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Trey Hilburn’s Top 7 horror picks for 2014

Published

9 years ago

December 24, 2014

What Can I say that hasn’t already been said about this one?

Guillermo Del Toro, Steven King, and William Freidkin have all confessed their love for it. This is another one of those creeping atmospheric horror movies that get under your skin.

Even if it’s not particularly as scary as some made it out to be, it definitely sets the mood, and the production design and the color palette is brilliant.

Mr. Babadook’s design is unique as well, they managed to design something that looks like it was born in a nightmare.

6. Coherence

A dinner party thrown by a group of friends during the night of a comet passing begins to break the rules of physics and challenges the finer points of alternate realities.

This film is brilliant, not only is the subject matter both captivating and horrifying but to find out that the entire movie is improvisational takes this one to another level.

Much like some of the other films on my list the less you know about it past a simple synopsis the better this film will be.

5. Under The Skin

Jonathan Glazer’s alien fever dream “Under the Skin” was definitely something that was reminiscent of something Stanley Kubrick would have thought up.

The emptiness and isolation in this film is enough to make you need a hug after watching it. The story follows an alien (Scarlett Johansson) whose job it is to find and lure food (human males) back to its home in order to seduce and make meat of them.

When the alien begins to find out what humanity is she tries to find “happiness” in trying to be human as well. There is a scene that takes place on a shoreline that is the very definition of horror.

“Under the Skin” is one of the most haunting and beautiful films of 2014.

4. Borgman

This was one of those movies that I could not stop thinking about after the credits rolled. This is another movie that’s more enjoyable the less you know about it going in.

Borgman tells the story of what appears to be a weird homeless guy who finds shelter in a hole in the woods. When his “home” is disrupted, he moves in with a rich family who takes him into their home.

The result brings out the worse in the family and spirals into violence. Borgman is one of the most uniquely disturbing films of 2014.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg65TbeHtCE

3. The Guest

When a family lets David (Dan Stevens) into their home it isn’t clear if their new guest wants to help them with their problems or become one of them.

This film is an awesome throwback to 80’s genre goodness and boasts an amazing synth-driven score. Director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett (You’re Next, A Horrible Way To Die) again do what they do best in “The Guest” by mixing genres and by flipping clichés on their head.

Everything these guys do should be closely watched and re-watched while any upcoming projects from the duo will undoubtedly be more of the same kind of awesome.

2. Lesson of Evil

This is one of my favorite films of this year as well as one of my favorites from Takashi Miike.

Although it was released in Japan in 2012 it was distributed to the states in 2014. This film could have never had a US theatrical release. The content is insanely violent and may hit close to home to some of the real-life violence that the US had to deal with in 2014.

“Lesson of Evil” tells the story of a really popular and hip high school teacher, who has some demons that he decides to exercise on the entire school that he teaches at.

The less you know about this going in the better of a movie it is so I will leave it at that. It does have one of the higher body counts that I saw in 2014 and is as demented as it is hilarious.

1. The Taking of Deborah Logan

The first I heard or saw of this was after it had already hit Netflix. Regrettably, I watched it home alone with lights out and sound system set to Dolby Surround ear bleeding. The result was one of the most atmospherically terrifying movies I had seen in all of 2014.

The story which is grounded in reality tells the story of a film crew who heads out to document the degrading health of Alzheimer’s patient Deborah Logan (Jill Larson).

\This film sneaks up on you as you find yourself trying to figure out if Deborah’s behavior originates from her disease or if it is coming from something more sinister. For my money, Jill Larson should have received an academy award for her performance and this movie should have received a large theatrical distribution.

It was brilliant and horrifying.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

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Movies

Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

Published

4 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.

Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.

The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.

Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”

Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

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Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

Published

6 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.

“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.

Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.

The prize also includes:

An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings

A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear

A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room

A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course

The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II

Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two

“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”

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Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Movies

’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power

Published

8 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.

**Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes**

Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.

Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.

There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.