Reader's Choice: The Boxer's Omen (1983)

Directed by Chih-Hung Kuei.

Source: Region 1 DVD (Image Entertainment)
Running time: 01:43:45
Country: Hong Kong

Picked by venoms5

Fate and unfortunate circumstances draw lead character Chang Hung to Thailand, where he tracks down the kickboxer (Bolo Yeung!) who paralyzed his brother - also a boxer - during a post-match brawl. While there, Chang Hung begins to have vivid hallucinations of a Buddhist monk and is eventually drawn to a temple, where he meets an Abbot who proceeds to tell him that the apparition he's been seeing is of a fellow Abbot who was cursed and subsequently killed by an evil warlock while in the midst of "achieving immortality". Since then, his corpse has been kept in the temple, and that the fallen Abbot prophesied the arrival of Chang Hung. The catch is that Chang Hung and the ghostly Abbot were twins in a past life, which is why they have some sort of psychic bond that transcends death. Pretty deep for a movie as bat-shit crazy as this, but I'll get to that.


Part of the prophecy states that Chang Hung will seek vengeance against Bolo Yeung's character, but first he must become a Buddhist monk, which he eventually does. At first, Chang Hung calls bullshit and pretty much disregards the Abbot's far-fetched story, but he later has a change of heart when he vomits an eel in his hotel bathroom. Taught extreme discipline and the ways of the Buddhist temple, Chang Hung does a 180 and becomes the opposite of his former self. Now, you'd think this was all done to prepare Chang Hung for some sort of confrontation with Bolo's character, or maybe lead him to have a change of heart, but what ensues is pretty much a relentless barrage of supernatural shenanigans involving Chang Hung and a number of absurd villains, including a Filipino warlock and what I can only describe as a half-naked Alligator Goddess. Chang Hung eventually does cross paths with Bolo's character, but it becomes such a seemingly insignificant part of the story when it's all said and done, and I'm amazed at how so much of the first part of the film was built up to said confrontation only to brush over it so quickly.


Now, I honestly don't know where to go with this review because there's so much shit to talk about, so I'll just start with the Filipino warlock character, who's my favorite thing about the movie. I don't know the character's name, and I'm not sure if it was even mentioned (IMDB doesn't list anything), so I'll just refer to him as "Filipino warlock" or just plain old warlock from this point forward. What I love about this character is that he's absolutely insane for lack of a better description. Extremely hyper and he speaks Tagalog at what sounds like a million words per minute (although, having lived around Filipinos for a majority of my life, I can say that they all talk extremely fast), and he does some of the craziest shit I've ever seen an antagonist do in a film. For example, he has these rituals that seem to defy logic. Let's just say that when he plans some sort of attack, he goes all out. At one point he resurrects dead bats and summons both snakes and spiders in the same sequence. Obviously this dude has a connection with nature. And, speaking of which, if you thought the spiders in Lucio Fulci's THE BEYOND looked fake, they ain't got shit on the spiders in this movie. In fact, most of the creatures in the film look extremely fake, but the big rubber alligator that turns up towards the end of the movie is easily the worst of the bunch.

What I just described in regards to the warlock is nothing compared to what he does later in the film when he clashes with Chang Hung for seemingly no reason other than his connection to the ghostly Abbot. As far as why the warlock and the Abbot had any beef in the first place, I'm not sure; either it wasn't explained in the film or it just went over my head. Whatever the case, Chang Hung and the warlock do battle, and I have to say that it's easily one of the most insane back and forth fight sequences I've ever seen in a movie. I won't give you a rundown of the entire sequence, but let's just say that, in a matter of a few minutes, we get an absolutely pointless close-up shot of the warlock's mustache (oh, and his face is painted like a clown, mind you), the warlock decapitating two chickens and swinging their lifeless bodies around (animal cruelty alert), possessed alligator skulls, more fake-looking bats, neon-colored gore a la STREET TRASH, and what looks like a disembodied alien head flying around and not doing a whole lot before meeting a rather abrupt end. Oh, and at one point the warlock vomits, eats his vomit, and then his head becomes detached from his body and proceeds to strangle Chang Hung with his dangling entrails.


If you haven't seen THE BOXER'S OMEN, by now you might be thinking that this is one of the most amazing genre-bending movies ever. Well, it's not. It has problems, but it doesn't mean that it's not as enjoyable as I'm making it out to be. One of the things that kinda kills the movie for me is the pacing and the really odd structure of the film. I don't know how else to describe it other than it feels like it has FIVE acts instead of the usual three. At a certain point, it seems like the movie resets itself and starts the second act all over again, and as a whole it's not as fast-paced as you'd think it would be, what with all the supernatural insanity and whatnot. However, that's the only negative thing I can say about the film from a critical standpoint, while keeping in mind that nature of the film and what it sets out to do.

