Top 5 Best Horror Movies of 2010

As the year is coming to a close I can’t forget to mention this years greatest horror movies and boy… I have to say that I am sort of disappointed. Not because of the turnout but because the movies that I chose hardly fit into the category of horror. It’s rather sad that most of the ‘real’ horror movies made the top worst movies of the year and the dramas and thrillers made the top best movies. I blame this on the fact that all the studios were so preoccupied with remakes, sequels and slapping 3D onto all their films that they didn’t take the chance with a good ORIGINAL horror film. I would say it was a very disappointing year for horror but there were some diamonds in the rough… I just hope that someday these studios will learn. Below are my top picks for 2010 and I hope you enjoy.

Buried – Now I know it’s not a horror movie but goddamn is it scary! What can be more frightening than waking up, not knowing where you are, who captured you and finding out that you are buried in the ground in a wooden box? No, it’s not horror and it doesn’t have a monster or a ghost but it’s horror that people face over in the Middle East. What do you do in this situation? You can’t scream, you have limited oxygen and you only hope that you have light, water and a phone. This film was an indie movie that came out of Spain that hit big in theaters and rightfully so. What made Buried this good? The direction and set pieces (yes, set pieces) were a lovely homage to Alfred Hitchcock. We were thrown into the psyche of Paul Controy as he tries to figure out why he was put in a box. The cinematography was brilliantly choreographed, Reynolds’ performance was outstanding and the sound design made it feel like you were in that box with him. I found myself getting claustrophobic as I watched it. Personally, I thought it was one of the best movies of the year and not just within one genre.

The Crazies – I loved this movie. I loved it more than I thought I did back when I saw it. It was probably the best remake of the past 10 years and rightfully so. It was scary and I’ll admit that I jumped out of my seat several times and though I didn’t see the original… I’m willing to bet that it was far scarier than the Romero’s. What I especially loved about this film are the set pieces, mainly the car wash, which add not only to that small town feel but also that sense of a fading small-town America. Timothy Olyphant and Joe Anderson both demonstrated that they are badasses and that was probably the highlight of this film. Is it a zombie movie? No, it’s not. Is it a damn fine, action filled horror flick? You bet your dollar. Look for an especially creepy scene involving a pitchfork and a crazy doctor.

Shutter Island – If you knew me, you could understand why I was so thrilled when I found out that Martin Scorsese was going to direct a horror movie. To my surprise it wasn’t a horror but rather a thriller and a damn fine one. Everything from the art direction, to the performances all the way down to the opening and closing shots were so carefully crafted. I didn’t read the book so I can’t really compare the two but as a stand-alone movie it delivered the mystery, the chills and one sad ending. I’m not sure why many people didn’t like this after its release but I fear that it had something to do with the fact that many people guessed the ending. I’m not going to say that I disbelieve anybody but I am absolutely sure that a majority of the people who claimed they knew the ending are bullshitting because even my dad (who I swear moonlights as a detective) didn’t even catch this one.

Splice – This was a film that wasn’t really horror but rather a drama, or perhaps a thriller. Initially, I know a lot of people didn’t like this movie because it was too weird for them and maybe even funny to see Adrian Brody kissing a monster but I really enjoyed it. I thought it was a breath of fresh air compared to all the remake, sequel, uninspired garbage that Hollywood was dishing out. The girl who played Dren was outstanding as a character that isn’t human but also a character that doesn’t talk. I thought the story was very compelling, produced well and brilliantly directed. It was one of those movies where it was so weird, and so awkward that I couldn’t keep my eyes off it. I wanted to know what would happen next. I think it’s one of the most underrated “horror” movies of 2010.

The Last Exorcism – Yes, it’s hard to believe that I have this movie as one of my top horror movies of this year but hear me out. It’s a very strange, unbalanced documentary that tapes into why people believe in God and how people can be manipulated to do things for God. The film shows great characterization and though it’s pacing is pretty awkward the film is a slow buildup to a very powerful yet controversial ending. It has minimal scares and it seems like an in-movie documentary on how Reagan was exorcised in The Exorcist. I think what I really liked about it was it’s commentary on contemporary religion.

HONORABLE MENTION

Devil – Unlike some people, I actually liked this movie. It wasn’t outstanding in any way but I wanted to see how it would be played out. I’m not one of those idiots that will immediately throw a movie to the side because the director turned into a hack because this movie wasn’t directed by said hack. The film was very gripping in the sense that I wanted to know how it would end. I liked the characters were somewhat stale but likeable, however I wanted more depth with the Mexican maintenance man… I felt he could have had a lot of potential. I know I am in the minority here but I would have preferred if Shayamalan directed this.

