AITH’s Top Horror DVDs/Blu-rays of 2011!

ZOMBIE (PAT TORFE)

I’ve always had a soft spot for Lucio Fulci’s ZOMBIE aka ZOMBI 2. Whether it’s the shark vs. zombie scene or Olga Karlatos getting the mother of all splinters in her eye, folks always talk about this film. While initially done to cash in on a more well-known zombie flick going by the name of DAWN OF THE DEAD, Fulci managed to put his own stamp on the genre with his film that stands out as one of the best zombie films, in my useless opinion. But enough shilling, here’s the deal: In 2004, Media Blasters and Blue Underground each released a newly remastered version of ZOMBIE on DVD. Media Blasters put together a great set, porting over Anchor Bay’s 1998 extras as well as throwing in a few of their own, including a 100-minute documentary that covered pretty much everything about the film. Sadly, Blue Underground got the short end of the stick with their release, including only a few promo materials for extras.

Flash forward to 2011, where Blue Underground still had the rights to ZOMBIE and decided to bring the film to Blu-Ray. This time around, they’ve done their own awesome extras. The film’s been cleaned up even more with this release, getting worked over by studios in Italy and Los Angeles. Did I mention that this is the uncut version of the film? The soundtrack gets worked over as well, including a sweet 7.1 DTS track, the original monaural track and the 5.1 EX remix. Plus, you get your choice of either the Italian language track or the English version. Six tracks in all! As far as extras, Blue Underground once again gets Anchor Bay’s extras, as well as producing their own featurettes in glorious HD. These ones cover much the same as Media Blasters’s documentary, but includes even more stuff starting with the appearance of actors Ian McCulloch, Richard Johnson, Al Cliver, and Ottaviano Dell’acqua at the Cinema Wasteland convention in Ohio from last year. The group really enjoys talking about the film, almost as much as Guillermo del Toro, who chimes in during a separate featurette. The disc tops things off with an appearance by Fulci’s daughter talking about her father, his films and ZOMBIE’s enduring fame.

Blue Underground have outdone themselves with this set, and have taken over from Anchor Bay in terms of releasing outstanding Blu-Rays and DVDs of horror films from the 70s and 80s. If you’re a fan of zombie films, you obviously know that this one is one of the greats, and to have it restored and presented with a wealth of new extras is a no-brainer when it comes to picking it up. Owners of Media Blasters’ 2004 release may still want to hang onto that set for its unique extras, but for those who didn’t pick that one up, Blue Underground is your opportunity to get the film in glorious HD with some great extras.

THE FRIGHTENERS (ANDRE MANSEAU)

Hey, have you ever heard of Peter Jackson? You know, that guy who directed the Lord of the Rings trilogy and King Kong? Well, I know most of you knew this already, but before he directed blockbusters, he directed weird, awesome and occasionally disgusting movies (if you haven’t seen Bad Taste, Dead Alive or even Meet the Feebles…get on it).

I’m proud to present my favorite blu-ray of 2011, The Frighteners. When I heard this flick was finally being given the hi-def treatment, I swooned with pleasure; I have fond memories of watching this flick alone in the theater (no one saw it) when I was only young. It still holds up quite well, and it isn’t low budget like many of Jackson’s earlier works. Armed with a big budget and jammed full of effects and wonderment, this one is a fun movie that features a great performance from Michael J. Fox as a dude who cons some ghosts into haunting people (he can speak to ’em) in order to make money. People start getting offed in nasty ways and he gets followed around by the great Jeffrey Combs, who plays a manic FBI agent.

Sure, the flick isn’t perfect (Jake Busey is one of the super-hammy villains), but it manages to walk the line of comedy and horror quite well. In fact, this package includes the superior director’s cut of the film, and as if that isn’t enough, there is a FOUR and a half hour making of documentary that is downright exhaustive. This thing captures everything you want, from interviews to deleted characters and scenes, effects work and behind the scenes stuff that really explains things for you.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, as there’s more to enjoy on the disc. The bottom line is that The Frighteners is a forgotten gem that never found its audience during its theatrical run, has gotten a great a/v treatment in HD and features a ton of great extras. Pick it up!

RED HILL (MIKE CATALANO)

There are two reasons why I’m selecting RED HILL as my favorite DVD of 2011. One, I absolutely loved this film. And two, I want YOU to reap the same kind of joy I did, so I’m using this forum as a means for getting the word out on the flawless flick!

