Backrooms (2026)

Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a down and out furniture store manager, discovers a portal in the basement of his store that leads to a mysterious office space that seems to go on forever. His therapist Mary (Renate Reinsve) becomes concerned for Clark's well-being after he leaves her a cryptic message on her answering machine before disappearing. Mary goes to his store and enters the endless Backrooms to find Clark and bring him back. Now they are being chased by Bill Lumbergh (Gary Cole) who wants to make them fill out TPS reports forever and ever and ever...

To say that I was going to enjoy Backrooms (2026) no matter how good or bad of a film it turned out to be is a fair thing to, you know, say. Ever since I was a kid sneaking into construction sites and empty warehouses. Playing video games like Myst and Friday the 13th (the 1989 version); the kind where you end up spending a very long time just wandering around. Then as a young security guard back in the mid-1990s looking after some very empty and truly creepy spaces like an abandoned rehab facility, an unfinished medical building, and an ice cream factory on the coldest night of the year. So yes, I have felt a connection to something akin to what director Kane Parsons has cooked up.

Backrooms is an eerie, claustrophobic, and haunting film that hypnotizes from the moment it starts and put me in a place of unease that lasted long into the night after I left the theater. The film's score by Edo Van Breen (The Monkey and Keeper (both 2025)) and Kane Parsons hit all the right wistful/creepy buttons in my head and I hope I can score a copy for myself sometime. And finding out that Osgood Perkins, my favorite horror director working today, was among the producers that worked on Backrooms made me very happy indeed. 

You know shit is gonna be big when my mom, who doesn't give a crap about movies, texted me asking about Backrooms. Bless her. My bud Sam and I had a good crowd at AMC Veterans here in Tampa. Everyone seemed to enjoy it though two teenagers bailed around the 10-minute mark which made me sad.

Exit 8 (2025)

While commuting to his second job, a man (Kazunari Ninomiya) receives a call from his ex (Nana Komatsu) with news that she’s pregnant. When she asks if she should keep the child, the man begins to panic; but being a sperm slinger is just the beginning of his problems. He discovers that he is trapped in an unending maze in the underground subway system. The same hallway repeats over and over again, and his only way out is to pay close attention to the details and to turn back when he sees any anomalies. And worse still, he isn’t alone down there.

For the first time in the history of filmmaking, a movie has come out based on a video game! I’ve only ever seen a playthrough of the 2023 “walking simulator” that Exit 8 is based on, but it translated to a film quite well thanks to a great script from Kentaro Hirase and excellent direction from director/co-scripter Genki Kawamura. This liminal space horror film has some chills, but mainly it’s hypnotic and thrilling with an unexpected emotional punch. The creators of the game and the filmmakers deftly capture the horrors of the endless mundanity of the daily grind and the terror of when chaos rolls up to break the loop we’ve come to rely on.

 

They Will Kill You (2026)

They Will Kill You (2026) stars Zazie Beetz as Asia Reeves, a young woman who takes a job as a maid in a satanic hotel on purpose. But why? Reasons! My wife and I enjoyed They Will Kill You because it's a freakin' fun ride; though for me, I would've enjoyed it considerably more back when I still liked Quentin Tarantino. This feels a lot like Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), which is the only work of QT's that I still revisit ever. 

The action choreography is top notch (though a little video game-y in parts) and the synth-heavy score by Carlos Rafael Rivera is quite good. It's great to see Heather Graham and Patricia Arquette in action, even though Arquette's Irish accent is a little dodgy. I live in Florida, so you know I'm an expert on Irish dialects. So all-in-all, They Will Kill You is worth a look and besides, who doesn't love a US-South African-Canadian co-production from a Russian director!?

My Favorite First Time Watches Of 2025

 

Silly as it sounds, I can't help but get so freakin' excited around this time every year because it's time once again to get out my creepy notebook and peruse my first time watches. My hope is that you will find something in here you forgot about or haven't heard of before to add to your "To Watch" list for 2026. My brain is already electrified with all of the stuff I can barely wait to get to in the coming year. Sadly, I only watched like 90 new-to-me movies this year. Ugh, that is awful! I did a whole mess of rewatching favorite shows and movies. 2026 will be different, trust me. I did watch one new show that I loved called "Murderbot" (2025). Highly recommended.

