Troll Hunter (2010)

Is there still life left in the found footage genre?  Yes.  I discovered this gem thanks to the jaded reviewer (great blog; check it out).  The best part about the movie is that there are no false pretenses.  It's a movie about trolls.  Yes, trolls.  And a troll hunter.  You know this from the start, so you can press play and roll with it.  I had a blast from start to finish, savoring the incredible landscapes of Norway throughout.  I usually don't care for fantasy and folklore, but this is really, really well done.  Too bad I missed it when it dropped on DVD last year.

The Woman (2011)

Think Halfway through I thought to myself, This seems like something Jack Ketchum would write. Well, it is; it's based on the novel by Mr. Ketchum and Lucky McKee. Admittedly, I've fallen out of touch with the publications from Dorchester (Leisure Books)--especially since I've read everything in print by Richard Laymon (including those that I had to order from the UK publisher, Headline Books). The Woman definitely has that Girl Next Door vibe and the cinematography is very similar to the aforementioned, Red, The Lost, and the nauseating Header. Of all the Ketchum adaptations, this one has the most to love. No real revelations or game-changer moments, but it's a solid movie with well-balanced black humor, steadily building tension, and eerie moments akin to those of Deadgirl.

2011: Top 10 DVD Releases

With limited time to watch movies last year, I definitely didn't get a chance to see all the titles I planned to watch. But of the movies I did see, here are my top picks. As usual, my list is limited to DVDs that released through Netflix during 2011.

Overall, I don't feel that 2011 was a very sensational year for horror, mostly, I feel, due to Hollywood genre-buzz pollution. This list was difficult to construct once I selected the top 5 because there were so many duds (e.g. My Soul to Take, The Ward). In any case, here's my very late list. I haven't watched any movies yet for 2012, but my Netflix Saved queue is full of promising titles: The Woman, The Pack, The Divide, The Innkeepers, ATM, Excision, John Dies at the End, Livid, and more.

10. Insidious
9. Paranormal Activity 2
8. Buried
7. Let Me In
6. The Clinic
5. Tucker & Dale vs. Evil
4. The Last Exorcism
3. I Saw the Devil
2. Dream Home
1. Hatchet II