Doghouse

Top 10 Horror Movies of 2009: Brad's List

Dec 16th 2009 11:35AM by: Brad McHargue

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I found this year's collection of horror films to be relatively lackluster. In the first incarnation of this list, which was posted on my own personal site, I was only able to come up with nine films I genuinely believe should be on a Best Of... list for the year. My list is similar to Peter's, in a way, as it contains many of the same films, yet one of the films he included (Antichrist) ended up on my Worst Of... list, and I'm still in awe over how he could include the Friday the 13th redux as number one despite his explanation.

This list took some time to compile, and for the sake of conformity, I have added a tenth film. At the end I've included my Worst Of... list just so you can get an idea as to why I'm relentlessly teased for my vastly superior taste in horror films. So without further adieu, my Top 10 Horror Movies of 2009, rewritten and tweaked for Horror Squad.

10. House of the Devil My ex post facto entry to this list, House of the Devil was not an enjoyable film for me. I found it incredibly slow and lacking a sufficient payoff, all while only giving AJ Bowen approximately ten minutes of screen time. So why am I including it on this list? Because Ti West didn't make an homage to an 80's Satanic Panic film, he MADE an 80's Satanic Panic film. House of the Devil captures the look and feel of the time period perfectly, from the way it was filmed to the soundtrack. It is based on that alone that he deserves a spot on this list, even if it's number ten.

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Fantastic Fest Review: Doghouse

Oct 4th 2009 9:08AM by: Horror Squad Staff

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Written by Brad McHargue

A plethora of zombie films have saturated the horror film landscape for almost a decade, drawing the ire of those who simply want something more than the same ol' same ol' out of the walking dead. Every so often, however, we're given a unique zombie film, be it outright horror or the increasingly popular zombie-comedy ("zom-com"), to satisfy our lust for originality. Sadly, many of these fail to get the recognition they deserve and as such, they tend to make the rounds at film festivals and gain popularity through word-of-mouth before ultimately being released to DVD without so much as a limited theatrical release. With luck, Jake West will buck the trend, as his splatter zom-com Doghouse is a triumph of horror-comedy that takes basic zombie tropes and turns them every which way. The result is one of the most inventive and gut-busting horror comedies to be released in years.

The plot is simple yet creative. A group of British lads, in an attempt to cheer up one of their own after being left at the altar, make theor way to the isolated town of Moodley for a weekend of drinking, debauchery and, presumably, wild sex. Upon arriving, they soon discover that the town appears to be completely empty, with nary a nubile young woman in sight. After some exploration and startling discoveries, they discover all the females of the city have become wild, animalistic, man-eating cannibals. So much for women being the fairer sex. Thoughts of bottomless pints and easy women give way to panic, fear and hilarious dialog as our protagonists spend the night fighting for survival.

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