Before I get started, I want to mention a couple of things I did that I would be grateful if you'd lend your eyes/ears to. I put out two albums of ambient music this year. One on the techno side of things and another of the ambient guitar variety. The first is Light Pollution and the second is Sleep/Walk Situationer. I'm immensely proud of these releases, and don't worry, I'll make more! My musical moniker is The Slow Wizard and my YouTube channel where I share my meager attempts at learning synthesizers and other doodads is chugging along. And lastly, the Hello! This is the Doomed Show podcast is still going strong as is my Doomed Moviethon channel. 

In other news: Doomed Moviethon Dot Com celebrated its 20 year anniversary in 2025. I can't believe that I've been writing about horror and cult movies for twenty freakin' years. Unreal. To all of you who have been there supporting my work all this time or folks new to my nightmare worldview, thank you one thousand and five times. I guess I'll keep doing this shiz. 

Okay, that's enough self advertisement -though you should really check out this commercial I made. Anyway! Here are my favorite films I watched this year. As usual, this is not a top 10 list and the order is mostly random, though my favorite film of the year always gets the top spot. Let's go!

Keeper (2025)

Anyone who knows me definitely saw this choice coming as my favorite film of the year. What can I say? I'm always up for the strangeness that Osgood Perkins is going to deliver. And Keeper is certainly a strange one! I went to the theater and it turned out that I was the only person who'd bought a ticket for that night's showing. So there I was, alone in the room, dead center in a sea of empty seats, and regretting not being able to convince LeEtta to come with me. Why? Because I was freakin' scared! (And also this film should have done better.) I can't wait to get this on disc and see it again!

The Vourdalak (2023)

Oh, hello there, France. I remember seeing an early trailer for this and thinking, "I NEED TO SEE THIS." Then finally, it popped up for rent and I went for it. Between the masterful version of this story from Mario Bava in Black Sabbath (1963) and the gory version called Night of the Devils (1972), I never expected another adaptation to hit as hard for me as The Vourdalak does. First time feature film director Adrien Beau (not to be confused with Adrian Belew) takes this film to some very atmospheric, ghoulish, and surreal places. What a treat!

Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

LeEtta and I watch a whole bunch of Agatha Christie adaptations all the time, so I've seen multiple versions of her classic tale. And yet somehow, I had missed this star-studded affair from total boss, Sidney Lumet. Everyone in this film is a who's who of awesome A-listers from multiple generations of Hollywood, but it's Albert Finney's gleeful portrayal of Hercule Poirot that makes this one a new favorite I'll enjoy time and time again. 

Oddity (2024)

I can't get excited about The Conjuring or Insidious movies. They're fine, but I've never seen past the second installments of either franchise. Then a movie like Oddity comes along and, for my money, does what those films do, but better. Or at least, it does ghosts really, really well without the cheap -I'm not talking budget- feeling. This spooky ass film also has Carolyn Bracken in it, an actress that I can't take my eyes off. And she is great in this! 

Loft (2005)

I kept stashing this one for a rainy day and when that rainy day arrived, I was totally blown away. Kiyoshi Kurosawa has had the most incredible career, and every time I find another one of his that I haven't seen before, I feel hashtag blessed. How he manages to get so much dread and creepiness into his films is nothing short of miraculous. One of the things I love about him, and something that is absolutely true of Loft, is his films move in such unexpected ways. A fine journey to Hell. 

Sinners (2025)

Usually, I am prepared for a film to hit me in the emotional solar plexus. For instance, I knew Godzilla Minus One (2023) was going to get me, and it did! But the ugly crying I did after Sinners was nearly out of control. Even trying to talk about this film had me choking up for a days afterward. It comes down to emotionally connecting with the characters. The performances, the script, the music, and the production design all came together exquisitely. Those things along with the assured hand of a great director, this was bound to hit and hit hard. The night I saw this film, I was in the presence of greatness.

