Being the first of the year, everyone is putting out their 'best of' lists, and, since I'm always a sucker for these dumbass things, I thought that it would be just as good a time as any to put out my own list! So, without any further ado, here are my top 10...plus 2 movies that I've seen in 2009.
#12 - Goth Kill: This story of a disillusioned inquisition era priest, who makes a deal with Satan to become immortal, only to turn up in our time harvesting souls who will be his eternal slaves is a pretty damn good low budget movie. The acting is good, the story is original and who can complain about a bunch of dead Goth kids?!? Visit the Gothkill page at Wild Eye Releasing for more info.
#11 - Dead By Dawn: A bunch of kids head to an isolated cabin in the woods to party, only to find themselves being killed off one by one. Sounds familiar, but Brendan Steere manages to put a new twist on the old genre and make a low budget slasher movie that's both different and fun! Head into the woods with Brendan and the gang at his Facebook fan page.
#10 - Earth Day: Everyone from hippies to terrorists is taken on in this tongue in cheek horror/comedy from Faux Show Productions. This story of a group of activists who are being hunted down one by one and the unwitting foreigner (who only wants to make hair care products) who gets in the middle of the killing spree, will make you laugh with the sheer political incorrectness of it all! Be offended by the fun, over at the Faux Show Productions MySpace page.
#9 - Horno: Combining horror and porno is a brilliant idea, and could only come from the twisted mind of Terrance Williams! Terrence takes great pleasure in finding the line of good taste and then not just crossing it, but shattering it completely! And, with this story of a porno shoot that's being terrorized by zombies, he really hits the mark! Cross the line with Terrence Williams and the Horno crew by visiting the Cinema Threat web page.
#8 - Lexie Cannes: When you tell someone that the movie is about a deaf transgendered person who's hunting the kidnapper of a missing girl, you might get some strange looks, but Lexie Cannes manages to take a strange premise and make it utterly watchable! Not dwelling in the 'oddness' of its characters, writer/director Tom Bertling instead treats these people are real, and so we're drawn into this compelling little tale of women helping other abused women! Take a walk in the night with Lexie by visiting the Lexie Cannes web site.
#7 - Caeser and Otto's Summer Camp Massacre: If you like your horror comedies with much more comedy than horror, then Caeser and Otto are for you! It's like a two man Three Stooges in one of the strangest, yet funniest horror movies of the year. When Caeser and Otto have to get out of town, they decide to become camp counselors for the summer, but when people begin turning up dead, their first instinct isn't to solve the evil deeds, but to run away and save themselves! In the end, these characters are hysterical and I can't wait to see more of them! Grab a copy of this for yourself by visiting the Ceaser and Otto web page.
#6 - She's So Cold: When a band makes a music video, you can usually figure out how the song fits the visuals. But, Angel Connell took the classic Rolling Stones song, She's So Cold, and turned it into something totally twisted! I'd love to tell you the complete story, but that would ruin the impact of this really cool short film. Find out more chilling facts over at Angel Connell's IMDB page.
#5 - Blue Collar Bastards: Mark Lewis of LevRock Pictures has a real grasp of what it means to be blue collar. Taking characters from his original movie, Bay State Blues, Mark furthers the story of these working class guys who are just trying to get along. A story of real men, doing real jobs and the real situations that we all can relate to makes Lewis' web series both riveting and entertaining. You can check this great series out for yourself by heading to the LevRock Pictures YouTube page.
#4 - Sculpture: When a young artist returns to her hometown following the death of her father, her suppressed memories begin to come forward and haunt her with visions of abuse from the past. Soon, she finds herself looking for the perfect man, and if she can't find him, maybe she'll make him for herself! A great story topped off with a really cool ending make Sculpture one of those 'must see' indie movies of the year. Unleash some suppressed memories of your own, by getting a copy at the Scream Kings web page.
#3 - Thanatomorphose: While it's only in the preproduction stages still, this trailer was one of the most powerful and compelling pieces of work I've seen in quite some time. Rarely will a trailer have me salivating for the movie, but this one managed it quite nicely! The story of a person who has a disease that causes their flesh to rot off them while they're still alive should get your attention right away, but when you imagine what that might do to a person's mind...and what ends they might go to to get their lovely skin back...well, you see that this could be one of the coolest indie horror movies ever! The trailer alone will have you wanting more, and you can check it out over at the Thanatofilms web page.
#2 - Staunton Hill: When the offspring of a famous filmmaker makes their own film, usually I approach it with some skepticism. Which is what I did with Cameron (son of George) Romeo's movie, Staunton Hill. Staunton Hill is the story of a group of Vietnam war protestors who find themselves stranded on the Staunton farm, where the Staunton family has lived for generations. The problem is that the Staunton's are a bit strange and, when the protestors begin to go missing, it's only a matter of time before the bloody truth is revealed! A visceral homage to the Texas Chainsaw movies, Romero does his father proud with this gory tale of family values! Head to the Anchor Bay web site to visit the Stauntons for yourself.
#1 - Widow: Some of the best stuff I've seen from the indie scene this year has come from Big Biting Productions in Kentucky. Their movie, Goatsucker, could just have easily been in this position, but there's just something about Widow that I couldn't get out of my mind. This story of a woman whose husband was found dead while traveling on business is, in the beginning, a downbeat love story. But, as the movie moves along, secrets are revealed and things begin to happen that make you question what the hell is going on! I can't say any more without ruining the movie, and this is one movie that you really do need to see, it's a great story with great acting and will have you sitting slack jawed in the end! Mourn with the Widow by visiting the Big Biting Pig Productions web site.
So, let's raise out glass in a toast to these great movies from 2009 and, here's hoping that 2010 brings us just as many...or even more...great indie movies! I, for one, will be standing by my mailbox waiting for the next great movie to share with all of you!