On the flip side there are a lot of films that are far from being mentioned in a best of horror list. I did not get to see the widely panned RED RIDING HOOD but I tell you what- I think I dodged a bullet there. There are a wide variety of direct to DVD releases that, let’s face it often end up being less than satisfying. Some of the more disappointing releases I was able to see over the course of the year were THE PERFECT HOST, which didn’t strike me as terrible at first but after a while it lost more and more of my respect and I was also pretty let down by HOSTEL PART III. The HOSTEL sequel was not offensively bad but it did nothing to add to that series minus the cool Vegas aspects of the story.
A few other direct to DVD titles I didn’t get a chance to see were CHILDREN OF THE CORN: GENESIS and HELLRAISER: REVELATIONS but I did see the trailer for the new HELLRAISER and I have to say it looked like an atrocity. The most perplexing horror story of the year for me is another movie I didn’t get to see which is the same for quite a few people I’m guessing. The film goes by the name of CREATURE and the odd thing here is that it got a relatively wide release in over a thousand theaters- the balance shifted back to normal the week after release and the box office returns were dismal and theaters immediately threw it in the dumpster.
For me though the undisputed loser of the year was CHROMESKULL: LAID TO REST 2. I really need someone to explain to me why there needed to be a sequel to LAID TO REST. I gave what little credit I could to the character of Chromeskull because of his look and his weapon of choice. I am still dumbfounded by what I witnessed in LAID TO REST 2- nothing makes sense to me. I don’t understand the company that’s working for Chromeskull- or is Chromeskull working for the company and he has seniority? Why is Chromeskull making out with dead bodies? What in the hell is Brian Austin Green talking about half the time and why did anyone ever give him work? LAID TO REST 2 is a massive miscalculation by everyone involved and I will not be sad if they decide to lay the series to rest.
Well that’s my thoughts on horror for the year that was 2011. Here’s hoping 2012 gives us some more thought provoking, cringe inducing and jaw dropping horror moments for horror fans to chew on come this time next year.
