Entertainment Earth

1/09/2021

The 10 Best Horror Films of 2020

2020 was weird and fucked up year to say the very least. With movie theaters closed from March and beyond here, in New York City, I mostly only saw horror movies. As such, for the first time ever in the history of this site, the best movies of the year will only take into account horror flicks, and not other genres. Don't be surprised if this happens again come time to the list for this year. Anyway, despite all the shitty occurrences there were some legitimate amazing genre releases. Now, I did not, for one or another reason, see a couple of horror movies, including Freaky, The Dark and the Wicked, and Relic. Think of that as your heads up. You will also notice that this was a great year for horror movie docus, as three of them appear on here! It is also a great for those who like a little bit of artistry in their horror content. Plus, if you liked truly graphic splatter, there was some really good and gruesome gore to dive into.

Honorable Mentions:
1BR
Color Out of Space
The Cleansing Hour
The Hunt
GoodBoy
Impetigore

10. Bliss- The first of two Joe Begos movies to make this list, Bliss is everything most modern horror simply isn't. This includes being metal as fuck, with killer, headbanging tracks in the soundtrack. The movie is also sexy with copious amounts of nudity, lesbianism, and a hot threesome. It is also graphically gory with intense amounts of bloodletting. Another highlight is the excellent acting, especially from the film's beautiful and insanely talented lead, Dora Madison. Meanwhile, the directing by Begos is beautiful, stylish. hallucinogenic, and trippy. All of this is wrapped around a movie that serves as an artistic allegory for drug addiction. 
9. Fulci for Fake- The first of two documentaries that Severin Films put out to appear on this list, Fulci for Fake is honest, touching, and intimate. It, of course, deals with Lucio Fulci, one of my favorite directors of all time, and one of the biggest influences in my life. After watching it, I felt that I had learned much about both he as a persona and as a director. This is all achieved through captivating and excellently done interviews. The film captured both my whole attention and heart. And, by the end I wanted to learn even more about this legendary master of horror.
8. Tales of the Uncanny- The other docu from Severin is this wonderfully entertaining and loving look at anthology horror flicks. Countless of horror experts and masters of the genre talk about their favorite anthology movies and segments, therein, as well as chiming with their overall thoughts and words. Throw in some really cool movie clips, and you have a docu that is a blast to watch. It's one that will make you want to revisit all your favorites, as well as add movies that for whatever you reason you ain't seen yet to your must see list.  


7. Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on THE EXORCIST- A Shudder exclusive, Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on THE EXORCIST is a profound and deep talk with the master director on one of the greatest horror movies ever made. My full review is here.
6. Yummy- This well acted, super gory, and hilarious Dutch zombie flick is one of the most underrated horror movies of the year. My full review is here. 

5. Random Acts of Violence- I seriously don't get why this one has split the horror community so much, I especially didn't get those who had a more negative reaction to it. It is brutal and savagely serious and is, thankfully, way more than just another slasher movie. Well acted and powerful, it doesn't fuck around, and, as an added bonus, has little to no humor. Instead, it has substance and sticks with you all the while dripping with graphic splatter. 
4. VFW- The second Joe Begos movie included here is one badass motherfucker and absolutely my type of movie. A loving homage to John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13, VFW is an ultra-violent and fast-paced, unrelenting mix of action and horror. It is led by the always awesome Stephen Lang in what is one of my favorite heroic roles of last year. Bonus! This flick one of 2020's goriest horror flicks and has some truly great kills!
3. Host- Made during these quarantine times, Host, surprised me with how fucking good it is! Featuring some excellent acting, this tech/ found footage movie is a lot of fun, as well as intense and wonderfully frightening. And, at little under an hour, this nail-biting and creepy ass flick, is the perfect length!
2. The Invisible Man-The last movie I got to see in the theaters, Leigh Whannell's The Invisible Man, is one of the most intense horror flicks, I had seen in many a moon. It really had me on the edge of my seat with its white-knuckle suspense. Whannel's directing really knows how to build the terror and fear. Meanwhile, Elisabeth Moss' performance is perfection and perhaps my favorite acting in a horror movie last year. This, dear readers, is how you bring a classic story to modern times.  
1. Possessor- Brandon Cronenberg (son of David) has delivered an intelligent, original, and impressively gruesome sci-fi/ horror movie. It sucks you right in keeps building itself up with a wonderfully captivating plot and story. It also pulls no punches whatsoever, as it features full frontal nudity, both of the female and male variety, and the gore is amongst the most graphic I saw last year. This one gives me hope that horror movies with skin and that hit a 10 on the splatter-meter are still alive and well. All of this is done with style and an artful look from Cronenberg and is further aided by excellent acting from the whole cast. In all honesty it is a fucking masterpiece and unlike most genre films from any year!

What were your favorite horror movies from last year? Let me know in the comments section below!

