Most Twisted of 2008

		June 2008   Viewed best with internet Explorer browser   The scariest movies of 2008 so far are the ones that have the media buzzing about. Mostly the storylines and the actors are magnificent and they give the picture that special touch that you the horror fan just cannot resist. There are so many great ones out and due later this year. You do not have to agree with me but these are merely my picks of the best horror movies for 2008 for the first half of the year. Do share your thoughts with us. We welcome your inputs as they help keeping this site yours truly. If you wish to purchase any of the movies on our list just click on mini posters!     "I am Legend": a vampire thriller based on the 1954 novel written by Richard Matheson, is a very sad, creepy, horrific, profound, unique, horror story directed by Francis Lawrence. This is the third adaptation of the book and completely deviates from the original story. Personally, I think that this movie could have been better if they had used real people to play the vampires (ie the CGI was atrocious). I loved the book so much, that I prayed that they would stick to the original story since they titled this remake after the book itself. But Hollywood tried to make it their own as they changed most parts of the plot and completely altered the ending to a somewhat happy ending that was not very much welcomed watching it. Nonetheless, I loved watching Will Smith playing DR. Neville, as contrary to what the book portrayed him to be (caucasian); that fact made it more than worthwhile. The part I loved the most was when Neville was talking to the mannequin, displaying what lengths humans will go to feel humane and alive.     "Shutter": a Japanese remake ghost story that will give you more chills than you have ever bargained for. As Japanese stories go, it's always about a ghost seeking revenge. In this one, starring the Aussie actress Rachael Taylor (Transformers) and Joshua Jackson (Dawson's Creek) two happy newlyweds, who decide to live abroad for work is no different.  Shortly after arriving in Japan they start experiencing things that are not ordinary, like seeing eerie visions, seeing a girl in pictures they take. Similar to "The Ring" the character of Rachael starts out her own little investigation and put pieces together to find out why this girl keeps appearing in every picture she takes, keeps haunting her, and her close lipped suspicious husband too.  She is bound to find out something she won't be able to live with. Most people don't like these Asian remakes, I don't for the most part but (I loved The Grudge and The Ring) I think this one was an exception as the story climaxes to the grand finale and leaves if not all, mostly female fans satisfied.     "The Strangers": a house invasion thriller that will make you thank God it's a film...or is it really? It's based on true events, meaning you are not excluded from such a misfortune. Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman play a ridiculously beautiful couple who found themselves forced to be prisoners in their own home by three masked strangers/perpetrators who will push them to do things beyond their own limit in order to survive the night and this take over. This is a very intense movie that will keep you on the edge as it tests your emotions and makes you question your physical abilities if God forbids, this was to really happen to you because you were home.     "Twilight": a vampire movie about a living vampire who falls in love with a very different and unique girl. It's an action-packed vampire thriller that will make you think if you could live forever, what would you live for? Bella Swan played by Kristen Stewart is not your typical girlie girl, she moves to Forks, Washington to be with her father after her mother remarried. She thought her life was going to stay the same boring one until she met Edward Cullen, a handsome, porcelain-skinned, fast, intelligent young man who is from a line of more beautiful and peculiar people. She soon finds herself falling for Edward. And for Edward she is the soulmate that he has been waiting for over 90 years now. Despite her uncovering the truth about Edward being a vampire she is still much more mesmerized and frantically in love with him. She will risk whatever to be with him. Even her own life for that matter. This is a true modern day Romeo and Juliet fairy tale. But we all know how that usually ends. I know this should not really be considered a horror movie but it is after all a vampire movie. There were some biting, some fighting, some decapitation, some tension, almost a rape, not enough blood, not enough body counts, not enough gore, and zero sex but I think some will just accept the fact that there will be more than to make up for that in the next three films.     "Cloverfield": a monster movie that takes stage in NYC. In which the city is taken over by several gigantic and monstrous creatures that have their minds set on demolishing every one and everything on sight. In the mist of all this, a love story is blossoming. Five friends are throwing a going-away party for their friend on the same night that NYC gets attacked by these ridiculously grotesque creatures. That very same friend played by Michael Stahl-David makes them risk their lives as he goes on a quest to finding his love interest and saving her from those monsters. Even if that means, his friends' lives could be lost or even his in the process. He finds his love interest but inevitably all of his friends perished throughout the journey. And when you think it's over and the survivors would be those two that are in love. Not quite...Maybe...well, the camera is left to tell the story.     "The Happening": also known as "The Green Effect" directed and written by M. Night Shyamalan, is a story about how the world is coming to an end and no one seems to know for sure what caused these apocalyptic events to take place. Mark Walhberg and Zooey Deschanel play the couple among others who are left untouched, to figure things out and ultimately save themselves, as the world is litteraly and shockingly coming to an end. Are we to blame, is it the result of a botched military experiment? The world as we knew it, is ending on June 13th, 2008. (They are purposely showing it on Friday the 13th to get more reaction from the audience.) Yes, this film did not meet all of my expectations. It really pissed me off in some levels as I thought the writer was very arrogant but I love this writer remember he brought us "The Sixth Sense" one of the best psycho-thrillers of all times. In addition, the beginning of "The Happening" was very original and interesting which is why I am sticking with my choice. Although, throughout the movie, I lost interest as I felt it was a bad copycat of a Stephen King's movie. There were some terrifying parts such as the elements in the beginning when weird occurrences took place; for instance when people were dropping like flies and that old anti-social, bipolar lady towards the end.     "Red Velvet": a very original bloodfest tale. If you haven't already, check it out today by clicking on the mini poster above. You will thank me you did if you love the bloodshed, the gore and the mayhem with a good plot, this flick is a must see. Sometimes our imagination can play tricks on us, but sometimes we want something to happen so bad that it actually takes place. I had the opportunity to score an interview with Joe Moe: the co-writer, co-producer, production designer of this new tasteful and thrilling horror movie due out this year, "Red Velvet", to answer my detailed and challenging thirteen questions. Joe Moe lives and breathes horror, he has an entourage of very famous people in the genre to guide him every step out of the way. What juicy, gory, bloody thrills does he have in store for us, well click on the following link to find out for yourself. http://www.thebesthorrormovies.com/releases/release/5720632/15773.htm
		December 2008   2008 have been one of the busiest and tastiest year as far as horror movies go, we had a wide variety of interesting, deep, original, funny, vampiric, horrific, twisted and a juicy mix of foreign (mostly European) horror movies taking up most of the spotlight on my top ten. Without further ado, my top ten scariest movies of the year 2008 have varied greatly from my previous choices from six months ago,  for this second half of the year, the movies that disturbed, scared me silly, mind-fucked and entertained me mostly are the following:     Made in America Written and directed by Mitchell Lichtenstein 10- Teeth (2008) Teeth tells the story of a teenage girl's sexuality in such a vicious way that if you have a weak stomach, I wouldn't recommend it to you. It's a dark horror comedy, that portrays a girl who preaches abstinence to her peers at school and is actively involved in a group for sex free students called "The Promise"; conveniently enough possess an extra tool in her body that could defend her if she were being sexually violated: a toothed vagina. Yes, you read right, her vagina has teeth literally and under any threat it bites the perpetrator's penis off.  Ironically, almost every male within her vicinity considers her as a sex object. These guys may think they can get in her pants either she wants it or not, they probably will, but she will be the one ending it on her own terms... and we all know what that entails. Overall, this is a must see movie, all laughs aside, this is a very new way to look at a woman sexuality as a weapon...you need to own this, either you are a guy or a girl, that is one of the most shocking and disturbed of 2008, loved it!   