L.A. Bounty (1989)

I was feeling sad about the passing of Wings Hauser, and I snagged a few of his lesser known (to me) titles and L.A. Bounty was my favorite of the handful I checked out. He plays the whacked out villain in this one and not surprisingly, he almost steals the whole movie. This one is Sybil Danning's show through and through. She plays a mostly mute bounty hunter who will kick your dick inside out. You need to see this.

Hercules (1983)

Luigi Cozzi made a sci-fi sword and sandal movie in the 1980s packed with eye-popping special effects?! And it's got Lou Ferrigno, Sybil Danning, William Berger, Bobby Rhodes, AND Gianni Garko? Then sign me up! Hercules has just tiniest bit of lag in its energy in the last reel, but otherwise this one is damn near perfect. It's pretty wild. I have to give credit to my childhood favorite, Clash of the Titans (1981), for inspiring the little wave of fantasy films like this and Lucio Fulci's Conquest (1983).

Furiosa (2024)

Sadly, the negative hype of this one got to me -partly that it was a prequel and partly that it was going to be more CGI-heavy than Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)- so I didn't see it in theaters last year. That was dumb of me! I should have had faith in George Miller, because I enjoyed Furiosa so damn much. The weirdness and the contemplative moments of Fury Road were expanded into this insanity. As usual, I'm looking forward to rewatching the whole franchise from start to finish, and I'll be excited to see how this one plays out with the rest of the films.

Strike Commando 2 (1988) 

While I very much enjoyed Bruno Mattei and Claudio Fragasso's Strike Commando (1987), this sequel never missed a beat for me in terms of the awkward, cornball bullshit I want from a shockingly derivative Italian action film. The characters are total weirdos that make me laugh every time they open their mouths, usually to scream at each other and the action scenes are actually cool even though they almost make zero sense sometimes.  

The Monkey (2025)

Did I actually get two Osgood Perkins films in one year and they were both great? Yes, but also yes. While Keeper was more in keeping with what I crave from Perkins's work, The Monkey is a solid entry in his filmography. While I'm pretty much done with gore for comedy sake -though there are exceptions like Psycho Goreman (2020)- there's a great deal of heart stashed away in this outrageous film. 

Black Tight Killers (1966)

I had never heard of this film until Radiance posted the boffo trailer for it, and I turned it off after just a few seconds because the fire had been lit. When the Blu-ray arrived, the film exceeded my expectations! If you need some dynamic spectacle in your life, then Black Tight Killers is for you. It's a pop art explosion with a bonkers ass plot. 

The Night of the Walking Dead (1975)

Rod and Troy of the The Naschycast covered this film ages ago on their show and I very patiently waited for someone, somewhere to put this one out in a non-shitty bootleg/download. Sure enough, Severin Films came in like champs and I was finally able to see this one on a nicey nice Blu-ray. This León Klimovsky jam was totally worth the wait. If you need more strange and atmospheric Spanish horror in your life, then bump this one up in your queue. 

Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025)

Well, dress me up in a tinsel tutu and call me Rudolf, I did not see this last one coming at all. This new take on the freaky ass SNDN franchise hit all the right sleigh bells for LeEtta and I. We absolutely loved this. I love how they too what folks who are familiar with the first film and threw a whole new spin on it, and I think made this just a cool film for newbies. I can't wait to get my hands on this one in the new year.

Honorable Mentions

Surf II (1983) - Truly bizarre spoof movie and sequel to nothing. 

Ferrari (2023) - Classy. Cars are cool or whatever.

The Lady Vanishes (1979) - A cozy and delightful film. 

Mickey 17 (2025) - Do we need more dystopian sci-fi? Always.

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) - Essential 1970s trash. 

Trancers II (1991) - Oh my God! Almost better than the original. 

Stopmotion (2023) - Sad and damn good horror to depress you.

Lady Morgan's Revenge (1965) - Excellent Italian gothic.

Camp Fear (1991) - Almost a fave of the year but I can't remember it.

Prime Cut (1972) - This is so good and so badass that I can't even.

Hired to Kill (1990) - Outrageous and cheap action. A parody?

An Eternal Combat (1991) - Very imaginative Hong Kong goodness.

The Power (1984) - Ambitious horror schlock.

Cut (2000) - Aussie slasher goodness that is pretty wild. 

