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.

My 13 Favorite First Time Watches Of 2021

2021 was yet another amazing year where everything in the world seemed to settle into place peacefully and everyone was happy. Of course, I'm talking about a multiverse far from our own. But in this 2021 and on this version of Earth, my family and I didn't have it easy or anything, but we were certainly hashtag blessed compared to a lot of folks. So, if your year sucked butt-like objects, I hope that this here thing called 2022 treats you much better.

When it came to what I watched movie-wise in 2021, I had one clear goal and it was to watch 500 films. I got really close in 2020 and it irked me that had I known how close I was going to get, I would've put the pedal to the metal in the last couple of months and rocked that funky joint. You hear that slapping sound? Thank goodness I was born with all those extra limbs so that I can pat myself on the back, because I freakin' did it! I managed to watch 504 films this year! I'm even more proud to say that 256 of those were first time watches, so my wife LeEtta and I didn't just rewatch movies from the MCU (like we are prone to do).

It certainly helps, that I've been writing Giallo Meltdown Part 2 and that meant that I managed to pull off several moviethons this year, which were key for reaching that goal of 500. My goal for 2022 is to have this wacky book project written (and heck, hopefully edited) before December pops up. Even though I'm working fast, I'm really trying to make Part 2 better than the original Giallo Meltdown in every way. I'm very proud of GM, but sometimes I read passages in it and go "Wow, I actually released this into the public for people to read, huh?"

Anyway, I know there are some of you radical movie peeps out there who probably watched way, waaaay more than 500 films this year. That's awesome! And there are those of you who struggled to get even half of the number you wanted to get to. That's awesome as well, because you got to watch some! Everyone knows that life and TV and video games and croquet championships get in the way of us accomplishing our eyeball goals. Measuring how long our movie watching peepee sticks are is dumb and my goal is to watch a whole lot less films next year.

One last thing before I get to my list of favorite watches from 2021... I've been tracking my film watching on this blog for 5 years in a row now. I'm totally sick of it! If I have to type that I watched Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) one more friggin' time, I'm going to scream. (In case you're wondering, I've watched that movie 10 times in the last 5 years.) So yes, next year, I won't be doing any counting of films I've watched or anything. That crapola is for the birds. However, I will be tracking all my first time watches and posting about them here. So keep on the lookout for those posts!

Total Films Watched: 504
First Time Watches: 256

Enough of this preamble! Let's get to the list. As usual, the deciding factor for what makes my top favorites is the question, "How badly do I want to watch this film again right now?" If the answer is "Not right now (or maybe not for several years)", then the film will go directly into the runners-up pile at the end. Let's get this partly started!

My 13 Favorite First Time Watches of 2021 (in random order)

He Lives by Night (1982) - During my Asian giallo moviethon, I fell in love with this comedic Hong Kong slasher that is as garish as it is silly. Some of the jokes don't land but the slashy and trashy delights certainly do. Gigantic recommendation from me if you can track it down somewhere.

Graveyard Disturbance (1987) - That old funster, Lamberto Bava (AKA LamBava), does it again! This film had been eluding me for YEARS. When I finally tracked it down, I was not disappointed. It's your typical late 80s Italian good time garbage. Love it.

The Monster Club (1981) - I had seen the tail end of this wonderful anthology film when I was a kid. Little did I know that this is some stodgy old horror camp combined with punk rock, and it all works! Well, it worked for me anyway.

The Devil's Carnival (2012) - My wife LeEtta and I are shameless Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008) fans and when I heard that the dude behind it had made not just one but two horror musical follow-ups, I was very intrigued. This short (only 55 minutes) explosion of color, music, and attitude hit me like a ton of bricks. The longer sequel to this is decent but I think the ideas  from it should've been incorporated into just one big crazy film.

Mark of the Witch (1970) - Sometimes these little regional horror films don't always agree with me and yet, I never stop trying. I used to confuse Mark of the Witch with Death by Invitation (1971), because they came out within a year of each other and they have very similar plots. But this film is a very charming and utterly kitschy dream with a really fun performance by the lead actor.

Don't Panic (1987) - I was worried that Don't Panic wasn't going to live up to the hype from my buds who love it so much. It turns out that I had nothing to worry about. This wacko Mexican horror film is just as weird and wonderful as I was lead to believe. If you're sitting on this one like I was, stop that right now and give it a look.

Schizoid (1980) - Klaus Kinski delivers a line of dialogue in this movie that had me on the floor with equal parts laughter and existential dread. I'd been saving this American giallo for YEARS because I wanted to save the first time for a moviethon and boy oh boy, it was well worth the wait. It's good stuff.

The Wraith (1986) - Fate was against me ever seeing this film which apparently played on cable all the time. But I chose to defy fate and buy this dirt cheap Blu-ray. This gem is the perfect balance of action movie, sci-fi, and horror; plus it has a great cast and a kickass score AND soundtrack loaded with 80s cheese.