Rated: R Genre: Horror/Suspense Teen Running time: 1hr 27 min   Made in Romania Directed by Alexandre Aja Written by Alexandre Aja and Gregory Levasseur 9- Mirrors (2008) It Stars Kiefer Sutherland and Amy Smart, Keifer plays Ben Carson, a former undercover detective, suspended for shooting another detective, separated from his wife due to alcoholism, now condemned to live out of his sister's apartment (Amy). He surely finds work as a night watchman in a department store that was burned down. On his first night on the job, he thinks he is seeing things as he feels something is weird about these mirrors and starts hallucinating about the fire and the people that were burnt alive in the fire from the department store. If only, he had caught on sooner that the mirrors were in fact, possessed, by some evil spirit that was going to use him, and threatened his family, in order to get the body that it was possessing once before it was cast out of it and into the mirrors. I guess then we would have not had the movie. It is a pretty damn good movie, sent chills up and down my spine throughout most of it. If you haven't already seen it, you need to watch this movie, the scare tactics are very well put together. I was most intrigued with the scene in the bathroom with Angela (Amy Smart) when her reflection slowly ripped apart her own jaw consequently killing her in the tub; that was the most disgusting, most horrifying scene for me; it was so raw. Nonetheless, there were few other scenes that were worth a lot of credits as well but that one was so unlikely to happen when it did I could not catch myself early enough to shut my eyes, I was in awe and pure horror.   Rated: R Genre: Horror/Thriller/Suspense/Remake/Sci-fi/Fantasy Running Time: 1hr 50 min   Made in America Directed and Written by Bryan Bertino 8- The Strangers (2008) See above   Made in Australia Directed by Carter Smith Written by Scott Smith  7- The Ruins (2008)    The Ruins is well put together, very intense, very gory, very bloody scary, it delivered the goods. Reminded me a little of "The Beach" but that feeling died down quick when people started dying; and these vines had more to them than the color green. These things could imitate voices, feelings, and sounds. If you haven't seen this already, this is why it made the cut.  Two young couples went to Mexico to have fun, they hear about this Mayan Temple from a German acquaintance, and they and a Greek acquaintance as well, agree to accompany the German to this Temple in the search of more thrills and for the German to find his brother. As if being in Mexico and hitting the donkey shows, and getting wasted every night were not enough. They set out to go check on that Temple with some German guy they barely know, equipped with a hand drawn map. On their way there, the taxi driver told them it was a cursed place, but they had to be those curious Americans that were always amazed by anything historical or just cute from another Country. They get to the Temple and almost instantly a Mayan armed on a horseback approaches and gestures to them to leave and soon after a group of Mayans show up armed with arrows and bows and start threatening them and scaring them, speaking in their native tongues. They try to explain that they are looking for someone but too late, Amy (Jena Malone) steps on some vines while backing away to get a full view of everyone to snap a picture, then the Mayans panic and start shooting people, hitting the Greek first in the head with an arrow and then with a bullet killing him which forces the four Americans and the German to run up to the temple and inevitably await their fate.  This movie is so creepy, the scene with the amputation is jaw dropping gross, and the surgery scene on Stacy (Laura Ramsey) was so disconcerting. they show some skin, there are a quickie, a hand job, some naked body parts and a whole lot of vines mixing with flesh and blood. You gotta watch this movie if you love a good scare as this movie delivers more than one!    Rated: R Genre: Horror/Thriller/Suspense/Action/Adventure/Adaptation Running Time: 1hr 30 min
		Made in France   Directed by Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury Written by Alexandre Bustillo 6- Inside (A l'Interieur)(2008)  Spoiler Alert!   Released in the USA in April (2008) even though, it's been released in France since June 13, 2007, we've tasted it in 2008 in the US, therefore, I am adding it on the top ten list for this year. I don't think there is anything quite like this story though, it's very original, very raw, very gory, very creepy and creepier and bloodier than "The Strangers". The beginning of this movie was not as promising as the ending turned out to be. It was a French movie and I had to watch it. It's about a pregnant woman (Paradis) who got into a car accident with her husband who did not survive. She was told that she was the sole survivor in the accident; that the people in the other car did not survive the collision either. As she reaches her nine months, this woman from the other car resurfaces, invades her home, waits till she is asleep and drugged up to literally cut the baby out of her belly to claim hers. This mysterious lady was the driver of the other car in the accident, she was also with-child but she lost the baby and blames only one person for this fatality and consequently hunts this woman down to cut her baby out of her and to keep as hers, even if that means, killing cops, the mom, the doctor, and a felon in the process. This movie did deliver gore, suspense, and the most twisted ending ever! She won! Through it all, from getting stabbed, to getting burnt and disfigured, this villain was the only one