Weapons (2025) - I want to bottle and sell this one's energy.  

Mister Scarface (1976) - Silly but charming poliziotteschi from my birth year.

Worst Films I Watched This Year

Bloody Psycho (1989) - Just jaw-droppingly bad. Kind of infuriating.

Summer Catch (2001) - Cinematic food poisoning.

Children of the Living Dead (2001) - Brutally sucky, but in a bad way. 

My Favorite First Time Watches Of 2024

Hey there, my friends. It's that time again. For an entire year, I wrote down every single one of my first time watches, and now it's time to blab about my favey faves. As usual, there is no ranking to this list. It's just a big old pile of movies and it's up to you to rank them from best to worst on your time. Not my time. Your time. This is my LetterBLOGxd account.

Before you read on, be sure to take a gander at my little book that I released at the beginning of this year called Giallo Meltdown 2 or any of these fun cameos I did on other people's cool shows this year. Like this one or this one or this one or this one. Anyway, I am so grateful that you are here and I hope you enjoy this blogging blog.

Cuckoo (2024)

I know I said I wasn't going to rank this list but here's my favorite film of the year! I was so totally blown away by Luz (2018) that I was up for pretty much anything that writer/director Tilman Singer had in his pocket. Cuckoo is a gorgeous, intense, and totally freakin' weird horror movie/sci-fi thriller. Some folks were put off by how the mechanics of what is going in this film are never explained, but I couldn't care less. Give me the strange, please. I can't wait to watch this one again.

Don't Look Up (1996)

From director Hideo Nakata and writer Hiroshi Takahashi comes this spooky gem that gave me some hair-raising frights. But it's not just another long-haired lady ghost horror movie from the classic late 90s/early 00s Japanese horror boom, Don't Look Up is also about the magic of filmmaking. Where is the damn Blu-ray for this one?!

The Blue Jean Monster (1991)

I hope that I never run out of Hong Kong comedy horror films to discover. This one is completely crazy, endlessly entertaining, and very stupid. You can read my full review right here.

Lovers Lane (2000)

Speaking of stuff that I didn't know existed. Literally a month before the Arrow Video Blu-ray was announced, I was like "How have I never heard of this slasher? Dang it, I want to see that!" And then there it was. Lovers Lane is a barely functional slasher that is as cheap as it is lovable.

The Devil Rides Out (1968)

This film had been eluding me for years and I kept hearing from my bud Brad that it was great, so I finally made time to give it a whirl. And boy oh boy, am I glad that I did! The Devil Rides Out is Hammer Films firing on all cylinders. Christopher Lee and Charles Gray are absolutely perfect here. If this satanic horror classic isn't already on your list to check out, I highly recommend you add it.

Seedpeople (1992)

I knew that Full Moon Pictures was gonna bring it, and they certainly did with Seedpeople. This is delightfully daft and a lot of fun. The effects are imaginative and if you like a goofy monster movie, you're gonna have a blast. This film would make a great pairing with some friends and some alcohol or something.

Bloodmoon (1990)

Oh, Australia, I knew you had my back. Bloodmoon is completely friggin' crazy. It's a slasher with some hilarious performances AND a lot of schmaltz AND cheese. Highly recommended if you think you've seen every slasher from the tail end of the classic era.

Death on the Nile (1978)

Remember that new version of Death on the Nile from 2022? I sure don't! LeEtta and I watch a lot of Agatha Christie, and yet this version was unknown to us. This is some star-studded throwback to old Hollywood from the director of King Kong (1976). If you love a stacked cast and a fun mystery, then you are gonna love this one. 

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988)

Holy heck. Speaking of films I should have watched AGES AGO. I was doing Pedro Almodóvar dirty by thinking I knew who he was and that I'd seen a couple of his films. Nope! I was just confused. Anyway, there are no words to describe how much I loved this film. It's an astoundingly beautiful comedy that is just wild as all get out. A must see.