Something noteworthy about THE BOXER'S OMEN is that, despite it being a Hong Kong production, it has more in common with Indonesian genre films than anything I've ever seen out of Hong Kong. It has the same atmosphere, trashy look, and bat-shit craziness as MYSTICS IN BALI and the like. Part of this has to do with the fact that most of the film is set in Thailand and that it features certain Indonesian cultural references, be it religion and supernatural lore. Other than that, THE BOXER'S OMEN has a very theatrical, otherworldly look to it, which is understandable considering the supernatural themes of the film. Visually, I was very impressed by the film in a lot of ways, from the neon-colored goop (interesting in that this predates STREET TRASH, which is the film that's most commonly associated with brightly-colored gore), to the Buddhist temple aesthetic, to the hellish set designs. If you can bring yourself to imagine a collaboration between Godfrey Ho and Alejandro Jodorowsky, or an Indonesian attempt at recreating the nightmarish visuals of SUSPIRIA, then you'll get an idea of what I got from it. THE BOXER'S OMEN is absolutely wild, highly imaginative, and unlike anything I've ever seen. Thoroughly enjoyed it despite its flaws.

Score: 8

Reader's Choice: The Wild One (1953)

Directed by Laslo Benedek. Starring Marlon Brando ("Johnny Strabler"), Mary Murphy ("Kathie Bleeker"), Robert Keith ("Sheriff Harry Bleeker"), and Lee Marvin ("Chino"). Not Rated.

Source: Region 1 DVD (Columbia Tri-Star)
Running time: 01:19:05
Country: USA

Picked by Roger Ward

Led by the soft-spoken, stereotypical 50's greaser tough-guy Johnny, a rowdy biker gang known as the Black Rebels Motorcycle Club ride into a sleepy California town and terrorize the locals not with violence, but with their collectively obnoxious behavior and causing a scene at a nearby motorcycle race. When one of their members injures his leg after crashing into a car, the rest of the BRMC hole up in a bar and wait for a doctor to patch him up. There, the ruggedly handsome Johnny tries to woo the female bartender, Kathie, while the rest of the bikers basically pass the time by getting wasted. With the bikers preoccupied, a temporary sigh of relief befalls the town's residents, but it's not long before a rival biker gang, led by Chino, show up to the town and try to stir up some shit. A fight breaks out, and the drunken Chino is arrested after being singled out by the Sheriff who also happens to be Kathie's father. Just when you think the BRMC are showing signs of doing a 180 and standing up against the other (and considerably rowdier) biker gang, they instead join forces with them and proceed to raise hell. In the meantime, Johnny is seemingly torn between maintaining his rebellious tough-guy image and trying to romance Kathie, who doesn't seem particularly interested in the first place.


The back and forth between Johnny and Kathie is interesting in that she proves to be a challenge, and it's obvious by Johnny's status as an alpha male that he's not used to being challenged; how Johnny ultimately reacts to this is one of the things that the films builds up to, coinciding with all hell breaking loose as the bikers run amok.


This was actually my first time seeing THE WILD ONE, and I'll go ahead and say right now that I didn't really care for it too much. But, before I argue my case, I'll just say that I do appreciate it for what it is. I appreciate THE WILD ONE for being the original biker film and for starting a genre that I adore, although what it eventually blossomed into in the late 60's and early 70's is another beast entirely. I also appreciate this film for inspiring Kenneth Anger while making my favorite film of all time, SCORPIO RISING (footage of Marlon Brando in THE WILD ONE appears in Anger's avant-garde classic, as does the rebellious biker mentality and homoerotic undertones). THE WILD ONE also introduced the heavy-leather aesthetic to cinema, which is a fashion trend and style that's featured prominently in movies I love, like the aforementioned Kenneth Anger film, William Friedkin's CRUISING, and THE LOVELESS - the latter of which is almost a loose remake of THE WILD ONE.

Now, why I didn't particularly care for this film has less to do with substance than it does style, or lack thereof. THE WILD ONE has obviously lost its shock value considerably over time and, in my opinion, has been surpassed by its imitators in terms of what it brings to the table, so what we're left with is an important but bland film that doesn't really stand out in a major way. I hope I don't offend any of this film's fans or classic cinema purists by saying that; I'm simply stating how I feel about the film and trying my best to explain why. Substancially, there were certain aspects of it that I found to be interesting, like that it could be seen as a cautionary tale of sorts as it relates to young women sending mixed signals to vulnerable members of the opposite sex. As a whole, though, it just didn't really say a whole lot, and I wasn't sure what message it was trying to convey when it was all said and done. Rebellious youths are simply misguided and misunderstood? By saying that, it suggests that it's society's fault that the characters in the film behave the way they do.


When looked at as fiction and entertainment, THE WILD ONE presents a forgettable story involving a bunch of characters who, at the end of the day, are unlikable. When looked at as a spectacle, it at least has the star power of Marlon Brando, who was rising in popularity at the time. As a novelty, it's interesting to see Lee Marvin in an early supporting role and playing a character atypical of what he later became known for. To look at it through critical eyes, however, I found THE WILD ONE to be an occasionally meandering film that got to be quite repetitive in spots (there's only so much I can take of bikers peeking around corners with mischievous facial expressions).