standing with the baby in the final hour and to my surprise, I was not unhappy at all! Rated: N/A Genre: Foreign/Art/Horror/thriller Running time: 1hr 20 min Made in America Directed by the talented Ryuhei Kitamura Written by Clive Barker  5- Midnight Meat Train This film adaptation of Clive Barker's 1984 short story was never expected to turn out the way it did, as Lions Gate Entertainment dropped it before giving it a chance, but the material itself stood out and captivated most fans and non-fans of Clive Barker. The story follows an up and coming photographer Leon (Bradley Cooper) who is asked to get photographs that are more provocative, more edgy by his stylish photo promoter boss played by Brooke Shields, sending him to the subway system to snap some of the most twisted scenes that could happen in such an obscure place. Luckily, on his first night, he was given a chance to photograph a rape in process which was his first taste at success, as the protagonist, he saves the damsel in distress, who happens to be a beautiful model, thereafter, she gets on a midnight train to never be heard of again. Stunned by this disappearance, he revisits the subway, only to witness a murder on a Midnight Train. Leon becomes obsessed to find out how could this be related to disappearances that have been occurring since the 1800's. As a result, he commits himself to find out, as he starts following a strange character that is always in the Midnight Train, and soon finds out that this mystery man sporting a briefcase and a suit is a butcher by day, and a serial killer by night. He feels almost compel to fix things and rid this world of this murderer named Mahogany (Vinnie Jones). But things are really not what they seem as this story unfolds, we are in for one of the most twisted discoveries ever. This movie has a lot of potential, it was gore-filled, intense, more slice and dice than you have ever seen in any of the Hostel installments, but pieced together very flawlessly. One complaint, the use of CGI in some of the scenes are very comical, aside from that, this is a must own movie!!! Rated:R Genre: Horror/Thriller/Suspense/Adaptation  Running Time: 1hr 38 min  Made in America Written and directed by Michael Dougherty 4- Trick r Treat (2008)       This film showcases some very disturbing events that occur when some people from a small town decided to take Halloween off and not follow all the rituals. As we all should already know, Halloween traditions were established to keep the dead from wanting us dead like them as they walk our streets on that faifhful night. Halloween is my favorite holiday, but I guess it wasn't the case for these small town folks who will find out how valuable it is to keep up with the rituals of Halloween or else.  This film is very entertaining to watch as it has the best scare elements, twists and some of the best actors in Hollywood such as Anna Paquin (True Blood, X-men), Leslie Bibb (Midnight Meat Train), Brian Cox, Tahmoh Pinekett. In addition to scare elements, Sam (Quinn Lord) is a child size trick or treater who's always around before something crazy and awful happens. If you are scared of those creepy little kids in horror movies, well this factor plays a major role in this movie as Sam steals every scene he's in...he's soooooooo creepy in his little costume as he reminds us to keep the rituals alive on All Hallows Eve, or pay the consequences!    Rated: R Genre: Horror/Thriller/Suspense Running time: 100 min     Made in France Written and directed by Xavier Gens 3- Frontiers(2008)   Similar to Hostel, but much better! This movie will make you want to watch it over and over and you will not mind the subtitles. For me, French is my first and official language, so I would understand it either with or without subtitles. This movie is very gory, very bloody, very authentically scary! It's Hostel meets Texas Chainsaw Massacre! I was in awe, because I could not believe some of the things I was seeing, the visuals were so raw, it was in your face pain, cuts, and decapitations and I loved it. If you have not seen this movie yet, you suck! You need to watch it to understand why we are fans of horror! Yasmina (Karina Testa) is the gang leader, three months pregnant and wants to get away from a France where men are not born free and equal, she recruits a gang of friends to help rob a bank and everything goes to hell from there. The main difference in that movie from Hostel and TCM is that they are not those fortunate kids who just want to blow their parents money on expensive vacations. They are running away from a France that none of them wanted a part of, to a better life in Amsterdam. To conserve their energy for their new journey ahead, they decide to rest and wait out the cops that are on their tails after the bank robbery at an Inn in Luxembourg, only to find themselves trapped, upon discovering that the managers of the Inn are neo-Nazi cannibals who take great pleasure at torturing their preys in various creative ways, but they have a different fate for Yasmina, one that she would rather die than having. They will have to fight their way out and even die trying.             