving critics AND audiences.
It is an exciting time to be a horror fan and I am going back to 2000 in order to figure out what is the best “horror” film of this century. The reason I put horror in quotation marks is because the genre covers an all expansive collection of blood, dark humor and gore. For instance, my top five of the century are:
- The Descent
- Drag Me To Hell
- I Saw the Devil
- 28 Days Later
- Thirst
Gotta love those subterranean killing machines.
It is an odd collection of hybrids that fall into the “horror” genre via themes of serial killers, rampaging demon goats and soul sucking vampires. Roger Ebert summed up the Thirst director perfectly with this quote:
Park Chan-wook of South Korea is today’s most successful director of horror films, perhaps because there’s always more than horror to them.
If you are worried about the data analysis, my data wrangling cousin and I once compiled fourteen years of action movie posters (256 total) and analyzed if explosions on movie posters mattered or not (not really, but it was cool). I also examined Jason Statham posters and have a pretty good idea of when his movies will be good judging by the poster.
If an effort to collect a varied collection of films I sorted through hundreds of movies and pulled together 160 “horror” films and broke down the data for each (click the link to see my data in glorious PDF form). Below you will find four categories comprised of accumulative, critic, audience and horror aficionado ratings.
These rating work differently from the one on reddit because I’ve added Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic audience scores. Horror is such a cult genre I felt it was important to add horror specific sites and audience ratings to the mix. I gave the same weight to critic and user ratings despite there being more users. Critics can push the agenda so their fewer ratings get equal weight. Also, the Reddit post out kept out films with under 75,000 votes on IMDb. Since this is about 21st century horror films I didn’t take the number of ratings into account.
If you are interested in watching any of these films I searched through Amazon/Netflix and put together a list of films available for streaming.
Top 20 Critically Rated Horror films according to Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic Critics
- Pans Labyrinth (96.5)
- The Babadook (92)
- Let the Right One In (90)
- It Follows (89.5)
- A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (88.5)
- The Host (88.5)
- Drag Me To Hell (87.5)
- Housebound (86.5)
- Trick r’ Treat (86)
- What We Do in the Shadows (85.5)
- The Devil’s Backbone (85)
- Shaun of the Dead (84)
- Let Me In (83.5)
- Battle Royale (83.5)
- Black Swan (83)
- The Guest (83)
- Only Lovers Left Alive (82.5)
- Attack the Block (82.5)
- Hellboy 2 (82)
- Zombieland (81.5)
21-50
Under the Skin, Cabin in the Woods, Berberian Sound Studio, Wake Wood, Mulholland Drive, Excision, The Orphanage, The Gift, Grindhouse, 28 Days Later, House of the Devil, Ginger Snaps, Spring, Juan of the Dead, We Are Still Here, We Are What We Are, The Descent, Slither, Thirst, The Conjuring, Sightseers, Hellboy, Cheap Thrills, Shadow of a Vampire, The Skin I Live In, Paranormal Activity, This is the End, Infection, Absentia, A Tale of Two Sisters
The award for best burlap sack costume goes to Sam.
[Rec] (96%), Creep (93%), Inside (83%) Rogue (100%) , Eden Lake (83%), The Loved Ones (98%), Livid, (88%) and Three Extremes (84%) did not have Metacritic scores. They are pretty awesome though.
Top 20 Audience Rated Horror films according to IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes Audience Scores and Metacritc Users
- Pans Labyrinth (86.6)
- Shaun of the Dead (86.3)
- Let the Right One In (86)
- The Gift (85.3)
- The Devil’s Backbone (84.3)
- What We Do in the Shadows (82.3)
- American Psycho (82.3)
- Zombieland (82)
- Black Swan (81.6)
- Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (81)
- I Saw the Devil (81)
- Grindhouse (80.6)
- The Others (80)
- The Skin I Live In (80)
- Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (80)
- Frailty (80)
- A Tale of Two Sisters (79.6)
- Mulholland Drive (79.3)
- The Orphanage (80.5)
- Saw (79.3)
21-50
The Conjuring, 28 Days Later, Ginger Snaps, Ichi the Killer, [Rec], Bubba Ho-Tep, The Descent, Dawn of the Dead, Let Me In, The Loved Ones, Shadow of a Vampire, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, Three Extremes, Shutter, The Babadook, Housebound, Only Lovers Left Alive, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, Constantine, Cabin in the Woods, Thirst, Joyride, Inside, Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead, Spring, Hellboy 2, Devil’s Rejects, A Field in England, Attack the Block, Troll Hunter
Top 25 Rated horror films from Rotten Tomatoes Critics, RT Audience Score , Metacrtic, Metacritic User Score and IMDb Users
I consider these to be the highest rated “horror” films of the 21st century! It is a combination of critic and user scores which gives us a solid representation of the multiple scores.