Score: 6

Roger Ward's thoughts:

Not a great film by any standard, but notable because of it being one of Marlon Brando's early films, and because it also featured Lee Marvin showing what was to become his unique acting style. Both were playing supposed rebellious bikers - a role Brando made believable, but film critics were quick to denounce 30 year-old Lee as one of the oldest dead-end kids they had ever seen.
Brando too was unimpressed with Marvin and all through his own career derided him as being a ham. Although I have since heard others nominate Brando for the same award, I for one do not agree on either, thinking Lee's style is unique and one that befits his lanky persona to a T, while Brando - although believable in this and many of his other earlier films - I have grown to disrespect. After such a glorious beginning, he gradually thumbed his nose at the general public and the fawning industry and began to work purely and solely for the unbelievable money he could demand. Using his power, he led producers and directors alike to believe he would deliver a better performance is he did not learn his lines, and he also blatantly lied about his need to research before taking on various roles and was given a massive salary to do just that. Well known as a freeloader, Brando once asked for a further $75,000 to do a tight headshot after he had been wrapped from 'Apocalypse Now' - a film he had already been paid over 5 million dollars for what amounted to a few days work. He did profess to have spent three weeks researching the character, but this was admitted to be a lie by Brando himself. Insecure, yet full of his own importance, Brando managed to bullshit his way through a slew of films, one of which I was fortunate enough to be a part of. It was 'Mutiny on the Bounty' that was shot in Tahiti in the early 60's. Initially I was delighted to meet Brando and be a part of his entourage, but witnessing his irrational behaviour, from overturning his plate of breakfast cereal and storming from the hotel restaurant during an altercation with the producer, to brooding in a brightly painted outrigger in a South Pacific lagoon while being called ashore like some reluctant child by the film crew who had needed him, to dropping in unannounced and then rambling like a tongue-tied teenager to the parents of a 15 year-old Tahitian dancer whom he fancied but who would not fall for his stardom. She did fall later, however, and after he had used and abused her, she ran away to Rome to "further my (one film) career." Not wanting her, but also not wanting her to be had by anyone else, Brando wooed her back. When this was done, he left her in the lurch again, causing her to attempt suicide by slashing her wrists. She is still a well-respected dancer but has never acted again.
Lee Marvin on the other hand has always been a straight-shooter in his dealing with producers and the public alike. His love of deep-sea fishing has brought him to Australia on many occasions, and I have been fortunate enough to meet him in this guise.
The script for the 'Wild One', which I saw in a tin shed movie theatre on the South Pacific island of Tonga, is one-dimensional with some poor dialogue, and I also agree with some of the critics who say Lee Marvin looks out of place in a teenybopper bike gang, but his performance is not hindered, and, although it's a thousand miles away from Brando's brooding Johnny, both add to the film's watchability.

Skew (2011)

Directed by Sevé Schelenz. Starring Rob Scattergood ("Simon Lacey"), Amber Lewis ("Eva Hansen"), Richard Olak ("Richard Harrison"), and Taneal Cutting ("Laura Taylor"). Not Rated.

Source: Screener
Running time: 01:22:24
Country: Canada

Lovebirds Richard and Eva are on a road trip to a friend's wedding, and along for the ride is third-wheel Simon. As the trip progresses, Richard and especially Eva grow increasingly annoyed with Simon, who spends every single waking moment aggressively recording them with his video camera. Apparently Simon and his girlfriend had a falling out before the trip, which is something that is eventually addressed by Eva, and it's clear that there's tension between the two of them for whatever reason. Anyway, it isn't long before strange things begin to happen, and luckily Simon is right there to capture the bizarre occurrences on video. To be more specific, it seems that everyone they have a personal interaction with throughout the duration of the trip is mysteriously turning up dead. Even stranger is the fact that Simon's camera is picking up ghastly premonitions, a la the distorted faces from RINGU, that aren't visible to the naked eye; only time will tell if there's something supernatural at hand or if there's a much more logical explanation to the proceedings.


As some of you know, I'm a big fan of found-footage horror movies. The thing is, watching found-footage horror is like gambling when the odds are not in your favor. To be fair, the same can be said for any cinematic trend that over-saturates the market, but when it comes to this particular genre, more often than not, you're gonna get deceitful, blatant cash-ins that are released solely to exploit idiots like myself who will go out of their way to see them. On the other hand, you'll occasionally get some entries in the genre that stand out for whatever reason, be it entertainment value, quality, creativity, or all of the above. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the independently-produced SKEW is the most entertaining found-footage horror that I've seen, nor would I say that it's particularly original, but it's evident director Sevé Schelenz went into this with the best of intentions and some interesting ideas.