Rated: Not Rated Genre: Art/Foreign/Thriller/Suspense/Horror Running Time: 1hr 48 min Made in France Written and directed by Pascal Laugier 2- Martyrs (2008)  The French did it again, yes, this movie is more than gut-wrenching gory. It's very intense just like Inside, very psychologically charged, very thrilling! The title speaks for itself.This movie is played out through the lead character's eyes, Lucie, which is even more horrifying as they show you glimpses of the sinister place she was. Not knowing what happened to her when she was found in such a catatonic state a year from the abduction on the side of a road, left authorities baffled since there was no signs of sexual abuse, there had to be a different type of abuse, the kind that left her feeling bruised all the time, and kept her mind constantly in that cold disused slaughterhouse where she was held captive. The police found the slaughterhouse she was held captive but no trace of the abductors which left her case a mystery. She grows older and becomes inseparable with Anna, a girl she had met at the hospital shortly after she was found, who was also abused but by her family; they become each other's keepers but her mind can't ever outgrow that terrible year. In order to face her present and maybe her future, she will have to face her past to come to terms with what could have possibly been done to her throughout the abduction. But would she ever? Would she have a choice? What sadistic bastards could do this to a child and for what goal? And how the hell did she escape? Or was she set free on purpose? Those were the questions that were going through my mind and I am guessing should be going through any fans of horror movies' minds as you want to decipher the truth before it's made available. Well, you will get all your answers once you view this movie, you will get your money's worth, I promise you! This movie is very difficult to sit through, as it gets more intensely uncomfortable with the levels of pain and torture she has been put through in that cold icy room, it's very brutally insane!        Rated: Not rated Genre: Art/Foreign/Suspense/Horror/Thriller   Running time: 100 min     Und our numero un is...     Made in Sweden   Directed by Tomas Alfredson   Written by John Ajvide Lindqvist     1- Let The Right One In (2008)      This vampire movie is one of the most talked about vampire movies of this year with the bloodshed, the gory, the scary, the naked body parts, and the violent scenes to back it up. It made the number one on my list because it's realistic, it deals with everyday issues that are so dark, we usually tend to turn our eyes the other way. But you won't be able to turn your head the other way this time as the story unfolds, it centers on the following issues: pedophiles, bullies, friendship and love. The movie mostly revolves around Oskar, a shy, beta, loner, 12 year old boy whose life changes enormously when he befriends Eli, this pale, enigmatic, creepy, unfazed by extreme cold weather temperatures girl who moved in next door with her father. She happens to be twelve years old as well. Suspiciously a series of violent killings have been spreading throughout the area after Eli moved into the town. It was only a matter of time for Oskar to understand what kind of a girl Eli was, in fact, she was no girl, she was a vampire, but he accepts her that way even though, his human principles and roots want him to forsake her but he won't, he loves her. Inevitably, their friendship blossoms into love. As their relationship gets stronger and they have each other's trust, they confide in each other, giving each other strengths by helping each other correct their flaws. Eli helps Oskar fight off his tormentors as Oskar helps Eli act and dress more her age. Mind you, she is not a typical 12 year old girl, she has been 12 years old for over 200 years now, which could be very confusing and frustrating for any teenagers on top of everything else. The story gets deeper as it engages you the viewer to respond and pick a side, as love make humans do stupid things, in Eli's case, Love makes her do unspeakable stupid things since she does not know any better. There were so many great scenes but the one that I loved the most, was about the title itself "Let Me in". Oskar refused to invite Eli in, as she politely told him, that he had to invite her in. But he only made fun of the whole idea together, and just gestured for her to come in. So she comes in anyway, and blood starts squinting from every hole in her body as she just stands there and accepts her fate. But Oskar finally understood the meaning behind what Eli told him and embraced her screaming "you can come in". It's a must see, preferably the Swedish version, don't wait for the American version as you will probably change your mind about the movie altogether (No pun intended)!   Rated: R Genre: Art/Foreign/Suspense/Horror/Thriller Running time: 1 hr 54 min    Spread your passion with us, by letting us know what was your favorite horror movie in 2008?

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