Death Screams (1982) - I was waiting on a watchable copy of this film for so long that I forgot all about it. Then Arrow Video unleashed this beast onto my eyes. I'm always on the lookout for another 80s slasher to add to my pile and Death Screams is just grand. I'm looking forward to sharing this with friends on movie nights someday.

Ninja III: The Domination (1984) - Luckily, I went into this craziness as cold as humanly possible. I knew the ninjas meets leotards premise was strange and that folks were into it, but it wasn't until I watched that Electric Boogaloo: The Wild Untold Story of Canon Films (2014) documentary that I got a hankerin' to see it finally. Yep, it's great.

Jack-O (1995) - The cover art for this Fred Olen Ray-produced clunker pretty much guaranteed that I when I was desperate for some Halloween-themed horror films, I would still avoid it. Thankfully, I got VERY desperate and checked it out. Nothing says "Richard loves this" quite like bargain basement poopoo filmed in Florida with Linnea Quigley playing a metal chick/babysitter and unconnected posthumous John Carradine footage. Jack-O is all this and more. Or less.

La Venere d'Ille (1981) - I finally watched Mario Bava's final directorial effort and it is so damn good. He made this excellent little made-for-TV tale (co-directed with LamBava) that stars Daria Niccolodi and Marc Porel, and I'm happy to report that it's a fitting last hurrah from a master. Track this one down if you can. I should probably investigate the other films in this series, all directed by different Italians.

The Girl on a Broomstick (1972) - LeEtta was on the hunt for witch movies and she stumbled upon this Czechoslovakian kids fantasy/comedy. When we finally got around to it, I was like "Dude, is this my favorite film of the year?" I'm still not sure but it's definitely way up there. This is certainly one of the most unusual things I've ever seen with a sense of humor and visual style that are very, very unique. At the time of this writing, there's a decent copy on YouTube with English subtitles. Highly recommended.

My 2021 First Time Favez Runners-Up Bro

Devo: The Men Who Make the Music (1981)
Candyman (2021)
Hellmaster (1992)
Cool World (1992)
Basket Case 2 (1990)
Altered States (1980)
Black Roses (1988)
Frankenstein '80 (1972)
Body Count (1986)
Censor (2021)
Midare karakuri AKA Murder in the Dollhouse (1979)
Nightbooks (2021)
Ghostwatch (1992)
Vampire in Venice AKA Nosferatu in Venice (1988)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Bad Dreams (1988)
Deadly Manor (1990)

The Worst Film I Watched In 2021

Scream (1981) - I never do "Worst of the Year" lists just because I know that some films that I strongly disliked upon first viewing will end up being favorites of mine one day. It's happened before! That will NOT be the case with Scream (1981). I love me some slashers and many of them are titles that folks consider boring or bad. That's a fact. But for my money, this is the single worst slasher of the 80s just for its wasted potential alone. Silly performances and cool locations aren't enough to save this snoozer. This film has almost nothing to it other than long stretches of blah. Watching Scream without fast-forwarding was agony. Fudge this gosh darn dang movie to the heck place.

 

Top 10 First Time Watches Of 2020

  

Usually in these top 10 of the year posts, I'm all about a long and rambling diatribe about what I was up to all year long and fun things that happened. Well, I've been doing what you've been likely doing yourself. I've been keeping my head down, staying away from everything, watching stuff, and staying creative. I also had two (make that three) book projects going right now that will hopefully make your ankles tingle in 2021.

There were a couple of neato things that actually happened like getting one of my reviews in Weng's Chop Cinema Magazine (pictured above) and some cool podcast cameos (check out the links below) that I was lucky to be a part of. I released an album of super chill ambient music to help folks relax in these awful times. I'm super proud of how that one came out. Give it a listen if you need a nap. To sum up, I have stayed mostly sane. Otherwise, last year was dumb as balls. Moving on...

Hero Hero Ghost Show - Voice

Hero Hero Ghost Show - A Blood Pledge 

Opera Omina - Katalin Varga

Opera Omina - Berberian Sound Studio

Opera Omina - The Duke of Burgundy

Opera Omina -  In Fabric

It Came From The Shed - Broma of Souls

For 2020, I was kind of doing a half-assed "I must watch more movies than last year" goal thingie and I was surprised to see that I'd actually done it! In fact, I watched over a hundred more movies than last year. A human being like me is filled with pride because it means that I sat on my butt for a long time. That's cool. So for 2021, my goal is to watch over 500 films. Wow. That doesn't seem intimidating at all. Let’s look at those totals for 2020.

Total Films Watched: 493

First Time Watches: 196

 Top 10 First Time Watches of 2020

10. Razorback (1984) - I can't believe that I avoided this damn film for so long. What a silly waste. For real, the only thing holding me back was that it just didn't sound like something that I would be interested in. Boy oh boy, I was so utterly wrong. I can't recommend this one enough. Back in June, I did a week long event where I watched Australian movies every night. It was frickin' wild. You can read my review of Razborback here.