One of the things I talked about in my review of ATROCIOUS (a found-footage horror from last year that I quite enjoyed despite my issues with the ending) was the fact that a suspension of disbelief isn't an option when it comes to found-footage horror; it's mandatory. Even though these films are playing off of the idea that someone essentially found a bunch of rough footage and pieced everything together in order to expose some sort of "truth", the final product usually includes pointless footage of people brushing their teeth, sleeping, driving, walking out of convenience stores, so on and so forth. In my ATROCIOUS review, I also admitted to understanding why these things are there: character development and exposition. SKEW is just as guilty as any found-footage horror movie in that respect, but, to it's credit, the fact that the character of Simon relentlessly films everything is both addressed by the other characters and explained by Simon himself, although I still didn't quite understand his logic. In fact, the camera, as an extension of Simon, is an important part of his character development and the overall story, and it adds a self-referential, "meta" element to the film. And speaking of Simon, he's the only one behind the camera. In other words, his face is never shown, and I think this was a great decision on director Sevé Schelenz's part; it evokes an uncomfortable feeling, in that you're watching something more voyeuristic than a simple documentation of a road trip. To me, there's always been something inherently unsettling about POV shots depending on the context - including porn.


For me, when it comes to found-footage horror movies, an unfamiliarity with the actors is key. For example, while watching PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2, it was hard for me to take the movie seriously because I knew the lead actress as Opie's wife from the first season of SONS OF ANARCHY. That being said, the cast of SKEW is ultimately one of the more important aspects of the film. They're not non-actors, but there's a good chance a majority of the people who watch this won't recognize them from anything of note. The actors genuinely come across as real friends, and the delivery of dialogue throughout the film sounds fairly natural, but there was a noticeable lack of chemistry between Amber Lewis and Richard Olak. I didn't buy them as a couple, but maybe that's just me. In any event, it's not a big deal.

By this point in the review, it may sound like I'm being generous or making excuses for this film, but I assure you it's not the case. While I wasn't blown away by SKEW, I still found it to be a nice surprise. The film takes its time before getting to the horror elements, focusing more on character development for a good portion of the first half of the film; this can be a disappointment to some, and the downside of that is that SKEW has a tendency to drag for being only eighty minutes long, but I like that it started out fairly normal and got progressively weirder as the movie went on. There are also some very effective jump scares that rely more on sound design and jarring visuals than cheap gags, which, as a horror fan, I definitely appreciate. Sevé Schelenz successfully creates tension out of events that don't necessarily warrant tension through clever editing and by exploiting the camera and cinema verite style. The most impressive thing about the film, however, is that it doesn't necessarily fall into the traps of the found-footage genre. SKEW goes in some interesting directions, ultimately leaving a lot to your imagination and blurring the lines between supernatural and psychological horror, all while playing with the underlying theme of the camera being used as a means of exposing people and objects alike for what they really are. If you're interested, you can check out SKEW on Netflix Instant Watch.

Score: 7

Reader's Choice: Race with the Devil (1975)

Directed by Jack Starrett. Starring Peter Fonda ("Roger Marsh"), Warren Oates ("Frank Stewart"), Loretta Swit ("Alice Stewart"), and Lara Parker ("Kelly Marsh"). Rated PG.

Source: Region 1 DVD (Shout! Factory)
Running time: 01:28:12
Country: USA

Picked by venoms5

Two vacationing couples (Fonda, Oates, and their respective wives) who are traveling together in a motor-home accidentally witness a sacrificial murder out in the woods one night and are subsequently stalked by members of a Satanic cult who wish to cover their tracks. In following days, as they attempt to seek help from the authorities, they receive threats from people who are obviously tied to the cult, including a rune that warns them to "be silent", rattlesnakes planted in their motor-home, and generally dirty looks from suspicious locals. This all builds up to a wild high-speed chase involving unconventional vehicles for such a set-piece, like the aforementioned motor-home, a tow truck, and a number of seemingly ill-equipped pick-up trucks; said high-speed chase is like the last twenty minutes of THE ROAD WARRIOR if it took place on the backroads of rural Texas.


Those of you who've known me a while may remember that I reviewed this movie a long time ago on my old blog before The Death Rattle came into existence. I remember being a little underwhelmed with it at the time, but mind you this was like two-and-a-half or three years ago before I had dug into the filmography of both RACE WITH THE DEVIL's lead actors, Peter Fonda and Warren Oates. Since then I've developed quite a fondness for the both of them, especially Warren Oates, who I fell in love with as an actor when I saw him in Sam Peckinpah's outstanding BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA and now consider to be one of my favorite actors from the 70s. I've been wanting to revisit this film ever since, so I'm glad Brian from Cool Ass Cinema picked it for me to cover.

After developing a bond on the set of THE HIRED HAND (one of my favorite Westerns), Fonda and Oates went on to work in a few films together, with RACE WITH THE DEVIL being their third collaboration. Apparently Fonda had quite a bit of pull behind the scenes and agreed to do the movie on his own terms, but I'm not aware of the specifics. What I do know - and this is mentioned by Fonda himself on a bonus interview on the DVD - is that a director was fired and both Fonda and Oates were guaranteed a percentage of the film's box office. The thing is, when watching the film, it doesn't come across at all that there was any sort of animosity behind the scenes or that Fonda had some sort of creative stranglehold on the project; it seems to be more of a case of Fonda wanting to do a fun project with his buddy Warren Oates and going out of his way to ensure that the experience would be a smooth one. This comes through in the final product, as it's pretty obvious that both actors are having a blast. There are certain shots in the film where it appears that either Fonda or Oates are seconds away from laughing and breaking character. Their real life bromance also carries over into the film and results in a natural chemistry between the two of them.


