One thing I often find myself debating a great deal these days, whether it be online or in the real world is the value and merit of the theater going experience. In a time when streaming has become a legitimate and convenient method of movie watching, less people seem to feel the need to go to out to the theater to watch movies. Still I am of the mindset that they are missing out on something by staying home.

So as 2015 comes to a close, we must all assess what this year was to us? Personally for me it was a year of ups and downs. Some very low lows and some absolutely fantastic highs. The horror films of the year seemed to follow that same pattern. There were quite a few horror films that were released this year, however they seemed to be more misses than hits. I also noticed that some of them really divided audiences. We definitely had debates and discussions about what was good and what wasn't, so lets just get down to it, shall we?

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS

I almost left this off the list this year, not because I didn't like it, but because I actually forgot it came out this year since I saw it in theaters in it's initial limited release. Special thanks to Ryan Turek for the reminder, because I would have been extra pissed at myself if I didn't include this one. What We Do in the Shadows is first and foremost a comedy, a brilliant and hilarious comedy. Still, it is also a vampire movie and one of the best I have seen. The documentary styled story of 4 vampire roommates and their newly turned "friend" sets the stage for a film that respects the vampire stories and myths that have come before and manages to show just how inconvenient being a vampire can actually be. The cast are all brilliant, it would be hard to choose a favorite here as Clement, Waititi, Brugh and the rest of the bunch are all at their best, with their comedic timing being impeccable. There is plenty of blood shed in this film that help it fall in the horror genre and it is simply genius the way it infuses vampire lore from different time periods, and laugh out loud comedy all into one amazing package. 

As a huge fan of Flight of the Conchords I was excited to see this film and so glad I got to see it in a packed theater as the crowds obvious enjoyment of it made it that much more of an enjoyable experience. I will say it isn't for everyone and the understated humor will go over a lot of peoples heads and the A.D.D. viewers will undoubtedly miss some of the funnier and subtle jokes when they aren't paying attention. This is the first of THREE horror comedies we have on our list this year, which says something about the quality of serious horror films released this year. What We Do in the Shadows is a must see for vampire and horror fans. 

THE FINAL GIRLS 

I would classify the Final Girls as a horror comedy, which generally are not my thing, but this one is more than just your run of the mill horror comedy. This film is a passionate love letter to Friday the 13th, The Burning and other camp slashers of the 80's. We unfortunately did not have a chance to review it at the time we saw it, but we did make sure to spread the word. 

The Final Girls tells the story of a group of friends who end up inside a fictional 80's camp slasher and have to figure out how to make it home while trying to survive the attacks by the hulking masked, machete wielding, Jason Voorhees homage, Billy Murphy. That is about all I really want to give away for those that haven't seen it.  

Director Todd Strauss-Schulson delivers stylish and vibrant visuals that make the film jump off of the screen. He truly delivers one of the most beautiful looking films we have seen this year and we look forward to seeing what he does next. The films score by 

Full of laughs (many of which, expertly delivered by Workaholics Adam Devine), the Final Girls is still at it's core a story about a mother and her daughter, and it is this story that injects the film with a great deal of heart, that will certainly cause some viewers to tear and choke up. Much credit must be given to Taissa Farmiga and Malin Ackerman, who anchor the entire film with their heartfelt performances. 

While many will say it's not a full on horror film, and shouldn't be on this list, particularly with it's PG-13 rating. The Final Girls is just a really well put together film and quite possibly in a sense, the best Friday the 13th film made in years. If that is not worthy of year end, best of horror list. I don't know what is. 

KRAMPUS

We reviewed Krampus (<--- click there to read it) earlier this month and we liked it a lot. It was not a perfect film by any means, but it did enough right to get on this list. An original horror film in wide release in theaters featuring a bevy of practical monster effects is always a reason to rejoice for us horror fans. What Krampus may have lacked in pacing and some story elements, it more than made up for with it's atmosphere and creature carnage. Director Michael Dougherty has crafted a holiday film that will surely become a an annual Christmas watch the same way Trick 'r Treat became for Halloween. Like The Final Girls, Krampus is another PG-13 entry on the list, a rating that will have some gorehounds crying foul, however don't let the rating dissuade you. Krampus delivers enough mayhem and terror to be classified as a horror film, while having that same charm and sense of humor as Trick 'r Treat that will still make it a fun and entertaining watch for most of the family.

LAST SHIFT

Last Shift was probably the surprise of the year for me. I knew absolutely nothing about it as it snuck under my radar and I opted to just go in blind without so much as a trailer watch. What followed was a simple yet effectively creepy tale of a rookie police officer Jessica Loren on her first night on the job, in an empty police department on it's final night of operation. As you can imagine, things go bad as Jessica begins to encounter strange and horrific occurrences as the night goes on. 