- Pans Labyrinth (90.4)
- Let the Right One In (87.6)
- Shaun of the Dead (85.4)
- Devils Backbone (84.6)
- [REC] (84) – Did not have Metacritic score
- What We Do in the Shadows (83.6)
- The Gift (2015) (83.2)
- The Loved Ones (82.25) – Did not have Metacritic score
- Black Swan (82.2)
- Zombieland (81.8)
- The Babadook (81.4)
- Grindhouse (80.4)
- Mulholand Drive (80)
- Let Me In (79.8)
- The Orphanage (79.8)
- A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (79.4)
- The Others (79.2)
- 28 Days Later (79)
- Ginger Snaps (79)
- Housebound (78.4)
- Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (78.2)
- The Conjuring (78.2)
- The Skin I Live In (78)
- I Saw the Devil (77.8)
- A Tale of Two Sisters (77.8)
- The Descent (77.8)
- Only Lovers Left Alive (77.4)
27-75 Below
The Host, Cabin in the Woods, Shadow of a Vampire, Inside, Hellboy 2, Attack the Block, American Psycho, Frailty, The Guest, Creep, Spring, Thirst, Drag Me To Hell, Bubba Ho-Tep, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, Joyride, Dawn of the Dead, Hellboys, Cheap Thrills, Dead Snow: Red Vs. Dead, This is the End, Rogue, Troll Hunter, 28 Weeks Later, House of the Devil, Eden Lake, The Snowtown Murders, Sightseers, Ichi the Killer, Livid, Berberian Sound Studio, Under the Skin, Juan of the Dead, Battle Royale, We Are Still Here, Cloverfield, Shutter, Pulse, Orphan, Excision, Stoker, The Mist, You’re Next, Kill List, The Gift, Paranormal Activity, Session 9, Slither, Back Country.
Quick note: There were some neat surprises in here. Joy Ride, Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil, Attack the Block, Spring, Drag Me To Hell and Frailty all did really well! Frailty needs more love and I hope more college kids start killing themselves in a T&D sequel.
The list below doesn’t affect the rankings above. I just wanted to know what the top horror websites thought were the best 21st century horror films. The Top 10 rated according to Shocktillyoudrop, Dread Central, Fangoria (with info from the chainsaw awards), Bloody Disgusting and Bloody Good Horror
Sidenote: Four of the sites had “Best of the 00” Lists. Some featured 25 films while others featured 15 or 10. So, I picked the top 10 of each list. Then, I went through their 2010-2014 “Best of” lists and took the number one film from the list. Fangoria was a little trickier. I picked from from their 25 Greatest Horror Post then I went through their Golden chainsaw awards on IMDB. The following has the movies that were featured the most on the lists.
- Let the Right One In
- Shaun of the Dead
- The Babadook
- The Descent
- The Mist
- Dawn of the Dead remake
- Cabin in the Woods
- 28 Days Later
- Maniac, Inside, Attack the Block, Saw, I Saw the Devil, The Ring
- You’re Next, Piranha 3D, Housebouend, Conjuring, Evil Dead, May, Ginger Snaps, Devil’s Rejects, Shadow of a Vampire, Paranormal Activity, American Psycho, [Rec], Excision, Session 9.
Sidenote: Empire magazine did a massive 2011 “best of” horror list that was voted on by readers and only four films that were released after 2000 cracked the top 50. The Mist (48), The Descent (39), Let the Right One In (34) and 28 Days Later (25).
Now that you’ve checked out the top rated “Horror” films I want you to vote for the best of the 21 century. This is a mixture of the top ten and other favorites that got left out. Vote and let me know who should win.
The polls are closed. Thank you for voting! Here are the top 21 horror films of the 21st century! Enjoy!
You get three votes! Use them wisely! . I will announce the winner on our Facebook page next week.
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John’s Horror Corner: Hellraiser: Inferno (2000), a crime thriller about a dirty cop, the Puzzle Box and The Engineer.
MY CALL: My least favorite of the first five Hellraisers, but it still has a story to tell that adds a minor little something to the franchise. MOVIES LIKE Hellraiser: Inferno: Be sure to see Hellraiser (1987) and Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) first, of course. Then maybe Hellraiser 3: Hell on Earth (1992) and Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996).
The folks from @DeadAsHellHP referred to Hellraiser 5 as the “Bad Lieutenant” of the franchise in their podcast on the series (http://www.deadashellhp.com/2015/07/24/dead-as-hell-scarlet-gospels-hellraiser-special-part-ii/).
Directed by Scott Derrickson (Sinister, Deliver Us from Evil), this fifth installment to the Hellraiser franchise continues to follow the pleasant trend of presenting a new infernal chapter in yet a different style from its predecessors; never does a sequel feel like a rehashed facsimile. Hellraiser was a dark chamber thriller fueled by lustful desire, Hellbound more of a curious exploration of Barker’s Hell-ish Labyrinth and his Cenobites, Hell on Earth was a troped-up action/horror movie chronicling Pinhead’s own escape from Hell, Bloodline an anthology story illustrating the creation and lineage of the Puzzle Box, and now we find a crime thriller neatly packaged in the dark trappings of the Puzzle Box. There may be an admittedly significant drop in quality in the third and fourth films from the original two, and yet another such drop for this fifth and direct-to-video installment, but it remains comforting that we never seem to find the same story recycled and retold with different victims.
