Close But No Cigar…Films That Almost Made The Cut
Mother’s Day (Director: Darren Lynn Bousman) – Apparently this was the year of long shelved projects (Cabin In The Woods), because Bousman’s Troma inspired “remake” is a gleefully gory way for horror fans to celebrate Mother’s Day – although I’m not sure Mama would agree. Bousman is cleverly able to capture what grindhouse fun Troma films stake their reputation on, but delivers with Hollywood style in a way Troma films lacked. In other words, he keeps the brutal violence and sick characters with Scott Milam’s screenplay, but also injects a little respectability into otherwise deviant filmmaking. Oh yea, Rebecca De Mornay delivers a motherly performance you just have to love, otherwise she’ll punish the hell out of you. (Review courtesy of my personal blog before I became a staff writer here!)
Excision (Director: Richard Bates Jr.) – Richard Bates Jr. gave us a very bloody and eccentric body horror called Excision this year, focusing on a very interesting character named Pauline (Annalynne McCord), her obsession with becoming a surgeon, and her sick sister Grace (Ariel Winter). Traci Lords and Roger Bart play her out of touch parents who round out a slick cast of clashing personalities, but the focus here is on Pauline’s sexualization of body horror in sick fantasies and her monologue type prayers to God as she struggles with faith. A very weird, entertaining, and slightly disturbing look into some strange issues, but a very interesting watch to say the least.
Silent Night (Director: Steven C. Miller) – Holiday horror done right, damn right I might add. Steven C. Miller spins his take on Christmas slasher “classic” Silent Night, Deadly Night with a spiffy new pseudo-remake which is wrapped up nicely with a pretty green bow on top…then charred with a flamethrower and covered in blood. Miller’s grotesque take on holiday cheer delivers some of the best festively themed kills imaginable, turning innocent Christmas staples into tools of seasonal torture. You’ll definitely reconsider inviting jolly old Saint Nick in your house for milk and cookies after you’ve seen Silent Night, an unlikely horror film that breaks any curse remakes usually follow.