In our review for the film (which you can read here ) I likened it to the type of horror and storytelling found in the best of the Silent Hill video games. Which is about the highest praise I can give something given that I hold those in high esteem as some of the greatest horror experiences available. Much of director Anthony DiBlasi's film hinges on the performance of it's lead Juliana Harkavy. The rest of the small cast deliver solid performances, but Harkavy is especially up to the task and delivers a well balanced, believable performance while carrying the majority of the film on her shoulders.  With a lesser talent this role could have crippled the film, and it would have failed, but she holds everything together. Much needs to be said about DiBlasi's restrained approach to the direction, as the film unfolds and the horror escalates, it never feels cheesy or laughable, the serious tone is kept throughout and just as with the lead actress, with a lesser talent in the directors chair the film could have stumbled greatly. 

While this years crop of horror was in my opinion not the strongest, Last Shift would have ended up high on our list no matter it's company, it's a strong and serious horror film, that plays up the creepy imagery and gives us something a fresh as well with the police horror angle. Last Shift is also proof again that going into a horror movie knowing nothing about it can easily yield the best results. It must also be noted that the consensus from friends and people on social media seem to be mostly positive. Which is no small feat, but well deserved. 

OUR HORROR FILM OF THE YEAR : IT FOLLOWS

Well, here it is. Our 2015 horror film of the year. IT FOLLOWS. One of the most divisive horror films I can remember in recent years. It Follows split audiences down the middle, those that loved it and those that hated it. I have heard all the complaints and reasons from the "Hate it" camp and I could not disagree more.

 It Follows (which we reviewed here ) for us, was akin to watching someones nightmare unfold on screen. The overwhelming sense of dread that permeates the film is just one part of that. It Follows explores death and the realization of ones own mortality through the eyes of a group of teenagers (played to realistic perfection by Maika Monroe and the rest of her fellow castmates). It Follows doesn't rely on gore for its horror but rather a restrained sense of impending doom and an underlying creepiness throughout, capped off with what has to be considered the horror score of the year by Disasterpiece. The camera work here by director David Robert Mitchell is superb and has a vibe reminiscent of the original Halloween, particularly the opening scene. I don't want to simply rehash our review for the film so I will end by saying that It Follows landed it's spot as our horror film of the year because it delivered everything we hoped for when we sat down in the theater. A creepy, haunting film that was well directed, acted and scored. Everyone is entitled to their opinions on what a horror movie should be, and we hope and wish for more to be like It Follows. Maybe next year, 

Honorable Mentions:

ASH VS THE EVIL DEAD

I don't think anyone really held out hope for a new Ash-centric Evil Dead movie after the release (and lackluster fan response to 2013's  Evil Dead remake/reboot film. While I happened to enjoy it quite a bit upon that first viewing, and loved the look of it, it simply wasn't the Evil Dead without Ash. I have never been a big Army of Darkness fan as I prefer Evil Dead 1 and 2, but was happy and surprised to see that Ash was actually returning to the Evil Dead franchise. Of course I didn't think it would be any good. So after I watched the first episode, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it and how much "Old Ash" worked. It was as good a sequel that we could have hoped for and every time I watch an episode I find myself thinking "I can't believe I am watching an Evil Dead TV series and it's good." The show manages to keep all the trademarks of the films and the humor more often than not is spot on. There are a few weak spots here and there and not every episode has been great, but they have all been entertaining and seeing Ash back in action is really just a great deal of fun. While granted, it is a TV show and not a film, I think most Evil Dead and Ash fans will agree this is a legitimate sequel to the Evil Dead franchise and it is a satisfying one at that! That is something I don't think anyone would have expected a year ago and makes it deserving of being on this list without a doubt.   

WE ARE STILL HERE

We Are Still Here was a film I was really hoping to love when I sat down to watch it. I didn't watch any trailers (and as usual I was glad I didn't) and I was just anticipating it based on the poster alone. In the end I ended up thinking it was only okay after my initial watch. I couldn't put my finger on why it didn't necessarily connect with it initially, but I do remember having somewhat of an issue with the performances, as something just felt off to me. With more time to think about it I opted to give it another watch and found I enjoyed it much more on my second viewing with most things coming together for me. It is in fact a classy old fashioned ghost story that takes it's time setting up it's brutally impressive payoff. This is one of those instances where perhaps I hoped for something else and didn't get what I wanted initially. Ultimately though, director Ted Goeghegan and his cast that includes horror regulars Barbara Crampton and Larry Fessenden put together one of the better genre entries of this past year. It may not be for everyone, especially those with a shorter attention span, still it's worthy of a look as I think most horror fans will find something to like about it. 

INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 3

Insidious chapter 3 was not everything I had hoped it would be prior to seeing it, but it did enough things right to warrant this honorable mention. I was actually very much into it 2/3 of the way through it, then it kind of veered off into the Elise doing hand to hand combat with ghosts stuff I didn't care for in the previous installment and that kind of took me out of it. Still for much of it's early running time I found it to be quite an effective horror film. It was obvious that there was a lot of love put into it by director Leigh Whannell, his cast and his crew, who got the most out of their budget. That went a long way for me to focus more on the positives of the film. Granted for those that don't care for the series this one probably won't change any opinions on it, still, Whannell crafts some genuinely cool and inventive sequences throughout and Insidious Chapter 3 ended up being a story worth telling after all.  

CREEP

A late entry to this list, but still deserving. As a fan of Mark Duplass I was interested in seeing what he could do here, as I mostly associate him with his character Pete on FX's Fantasy Football Comedy The League. So I as usual went in knowing little to nothing about it and was caught off guard by it being a documentary styled found footage flick. This worked well though as the set up calls for it and explains why everything is being filmed in the first place. To be totally honest, about 1/3 of the way through Creep, I was saying to myself  "This is dumb" yet I also noticed that as the film proceeded on I became more and more on edge. The tension and suspense was all there and that meant the film was doing it's job. Duplass plays the titular creep to perfection and the entire film keeps you guessing as to what he will do next. Everyone who has seen the film knows about peachfuzz, Duplass characters werewolf mask, which I bring up because even though I knew it was coming the second "peachfuzz" reveal is chilling. Creep is an effective little film that won't be for everyone, especially the anti-found footage crowd, but for those who can give it a chance, they may find it to be a frighteningly uneasy watch. 

EX MACHINA

The only reason Ex Machina is not in the actual best of list and only an honorable mention is because for me while it certainly has some horrific aspects, it is first and foremost a sci fi film. So with that being said, it is a fantastic sci fi film that features brilliant performances by all 3 of it's lead actors who are all at the top of their game here. Particularly Alicia Vikander who is a revelation here. The production design coupled with Alex Garlands razor sharp direction all led to a very personal and quaint story about god complex and the age old questions about the dangers of Artificial Intelligence. Ex Machina is a must watch. 

It's Friday the 13th again! Which means everyone will celebrate by watching Friday the 13th movies and enjoying the exploits of Jason Voorhees, as he slashes his way through teenagers and sequels alike. If you are keeping track Jason's film total stands at 12. One through X to Freddy vs Jason and finally the 2009 version. As most fans have heard by now, a new Jason film is in the works but has been pushed back yet again. It is now slated to open on January 13th, 2017. Apart from the early rumblings it would be a found footage flick (an angle that thankfully seems to have been scrapped) and some comments from producers wrongly stating that fans want to know where Jason gets his power from, not much is known about what to expect from the upcoming installment.

While I love the series for all the same reasons everyone else does, I don't think that I could actually consider any film in the series a GOOD film. The series has it's definite high points and absolute low points, but I have yet to feel like any of them really transcend being anything more than entertaining slasher films, which there is absolutely nothing wrong with. I am also inclined to agree with a friend who recently while discussing the films stated considered part 4 to be the definitive slasher film. These are the perfect films to watch with a group of friends late at night with some popcorn, drinks and laughs. Still, there is plenty of room for improvement and the possibility of a truly great Friday the 13th film still exists (though with platinum dunes in charge, the possibility is much lower) At this point there have been many things done with Jason, pitting him against Freddy(something that should have been so much better), sending him to outer space in the future (terrible but fun) and there is even that one time he spent 2 minutes in Times Square. So while I have no power over what happens with this next film, there are some things I want to see in a Jason film, that would go a long way to making it a more interesting and satisfying.

1. CRYSTAL LAKE IN THE WINTER.

This is something I have seen requested and wanted over and over again. I couldn't agree more. I realize some people want Jason OUT of Crystal Lake to give us something new, but the Camp blanketed in snow and the lake frozen would already give us a new setting for Jason to stalk and do his thing. In addition to providing some new kill possibilities for Voorhees (Think icicles and the sub zero temperatures in the lake) the visual possibilities are exciting as well. I for one would love to see Jason walk through a blizzard while he hacks away at his victims. Also yes, Camps are closed in the winter, so that could lead to...

2. A NEW VICTIM TYPE

While part of the fun of a Friday the 13th movie is watching camp counselors get slaughtered, Camps generally aren't open in the winter, perhaps have Jason stalk a group of hunters who encroach on his territory. A group of hunters would provide more of a challenge to Jason while still being vulnerable, especially when not expecting him. Hunters being hunted (ala Predator) would also offer a different kind of dynamic and parallel not generally seen in a Friday the 13th film. This would offer a chance as well for...