Top Line (1988)

Director Nello Rossati could make some oddball trash films and Top Line is no exception. This Franco Nero vehicle is an action, adventure, and sci-fi mashup that is certifiably brain melting. Do whatever you can to avoid looking at trailers, screenshots, or plot stuff on IMDB. If you like Italian junk, just go into this one blind. Now I feel as though I need to see Rossati's Django Strikes Back (1987) which also features Nero, natch.

Longlegs (2024)

If y'all know me then you knew that Longlegs was gonna be on this list. What an absolutely horrific treat from Osgood Perkins. I'm curious to see if this one will have the rewatchability factor that both I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016) and Gretel & Hansel (2020) have for me. This one sunk into my skin quite deep, but I need a while before I see it again. Otherwise, this might have ranked higher. BUT that being said, I totally loved the hell out of it.

Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue (1992)

I talked about this sci-fi horror monsterpiece in my INV4SIAN wrap-up a few months ago. This one has everything you could ever want from a badass tokusatsu film and more! This is an hour and a half of magic. Seek it out.

Reibyo densetsu (1983)

I have seen Nobuhiko Ôbayashi films that have confused me and made my eyes explode, but I've never seen one that I didn't love. There's nothing about this film that isn't wonderful, dreamy, eccentric, and damn near perfect. It's a celebration of old timey horror movies and a throwback to the early days of movie making. Would make an excellent double feature with Don't Look Up (1996). 

Black Narcissus (1947) and The Red Shoes (1948)

I needed to check these two masterpieces off my list of arthouse shame, and here we are. If you require the power of pure cinema and will accept nothing less than the best, then get these two films in your face now. Directors Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger must have sold their damn souls to the devil to produce back to back works such as these. Hopefully, you already know these and are wondering how the heck I hadn't seen them before! Breathtaking.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (1983)

Did you want more Ôbayashi? So did I! This nostalgic little slice of brilliance is almost too beautiful to look at. It's as sweet as it is experimental. I would love to know how influential this film was on Japanese cinema and especially on anime. Superb.

The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

Speaking of Hammer Films, I have to share my shame here. I totally thought that I'd seen this one before for a long time. The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958) was the one I have seen multiple times and every time I watched that I would assume that I had seen its predecessor. Incorrect! Just five minutes in to Curse I was like "Hold on! This is all new to me! Wut?" Anyway, I would be a fool not to adore this all-timer. Don't tell anyone that my Hammer horror ignorance is showing. 

The Visitants (1986)

I have to close out this list with something that feels like it was made just for me. Rick Sloane, the director of Hobgoblins (1988), wrote, directed, and co-produced this oddball sci-fi/comedy crud and I just adored it so much. It's not good. When it was over, I looked at LeEtta and said, "Well, we've watched shitty Rocky Horror." She agreed. If you're looking for something bad but imaginative and weird to pair with The Midnight Hour (1985) next Halloween season, then give this one a look.

Here's a list of a bunch of other films I strongly enjoyed:

- The Eternal Daughter (2022)
- Where the Boys Are (1960)
- Thelma (2024)
- Slithis (1978)
- Late Night with the Devil (2023)
- Lisa Frankenstein (2024)
- Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (1981)
- I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
- Dragons Forever (1988)
- Wicked Little Letters (2023)
- Flesh and Fantasy (1943)
- MaXXXine (2024)
- Charade (1963)
- Fatal Games (1984)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)
- Rabid Grannies (1988)
- Eating Raoul (1982)
- Killer Fish (1979)

Worst things I watched this year:

- The Curse of the Screaming Dead (1982) - Brutally boring.
- Hansel and Gretel (1990) - Dull and flat Italian crud.
- Full Moon High (1981) - Unfunny disaster of a comedy.
- Hana no asuka gumi! (1988) - Overly long and directionless.
- Blood Suckers (1971) - An un-entertaining mess.
- The Defilers (1965) - Gross and ugly.
- Rent-a-Cop (1987) - Not even Liza can save this.
- The Crow: Salvation (2000) - What was that?!

My Favorite First Time Watches of 2023

Thankfully, my life has been very hashtag blessed when compared to how the rest of the world seems to be fairing. I'd love to say the phrase, "This has been a great year!" without the word "catastrophe" stuck in it somewhere. I hope you are doing well and staying sexy as hell so far in the '24. Anyway, last year was a very busy one for me as I was working on this freakin' book pretty much the whole time. Now that it's done, I feel like I can finally breathe and get this one started off right. And the best way to start the year off right is to look at last year for a while.