7/27/2020

Shudder: August 2020 Highlights for U.S.

titles also available on Shudder Canada and Shudder UK as noted

SHUDDER ORIGINAL/EXCLUSIVE MOVIES

HOST (premieres Thursday, July 30)
Six friends hire a medium to hold a séance over Zoom during lockdown but get far more than they bargain for as things quickly go wrong. Host was shot remotely during quarantine and features practical scares, stunts, and surprises, all filmed by the actors in their own homes. Director Rob Savage (Dawn of the Deaf) never set foot in the same room as his actors at any point during production and instead directed them remotely. Starring: Haley Bishop (Deep State), Radina Drandova (Dawn of the Deaf), Edward Linard (The Rebels), Jemma Moore (Doom: Annihilation), Caroline Ward (Stalling It) and Emma Louise Webb (The Crown). A SHUDDER ORIGINAL (Also available on Shudder Canada and Shudder UK)  


LA LLORONA (premieres Thursday, August 6)
Winner: Venice Days. Official Selection: TIFF, Sundance Film Festival
Indignant retired general Enrique finally faces trial for the genocidal massacre of thousands of Mayans decades ago. As a horde of angry protestors threatens to invade their opulent home, the women of the house—his haughty wife, conflicted daughter, and precocious granddaughter—weigh their responsibility to shield the erratic, senile Enrique against the devastating truths being publicly revealed and the increasing sense that a wrathful supernatural force is targeting them for his crimes. Meanwhile, much of the family’s domestic staff flees, leaving only loyal housekeeper Valeriana until a mysterious young Indigenous maid arrives. Starring María Mercedes Coroy, Margarita Kénefic, Sabrina de la Hoz and Julio Díaz. Directed by Jaryo Bustamante. (Also available on Shudder Canada and Shudder UK) Trailer: https://youtu.be/SVf8in0dj9s 

RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE (premieres Thursday, August 20)
Official Selection: Fantastic Fest
Comic book creator Todd, his wife, assistant and best friend all embark upon a road trip from Toronto to New York Comic Con, and bad things start to happen: people start getting killed. Is a crazed fan using Todd’s “SLASHERMAN” comic as inspiration for his stylized slaughter? Starring: Jesse Williams (‘Grey’s Anatomy’), Jordana Brewster (Furious 7), Niamh Wilson (Saw series) and Jay Baruchel (This Is the End). Directed by Jay Baruchel. (Also available on Shudder UK) Trailer: https://youtu.be/qvFk5-tvXrY 

THE SHED (premieres Thursday, August 27)
Official Selection: Sitges International Film Festival, Brooklyn Horror Film Festival
Stan and his best friend Dommer have put up with bullies their entire lives. All of that changes when Stan discovers he has a ravenous vampire living in his shed. Seeing the bloodshed and destruction the monster is capable of, Stan knows he has to find a way to destroy it. But Dommer has a much more sinister plan in mind. Starring Jay Jay Warren, Cody Kostro, Sofia Happonen, Frank Whaley and Timothy Bottoms. Directed by Frank Sabatella. (Also available on Shudder Canada) 

NEW SPECIALS FOR AUGUST

THE LAST DRIVE-IN: SUMMER SLEEPOVER SPECIAL (Friday, August 14 at 9pm ET/6pm PT)
Fire up the popcorn and slip into your PJs: Joe Bob Briggs, America’s foremost drive-in movie critic, is back for a special summer sleepover double-feature. Joining Joe Bob and Darcy in the trailer park will be director Adam Green (Frozen, Hatchet series) along with other surprise guests. 

NEW MOVIES FOR AUGUST

August 1
SQUIRM (Director: Jeff Lieberman)
Beware the crawling terror! A surge from a downed powerline mutates a seemingly endless population of worms into a bloodsucking, man-eating onslaught. Starring Don Scardino, Patricia Pearcy, R.A. Dow  (Also available on Shudder Canada)

URBAN LEGENDS: FINAL CUT (Director: John Ottman)
A film student's thesis project runs into production problems when her cast and crew members start turning up dead. Starring Jennifer Morrison, Eva Mendes, Anthony Anderson, Joseph Lawrence

August 3
AMITYVILLE 1992: IT’S ABOUT TIME (Director: Tony Randel)
An antique clock brought back from New York brings supernatural terror to a California neighborhood. Starring Stephen Macht, Shawn Weatherly, Megan Ward, Damon Martin

August 6
LA LLORONA (see above for details)

August 10
RING (Director: Hideo Nakata)
RING 2 (Director: Hideo Nakata)
RING 0 (Director: Norio Tsuruta)
In the film that kicked off the franchise as well as a Western surge in interest in so-called J-horror, a group of teenage friends are found dead, their faces twisted in terror, supposed victims of an urban legend about a cursed videotape. One year after the success of his horror classic, director Hideo Nakata returned to the world of viral video to deliver his own follow-up. And in the prequel Ring 0, a journalist tracks a young woman who uses her supernatural powers to kill members of an acting troupe. (Also available on Shudder Canada)

