(Originally published on our old site on January 2nd, 2011)

2010 YEAR END REVIEW

Another year gone and another one right behind the corner. Once again, the year was filled with great movies, plenty of conventions and film fests, and plenty of time spent with great horror friends, which is really what it is all about. You people out there have made this year a great one, and am really looking forward to this new year, for many different reason. So let’s take a look at back at this last year and what some of our highpoints were.

KRYPTIC ARMY

Last January, we started a new little project called our Kryptic Army. Our goal was to come up with a concept that would give people a new challenge each month to seek out two horror movies that they hadn’t seen before, following a certain theme. We weren’t sure how big of a success it was going to be. While we were hoping for more people participating, those that have been seemed to be having a great time with it. After all, that is what matters. But no worries, because our numbers seem to be growing each month.

It has been a lot of fun for me to try and come up with something different each month. Originally, I had only planned to do this for 2010. But the response has been big enough, with plenty of soldiers wanting to continue this project, everyone wanted to know if I was going to start over next year. How could I say no? So I want to send a huge thanks out to all our Kryptic Army members for their continued support in this project. We have a lot of more things planned for next year, so hopefully you will stay in the trenches for another year full of fun and frightful flicks! See you on the front lines!

 ZOMBIE REUNION

Out of all the conventions that we go to each year, we see plenty of celebrities. Some of them we’ve seen before, sometimes several times. And being a 20 year veteran of conventions, very seldom is there a guest or guests that has us really excited or drooling to meet. Sure, there might be an occasional “Holy crap…can’t wait to meet him” sort of moments, but very few names out there that get us THAT excited. But at the Cinema Wasteland show in April of this year, they had a Zombie (1979) reunion, which included the legendary Richard Johnson. First of all, Zombie is probably my favorite of Fulci’s movies, so a reunion for that is a pretty big deal for me. Secondly, the fact that Richard Johnson was going to be part of that reunion put it to a whole new level of awesomeness. I have been a fan of Johnson’s work ever since he joined Robert Wise’s The Haunting and proceeded to scare the crap out of me. So two of my favorite movies, Richard Johnson stars! So needless to say, I was extremely excited to be able to meet this man. Joining him from the Fulci film was actors Ian McCulloch and Al Cliver, and Ottaviano Dell’Acqua, who played the poster zombie. So this was a very special reunion for me, making me feel like I was at my very convention again. Shame too, because that is a great feeling to have, and I just don’t have it as often enough as I’d like to these days. A special thanks goes out to Ken and the Wasteland for putting on this show, and to Mike Baronas for making it happen in the first place!

TURKEY DAY MARATHON

When I started this tradition many years ago, I had no idea that it would still be going this strong, as well as more people wanting to join me on this festive day. This last marathon, we had the most people in our little Turkey Party and it was a lot of fun. That is really what it comes down to…. being a movie fan, a true movie fan, there is nothing better than getting together with other like minded movie fans and watching movies. There is so much to get out of it, since after the movie is over, or something even during, there is always something you want to share or discuss or even complain about. Being on your own and trying to do this is not unhealthy, it could worry any relatives that just might happen to be around. So like they say, it works better in numbers. So in 2011, make it a point to have your old little Share-the-Scare movie parties, for whatever reason or holiday. Make it a theme night, or any excuse to have some friends get together and watch some movies. And then do it on a regular basis. It is easy to make it happen when you set your mind to it. Because after all, spending time with friends is what life is all about.

NASCHY BLOGATHON

In 2009, we lost one an icon of the genre, and also one of my personal heroes, Paul Naschy. At the end of this last November, during the 1 year anniversary of his passing, the guys over at Mad Mad Mad Mad Movies planned a week long Naschy blogathon to celebrate and to remember this great man and his work. I knew right away that I was going to have to participate in one form or another, which we did just that, posting a review and more each day. But what really made me happy was the amount of postings that people were sending in, showing just how much love there is for Mr. Naschy, and that his fans are never going to let this man’s legacy ever die. So major kudos out to the Vicar of VHS & the Duke of DVD for coming up with this great idea, and also to everyone who participated as well as the ones who came back each day to see the new postings, reviews, reports, and the rest.