You guys ever hear of RED HILL? Yeah, I doubt it, hence my reasoning for bringing it to your attention. I had the pleasure of reviewing a screener of this film way back at the end of 2010. It was one of the best I’ve ever seen, so obviously, it fell onto the top of my list of most wanted DVDs of 2011. And even though it came out at the beginning of the year, it still f*cking qualifies!

First off, RED HILL is a modern day western, so if you’re into westerns, you should already be sold. I, for one, am not a huge western fan, but I am a big fan of movies suited to Arrow in the Head that feature a well-told story and some creativity. And yes, RED HILL succeeds in handling my two stipulations. In fact, it over-succeeds! The basic story for the film is so simple, a mentally scarred officer transfers to a presumably quiet town only to end up pitted against a bad-ass escaped convict on his first day on the job, yet the subtle emotional nuances, fantastic character development, and killer action make HILL stand out far and above the rest.

Ryan Kwanten may be most recognized for his role on True Blood, but it is here in RED HILL where he truly shines in his performance as the wounded lawman. Equally at top form is Steve Gisley as the town’s old, no-nonsense sheriff. And lastly, the flick would not have owned as much as it did without the brilliant Tom E. Lewis as the escaped convict. The dude brought new meaning to menacing in the manner with which he skulked about the town, offing nearly anyone that tried to stop him. And get this: he barely spoke a single word of dialogue. That’s impressive and I dare your interest not to be at least slightly piqued to check out how Mr. Lewis pulls this off.

Now, I know that because this is a DVD I’m requesting, that I’m supposed to have a list of great special features to look for. To be honest, the RED HILL disc doesn’t offer very much besides a couple of trailers… and I STILL want it! When I purchase a DVD or Blu-Ray, the main reason ain’t because of the special features. The reason is whether or not I liked the movie and I LOVED RED HILL! However, the music and sound effects are incredible and should play very well on any television with a decent enough sound system.

In closing, I want the suspense-packed, emotionally-charged RED HILL DVD this Christmas whether it’s from Santa Claus or Satan Claus (“Jimmy, he’s out there… and he’s only getting stronger.” “So, what do we do about that?” “Be prepared, son. That’s my motto: be prepared.”) Sorry for that slightly off-topic LAST BOY SCOUT dialogue. It’s the holidays and I’m currently lit up like a Christmas tree! Cheers!

SUPER 8 (AMMON GILBERT)

In a year plagued by remakes, sequels, and comic book movies, the one movie that had the balls enough to do something new and original was J.J. Abrams’ SUPER 8, reaching back into the days of Spielbergian sci-fi and adventure, and delivering one of the best movies of the year in the process. From the likable group of kids to the zombie movie they’re making to a masterful musical score by Michael Giacchino and one of the most epic train crash sequences ever filmed, SUPER 8 had it all and then some.

On top of the sheer epicness of the film itself, the film’s Blu-ray release is what Blu-rays are all about, featuring tons of special features, a gaggle of interesting deleted scenes, and one of the best collection of making-of featurettes I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching. The picture quality is amazing (sun-flares and all) as is its 7.1 TrueHD Dolby Digital surround sound mix, an effort that truly puts that train crash into your living room. While SUPER 8 is far from perfect, the double-whammy of it being a damn good movie and its Blu-ray being the stuff that great Blu-rays are made of (it even comes with a DVD + Digital Copy, which is always a nice bonus) catapults it into the realm of awesomeness, thus holding its spot as the best Blu-ray release of 2011!

INSIDIOUS (RYAN DOOM)

So trying to decide on a choice for best DVD of the year is never an easy task. There’s a hell of a lot of releases and even more re-releases which are dumped out for mass consumption. However, this year the choice wasn’t all too difficult. Even though I’m not a fan of overall Saw series, I am a fan of director James Wan, who consistently spits out quality dark and disturbing material with movies like the aforementioned Saw, Death Warrant, and Dead Silence. His work isn’t all classic, but so far in his brief career, it has always been good material that never panders to the dumb nor plays like director without a vision. I hope he never strays into big budget movies because big budgets usually mean less creativity and more input from people who shouldn’t have input in movies.

But that isn’t the case with Insidious. Wan creates a tight, effective ghost story that works perfectly within its near nothing budget. It doesn’t rely on ridiculous CGI or clichéd ghost plot points. Instead, he plays to the genre expectations, but then takes the film for a detour, creating a good horror flick that could end up being a classic. Is it perfect? No. Does it ooze blood from your TV? No. Do it surprise and scare? You bet. Insidious uses the classic ghost formula (which has been bled to death) as only a starting point to blend a strong character story with plenty of simple, uncanny scenes. When I watched Insidious on Blu-ray (which looks fantastic, though it could have used a few more extras), I expected nothing more that another possessed kid ready to terrify the world. Instead, I found something that felt original, and in today’s horror market, it is something we should never take for granted. Plus, I’m really starting to love Wan’s use old women, which always rates high on my list of things that conjure nightmares. Nothing is more frightening than having a dead bitch in a wedding dress haunt your dreams.