Before we get to the movies, here are my fave books and manga I read, music I listened to, and TV that I watched.

The Principal, The Substitute, and The Coach by M.C. Sumner - I've been a fanboy of the Super Chillers podcast since its inception and my pal Jeffrey (who co-hosts it) recommended this trilogy of YA horror novels to me, and I absolutely loved them. A vampire takes the job of the new principal at an overcrowded high school and shit goes crazy. If you're looking for some excellently paced, scary, and fun vamp stuff to read, check them out.

 

 

Mieruko Chan (2018 - onging) - I finally took a break from the numerous volumes of Junji Ito and tried a new to me manga that sounded fun, and Mieruko Chan absolutely destroyed my expectations. It is funny, sweet, and unsettling. I can't recommend this one highly enough and I can't wait for the next volume! I haven't seen the anime yet, so I can't speak on if that's worth seeking out. 

 

 

 At the Mountains of Madness (2019) - Speaking of new-ish to me manga, I was completely entranced by Tanabe Gou's superb and very detailed adaptation. I've read a ton of Lovecraft over the years, but I had never managed to get through Mountains. So, this story was completely new to me, and I can't stress enough how glad I am that this was how I chose to finally check it out. I wonder what Lovecraft, that old racist, would have thought of a Japanese man adapting his works.

Marnie Stern - The Comeback Kid (2023) - I waited 10 years for Marnie Stern, one of my top 5 favorite guitarists, to return to scene with a new record. Unsurprisingly, she came back with a vengeance and wrecked my mind with yet another collection of hyper, intricate, and dazzling songs to breathe life into my earholes. 

"Hetty Wainthropp Investigates" (1996-1998) - My wife and I watch a lot of British mystery shows from the golden era of the 80s and 90s, so I was very excited to have finally gotten around to this charming little show. Fans of Patricia Routledge's performance as Hyacinth Bucket on "Keeping Up Appearances" should check out this one out. It was very surprising for me to see Routledge play a character who is tough, smart, and sweet.

And now, my favorite first time watches in alphabetical order!

Abracadabra (1986) - I love watching the cast of this film trying to imitate actual humans. I don't know what Tai-Kit Mak, the director of the live action version of Wicked City (1992), told them, but I don't think it was "Hey, just act natural. You're playing a real person with thoughts and feelings like everybody else." I'm so glad that this insanity exists.

Arcane Sorcerer (1996) - Pupi Avati must have sold his soul to the devil, because his films are consistently excellent. This enigmatic wonder would pair well with the "BBC Ghost Stories for Christmas". Very highly recommended by yours truly.

The Boneyard (1991) - While scouring IMDB for Thanksgiving horror movies, I stumbled upon this oddity that I had forgotten (and often confused with The Vineyard (1989)). The Boneyard is a quirky and actually heartfelt little horror movie. I'm excited to check this one out again next time Thanksgiving is sneaking around the corner.  

Dial Help (1988) - An instant favorite and nearly my favorite film of the year. I'm not a huge fan of Ruggero Deodato's work, but this one just clicked with me. It's outrageously plotted, confusing, hyper-stylized, and just plain crazy. Where's the Blu-ray?

Godzilla Minus One (2023) - I reckon this will be on many, many people's favorites list this year. And it better be! This was the first Godzilla movie to make me cry. It's just insanely great and I'm so happy I got to see it in the theater with my bestie.

The Haunted Cop Shop (1987) - And here's yet another wild Hong Kong vampire film, but this one does some unexpected turns to keep things offbeat. The gags are zany and clever and the film has excellent moments of spooky atmosphere that pair well with the laughs. I can't wait to show this to unsuspecting friends.

A Haunting in Venice (2023) - Well well well. I guess the third time is the charm! I enjoyed Murder on the Orient Express (2017), but I thought Death on the Nile (2022) was very weak. Maybe most people felt that way. The spooky Venice setting is used to excellent effect here. The best thing I can say about A Haunting in Venice is that Branagh finally made a movie that is almost as good as the old Poirot TV series with David Suchet. 