 HAMMER HAS RISES FROM THE GRAVE

2010 was also the year that we finally seen a new Hammer Film playing in the theaters, with the release of Let Me In. I will say that it was pretty cool seeing the Hammer banner up there on the big screen. After so many years of hearing that Hammer is coming back from the dead, it finally happened. Granted, we all know that this new Hammer will never be like the old Hammer. But as long as they are making good genre pics, we’re okay with that.

But in reality, for us horror fans, Hammer never died. We have always kept that studio and its films alive and well. This last year, we seen the release of another great book by Hammer scholar Marcus Hearn, The Art of Hammer, a coffee table size book that is filled with the beautiful artwork from Hammer’s movie posters. It is one of those books that you can get lost in, just browsing through it over and over again. But we also have another book that has been released from another Hammer scholar, Wayne Kinsey. He has already written a few books on the history of this great studio. But now his latest book, Hammer Films – The Unsung Heroes: The Team Behind the Legend, is paying tribute to all those people that were responsible for making the films look like they did. Sure, the actors and the directors have a lot to do with it, everyone knows that there are plenty more people behind the scenes that are working just as hard. So we are looking forward to adding this new book to our collection.

GOALS 2010

For 2009, our goal was to break 200 horror movies and we got to 218. So we set the stakes a little higher for 2010 and set a goal of 250. By the time we got to September, I didn’t I figured I would have been lucky just to break 200 again. But the months of October and November really came together and ended up watching a lot of titles during those two months. Granted December started off a little slow, but it also helped being without a computer for a week and a half. Got a few movies watched during that down time that was for sure. So our final number for 2010 is 277. Way more than I thought I was going to hit. I really don’t see the point of setting a goal any higher than 250 or 275 for next year, but we’ll just see what happens.

REMEBER THOSE WE’VE LOST

Once again, let’s take a look back at some of the greats that we lost this year, who all had a contribution to the horror genre in one way or another.  They will be missed, but never forgotten because film fans like us will keep their memories alive by watching their movies.

Roy Ward Baker, Chas. Balun, Lisa Blount, Dino De Laurentiis, David Durston, Frank Frazetta, Dennis Hopper Don Leifert, Kevin McCarthy, Leslie Nielsen, Michael Pataki, Ingrid Pitt, Jean Rollin, Zelda Rubinstein

MOVIES, BLU-RAYS, DVDs, AND MORE

This year we made the big jump to blu-ray. We fought it long and hard too, since we really didn’t want to start with a new format, still not really sure this is the future of movies, and since at the time they were a lot more expensive than regular DVDs. But since a lot of the newer movies only have the extras on the blu-ray version, they were forcing my hand. Didn’t like it, but no way around it. But also, the blu-ray player we got has a wireless internet, letting us stream movies from Netflix (which is one of the greatest inventions known to man). Plus, more and more titles are being dropped to $10 not too long after they come out. You just have to make sure the quality of the Blu-ray disc is worth the upgrade, since there are a few Blu-rays that just transfer over the print from the regular DVD, not giving you any better quality. Your best bet is to check out the reviews first (I always hit blu-ray.com before buying anything).

What have we picked up on blu-ray that just blew us away? The first set of movies that we got when we got the player was some of my favorites. The first one, being one of my all time favorite films, is John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982). This is one movie that I could watch over and over and over. It never gets old and never gets boring. The Blu-ray is pretty amazing and very clear. There are things that you will see that you haven’t before. Does this change the movie? Not at all. But for videophiles, it is pretty damn cool.  Another one that we got had just come out on Blu-ray: Lucio Fulci’s City of the Living Dead (1980). Again, looked pretty damn amazing. Though, we were really more excited about the extras on the disc. Great title for the collection. Then we also picked up Michael Dougherty’s Trick ‘r Treat (2007), which the Blu-ray edition is the only way to get the extras.  Just love this movie.  Other titles that we have picked up since then that we feel are well worth the $10 we paid for them are:  Planet Terror (2007),  High Tension (2003), The Mist (2007), Hellboy (2004) and a few others.  And we just got in our first Blu-ray Hammer film, Vampire Circus (1972).  Can’t wait to throw that in to see how it that looks.

As for regular DVDs that came out this year, horror fans had another great year. Dark Night of the Scarecrow finally made its way onto DVD and it looks fantastic. The Green Slime, a personal favorite of mine, was released by Warner Archives in a re-mastered widescreen edition, which just blows away all off those full frame video tape transfers. Plus, more Hammer films came out in an impressive box set called Icons of Suspense, which features a much underrated film Never Take Candy from a Stranger. So while the year in the theaters hasn’t been that great, there still have been plenty of older movies coming out to keep everyone happy. And while on the subject of movies, let’s get to our Best of 2010 list.