Our latest story revolves around Detective Thorne (Craig Sheffer; Nightbreed), who is perhaps the least likable protagonist of the series so far as a drug-using adulterer who neglects his family and frames his partner. Thorne discovers the Puzzle Box and some macabre clues at a murder scene where the victim was apparently torn apart in his luxurious home, decorated and candlelit for an occult ritual. Thorne solves the Puzzle Box and encounters some Cenobites, but is neither shredded and taken to Hell nor forced to bargain for his soul. Instead he wakes up (as if from a dream) and is occasionally haunted by Cenobites. Well this is a strange and welcome change…
The franchise continues to expand the Hellraiser mythology, although with less impact here than before. Whereas parts 1-4 revolve around the Box or Pinhead (Doug Bradley), this chapter is illustrative of what experiences befall those damned souls who open the Box. As a result, we see much less of Pinhead and focus more on our curious and potentially damned soul. Thorne’s journey begins as a rational investigation, shifts to something supernatural, and ultimately steers us into what feels like a surreal dreamscape of his life.
We question if it is a dream, a temptation or trick, or reality when Thorne sees The Pillar of Souls.
This film opens with the scoring, lighting, style and plot of a Skinemax softcore porn. It didn’t quite grasp the noir-ish detective film tone for which I think it was reaching and I was almost embarrassed to be watching it. Thankfully, it shifted more to the point (and story) about halfway through and the sleazy feeling washed away. A major fault of Hell on Earth and Bloodline was the nuisance of over-exposition. I didn’t find that to be a problem here. Although some strange things certainly happen that make me question the quality of the writing and direction at times…to that end, I’ll just say three words: “Ninja Cowboy Cenobites.” Clearly, this concept has no place in any Hellraiser movie ever. LOL.
These ninja cowboys are among some new Cenobites. The gore (while toned down here in part 5) is well done, the effects satisfactory, and the Cenobite make-up is cool. One Cenobite resembles the head and arms of Chatterbox (without legs or even the rest of its torso), menacingly hand-walking around like a Silent Hill monster. There is a pair of twin female faceless BDSM Cenobites with long tongues involved in a macabrely sexualized scene with hands rubbing “under” Thorne’s skin. And, of course, there’s Pinhead.
We are re-introduced to The Engineer. In Hellraiser, The Engineer was the dweller of the halls of the Labyrinth who is never given a name in the film. Back then it was a monstrous aberration of uncertain purpose. Having heard nothing of this character in parts 2-4, we now find The Engineer wandering Los Angeles, assuming the role of a murderous pimp. How this character fits into the story is revealed in due time, along with how Thorne truly fits beyond the capacity of solving his case.
This was The Engineer from part 1.
Parts 1-3 of this franchise should be watched in order. After seeing them, there seems to be no consequence to seeing part 5 before part 4 outside of the fact that Bloodline is much better. This film is nothing special, nor is it even a “good” Hellraiser story. But I take it for what it is and appreciate of it what I can. I didn’t regret watching it, and this is the first in the franchise that I don’t recommend seeing.
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Road Hard tells the story of a former television star going back on the road to provide for his family. He is living in the guest house outside his Los Angeles home because he is divorced and refuses to leave the valuable property that he pays the taxes on. His wife has remarried and his daughter has chosen the $60,000 a year USC. Thus, he is a stranger in his own home (he can’t come in it) yet he pays all the bills.
The road has made him a pessimistic turd who still has the jokes but his demeanor is beyond sour. He constantly sabotages his chances and has no filter when around stupidity. In more successful times I bet he would keep his mouth shut but as frustration mounts he lowers himself to humiliating situations. You can also tell his annoyance in the way he delivers his jokes. They revolve around the frustration of the road and even small things like hotel key cards elicit five minute rants about the little cards that can be destroyed by cell phones.
Adam Carolla imbues Road Hard with his observations and a lot of it feels like one long bit. However, he has an amicable screen presence and after The Hammer (a better film) he seems more comfortable on screen. He wanted complete freedom so he raised over 1.5 million on fundanything.com and went to town. There were no studio notes, tampering or editing issues. Carolla put in what he wanted and there is a weird purity to that. The movie lives and dies on his shoulders and I think he is proving there are other avenues for distribution.
It does shift tonally from satire to romantic comedy but it never becomes jarring. Road Hard is a singular vision by a very opinionated and funny man. He is blue-collar through and through and I like a different perspective about Hollywood. Road Hard is a film meant for his fans and I love how he still manages to complain about meeting his contributors and bemoans certain descriptions of his film. Carolla isn’t meant for Hollywood.
I’ve enjoyed watching the influx of crowd funded films. One thing I’ve realized is that they are very hard to review. They are meant for a select audience who forked over their cash to watch people they like do something they like. It can come across as fan service but isn’t that what it’s supposed to be about? The people who paid for Road Hard did not want a semi-hard road. They wanted Carolla doing his thing which includes complaining about dogs on airplanes and spreading his justifiable hatred of Hollywood.
If you get a chance check out The Hammer and let me know what you think!
Movies, Films & Flix 