FILM GUTTER'S TOP TEN OF 2019 – PART 1
19/12/2019
 Well, that's another year down, and once again the better part of fifty extreme hororr movies watched and reviewed. And with December almost at a close, it's time for us to look back at some the best films we've seen this year! As always, we'll be breaking this up into two parts, with the usual caveat that we're referring to the best movies I've seen as part of Film Gutter this year – they might be new, old or something inbetween. So, with all that said, let's get into it with number 10 through to number 6….  10) Frankenhooker (1990) – 8/10 This year probably sees more 'b-movies' than ever making their way into the top ten, despite it not always being my favourite form. I'm of the mind that I've probably watched some of the best of the milieu this year, beginning with Frank Henenlotter's riotous take on the Frankenstein myth, with lead Jeffrey attempting to recreate his dead girlfriend from the body parts of a host of dead prostitutes. It's ridiculous, but delivered with such energy and fun that it's hard not to warm to. 9) Pervert! (2005) – 8/10 There's nothing high-brow about Jonathan Yudis's homage to the word of Russ Meyer, but it is doubtless mighty entertaining. Featuring an absurd plotline about a young man's penis detaching from his body and going on a murderous rampage after a voodoo curse, this one is a pitch-perfect parody that warrants a watch, and is plenty more fun than many of the films I encounter at Film Gutter… 8) Excision (short) (2008) – 8/10 I've always been a huge fan of the feature-length version of this one, so it was a real pleasure to check out the short film that inspired it. While it maybe didn't quite achieve the heady heights of its extended version, there was plenty to like here in the dark, offbeat tale of a young girl's desperate attempt to help her younger sister – however she can...  7) Necrophilia (short) (1980) – 8.5/10 This obscure short from South Korea has a title that doesn't really fit with what it's all about, being more of a bizarre romantic offering about obsession, love and darkness. It’s visually fascinating, and a real puzzle that demands pulling apart. It might not be the easiest one to find, but it does weigh in as this year's leading short film for Film Gutter. 6) Society (1989) – 8.5/10 Another one of those underground favourites that still has plenty to say today, and this story of the rich literally eating the poor is probably more apt than ever in 2019. While the majority of the movie is loaded with paranoia, it's particularly renowned for an absolutely outrageous finale, and even now the closing 20 minutes of this one need to be seen to be believed. Be sure to tune in next week for part two of Film Gutters rundown of the top ten films   FILM GUTTER REVIEWS: RE-ANIMATOR (1985)
5/12/2019
 Dir. Stuart Gordon, 105 mins, USA It's rare that I would tend to say a movie needs no introduction, but Re-Animator comes pretty damn close. I could just launch right in, but as we're continuing our run of Brian Yuzna movies (he was producer in this instance, with directing in the capable hands of Stuart Gordon) it makes sense to say a few words in case anyone has been living under a rock since this one's release back in the 80s. Taking its inspiration from HP Lovecraft's renowned short, Herbert West: Reanimator, this movie brings the action to an updated setting and features a popular lead performance from horror favourite Jeffrey Combs and has earned itself a strong fan following. But is Re-Animator worth digging up and reviving for another watch? The story itself follows Herbert West, a young medical student arriving at Miskatonic University with some strange ideas where it comes to death, or more tellingly bringing the dead back to life. His views make him pretty unpopular, and when he moves in with Dan Cain, a far more conventional student at the University, they appear to be on a collision course with the initial tension between them. That's without mentioning Dan's girlfriend, Meg Halsey, the daughter of the University's dean, who dislikes West from the very get go. The situations is certainly not helped when West attempts to bring back to life Dan's dead cat, Rufus – with some sort of success, despite its aggressive nature when it is reanimated. This proves to Dan that Herbert West is on the right track, however, so from then on he agrees to serve as West's apprentice in his forbidden studies. And when those experiments go from animals to humans, things take an even darker turn, with the sinister Dr Hill attempting to take Herbert West's life-giving reagent from him. What follows is a glorious riot of zombies, mind control, headless people and all sorts of other assorted craziness that only 1980s horror could deliver.  It's interesting to think that numerous of these 80s movies don't really hold up in the current day – barring the nostalgic rose-tinted glasses we all wear sometimes - and when you factor into that I'm not the biggest fan of b-movies you might assume I'd be a little down on this one. But this one reminds me immensely of Society, directed by Yuzna, in that underneath all the insanity there's actually something being said. Sure, it goes a pretty extreme way about it, but the moral of Lovecraft's original is not lost, and nor are the messages of medical ethics, playing god, how we feel about life and death, relationships, friendships and more inbetween. It's true I'm not always big on b-movies, but where there is substance they stand a much better chance of making a lasting impression and being a satisfying experience. This one also has a vibrant energy and creativity to it also – the effects still look very decent today, and their quirkiness makes for compelling viewing throughout. Throw into all that a memorable lead performance from Combs, as well as an iconic role from Barbara Crampton, and what you have is a heady mix that can't help but make you laugh, smile, and maybe even scream once or twice en route. There's never a dull moment, whether those moments range from the silly and outrageous to the dark and disturbing. For me Re-Animator is one of the best examples of its form, right up there with the likes of Frankenhooker and the aforementioned Society, and as such earns a high grade at 9/10. If you've not yet had the chance to check out this cult classic, do yourself a favour and give it a watch!   |
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