MOVIE HIGHLIGHTS OF 2010

Okay folks, here is our list of films that we seen in 2010 for the first time. Doesn’t mean they came out last year, but were new to us. I do have to first say that this year did seem to have a lot less stellar films than normally. There were some good ones, but very few that just completely knocked our socks off. But let’s take a look at what we came up with, listed here in alphabetical order:

• 10 Rillington Place (1971) – Wow. Can’t believe that I had never heard of this film until late in 2009, and then was able to find a copy early last year. Based on a true story that changed the way Britain looked at the death penalty. Richard Attenborough plays real life serial killer John Christie with an incredible creepy performance. This is one film that will knock your socks off.
• Best Worst Movie (2009) – Great documentary made to show off the cult following of the infamous Troll 2. The little kid from the movie grew up and decided to make a film about how this terrible little film has developed such a strong following. With participation of most of the original cast, it  was incredibly entertaining. Shows that even the worst of the films out there can still be remembered and appreciated.
• Dread (2009) – Based on the Clive Barker short story, we felt this film really packed the same punch that the original story did. It will make you feel just what the title says.
• Hausu aka House (1977) – This Japanese movie hit the art house theaters briefly then hit DVD, and it is an amazing film to watch. Very surreal, and very strange, but the visuals alone are worth your time. Sometimes it is a little hard to follow, but just sit, and watch, and enjoy.
• The Horseman (2008) – Again, not really a horror movie as much as a revenge flick, which we normally are not that big of fans of. But this one is an exception, mainly due to the performance of Peter Marshall and the realism of the whole film. This is not a big flashy and glamorous Hollywood film, but made in Australia. Not a happy movie, but one that will keep your attention and really packs a punch.
• Jason X (2001) – What? Did I make a huge mistake? How could I put one of those Jason sequels on my Best of List? Well, first of all, admittedly, I had never seen this film until this year. Is it one of the best movies ever made? Not by a long shot. But here’s the deal: for what it is, it is one entertaining movie. It has everything that a Friday the 13th movie should have. And it should be fun. This one delivers all of that and more. Maybe it was because I had re-watched a few of the other Friday sequels to see if they had gotten better over the years, which they did not. But this one, really caught me off-guard and I really enjoyed it. So there!
• Let Me In (2010) – A remake of one of my favorite films is not an easy on to go into. Didn’t matter that it was being remade by the newly reborn Hammer Films. But have to say, that even though it is a pretty much straight up remake, they did change a few things that I really didn’t mind. The only thing I could have done without was the CGI added for the girl’s attacks. But all in all, a very strong cast (especially in the supporting cast) and nicely done.
• Moon (2009) – We almost didn’t add this title here because technically, I don’t think I would consider it a horror film. But it is such a well made film, with a great story and a strong performance by Sam Rockwell, that it needs to be on the list and needs to be seen.
• Rare Exports (2010) – While some don’t consider this a horror film, I do think that it has enough dark elements and terror that I will consider it one. In any case, it simply is a great little movie, showing a very twisted take on old St. Nick. A must see, and one that should have repeated viewings every holiday season.
• The Wolfman (2010) – Sure, I really wanted it to be better than it was. But all the little nit-picks aside, I think it was a pretty strong film. There was more gore on screen than I would have expected. The CGI effects were a little over the top, but the fact that they were also used in combination of real make up effects, I looked pasted a lot of it. Most of all, it was like seeing a Hammer film on the big screen, some 30-40 years ago. Not since Sleepy Hollow have I seen a period piece that just looked beautiful. Since being a big Hammer enthusiast, it hit home more with me than most audiences.
• Wild Beasts (1984) –  Not a great movie by any means, but will just blow you away with what the filmmakers were able to get away with on this film. Animals at a zoo get a taste of PCP in their water supply and go on a rampage. From elephants at an airport, to rat attacks on the street, to even a cheetah chasing a girl in a convertible down the street, this movie is over the top. Granted, for animal lovers out there, there are a few mondo-type scenes that were even a little too much for me. But overall, this is a movie like you’ve never seen before, or ever will again. It was released on VHS here, but never on DVD in the states.