9. Time Walker (1982) - During the Unseenly Moviethon 2, I watched this wacko sci-fi slasher and it blew my dang mind. It is ridiculously silly and entertaining as all heck. I watched nine movies in a row that day and that one (and the next film in this list) really stood out as a new favorite.

8. Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972) - Speaking of that moviethon, here's another film from that day that I knew existed but had never gotten around to. Unholy hell of Satan, I was missing out! This shouldn't have been a big surprise to me since The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973) was in my favorites for 2019. What the darn heck took me so goshing dang long to get around to these films?!

7. Vamp (1986) - For years, I was under the impression that I had seen Vamp. On a whim, I bought the Arrow Blu-ray and was quite surprised to find that nope, somehow this little gem had escaped me. It quickly became a new favorite. My only criticisms are that Grace Jones doesn't have any dialog (nitpicky because she doesn't NEED to speak but I wish she had) and the craziness does slow down for just a few minutes. Those are minor quibbles. Love it!

6. Massacre (1989) - I am fairly confident when I say that this will be the stupidest film in my top 10. Sorry, Time Walker, don't be sad. You did your best! Andrea Bianchi really came through for me with silly bullcrap with the "Lucio Fulci presents..." tag on it. Packed full of cheap horror crud and half-assed giallo elements, Massacre is dangerously dumb and I hope it gets a Blu-ray soon. You can read my review right here.

5. American Rickshaw (1989) - And speaking of Italian strangeness, here's one that is as strange as they get. To say that I had underestimated this Sergio Martino jam would be an understatement. I can honestly say that even after all of the Italian genre cinema I've beheld with my vision sensors, this one is a truly unique experience. Don't look up anything about it, just watch it. Or read my review because you are the boss of you. 

4. The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch (1968) - During my The Invasian theme month back in September, I saw so many amazing films. But this one really blew me away. It's the most like an old school horror manga come to life as any Japanese horror film that I've seen. It's truly nightmarish, fun, and totally bizarre. Director Noriaki Yuasa was best known for his work in the Gamera film series. I'm so glad this little gem is floating around out there in the ether. Hopefully, it'll get a proper release on home video in the States.

3. My Mom's a Werewolf (1989) - In my wife LeEtta's and my continued quest to find more good (or goodish) movies with Halloween sequences, or that take place on Halloween, we finally got around to this thing from the director of Death Spa (1990). This rates so highly in the top 10 this year for being so damn entertaining and more importantly, being watchable. I cannot wait to make this part of our October viewing next year.

2. Luz (2018) - As you can see from my almost faves list below, I got myself a Shudder subscription last year. I have wanted Shudder since it started but there was one thing that pushed it over the edge and that was Luz. Just based on the trailer and the poster, I was like I need to see this film. As soon as I'd heard that it was on Shudder, we ditched Netflix and got Shudder. Luz is so odd and so energetic that I just can't even process it fully yet. I even bought the soundtrack on vinyl because because because because. Just to add to the confusion, Shudder has added a film called Luz: The Flower of Evil (2019). Haven't seen that yet, but I'm guessing that this Luz is still the way to go.

1. Gretel & Hansel (2020) - And here we are, the number one spot. I have been over the moon with Osgood Perkins since I saw I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016) and The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015), in that order. So, of course I was chomping at the bit to finally see something he did on the big screen. Gretal & Hansel did not disappoint and I loved it so much that I saw it twice in the theaters. In fact, I think that it's the last film I saw in theaters before all the bullcrap started. Dang. I love this magical film so much and I want to watch it again right now while I'm writing this.

First Time Almost Faves

When you see the films on this next list, you may be wondering how come they didn't make the top 10 list. Or you're like "What the hell is that animated Addams Family doing in there?!" Yo. Just being honest, pal. Anyway, when I'm battling to make these lists, the tie-breaker is usually the question, "Do I want to watch this again right now?" So while there's lots of strange and wonderful things in the following list that need mentioning but if I don't see them again for many years, I'm okay with that. That being said, I recommend that you check out any of these.

The Witch in the Window (2018)
Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil (2017)
Brain Damage (1988)
Sex of the Devil (1971)
Viy (1967)
Tigers Are Not Afraid (2017)
The Mephisto Waltz (1971)
Last House on Massacre Street (1973)
Color Out of Space (2019)
Eyes of Fire (1983)
Matinee (1993)
One Cut of the Dead (2017) - My review.
Eko Eko Azarak III: Misa the Dark Angel (1998) - My review.
The Beach House (2019)
Terrified (2017)
Millennium Actress (2001)
Without a Clue (1988)
Scare Me (2020)
Host (2020)
Porno (2019)
In Fabric (2016)
The Psychopath (1966)
Schizo (1976)
Possessor (2020)
Upgrade (2018)
The Addams Family (2019)