2011 List #3: Worst of the year

Seeing as how every film deserves at least a little praise just for getting made, I'll keep this brief.  The directors, producers and crews should all be applauded for their hard work and dedication to filmmaking.

But unfortunately not every film works.  Maybe it doesn't work for me, maybe it doesn't work for the general population, maybe it fails to find an audience for some reason or maybe it's just by all accounts a bit shit.  But I would never suggest you do not watch these.  Please seek them out, watch them and let me know what you think!

Like the two previous lists I have made of films watched in 2011; Documentary and Horror, this list has films from outside 2011.  Any film I watched for the first time this year could have been included here.

1. The Silent House (Proof that editing is vital in film) 
2. Unstoppable (Make it stop Tony Scott!)
3. Jackboots on Whitehall (Unfunny puppets)
4. Knight and Day (The stars don't shine)
5. Bubba Ho-Tep (Cult crap)
6. The Collingswood Story (Bad idea)
7. Snuff Movie (Bloody mess)
8. Baghead (As bad as the title and reviewed here)
9. The Fourth Kind (Unbelieveable) 
10. Remember Me (tasteless twist)

So has anybody seen any of these?  Have I got it wrong?  Is Bubba Ho-Tep actually comedy genius?  Or is Remember Me a powerful drama with a powerhouse performance from R-Pattz?  Or is Tony Scott getting better with age and directing fantastic action thrillers like Unstoppable?

2011 List #2: Horror

I watched 32 horror films (first viewing) this year.  I re-watched many others but those are not included here.  Many of this list were watched as part of my research for my PhD.  Many were just watched becuase I love a bit of horror.  Like my list of best documentaries I watched this year, this list does not just consider films released in 2011, but just those films I watched this year and had not seen before. 

As with most years, I've seen some sick shit on screen.  People being stitched ass to mouth... check!  A tyre blowing it's victims heads up... check.  And as for A Serbian Film... well I'm not even going to discuss the non-stop waterfall of vicious, disgusting, sick and twisted shit that showered over me while watching that.

So anyway, on that note... Merry Christmas for yesterday merry readers!

5 stars

1. Rubber 

 4 stars

2. Rare Exports - A Christmas Tale 
3. Lake Mungo
4. The Horde
5. The Thing
6. Frankenstein
7. Let Me In

3.5 stars

8. Insidious
9. Resurrecting the Street Walker
10. The Human Centipede - First Sequence
11. The Collector
12. Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil
13. The Last Horror Movie
14. Stake Land

3 stars

15. Man Bites Dog 
16. Paranormal Entity
17. Re-Cut - Blu-ray
18. Home Movies
19. Paranormal Activity 3
20. The Last Exorcism
21. Exhibit A
22. F

2.5 stars

23. Saw VII - The Final Chapter 
24. Colin
25. A Serbian Film
26. Atrocious
27. World of the Dead - The Zombie Diaries 2
28. The Fourth Kind - Blu-ray

2 stars

29. The Collingswood Story 
30. Snuff Movie
31. Baghead

1 star

32. The Silent House (La Casa Muda)

'Baghead' (Duplass Brothers, 2008) Review

So this is 'mumblecore'? This is the first 'mumblecore' film I've watched and on this evidence, it's unlikely I'll watch anymore.

I was hoping for a silly horror film parody, something similar to the recent and infinitely better Rubber featuring a nasty rubber tyre that likes to blow peoples head ups with the power of its little rubber mind.

Unfortunately, though Baghead does feature a guy who stands menacingly outside four friends' cabin in the woods with a bag on his head, it also features no surprises, not much of a script and DV cinematography that just seems downright lazy.



Beginning with a preachy bit about still being able to make good films on a very low budget, it then proceeds to prove that it doesn't matter what size your budget is, you need some likable characters and some interesting plot developments that aren't obvious about 10-20 minutes before they are revealed.

I guess this might be likable if you like 'mumblecore' films like Funny Ha Ha and In Search of a Midnight Kiss but after this I won't be in too much of a hurry to seek them out.

If you fancy an unconventional, silly horror film... go watch Rubber... NOW!