Hey there fiends, welcome to day 17 of the Candy and Corpses Strychnine Awards. When I was younger I really wanted to be a ghost hunter. Especially after watching Ghostbusters in the theater as a kid. Little did I know that instead of running around with proton packs and chasing people turned into demon dogs, "really life" ghost hunters mostly just sat in dilapidated buildings watching rats scurry by their feet as they ate a bologna sandwich and listened for the occasional eerie noise to be made. "No, it wasn't the old rusty pipes. It is the cries of a 17th century barmaid who may have died of consumption right at this very spot." Don't get me wrong. I'm believer. I just don't like being dirty and I get tired easily so...
Anyways, on to the awards!
October 17th, 2021: The award for best Possessed Youtuber Gone Wild goes to...
Condemned asylum's are not somewhere you could make me hang out even if you were paying me money. Especially an asylum where historically horrible shit took place. I'm way too sensitive for that. I would probably just imploded from anxiety before I even got past the front steps. Say, what would you do if you were hanging out with people in a spooky place and suddenly one of your friends went all black eyed and started speed mumbling gibberish and jerking their head around all creepy like? Or suddenly there's a hairless old naked man squating in the corner smiling at you. That's the kind of awful stuff that happens when you hang out in messed up asylums. Screw that.
The year of 2016 is so chock full of awesome horror films that I mad have gone slightly mad trying to come up with my top three. We have one of the creepiest, scariest horror films dealing with possession or the Devil ever made in The Wailing. You will be scared, very scared. Then there is one of the most horrifying Lovecraftian stories ever made with creepy cults and terrifying monsters you'll never unsee in The Void. And who doesn't love a film so thick with atmosphere and quiet creepiness where you don't know who is the bad guy and who is in over their heads.
2016
1. The Wailing (Directed by Hong-jin Na)
IMDB plot: Soon after a stranger arrives in a little village, a mysterious sickness starts spreading. A policeman, drawn into the incident, is forced to solve the mystery in order to save his daughter.
2. The Void (Directed by Jeremy Gillespie, Steven Kostanski)
IMDB plot: Shortly after delivering a patient to an understaffed hospital, a police officer experiences strange and violent occurrences seemingly linked to a group of mysterious hooded figures.
3. Don't Breathe (Directed by Fede Alvarez)
IMDB plot: Hoping to walk away with a massive fortune, a trio of thieves break into the house of a blind man who isn't as helpless as he seems.
...but I don't want to be writing this post all day. So I decided to just go with two of the most aesthetically beautiful films ever made. I can watch these films on repeat just for the gorgeous colors and style.
Sex and Witches and Death and Demons.
The Love Witch (Directed by Anna Biller)
IMDB plot: A modern-day witch uses spells and magic to get men to fall in love with her, with deadly consequences.
The Neon Demon (Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn)
IMDB plot: An aspiring model, Jesse, is new to Los Angeles. However, her beauty and youth, which generate intense fascination and jealousy within the fashion industry, may prove themselves sinister.
The first year of the noughts (or the ought-teens) was a tame year for horror aside from a few standouts. James Wan brought us Insidious which has lots of truly inventive scares and some very creepy imagery. I always forget that the Insidious films are not part of the "Conjuring Universe". So strange since its all James Wan. They fit so perfectly together too. Oh well. Next up is a slice of spooky Korean horror. I Saw the Devil is a great and gruesome serial killer film. Very stark and unflinching. Not glossy at all, just real grimy real feeling murder. You may need a shower after watching. Lastly there is Black Swan. I went back and forth on whether or not I consider it horror but in the end I think there is so much creepy atmosphere and some really spooky parts that I had to add it. Also, it's so beautiful and moody. Makes me wanna dance. xoxo
2010
1. Insidious (Directed by James Wan)
IMDB lot: A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further.
2. I Saw the Devil (Directed by Jee-woon Kim)
IMDB plot: A secret agent exacts revenge on a serial killer through a series of captures and releases.
3. Black Swan (Directed by Darren Aronofsky)
IMDB plot: A committed dancer struggles to maintain her sanity after winning the lead role in a production of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake".