Mausoleum (1983) - I kept putting this film off because I'd heard that there was an unrated version out there somewhere. When I finally got an uncut Blu-ray, I watched it with my Movie Party Crew buds and it was just awesome. All of the excess of the 1980s with boundless energy. What an absolute treat. 

Il medium (1980) - I'm always on the hunt for films that give me "The Vibe" AKA that magical Euro-horror vibe that I have been chasing for so many years. This supernatural giallo hits all of those buttons and more for me. This feels like a forgotten dream and It's my favorite film I watched this year. Seek it out!

Rockula (1990) - Tacky tacky tacky! Why were the 1990s so wonderful? Rockula is meant to be a comedy but it's also incredibly dumb, but I was very charmed by it all. This was a much better horror vehicle for the utterly fabulous and always scene-stealing Toni Basil than the sleepy Slaughterhouse Rock (1988). God bless you, Cannon Films. This is from the director of Ghoulies (1984) so it's little wonder that I enjoyed it so much.

The Unnaturals (1969) - I wish this gothic horror flick by Antonio Margheriti wasn't so hard to find because it is so damn good! It is such a haunting and stylish classic just waiting for more people to see it. This is another "Where's the Blu-ray?" film, because we needed one yesterday. 

Warlock: The Armageddon (1993) - I could have sworn I'd seen this one back in the 90s, but I only recognized one scene! In fact, I played the Warlock video game on my Sega Genesis when I should have been watching this movie instead. This film is hugely imaginative, well made, and just truly excellent stuff. Julian Sands was such an enormous talent and we all miss him terribly.  

Some runners up because my list is so huge!

Dark Harvest (2023) - A stylish surprise that I'm glad I didn't miss. 

Darkroom (1989) - A by-the-numbers slasher that is dumb and fun!

Death Spa (1989) - Relentlessly crazy and over-complicated weirdness. 

Evil Dead Rise (2023) - I just love being trapped in a nightmare.

Howling III (1987) - Beyond dumb. Beyond entertaining. Werewolf walkabout!

Kakashi AKA Scarecrow (2001) - Overlooked J-horror needs to be seen.

Killer Condom (1996) - I wish I'd watched this bonkers gem years ago.

Moonage Daydream (2022) - Only 3 hours? I wish this had been longer!

Nomads (1986) - Very interesting premise with a great cast.

Radioland Murders (1994) - A stacked cast. Beautiful and funny. 

The Witches Mountain (1973) - Very slow but rewarding Spanish horror.

My Top 13 Favorite First Time Watches Of 2022

 

 

After successfully reaching my goal of watching over 500 films last year, I decided to give myself a nice break from movie tracking (which I did successfully for like five years or more). But I have been keeping track of my first time watches this year, so I could make this nice list. As usual, my criteria for best first time watches of the year (because there were so many great ones yet again) is that I have to have loved the film AND I can't wait to see it again. Sometimes I see something that blew me away, but I don't when I'd go back for that second viewing. Heck, there are some that I might never watch again! What a concept.

The Big Winners

Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah (1991) - Totally wild tale of kaiju, aliens, time travel, and cyborgs. The plot doesn't care about them there pesky ass paradoxes. All it cares about is blowing your dang mind. I can't believe how long it took me to watch this wonderful thing.

Raiders of Atlantis (1983) - Wacko action/sci-fi madness and easily my favorite thing I've seen from the late Ruggero Deodato. The cast is awesome and the plot is outrageous, and that score by De Angelis is wonderful.

Leprechaun 3 (1995) - I had only ever watched part of the first Leprechaun film on cable once, and I saw enough to know the series was not for me. Well, that all changed when LeEtta and I got desperate for some St. Patrick's Day horror stuff. I still don't like the first film all that much or the second. But hot damn, part 3 is where it's at! The whole thing is just bonkers.

Once Upon a Crime (1992) - I have a vague memory of when this came out, but somehow it eluded me for years. Once Upon a Crime was certainly worth the wait, because I doubt I would've appreciated it as a kid.