Even though Peter Fonda comes from the "School of (Roger) Corman" and essentially made a career out of starring in "drive-in movies" for lack of a better term, it's still odd to see him and Oates together in a campy horror movie such as this, which adds to the novelty of the film. I'd also be remiss to mention the actresses who play their wives: Loretta Swit and Lara Parker. Swit, who plays the wife of Oates's character, is still most commonly known for her role in the successful television series M*A*S*H. Lara Parker was also known for being a television actress, having worked on a number of shows, including the original DARK SHADOWS. Parker's appearances in genre films were few and far between, which is a shame since she proves to be a natural in RACE WITH THE DEVIL when it comes to playing a damsel in peril; she would have been a great horror actress because of her exceptional ability to scream (which she does a lot of in this film), and also because she has a great face for emoting terror.


RACE WITH THE DEVIL taps into the cinematic trend of the late 60's and early 70's that presented witchcraft and black magic as a common practice in the most unlikely of places throughout America. I wasn't around back then so I obviously can't make any personal comments on the matter, but it seems that the infamous founder of the Church of Satan, Anton LaVey, made the "black arts" hip because of his status as a relevant figure in pop culture. I assume the hippie, free-love movement at the time (or what remained of it) and the psychedelic culture also played a role in society's susceptibility to experiment with "the unknown" and immerse themselves in underground cultures. This is evident in the film when Sheriff Taylor (played by tough-guy character actor R.G. Armstrong) brushes off the lead character's claims of a Satanic cult as merely hippies who were doing drugs and having a little too much fun out in the woods on that fateful night.


To call this a "horror movie" would be both accurate and unfair. It does have obvious horror elements to it, but I think anyone going into this expecting a full blown horror film will be disappointed. For me, this one is all about the cast and seeing the two lead actors having fun in a project that was special to them. And even though there's a Satanic cult in the film, there's nothing outright supernatural in the film in terms of traditional horror - not to the extent of ROSEMARY'S BABY or something along those lines. RACE WITH THE DEVIL is actually hilarious at times because of how absurd certain aspects of it are, like the fact that at one point there are a bunch of toothless rednecks with shitty tattoos running around in capes, no shirts, and blue jeans. Another standout scene in the film involves the characters being terrorized by rattlesnakes while trapped in their motor-home, which I alluded to earlier. In general, there's a subtle amount of camp throughout the film. For a movie that doesn't seem to take itself too seriously, however, it's pretty well-made, and the chase sequence towards the end of the film features some jaw-dropping stunt work that just might be worth the price of admission alone.

Score: 7

The Death Rattle's Top 30 of 2011

#30 KIDNAPPED - Like another Spanish movie that came out last year, THE SILENT
HOUSE, KIDNAPPED is a gimmick movie. Whereas HOUSE was supposedly shot in a single take (I call bullshit), KIDNAPPED is a simple mean-spirited home invasion movie made up of a series of long takes, eventually utilizing split-screen towards the back end as the film builds to its chaotic conclusion. Honestly, I don't think there are many redeemable things about the movie aside from its gimmick, but I was obviously impressed enough with the filmmaking to consider it one of the best movies I saw last year. Had it lacked the style that it does, it would simply be another conventional home invasion film that hits a lot of familiar beats, but the manner in which the filmmakers decided to shoot it added a certain level of unpredictability and excitement to the proceedings.

#29 SCREAM 4 - REVIEW

#28 WE ARE WHAT WE ARE - REVIEW

#27 HEARTLESS - REVIEW

#26 CHILLERAMA - REVIEW

#25 X-MEN: FIRST CLASS - I had some issues with this one, pretty much all of which had to do with the lesser mutants. I also felt it was unnecessarily long and generally not as entertaining and fast-paced as I'd hoped, but it's well acted and has one of the best "Fuck Yeah!"-inducing endings I've seen in a really long time. The film does what it's supposed to do, which is set up the X-MEN mythology as we've all come to know it, and it does it considerably well. When putting this list together, I didn't think this would make my top 30, but I obviously like it a lot more than I thought I did in hindsight.

#24 BLACK DEATH - REVIEW

#23 THE DEVIL'S DOUBLE - One of the biggest cinematic surprises of last year for me was THE DEVIL'S DOUBLE, which I went into knowing nothing about. British actor Dominic Cooper gives not one but TWO of my favorite performances of 2011 here, playing dual roles as the sadistic son of Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi soldier who's taken away from his family to assume the role of Uday Hussein's double. Based on a true story and set in the 80's, THE DEVIL'S DOUBLE hit the spot for me in a lot of ways and proved to be both very worthwhile as a biopic and satisfying as a genre film. It nails the 80's aesthetic and excess that I adore, with Cooper giving a wild scenery-chewing performance as Hussein that would make Tony Montana himself nod his coke-covered head in approval.