SUPER 8 (MATT WITHERS)

Picking a DVD of the year was a tough one for me since I rarely watch anything on DVD anymore that‘s not sent to me for review, and I‘ll be honest, the vast majority of what I review isn‘t making it onto any Best Of lists! But in a coincidence of synergistic brilliance, I was catching up on films I’d missed throughout the year (more than I’d like to admit thanks to the schedule draining powers of parenthood), and the fantastic DVD-Blu-Ray combo two disc release of SUPER 8 was a top priority.

I’d somewhat avoided it because of negative backlash when it came out. I was hearing all sorts of grumblings about an unsatisfying ending, a weak monster, that it didn’t live up to the generated hype of the marketing campaign and what not. Turns out I shouldn’t have worried. The voices that had it right are those who said it was a more Spielberg-ian film than even Spielberg makes anymore. Even if all the criticisms were true, the strength of the kids who run this show would overshadow it. I haven’t seen a combo cast of kids this strong since movies like STAND BY ME, THE GOONIES and EXPLORERS.

I think two things hurt the film on its release. The Pavlovian response of the interwebs to the idea of a joint Spielberg/Abrams project had expectations at some sort of messianic level. I’m not sure if people were expecting SUPER 8 to cure cancer, or just make their love life better, but certainly more expectation was put onto it than any film could deliver on. It’s great, but you’ll still have zits and wish your cock was bigger when you’re done watching it. However, you will also have seen one of the best movies of the year not titled DRIVE.

All of which made me pretty pissed at myself for not catching it in theaters. Fortunately the DVD release is so f*cking beautiful that it was OK. One of the biggest issues I have with any F/X heavy flick is that green screen and CGI work usually stick out so obviously when you’re watching it at home. Not at all the case here. Might as well have been watching it with a home projector for how perfect it captured the cinema experience. I’m not a big tech spec guy, but 1080p high def transfer and spectacular black levels are what deserve a large part of the thanks from what I understand.
It’s also worth noting that the sound design and the sound track are nearly characters in and of themselves in this flick, and could not be stronger if the events were taking place right in front of you. If you have a baller home theater set up, this is the time to get the most out of that bastard. And if you don’t, you’re still going to be serviced by the audio equivalent of a high-class, and very reasonably priced escort.

I won’t spend too much time on Special Features since much of their value is determined by how much you like the film they’re attached too, but you get a lot. A great audio commentary is the anchor of any good set of extras, and this one is compulsively listenable as well as informative. You’ll also find 8 traditional BTS features which deepen the world of SUPER 8, along with an extraordinary script-to-screen look at the key train crash sequence in the film. And no SpecFeat group is complete without Deleted Scenes. As per usual, while there is some fun spending more time with characters we like, it’s usually fairly clear why certain bits ended up on the cutting room floor.
All in all, an amazing offering that satisfies on just about every level.

BELLFLOWER (ZOMBIE BOY)

Bellflower is by far the best movie I’ve seen all year. The movie opens with a strong foreboding of things
to come, but then lulls you into a false sense of security with its earnest and believable characters who
you really root for to find happiness. Then the movie drops an a-bomb on you, and your heart explodes
into a million pieces that burst out of your chest and ruin the drapes.

Okay, not really. But the ending is brutal, and you will be waving your hands at the screen, begging for
everyone to just stop and chill out for a moment. Writer/director/editor/star Evan Glodell has crafted an
intense and disarming story of betrayal and grief. I have it on Blu-Ray, and the High-Def transfer delivers
Joel Hodge’s sun-drenched photography crisp and clear. The HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround track also
delivers the goods, whether it’s the bombast of the flame-thrower and Mother Medusa, or the subtle,
haunting Jonathan Keevil score.

And as evidenced by the special features on the disc, the Mother Medusa car is totally real. Everything
it does in the movie it does in real life. The surveillance cameras, smoke-screen, fire-spitting, everything.
It’s damned impressive. There is no commentary on the disc, but it does have a lengthy making-of
featurette and a much-needed blooper reel, considering how depressing the conclusion to the film is.
The Blu-Ray is top-notch all the way around, but have no fear: it also comes with a DVD copy of the film
so you’re covered all the way around.