Rare Exports – Just in time for the Christmas season, this film is a dark but rather odd look at the Santa Clause mythology. I can’t really say if this is horror or drama or what type of genre this fits into but I can agree that it is one hell of a trip. The direction was very strong and the story was very imaginative. I found the characters likable and lovable but what takes the cake are the elves. Yes, Santa’s elves are naked old men and we get to see, up in front, them running in the snow. I would love to watch this fun, whimsical but dark movie again just so that I can truly appreciate it for the Christmas gem it is.

Here’s hoping that 2011 will be much bett— oh who am I kidding. It won’t be.

Shutter Island: The Light in the Fog

WARNING: There are major spoilers in this post.

Today I want to elaborate on something that my buddy pointed out about Shutter Island and as I watched the movie unfold and I watched how the twist was revealed I started to dissect the beginning and end scenes of the movie. Then it hit me like a sold gold brick to my head and (keep in mind, I was at a restaurant when this happened) I yelled, “Marty you bastard!” It was after that, when I realized that I loved this movie. Also, as a side note, when I sincerely love a director I like to verbally bully him with my friends. Ex: I love composer John Williams so when I hear his scores I say, “John you bald sonofabitch! You did it again!”

Anyway, onto the post at hand. The beginning of Shutter Island opens up on the ocean as a boat makes it way out of the fog. The ocean is calm and the general tone of the scene is gray, grim, dark and very foreboding. The fog is thick, white and you can barely see anything, which is perfect for what this scene implies. At this point Teddy is going to the island for the investigation and to find Andrew Laeddis but he does not realize that he is Laeddis so he still believes that he is Teddy Daniels, US Marshal.

At the very end of the movie, when Cawley and Chuck (who turned out to be the psychiatrist for Andrew) confront Andrew and tell him that he is not Teddy, they mention that they have to hear him say that he is not Ted Daniels so that they could avoid giving him a lobotomy. They go on to mention that his brain is in a loop and that one day he’ll know he’s Laeddis and the other he’ll think he is Teddy. Well, he tells them that he is Andrew and that there is no Teddy and the next day he says to Chuck that he is Marshal Daniels; implying that he still thinks he’s Teddy. Chuck signals Cawley to proceed with the lobotomy but Andrew says, “Do you want to live as a monster or die a hero?” As the staff takes Andrew away Chuck yells, “Teddy, wait!” but Andrew doesn’t look back. This implies that Andrew was playing Chuck and the staff; he set them up to believe that he still believes he is Teddy Daniels just so they could lobotomize him. He understands he is a dangerous person and the only other way to cure him is lobotomy.

Note: This is not the end shot. This just a picture of the lighthouse.

The end shot is a shot of the lighthouse, where the suspected lobotomies and mind control take place, sitting atop the rocks on a calm day. The tone of this shot is very relaxing but still very tense, gloomy and unsatisfying. However, the clouds of the storm are starting to pass so there is a little bit of blue sky peering out of the clouds; another great symbol for a cloudy mind beginning to clear up. Here the lighthouse symbolizes Andrew’s closure point… he knows he is a monster and he understands that he must be ‘cured,’ so the lighthouse is almost like point of enlightenment.

But lets also look at the beginning and end shots and see how they relate to each other. Think of the boat floating through the fog as Andrew’s mind: it’s cloudy, it’s murky and you can’t see what’s in front of you. You can’t see the shore because it’s blocked by delusion. Now, what to lighthouses usually do? They guide ships and boats to shore by providing them the only light in a fog-covered bay. The lighthouse image at the end is helping Andrew guide his way through his foggy mind to shore, or in this case help him get cured. It’s poetic and it proves that Shutter Island is a very beautifully shot movie.

Trailer - Shutter Island (2009)

I saw the trailer for the new Martin Scorsese film “Shutter Island” staring Leonardo DiCaprio and Ben Kingsley, while viewing the midnight showing of “Public Enemies.” I have to say, Scorsese looks like he is switching gears from his usual crime drama or just plain drama clique and attempting to do horror/thriller. From the previews, this movie looks pretty cool and somewhat original… it reminded me of “House on Haunted Hill” but it looks like it could be promising. I like the plot and from the looks of the trailer, it must be a period horror set in the 40s or 50s. All I can say for now is: I want to see this just to see what Scorsese has to contribute to the horror realm.