Our Favorite Films of 2014

The new year is almost upon us, so it's time to bring you all a list of our favorite films of 2014 to close it all out. While we wont lie and say we have seen every horror film released this year, we have however seen the majority of them. Our list here isn't some kind of wanna be definitive end all be all list as much as it is a recap of our thoughts and impressions on the years films. We start with the horror films, however we also have included some of our favorite non horror films from the year as we simply cannot overlook how much we enjoyed them. We ALSO have included some words on a few films that we WERE NOT particularly impressed by or that let us down.

Our Top 5  Horror Films of 2014 

STARRY EYES:
Directed by Kevin Kolsch & Dennis Widmyer

Starry Eyes is the story of an aspiring actress named Sarah (played to perfection by Alexandra Essoe) who gets more than she bargained for when she thinks she lands the role of a lifetime for a fictitious film company "Astraeus Pictures". The film explores the cutthroat nature of Hollywood and the struggle anyone trying to get into the business will encounter,and  by all accounts it hits the mark more often than not. Right down to the aspiring filmmakers and actresses who constantly talk about doing things, instead of actually doing them. Things get weird after Sarah's audition for the aforementioned studio goes not as planned, then after they get weird they get grim, and extremely gory. There were some scenes in the film that were so brutal and gross (in a good horror movie way) that they were absolutely cringe inducing and I definitely squinted a time or two.  Without going into full review mode I will say Starry Eyes won me over early on based on the strength of the lead actress, interesting story hook, and the sense of style that it was shot with. Also have to give much credit to it's excellent synth tinged score by Jonathan Snipes. Overall this was probably my favorite (actual) horror film this year. As I just stated I am a sucker for style and a good score, and Starry Eyes has that in throughout but also has the very important performance by Alexandra Essoe which pulls you into the compelling tale of what one woman would sacrifice to achieve her dream. Of all the horror films you see this year, I also feel this one will provide you with the most horrific imagery of them all.

DELIVER US FROM EVIL:

Directed by Scott Derrickson

I am a big fan of director Scott Derrickson's previous two films "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" and "Sinister" which is one of my new modern favorites. So I was excited to check out "Deliver Us From Evil" when it hit theaters this summer. While I know many horror fans are sick and tired of possession and exorcism themed films and others were not fans of this flick I ended up enjoying it. I too was pretty burnt out on these type of films, but I knew Derrickson would bring a fresh take on it and inject it with the same artistry he used in his prior works. The urban New York City setting and angle of it being told from an NYPD Sergeant's perspective was a big plus for me. Derrickson does a great job utilizing the locations to help capture an extremely dark and dreary rain drenched atmosphere that gives the proceedings an ominous vibe. The story revolves around Sgt. Ralph Sarchie's pursuit of a demonically possessed war vet is pretty straight forward and simple but its Derrickson's eye that elevates the material to a height a lesser director might not have been able to achieve.  Actors Eric Bana and Edgar Ramirez play the roles well of the Sgt and Priest caught up in the supernatural occurences (though Bana's attempt at a New York accent could use some work) Joel McHale also provides a noteworthy performance as Bana's partner on the force.So what you get here is a good combination of the cop thriller,creepy horror with enough human drama to make you care about it all. Overall I really enjoyed this different twist on demonic possession, the class that it's all handled with here made "Deliver Us From Evil" one of the better horror films of 2014. 

UNDER THE SKIN:

Directed by Jonathan Glazer

Under the Skin is a movie that I am not totally sure how it ended up here in my favorites of the year list, let alone my top 5. My initial reaction upon seeing this in the theater was and I quote "oooookaaaaay.....?" I wasn't sure what I just watched or if I even liked it. Truthfully while I found plenty of it to be haunting and creepy, I thought it was way too artsy and meandering for it's own good. I actually STILL think that to an extent. So why or how did it make my list? A funny thing happened after a while, the movie stayed with me, I kept thinking about it, the eerie portions of this film had made their mark. Scarlett Johannson plays the role of the cold blooded sensual predator to a T here. The basic story for those that don't know is Scarlett Johannson is an alien prowling the streets of Scotland looking for prey (men). It's been said that alot of the scenes in which she drives around and approaches men on the street were unscripted and shot with hidden cameras, this only adds to the creepy nature of it all. To see her turn on the charm then go ice cold the minute she realizes they do not fit her criteria is chilling. This film is certainly NOT for everyone and I wouldn't fault anyone who can't get into it. It's an extremely slow burn and very abstract to boot and the horror elements could have been capitalized on a tad more, but I think with the right frame of mind, many horror fans will be won over by the haunting imagery, creepy situations and the amazingly eerie score by Mica Levi that is a character in the film all it's own. There is plenty more that can be said about this flick, but I will leave you with this. If a film keeps you thinking about it long after you have seen it and can still manage to creep you out in some way, that is the sign of an effective horror movie. Also pick up that score wherever you can, it's brilliant and easily one of the best of the year if not THE best. 

THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN (2014)

Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

I am not a big fan of the original "The Town That Dreaded Sundown" I barely actually remember anything about it. Im sure some fans will say thats "blasphemy" but I know others will agree, it is more a popular name than anything. The point of that diatribe is that I had no feelings on the fact that this was being remade as the original is not an important film for me. However one of my buddies mentioned that he enjoyed this version a great deal. So I went ahead and checked it out last night while compiling this list and I must say while not a perfect film, It was definitely one of the best slashers I have seen in a while. The beautiful camera work here really helps set it apart from other horror movies of this kind and the attack scenes and the gore that follows are absolutely brutal. Instead of being a straight up remake, The Town That Dreaded Sundown exists in a world where the original film exists AS a film, about the actual murders. In this world someone has decided to "remind" everyone that "the phantom" has returned. That prior sentence may be confusing to read, but you will get it as soon as you watch the opening minutes. I think it was a really great way to play it and it caught my interest. The cast here sprinkled with well known character actors all help elevate the film to something better than it has any right to be. I had alot of fun with this one and would suggest it to every fan of the slasher genre, even with its ending which felt a bit rushed and slightly "eh" it still leaves an impression on you and I look forward to what the director does next. 

THE GUEST:

Directed by Adam Wingard

The Guest TECHNICALLY in my book IS NOT a horror film. However, it still fits into the horror movie category for a variety of reasons in my book. It's inspirations come from plenty of old school horror/thriller films such as the Terminator and various Halloween films/sequels. The badass synth score by Steve Moore could have easily come from a Carpenter film of that era. To top everything off the entire movie takes place during the Halloween season. The Guest is one of my favorite films overall this year and is just a really fun throwback film. The advertising and marketing didnt really do a good job at all of getting across just how unique this film is. I personally would have loved to have been tasked with figuring out how to market this to audiences. To read more about it here is the link to our full review from when it was released theatrically. THE GUEST full review

Of all the marketing materials out there this teaser trailer does the best job of not giving away too much yet still cluing you in as to what type of movie this is. 

HONORABLE MENTION:

THE BABADOOK:

Directed by Jennifer Kent

This was one of my most anticipated films of the year, As I sat down to watch it, I was hoping I would love it, once I was finished, I did not love it. The Babadook is a good film. There is no denying that.The production design is very well done and influenced greatly by German expressionism. The acting by Essie Davis who plays the mother Amelia and Noah Wiseman who plays the son Samuel is exceptional. There are moments throughout in the beginning of the film that are extremely creepy. However what the trailer sells us on and what the movie actually turned out to be were for me two different things. I won't spoil it, but after watching it and then viewing it a second time since I was really tired during my first viewing, I came to the conclusion that its just a good film, but not the horror film I wanted or was expecting based on the trailer. As a matter of fact I would say the trailer below is a better horror film than the actual movie turned out to be. Of course my opinion seems to be in the minority, but I have discussed it with a few friends who have seen it and we have often agreed on the fact that it is just not the masterpiece everyone is claiming it is. My personal feeling on it is that while I am all for having to draw conclusions of my own after viewing a movie, (ie Under The Skin) things in the movie have to add up and make SOME sense for me to do that and I feel that isn't always the case here. ALL that being said I would still recommend checking it out as I look for specific things in my horror and while this didn't fully deliver it is certainly worth your time to see if it do so for you. 

OUR FAVORITE NON-HORROR FILMS OF THE YEAR

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Directed by Matt Reeves

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes completely blew me away. It is my film of the year and I have urged everyone who hasn't to watch it immediately. The Performance by Andy Serkis as Caesar is Oscar worthy. Never before has a cgi character been so easy to relate with and root for. The FX work is astounding and the movie gets better with each watch. I wont go into too much detail but if you enjoyed Rise of the Planet of the Apes, absolutely check out Dawn. 

GODZILLA

Directed by Gareth Edwards

Godzilla was my sentimental pick for movie of the year. Dawn of the Apes was the better movie, but Godzilla was the best theater going experience I have had this year and one I won't soon forget. The gist of my love for this film lies in my life long love for the titular character. Coupled with a genius marketing campaign. This film brought him back to audiences with respect and class and I was so extremely happy about that. I wrote a much more in depth review of Godzilla back on opening night and while I wrote it hastily to get it finished, all the sentiment and info is there.You can check that out here: Godzilla full review

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER

Directed by the Russo Brothers

I love comic books, and in a year full of comic book films, Captain America was simply the best. Guardians of the Galaxy was a blast but for me Cap delivered on every level, action, story, emotion. It raised the stakes for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and I cannot wait to see how it affects the rest of the stories going forward.