#22 A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE - REVIEW

#21 RARE EXPORTS: A CHRISTMAS TALE - This one took a while to get going, and even at the half-way point I was still unsure of where I stood on it. Thankfully, it really picks up towards the back end and goes to some rather interesting places and proves to be a humorous satire on what the Christmas holiday has evolved into. Produced in Finland, RARE EXPORTS brings a lot to the table, but it does it in a manner so seamlessly that it becomes easy to forgot you're watching a mash-up of horror, action, siege film, and 80's Amblin-esque adventure. Above all else, it's a creative deconstruction of the Christmas lore and mythology. It's quite possible that you'll never look at mall Santas the same way again once you see this movie. Refreshing, original, and beautifully-shot, with a wonderful score and a great ending that should, in theory, leave you satisfied.

#20 TUCKER AND DALE VS. EVIL - REVIEW

#19 THE IDES OF MARCH - Based on a play that, itself, was loosely based on the 2004 Democratic presidential primary campaign of Howard Dean, IDES OF MARCH is a solid political thriller with phenomenal, intense performances from some of the best actors working in Hollywood today: George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Paul Giamatti, and the always impressive Phillip Seymour Hoffman. IDES OF MARCH has no shortage of ruthless behind-the-scenes behavior, back-stabbing, and posturing, and certain interactions between the aforementioned actors in the film are some of the best examples of cinematic dogfighting to hit the screen in 2011. Aside from the acting, what I liked most about the film was George Clooney's directing; this could have been a bland dialogue-driven film, but Clooney (and, it should be said, composer Alexandre Desplat and DOP Phedon Papamichael) manages to keep the whole thing interesting on a cinematic level without ever taking away from the story.

#18 KABOOM - Sold completely on the fact that it stars Roxane Mesquida of SHEITAN, who I had a short-lived fascination with at one point, and having only seen one of Gregg Araki's films beforehand, I went into KABOOM with no expectations and came out of it, for the most part, pleased. Seeing as I was more aware of the reputation of Araki's films than the movies themselves, the most impressive thing I got from KABOOM was how visually playful it managed to be, with a neon color palette, garish cinematography, music video style editing, and borderline cartoonish scene transitions. Another impressive aspect of the film was how much shit Araki threw at the wall, figuratively speaking; unfortunately, not all of it sticks. Basically, the film deals with sexual experimentation, but there's also a slasher element to it with shadowy figures in animal masks, a cult-like secret-society plot thread, and a lipstick lesbian (Mesquida) with supernatural powers. It's bonkers. Had it not fallen apart in a major way towards the end, KABOOM would be much higher on the list.

#17 KILLER ELITE - As I look back on all the movies I saw from 2011, I can say with confidence that KILLER ELITE is the most MACHO of the bunch. I mean, for fuck's sake, we have Jason Statham (whose BLITZ was pretty close to making my top 30 as well), Robert De Niro, and Clive Owen all in the same movie. As much as I love De Niro, I wouldn't think of the movie any differently had he not been in it; I never got the feeling that he was going through the motions for a paycheck (to be fair, De Niro phoning it in is still better than most actors working today), but for me it was all about the pairing of Statham and Owen - two actors who I admire greatly for different reasons but hold in the same regard nonetheless. In the film, which is apparently based on a true story, Statham plays a mercenary who comes out of retirement to do one more job and, in the process, finds himself in the crosshairs of an "attack dog" and all-around man on the streets for the mafia-like S.A.S. (British Army Special Forces), played by Clive Owen. When they inevitably clash, it's fucking awesome. I could talk about this movie for days, but I'll just say that A) Clive Owen rocks a mean mustache, B) Dominic Purcell, who's unrecognizable in the film, shines as one of Statham's cohorts and sports some damn fine Lemmy-esque facial hair himself, and C) I loved the color palette, which reminded me, visually, of William Friedkin's CRUISING. Oh, and the name of Owen's character is "Spike". SPIKE! Are you fucking kidding me?!! Overall, a solid movie for what it is and one of Statham's bests in my opinion.

#16 THOR - THOR has been part of a running joke between myself and a friend of mine (Hi, Sammy!) who fucking despises it for some reason. I honestly can't comprehend how someone could hate this movie; it's fun, the special effects are stunning, and the comedic fish-out-of-water moments are genuinely humorous. What's even more baffling to me is how someone can slam this movie, but then go on to praise CAPTAIN AMERICA, which I found to be incredibly dull and anti-climactic. Chris Hemsworth, who I initially doubted, is quite impressive in it and holds his own amidst a great supporting cast, including Natalie Portman, who appears to be slumming it but does a decent job nonetheless, and the unassuming Tom Hiddleston, who's quite good as Loki. Plus, where else will you see Ray Stevenson and Tadanobu Asano (ICHI THE KILLER) side by side? Street cred!

#15 AMER - REVIEW

#14 HUGO - Thankfully I made it to the last show before it got pulled from the nearby theater and I got to see it in all its 3D glory. There's not much to say about HUGO other than it's a wonderful little children's movie from the same guy who directed some truly unspeakable scenes of violence in movies like GOODFELLAS and CASINO to name a few. Ironically, it's also a movie that obviously embraces modern technology and filmmaking techniques while paying tribute to FILM and the history of cinema in a way that doesn't isolate the younger demographic. For me, it does drag in spots, but it's without question one of the most visually-stunning films of the last year.

