Mike's Ten Best Screeners & Unreleased Horror Films of 2011

One of the greatest pleasures of co-hosting this site and film series in Boston has been looking for "the-next-big-thing". The underground/independent films are the ones constantly pushing the boundaries of horror with young and hungry upstarts driven by passion rather than the bottom line. This year we found a number of films took common horror tropes (zombies, haunted houses, kids stuck in the woods) that took the ordinary and twisted it on its ear. Filmmakers like Drew Bolduc proved the spirit of John Waters gross outs are alive and well in this overly cautious and PC era.  Richard Marr Griffin is a Roger Corman for modern times, cranking out low budget films that rank higher on the entertainment scale than movies with fifty times the resources. Midwest filmmaker Patrick Rea took the tongue in cheek humor cribbed from EC comics that he infuses with his short films and turned out one of the best kids-in-peril thrillers of the year.

Listed below are the ten best independent/unreleased films that landed in my mailbox this year. With any luck, these hidden gems will populate "The Big Guys" best-of lists in 2012. For our top-ten wide release films of the year check out our link here.

10.Kiss The Abyss (from Mike's original review)Watching Kiss The Abyss, I couldn’t help but catch references to other classic stories. The film has Shakespearian overtones, not only with its theme of star crossed lovers, but also in a powerful patriarch’s inability to loosen his grip on his family, and how it ends up costing him everything. The movie also recalls O Henry’s The Money’s Paw in ways that will seem obvious once you see the film...Kiss The Abyss works because of its restraint. It focuses more on the relationships between its characters and provides a pair of human monsters whose evil far outstrips that of its central creature. It works in moments that keep the audience off kilter, and it benefits from strong performances across the board.  It’s a different sort of indie horror-where a lesser film would focus on the blood and gore, Winkler’s much more interested in exploring what really makes a monster.(read full review)

9. Seeking Wellness (from Mike's original review) I have to give writer/director Daniel Scheidkraut a lot of credit for this film. Yes, it’s artsy experimental cinema, and your own mileage will vary depending on your tolerance for such things. That said, we watch movies in order to become enthralled in the experience. I watch horror for many reasons. One is to be entertained, but there’s also that side that wants to be repulsed and shocked yet unable to tear myself away from the proceedings. Aside from the surreal nature of the final classroom scenes, Scheidkraut coaxes natural performances from his players, lending a realistic edge to the bizarre, almost dreamlike quality of the film.(read full review)

8. The Taint (from Mike's original review) When a film opens up with black and white images zoomed in on ladies' breasts then immediately has our main character interrupted mid-coitus and chased down by a dookie-dropping, sickle-wielding psychopath who has his cock exposed through shit stained onesie pajamas, you get a fairly good idea from the outset what kind of time you're in for. Drew Bolduc's low budget opus The Taint manages to be equal part hilarious and offensive by providing the kind of film the retarded love child birthed by John Waters and David Cronenberg would create. (read full review)

7. Fugue (from Mike's original review) Fugue follows Paranormal Activity’s lead as a ghost story that removes the paranormal from its traditional gothic trappings and evokes a sense of dread in the normally safe confines of a suburban home. The flashbacks and ghostly snippets make for some outstanding scares. In particular, the moments Charlotte finds herself trapped in a garage and unable to shake the feeling that something has set its sight on her. Stepansky lights this scene in spectacular fashion as the camera pans around Charlotte, she’s perfectly silhouetted in pitch black. It’s a moment that should have audiences holding their collective breath, waiting for something to jump out of the shadows.  Though the house seems sunny and well lit (and as a fun bit of trivia-it’s Ms. Stepansky’s actual home) the walls seem to constrict themselves around Charlotte as the film progresses. (read full review)