3. A MORE SERIOUS FRIDAY FILM

As stated earlier, part of the charm of the early Friday films were the teen characters that were dispatched one by one. The problem with these characters is there wasn't much room for emotional depth in a group of kids looking to get high and get laid. By bringing in a group of the aforementioned hunters, you are able (with proper writing) to bring a new twist to the story and perhaps result in a much more serious story with some characters (again all in the writing) who aren't just a bunch of cliche's and machete fodder, which will give the proceedings some real stakes. Obviously this is something that would have to be worked on much deeper to successfully accomplish it, but a Friday film played straight would also result in...


4. A MORE MENACING AND FRIGHTENING JASON

I will give the Platinum Dunes F13 film one thing and one thing only( I hated that film), they certainly attempted to make Jason scarier and more brutal while implementing (only marginally successfully in my opinion) some survivalist tactics in his arsenal and behavior, however when the victims are a bunch of non likable, illogical, caricatures, it makes what Jason does have less of an impact. Having Jason take on a group of survivalist/hunter types who can handle themselves will again raise the stakes and make Jason's victories against them all the more earned as well as bring a new level of menace to his stature. Still I think another way to make him a bit more scary is to go back to the more feral behavior that was found back in the first 3 movies featuring him, where he was more wild and less calculating. He lives in the woods and as such should be a bit animalistic in his behavior. I think giving him that sort of unpredictable nature would go a long way to restoring some of his creepiness that was more prevalent in the early films and bring the character back to his roots. He is NOT Michael Myers, he is not cunning, and not as smart as Michael, nor should he behave like Michael. He has his own personality and it should be prevalent in this new film.

5. A DIRECTOR WITH A VISION

One thing I think most Friday the 13th films if not all of them suffer from, is never really having a visual director, easiest way I can explain what I mean is...no one will ever analyze shot compositions the way they do John Carpenter's Halloween. Sure there are some cool scenes here and there, and I am well aware the director of Part 6 went for a bit of a Gothic tone with it and Marcus Nispel basically delivered The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake featuring Jason, which while serviceable, really failed to make any impact and just felt like a bit of a retread right down to the rays of light coming through the trees at night in the woods. Imagine what someone with a real sense of style and a confident unique voice could do with the winter setting. I remember seeing Alex Aja's High Tension for the first time and thinking, this is what horror films need more of, these shots and angles and overall mood and atmosphere are amazing. Something I thought Aja carried over into his Hills Have Eyes Remake, yet completely fitting the vibe of the subject matter. So yes I would love to see what someone with a strong sense of style and creativity could bring to the franchise.

6. GO THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE WAY OF EVERYTHING I HAVE JUST SAID (except for 5)

Yes, I realize that just sounds so dumb after I spent over an hour typing the previous 5 up. But let me explain, While I would be a huge fan of a serious and grim Friday the 13th film set in the frigid dead of winter, I have to say that after watching the film The Final Girls directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson, that this is the OTHER thing I would love to see a Friday the 13th Film do. Make a full blown period piece that has fun with the concept of Jason and the Camp. Make it vibrant, energetic, and respectful of the source material while breaking new ground within that. I don't want a comedy in the way The Final Girls was one, but the way it approached the overdone material of a summer camp and it's legendary killer was just refreshing while still having a ton of heart. If someone could do that with Jason and Camp Crystal Lake it too would be awesome.

The Final Girls was full of beautiful cinematography, colors and shot compositions while bursting from the screen and this is why I said that my previous suggestion would still stand. A director with a vision could bring the 80's, Jason, and Camp Crystal Lake to life in a way we haven't seen before. The trick here would be to do it without making it eye roll inducing or too juvenile as many horror films tend to do when trying to be tongue in cheek. You really have to keep the comedy and fun within the right context to make the violence and gore still have the appropriate impact. I have even said The Final Girls is the best Friday the 13th movie in years and clearly wears it's inspiration on its sleeve. So why not take some inspiration right back and create a vibrant, retro styled Friday film that can play up all the iconography of the series and the things we loved about those films? While really doing it with a flair not seen before in these films. All the while fixing the things that did not age so well? I say this would be the other satisfying route to go for Jason and his series.

So there you have it. Those are the things I think could go a long way towards breathing new life into the Friday the 13th Franchise. Granted I came up with this list extremely short notice, but I feel it is stuff I have always thought about. Whether any of that will happen remains to be seen, and I feel like more than likely we may get more of the same, which while that will always be fun and entertaining, it still won't be the Friday the 13th film that we as fans deserve. Either way, long live Jason and enjoy your Friday the 13th.