#13 MARGIN CALL - An ensemble piece that revolves around a group of investment bankers during the early stages of America's financial crisis. Not exactly the GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS that I was hoping for, but a great film with some solid performances nonetheless. I especially loved the prevalent sense of panic in this one and watching in awe as the characters went out of their way not to fix the problem but to essentially spread the problem around to other people and pretend like nothing happened.

#12 RUBBER - REVIEW

#11 FAST FIVE - I'm not a fan of the FAST AND THE FURIOUS movies. Enjoyed the first one for what it was, didn't like the second, never bothered with the third and fourth. So for me to just jump into a series five movies in would be a big leap and a gamble that could result in me losing two hours of my life that I'd never be able to get back, but the positive word of mouth gave me that extra push I needed. Turns out FAST FIVE is one of the best Action movies of 2011, if not THE best. And to think, I almost slept on it. Figuratively speaking of course. Actually, literally sleeping on it wouldn't be so bad (I've slept on worse). My preconceived notion of this being a movie that solely panders to the street-racing crowd was crushed when I realized that this was in fact a heist film more than anything else. Sure, it has the elements of modern-day Carsploitation cinema that these films are associated with, but FAST FIVE, thankfully, brings so much more to the table than that; it's a well-paced, balls to the wall Action movie with some truly amazing set-pieces and great characters. It's also nice to see Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson realizing his potential as a natural Action star. Cinematic junk food of the highest order.

#10 RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES - Easily the most fun I've had watching a movie in the theater last year. I mean, I wasn't doing back-flips down the aisles or anything, but RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES grabbed my attention, made me legitimately love an animated monkey despite said monkey being set up as the usher of an ape apocalypse (ape-ocalypse?), and had me leaving the theater buzzing as if I were a little kid again. The general consensus amongst people I talk to who love this movie as much as I do is that it's an undeniably flawed film in certain respects, but its problems can be overlooked for the simple fact that it's entertaining and the character of Caesar is almost impossible not to invest in, thanks mostly due to the unsung performance of Andy Serkis - that pretty much sums up my thoughts on this movie.

#9 BIUTIFUL - Saying this may put me in the minority, but Alejandro González Iñárritu is not a director who I get excited about. I've enjoyed what I've seen of his films up to this point for what they are, but they're all a bit too pretentious and annoyingly similar in certain ways (although I do appreciate Iñárritu's fondness for women with small, perky breasts and pointy nipples) for me to express any love for them whatsoever. The same can be said for this movie. I don't "love" it per se, but I can't deny that it's a great film and well-deserving of a spot in the top ten list of anyone who sees it. BIUTIFUL sees Javier Bardem play a Cancer-stricken father who spends his final days comforting his children and preparing them for the future. That being said, the film didn't really hit me on an emotional level like it did a lot of other people I know who saw it. I was never close with my father, nor has anyone close to me ever died of Cancer (knock on wood). Superb film, though, if a bit boring and overlong. Needless to say, Bardem is phenomenal.

#8 THE WOMAN - REVIEW

#7 RANGO - Had no desire to see it (not a fan of Johnny Depp, nor do I watch much animated films), but the strong word of mouth piqued my interest. I'm glad I watched it because it turned out to be a charming and shockingly enjoyable little movie. First of all, the animation is stunning, which seems to be the most compliment that this film receives. Second, I love that this is a children's movie that can potentially appeal to both kids and adults but panders to neither; it's cute, quirky, and funny enough to keep children entertained, but there are also enough thematic elements and subtle inside jokes to appeal to grown-ups. Also, there was never a time while watching RANGO that I felt like what little amount of intelligence I have was being insulted, or, on the other hand, that I felt like I was above the material because it was too childish for my tastes. Not to mention the numerous Spaghetti Western homages throughout. Excellent film. Still not in a hurry to see the next Johnny Depp movie, though.

#6 RED, WHITE AND BLUE - A grimy and sleazy Southern-flavored love story where everything goes horribly wrong. Hands down, this movie has one of the best scripts and most cleverly-constructed plots out of everything I saw last year, and it features some of the most satisfying moments of violence I've seen in quite some time. Great performances all across the board, a compelling group of incredibly flawed characters, a conclusion that hits you like a sledgehammer, and a consistently scummy atmosphere that will make you want to take a shower by the time it's over. If you haven't seen it, do so.

#5 BRIDESMAIDS - There are a lot of movies on this list that I didn't have much of a desire to see in the first place, or came close to not seeing altogether, and BRIDESMAIDS is one of the prime examples. On the surface, it doesn't appeal to me in any way. I don't watch a lot of modern-day comedies. I went into it thinking it would be an ironic, absurd film about a bunch of women juxtaposed with obscene situations and vulgar dialogue. A female version of THE HANGOVER, basically. What I got was a surprisingly touching story about someone who I could relate to. Kristen Wiig's character is, for lack of a better term, a loser. She's in her thirties, single, full of self-pity, and she's standing by as her best friends gets ready to marry and move on with her life; I'm beyond the point of seeing my friends get married and start families, but I can certainly relate to the other aspects of Wiig's character that I just mentioned. It took me a while to get into the movie, and there were times where I found the characters to be very obnoxious (especially Wiig's), but I was ultimately both moved and thoroughly entertained by the film.

