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10 – Cowboy Killer – Roy Thompson dresses like a cowboy, acts like a cowboy and even lives by his own code of ethics. The problem is, if you don’t live up to Roy’s standards, he’ll kill you quick. The romantic scenes between Roy and the disembodied head are great! Filmmakers and actors who understand what an exploitation movie is and set out (and succeed in) making this probably the best made ‘exploitation’ movie of the year! Get a copy for yourself at the Cowboy Killer web site.
9 – Cowboy Smoke – A western brought into the modern day. Plain and simple. A convenience store clerk who wants to be a cowboy, a Texas Ranger who’s inept and corrupt and a drifter all cross paths in a modern western that could be described as ‘The Good, The Bad And The Ugly’ only set today. If you’re a fan of westerns (as I am) or just like a good old fashioned morality tale you’ll love this! Stare down the six shooter for yourself at the Cowboy Smoke web site.8 – Brutal Massacre – What goes on behind the scenes of a low budget horror movie? Well, as strange as it seems, Brutal Massacre is probably very close to the truth. Stellar performances by David Naughton and Ellen Sandweiss highlight as cast without one performance that isn’t solid! A horror fan’s delight, a great movie for movie lovers and a just damn funny movie! Check out the Brutal Massacre web site and grab a copy for yourself…you won’t be disappointed!
7 – The Wintress – This story of a woman abused takes the ‘burning bed’ genre and turns it around. You can’t help but feel sorry for any woman who’s terrorized, but at the end of The Wintress, you’ll be left wondering if this woman is abused of insane! Perfect casting and a great story make this one of the best shorts of the year! Find out more at The Wintress’ web site, and then be a bit kinder to your wife!
6 – Quench – Quench is one of those movies that I didn’t think I’d like, and then fell in love with. At first, you believe that this is just another ‘Satan worshippers’ movie, but when the truth is revealed, you’re left shocked and amazed. Quench brings gothic horror into the modern age in a near-perfect way. Great acting and a terrific story make Quench a must see indie movie! Quench your thirst for a great indie movie by checking out the Along The Tracks web page!
5 – The Watchman – What happens when someone with OCD becomes homicidal? Well, find out in this amazing short by Michael Anthony Horrigan. An obsession with time, a methodical compulsion to keep things in order lead to a strange situation and (in my opinion) a new potential franchise for the studio willing to take a chance on an indie! You can watch The Watchman for yourself by clicking over to the More Cowbell Pictures web page…and you definitely should!
4 – Making Poison – The best indie short I saw all year, and the one that stayed with me. Making Poison begins as a fun ‘kids getting revenge’ tale and then takes a heart wrenching turn, you’ll find yourself laughing and then suddenly crying…and I’m serious about that. Between amazing kid actors and perfect storytelling, director Le Xuan Hoa plays your heart-strings like a virtuoso! Check out Making Poison and other cool movies from Down Under, by heading to the Black Lantern Films web page.
3 – Iron Man – You can keep your Dark Knights, Iron Man was THE best comic book movie of the year…bar none!! From Downey’s perfect portrayal of Tony Stark, to amazing effects, Iron Man gave us a comic book movie disguised as a great action movie. Downey as Stark had the only great character arc in any comic book movie this year, and from the action, to the comedy, to the set up for future Marvel features, John Favreau made the best comic book movie to date…PERIOD! Get more info…as if you needed it…at the Iron Man official web site.2 – Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer – Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer is the Evil Dead for this generation. What happens when a young boy sees his family killed by monsters? Well, he buries the memory and develops a terrible anger management problem that he really doesn’t understand. But, when monsters suddenly surface in his life, Jack takes his anger and points it directly at the beasts and fights them in an amazing school battle. If Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer doesn’t spawn a sequel, then there’s absolutely no justice in this world! Check out the Brooks Street Pictures web page for info about Jack Brooks and how to see him kick some monster ass for yourself.
1 – Death Race – Some would say this is a strange pic for best movie of the year, but those people probably haven’t seen Death Race! Based very loosely on the Corman original, Death Race takes the killer car race to the next level. Amazing effects, some of the coolest cars and car stunts every filmed, and Jason Statham, who may be the best action movie star of the current era, makes Death Race an amped up action movie that will have you digging your fingernails into your theatre chair! Check out this bad ass movie that will make you want to drive waaay over the speed limit by heading to the Death Race web page.
So there you have them, the 10 best movies that I saw this year…that I saw. Now, I didn’t see every movie, and you may disagree with my choices, but I don’t see everything and there are movies that will appear on ‘best of’ lists and win awards that I would rather stab my own eyes out than see, but these 10 movies will keep you entertained, make you think a bit and definitely won’t bore you, and, after all, isn’t that what you want from a movie?