August 14
THE LAST DRIVE-IN WITH JOE BOB BRIGGS: SUMMER SLEEPOVER SPECIAL (see above for details)

August 17
JAWBREAKER (Director: Darren Stein)
Teen girls must cover up the accidental murder of a friend in this twisted ‘90s classic. Starring Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart, Julie Benz, Judy Greer, Chad Christ, Carol Kane, Pam Greer

HELLMASTER (Director: Douglas Schulze)
A mad professor at a rural campus injects students with a drug to make them superhuman mutants. Starring John Saxon, David Emge, Amy Raasch (Also available on Shudder Canada)

UNCAGED (Director: Dick Maas)
A zoo veterinarian is caught up in a grisly adventure as she leads the hunt for a monstrous lion terrorizing Amsterdam. Starring Sophie van Winden, Abbey Hoes,  Mark Frost, Julian Looman  (Also available on Shudder Canada)

August 20
RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE (see above for details)

August 24
THE EVIL (Director: Gus Trikonis)
A psychologist and his wife turn a house of the devil into a drug-rehabilitation center. Starring Richard Crenna, Joanna Pettet, Andrew Prine (Also available on Shudder Canada)

MORTUARY (Director: Howard Avedis)
Christie has been having terrifying nightmares ever since her father drowned, causing her to re-evaluate the circumstances surrounding his death. Starring Mary Beth McDonough, David Wysocki, Bill Paxton, Lynda Day George, Christopher George (Also available on Shudder Canada)

ONE DARK NIGHT (Director: Tom McLoughlin)
As part of an initiation into a club called The Sisters, a young girl must spend the night in a mausoleum. Starring Meg Tilly, Melissa Newman, Robin Evans, Leslie Speights, Donald Hotton  (Also available on Shudder Canada)

30 MILES FROM NOWHERE (Director: Caitlin Koller)
When five college pals return home for their estranged friend's funeral, what begins as an uneasy reunion becomes a terrifying fight for survival. Starring Carrie Preston, Rob Benedict, Birgundi Baker (Also available on Shudder Canada)

August 27
THE SHED (see above for details)

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7/13/2020

New Trailers to Upcoming Shudder Exclusives: Random Act of Violence, Lake of Death, & Impetigore!


RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE — PREMIERES AUGUST 20 ON SHUDDER (US & UK) / THEATRES & ON DEMAND IN CANADA VIA ELEVATION PICTURES JULY 31

Synopsis: Comic book creator Todd Walkley (Jesse Williams), his wife Kathy (Jordana Brewster), assistant Aurora (Niamh Wilson) and best friend, Hard Calibre Comics owner Ezra (Jay Baruchel), embark upon a road trip from Toronto to New York Comic Con and bad things start to happen. People start getting killed. It soon becomes clear that a crazed fan is using Todd’s “SLASHERMAN” comic as inspiration for the killings and as the bodies pile up, and Todd’s friends and family become victims themselves, Todd will be forced to take artistic responsibility. A Shudder Original.

Director: Jay Baruchel
Writers: Jay Baruchel, Jesse Chabot  
Starring: Jesse Willimas, Jordana Brewster, Jay Baruchel, Niamh Wilson
Music: Wade MacNeil and Andrew Gordon Macpherson


LAKE OF DEATH — PREMIERES THIS THURSDAY, JULY 16 (US, CA & UK)

Synopsis: A year after her twin brother mysteriously disappeared, Lillian and her friends head to the old family cabin to say their goodbyes. But soon after they arrive, eerie and gruesome events begin to occur. As the lines between reality and Lillian's nightmares blur, she must fight both an external and internal struggle to stay alive. Is a horrific local legend becoming reality, or is the real enemy among them?

Director Nini Bull Robsahm (Amnesia) took inspiration from Norway’s popular 1942 novel (and later film adaptation) of the same name (De dødes tjern), credited with sparking the country’s interest in horror. Robsahm shot Lake of Death on stunning 35mm and brought on Academy Award-winner Bob Murawski (Army of Darkness, Drag Me to Hell, The Hurt Locker) to edit. Starring Iben Akerlie, Jacob Andersen Schøyen, Jonathan Harboe, Sophia Lie and Elias Mun. A Shudder Original.



IMPETIGORE — PREMIERES THURSDAY, JULY 23 (US, CA & UK)

Synopsis: (Sundance 2020 Official Selection) After surviving a murder attempt in the city, Maya, a down-on-her-luck young woman, learns that she may inherit a house in her ancestral village. With her friend Dini, Maya returns to the village of her birth, unaware that the community there has been trying to locate and kill her to remove the curse that has plagued the village for years. As she begins to discover the complicated reality about her past, Maya finds herself in a fight for her life. Starring Tara Basro, Ario Bayu, Marissa Anita, Christine Hakim, Asmara Abigail, directed by Joko Anwar (Satan’s Slaves). A Shudder Original.