Blood and Lace (1971) - My pal Brad kept telling me that I was going to love this one and he was not wrong. Like not even a little wrong at all. This one is such a demented little proto-slasher with lots of weirdos characters and a kooky plot. Truly amazing trash.

Get Crazy (1983) - A super charming and goofy New Year's Eve concert film that must be seen to be believed. I really can't wait to see this one again.

The Final Terror (1983) - Now this is early 80s slasher perfection. I can't believe that I slept on this one for many damn years. It didn't help that I was mixing it up with at least two other slashers released around the same time.

Children of the Night (1991) - This charming slice of strange from Fangoria Films made me so damn happy. If you think you've seen it all, just keep digging and you'll get rewarded with some unique and fun stuff like this. Children of the Night would make a great Peter DeLuise double feature when paired up with The Midnight Hour (1985).

Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge (1989) - What a treat! I had been under the impression that I'd seen this one before. But I definitely had not! This one has got some crazy energy to it. 80s as all heck and very entertaining.

The Brain (1988) - I kept confusing The Brain with Frank Henenlotter's Brain Damage (1988), which I only just watched very recently. The Brain is pretty darn wild and weird. And this is a bonus Christmas movie. It's subtle, but it's there. Jingle jingle.

The Initiation of Sarah (1978) - I am a sucker for made-for-TV horror movies as everyone should be. This profoundly dumb schlock has a great cast and two movies packed into it, despite having no time for either to develop. Glad I waited for the Arrow Blu-ray.

Deadly Games (1982) - I love when a slasher movie is way more concerned about the lives of and relationships of the characters than the actual stalking and slashing. Plus, Deadly Games has an odd vibe to it and bonus, it also has some choice giallo imagery! 

Scanners III: The Takeover (1991) - I can't stop thinking about this insanely stupid garbage. It ain't good and rides the line of being awful, but it's just so damn entertaining and truly off-the-wall.

And here is the Not So Much Winners list. All of these films are ones that I heartily recommend, but I am in no rush to see them again in the near or far future. So, unlike the above list which was not arranged in any way, these are arranged from the ones I'm most likely to rewatch someday at the top, and then down to the ones I'd likely not watch again.

The Not So Much Winners

The Peacock King (1988) - More big concept insanity from the director or Story of Ricky (1991).

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993) - Convoluted in the best way and all-around fun stuff.

Alien from L.A. (1988) - A silly and charming mess from Albert Pyun (RIP).

Voyage of the Rock Aliens (1984) - Despite being just a tad too long, this is completely outrageous with a strong "what the hell did I just watch?" vibe.

See How They Run (2022) - A funny whodunit that is straight up good times. Sam Rockwell for the win.

The Band Wagon (1953) - If you're in the mood for a nutty musical with a contrived love story, you could definitely do worse. 

Halloween Ends (2022) - A breath of fresh air and my favorite of the new Halloween trilogy.

Dark Glasses (2022) - Our good buddy Dario Argento gave us a nice treat this year. While it didn't blow the doors off the place, it felt like a good return to form.

Shock 'Em Dead (1991) - Heavy metal horror that will destroy your brain cells.

Christmas in July (1940) - Charming and very funny comedy. Seek it out.

Def by Temptation (1990) - A huge surprise and just magical.

Rubber (2010) - What the actual frickin' frick is this? Seriously wow.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) - Totally jaw-dropping and heartfelt brilliance.

Vibrations (1996) - One of the strangest pieces of 90s crapola out there.

Cute Devil AKA Kawaii Akuma (1982) - Another Obayashi oddity. Spooky good times.

Bloodstone: Subspecies II (1993) - Better than the original and my favorite of the series.

Pearl (2022) - An outstanding film from the always reliable Ti West.

The Black Phone (2021) - Masterful storytelling, acting, and direction.

The Night House (2020) - Scary and beautiful stuff that got under my skin.

Last Night in Soho (2021) - A slam dunk in the form of a British neo-giallo.

Barbarian (2022) - A badass horror film that left me feeling thrilled and dirty.

Prey (2022) - A totally unexpected treat.

Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018) - A major tearjerker and a fine portrait of a unique and wonderful person who once walked on this planet.