#4 FISH TANK - A British drama about a teenage girl who aspires to be a hip-hop dancer and lives in poverty with her single mother and younger sister. You can tell she, as a loner, longs for a sense of community, as well as a male figure in her life; well, she gets one of those things when her mom begins dating a guy who becomes the proverbial wind of change in her life. One of the many things about FISH TANK that I love is that it's a family drama without all of the quirky bullshit you'd see in American cinema. The film seems to come from a genuine place, and the results are utterly compelling. Without getting into too much detail about the plot, FISH TANK goes to some surprising places in regards to the lead character's relationships with certain people, and in general it's fascinating to watch. It's also an amazing film on a cinematic level as well; it's shot in "Academy ratio" (full screen), but it works, and the entire movie looks amazing without being flashy. And regardless of your sexual preference or gender, if you don't want to fuck Michael Fassbender by the time this movie is over, something's wrong with you.

#3 DRIVE - If I were to put this list together based on what I scored each individual movie (which I did, mostly), DRIVE would be considerably lower, but very few movies from last year - if any - had me buzzing like this one did by the time they were over. At the end of the day, I couldn't bring myself to put this movie anywhere but right here. Anyway, I've become a big fan of director Nicolas Winding Refn over the last couple of years and consider him to be not only one of the best "genre" directors working today, but an auteur whose presence will be felt in a major way over the next decade. He's also a breath of fresh air, and if his career up to this point is any indicator, he's someone you won't have to worry about selling out anytime soon. He's one of the few foreign directors who I can think of in this day and age to successfully cross over to the American market without going the remake route. But enough about him. From the obvious visual homages to the neon-lit 80s films of directors like Walter Hill, to the wonderful use of obscure synth-pop, to the old-school tough-guy type of feel that Ryan Gosling evokes with his performance despite his good looks, to the mystique of "The Driver", it's no coincidence that DRIVE hits the spot with me and many other genre movie fans out there. Also, for me, it opens the door many ideas and theories regarding Gosling's character that ultimately makes "The Driver" a very iconic figure in my mind when it comes modern-day genre cinema, but perhaps that's a discussion for another time.

#2 WARRIOR - A lot of people - including me - have complained about this film's incredibly contrived plot, in which everything just conveniently falls into place so that the film can end in a certain way. There's no denying that WARRIOR is predictable to a certain extent, but, for me, it's all about the acting and the emotion. Like RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, WARRIOR proved to be a borderline cathartic viewing experience for me because of the emotions and feelings that it evoked. Did it move me to the point of tears? No, not even close, but in a way it tapped into the primal side of me that made me want to figuratively stand up and beat my chest. Tom Hardy is a beast and Nick Nolte is a powerhouse; seeing the two of them together is awesome and somewhat surreal in that it unites two important genre actors from the old school and the new school. I love how the characters are developed (especially Hardy's), the fight scenes are great, and it breezes by for being well over two hours.

#1 MONEYBALL - Who doesn't love a good story about the underdog? Brad Pitt plays the audacious General Manager of the Oakland A's who defies the old-school mentality of the inner-workings of Major League Baseball to create a winning team out of nothing, and by "nothing" I mean a small percentage of the budget that the more dominant teams in the league have and a group of misfit players who most teams would consider undesirable. Of all the 2011 movies that I saw, I consider MONEYBALL to be the top dog when it comes to pacing and writing. The great thing is, you don't even have to give a shit about baseball to enjoy it; Pitt essentially carries you through the entire film with his natural charm and seemingly effortless performance, and I have to give props to an actor a hated prior to seeing this: Jonah Hill. Not a lot of movies I saw last year gave me goosebumps, but this one did. Phenomenal.

Honorable Mention:

BEATS, RHYMES AND LIFE: THE TRAVELS OF A TRIBE CALLED QUEST - The only reason this isn't on my list is because I forgot to include documentaries before I posted it. Otherwise, it would be in my top ten. I didn't see many documentaries last year (less than ten), but then again there weren't a lot that gained my interest. As a casual fan of A Tribe Called Quest once upon a time, I sought this one out because I'm at least familiar enough with them to care about the subject matter. This doc basically tells the story of the group, how they formed, how they've matured as artists and as people, and how success eventually drove them apart. What I loved about this documentary is that it took me back to a time when hip-hop was fun and when it was about the celebration of a sub-culture. Nowadays, hip-hop can still be fun, but the culture aspect of it seems to have gotten lost along the way and reduced to the underground scene in favor of celebrating material possessions and promoting certain things that a majority of the genre's target demographic can only achieve through criminal means. Despite certain portions of the documentary portraying members of the group in a somewhat negative light, BEATS, RHYMES AND LIFE was a great watch and made me love hip-hop again for about ninety minutes.