6. The Disco Exorcist (from Mike's original review) This is the second film I’ve seen from genre director Richard Griffin in a month, and like Atomic Brain Invasion, Griffin displays a remarkable knack for recreating the era of movie making he’s paying homage to here. That said, the two films are wildly different in tone, with Brain Invasion playing out as family friendly fare for those of us that got bitten by the horror bug while glued to the boob tube watching Creature Double Feature, and The Disco Exorcist recreates the seedy, cum-filled low budget gore fests that would fit nicely on a triple bill on 42^nd street...Disco is a horror comedy with a heavy emphasis on the funny. Actually, The Disco Exorcist veers more towards seventies adult films rather than horror for much of its runtime. I can’t emphasize this point enough: there is a shit ton of fucking in this film. As Romanski, Reed gets to do more plowing than the city of Boston municipal services between the months of December and March.  (read full review)

5. Absentia (from Mike's original review) All the above is well and good, but you’re reading a horror film site, not a family drama site. If Absentia didn’t deliver in the scares department, it would be a failure. Thankfully Absentia is equally strong in this department. In place of false jump scares are quick bursts where Daniel’s “ghost” pops up in unexpected places (the closet scene made me jump out of my seat). This gives ways to deeper, unsettling terror that taps into our primal fear of feeling unsafe and helpless in our own homes. Watching the film from the comfort of my sofa, I found the need to pause it midway through in order to deadbolt the front door and take a quick breather. (read full review)

4.Exhumed (full review coming soon)The second of Richard Griffin's two films on the list, Exhumed is a completely different beast than the lighter, comedic flair shown in previous films The Disco Exorcist and 50's matinee inspired sci-fi romp Atomic Brain Invasion. Filmed in black and white, Griffin packs the film with stark yet gorgeous images, and nearly any moment could be paused, printed and framed as a work of art. The story of the last, damaged remains of a doomsday cult sets the viewer's teeth on edge with a slow burn of unsettling images and situations, then punctures any sense of normalcy with outbursts of extreme violence. Indie stalwart Debbie Rochon and stage actor Michael Thruber add gravitas to their roles as parental figures in a dwindling "family". Exhumed has received a pair of pre-release screenings locally and will make its way through special screenings and festivals throughout the early stages of 2012.  (Exhumed Facebook page)

3. I Didn't Come Here To Die (from Mike's original review) IDCHTD is one of the more enjoyable horror comedy romps I’ve had the fortune to stumble upon in a long while. What sets the film apart is Sullivan’s sense of whimsy among the carnage. IDCHTD takes a situation played out often in horror-“A group of sex starved young adults head out into the woods only to wind up in pieces”-and twists conventions ever so slightly on their ears. Instead of a masked psychopath, our crew meets their makers due to poor judgment, panicked and sloppy decision making and a blatant disregard for one’s surroundings.  The best moments in IDCHTD play out in a vein similar to the Final Destination series, except instead of a chain of microscopic occurrences setting off a domino cataclysm, our volunteers might still be around if they abided by the old expression “look before you leap”. (read full review)

2. Nailbiter (full review coming soon) This was one of my most anticipated films heading in to the year, and the screener did not disappoint. This is simple story telling at its finest: a mother and her three daughters get escape a fast moving tornado only to discover they're not alone in their storm shelter.it's an old school monster movie with beautiful practical effects and creature design that makes the most out of it's mostly one location shoot. Kendal Sinn crafts a script that delivers a believable and likable family, and Meg Saricks teenage Jennifer reminded me of Sarah Michelle Gellar at the height of her Buffy days.   What's funny is the light, almost breezy pace of the film until it takes an unexpected dark turn at the start of the third act. I think I might have done a double take on my sofa with a 'What the...did that thing just...?' It's always a pleasure when you think a movie is moving towards one conclusion, only to find out you're on a completely different ride, and it's best to just shut up, hang on and enjoy it. (Nailbiter Facebook page)

1. Ashes (from Mike's original review)In a lesser film, Stanton would be the caricature of a mad doctor, imbued with a God complex and paranoia that bring about his eventual downfall. In the case of Ashes, Matar’s script and Krause’s dynamite performance imbue the doctor with decency. This is the case of a man wanting to do the right thing that allows his self confidence to bring about his downfall. The film takes great pains to show the doctor working himself to exhaustion at the expense of his own health and personal life. Even when he’s with his wife (the knockout Sierra Fisk) and daughter his attention keeps wandering back to the breakthrough he’s on the threshold of. (read full review)