BEST HORROR MOVIE:
IT FOLLOWS-Few films recently have had the visceral impact of this justly successful horror indie. From it's opening moments when a frantic young woman races out of her house from an unseen horror to the creepy showdown at a swimming pool. The film is filled with a dread inducing score and a nightmarish atmosphere throughout it's run time. It Follows is undoubtedly a new horror classic. With it's classic execution and socially conscious themes running through out it's easy to see why the film was such a breakout!
BEST DIRECTOR
Todd Strauss Schulson: FINAL GIRLS- A sure runner up for film of the year. The Final Girls was unjustly denied a wide theatrical release despite it's brilliant setup and wonderfully entertaining payoff. Centering on a group of horror fans who find themselves in an actual 80's horror flick. The film is funny, clever and filled with strong emotionally resonant performances. Kudos to director Todd Strauss Schulson for nailing a super fun blend of comedy and light horror to make a unique, classic movie going experience.
BEST SCREENPLAY
M.A. Fortin and Joshua John Miller: FINAL GIRLS-Their brilliant screenplay fueled one of the most original films of the year. Their sharp dialogue and inspired plotting moved things along briskly in an explosive way making the proceedings feel fresh and immersive. Congrats to these guys for pulling off an intriguing blend of increasing cleverness that was a love letter to old school genre fans! P.S. when looking up these guys you'll notice genre vet Miller was a big presence in the 80's starring in everything from Teen Witch to Near Dark!
BEST ACTOR:
ADAM SCOTT: KRAMPUS-Krampus was filled with lots of fun goodies for us genre fans. But standing at the forefront was one hell of a kick ass performance from Adam Scott. Nailing a combination of hilarious comic timing and being scared as shit at the increasingly weird events around him. Scott is due for breakout stardom with his quirky good looks and engaging persona. Always a faithful genre presence check him out in the super fun/trashy Piranha 3D as well.
BEST ACTRESS
OLIVIA TAYLOR DUDLEY: THE VATICAN TAPES-If you managed to see this slightly above average film in it's super limited release or recently on DVD it's hard not feel the raw impact of it's leading lady. Many before her have done the whole possession thing but Dudley brings a genuine artistry to it all as she moves confidently between victim and villain. Filled with many cringe inducing moments Dudley shines throughout the trying role elevating the material around her.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
JEFFREY DONOVAN: EXTINCTION- This criminally underseen post apocalyptic horror thriller is filled with strong performances throughout but sexy Jeffrey Donovan of Burn Notice and BW2 is it's King of the Castle. He adds a real emotional zest and fierce survival depth to Jack, A man whose been wronged and has still managed to become a solid parental figure to a young girl amidst the chaos.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
MALIN ACKERMAN: FINAL GIRLS- Final girls is filled with many wonderful performances but Ackerman really nails her role. She brings a real maternal layer and a childlike naivety to her Nancy/Amanda. When we first meet her in the real world she's a struggling actress and a mother who dies tragically and than we meet her once again in her famous Scream Queen role in the movie within a movie. She cleverly plays with the sexuality, silliness and emotional resonance of the material. Delivering on all accounts in an inspired execution.
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BEST CAST
FINAL GIRLS- Was there even a question? Malin Ackerman, Alexander Ludwig, Nina Dobrev, Taissa Farminga, Alia Shawcat, Thomas Middleditch, Adam Devine and so many more hit their marks exceedingly well. Together with their great chemistry they bring to life this criminally underseen comedic horror tale. All bringing more depth and confidence to their roles.
BEST POSTER
IT FOLLOWS: This gorgeous old school poster evokes a sense of hipster horror with a original tinge. Gorgeously created with the right imagery to capture the horror of the film and pull us viewers in.
BEST SCORE
DISASTERPIECE: IT FOLLOWS- The music perfectly fills every sweaty palm inducing scene. Drenching the film in an atmosphere of approaching menace and unknowable horror. There hasn't been a genre score this powerful or memorable since the classics (the Exorcist, The Omen, Halloween, The Shining, Jaws) which it's sure to become!
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
MIKE GIOULAKIS: IT FOLLOWS- It Follows is nightmarish and one of the main reasons is Gioulakis's menacing slow burn cinematography. Capturing each scene in a surrealistic way with a sense of impending doom. His wide pan shots of something moving towards you in the background is the stuff bad dreams are made of. Inspired and Classic, his rich eye for horror is something that deserves applause!
BEST GORE EFFECTS
CARLO ANTONINO AND HER TEAM: EXETER- Have you seen Exeter. if so you witnessed the plethora of gooey gore and it's quite impressive. From impalements to sawed offed limbs and faces being torn apart there hasn't been a more impressive stew of bloody carnage in any genre film in 2015.
BEST CREATURE DESIGN
MATHIEU BAPTISTA: KRAMPUS- No matter how you felt about the movie Krampus's main monster was something to be hold. With a hooded cloak made of ghastliness the gorgeous creature sports soulless eyes, a gruesomely long tongue and disturbing razor sharp claws. He's definitely not someone to fuck with.
SCARIEST BOOGEYMEN
WE ARE STILL HERE- You would be hard pressed to find creepier boogeymen in 2015 than the nightmarish ghosts of We are still here. Their dark entities spouting smoke, demonic eyes and a rich disturbing atmosphere stay with you long after the film is over.
BEST CGI
JURASSIC WORLD- It's pretty easy to see why JW's phenomenal CGI would take the cake. Filled with lots of new dinos and some returning favorites. JW reigned supreme as it perfected those nasty beasties giving us our moneys worth in spades.
MOST STRIKING VISUAL
THE LAZURUS EFFECT- Maybe the movie wasn't fantastic but that striking image of Olivia Wilde floating demonically down a burning hallway is beautiful and horrific in the best way.
SCARIEST MOMENT
IT FOLLOWS: TALL MAN- How could you forget the moment when a dark, soulless version of the monster comes closely behind following a young woman into a room. It shook the audience to it's core and reminded people how scary and creative jump scares could truly be.
HOTTEST GUY
ALEXANDER LUDWIG; FINAL GIRLS/FINAL GIRL- Heyyyyyyyy Alexander Ludwig has come along way from his days at Witch Mountain. He's returned to the scene in the form of a tall, muscular greek god with a killer smile and sparkling eyes. It's no surprise that he's one of the hottest guys working the genre today!
Honarable Mention: The Boys of MUCK: The movie is completely exploitative of it's actors but hey that's not such a bad thing here. Ripping there shirts and clothes at the most ridiculous of times. it's hard to appreciate the killer bods on display.
HOTTEST GIRL
NINA DOBREV: FINAL GIRLS: Finally leaving behind her TV persona in The Vampire Diaries Nina Dobrev graced the silver screen with her charismatic wit and killer good looks. from her long luscious locks to impressive physique it's hard not to notice this scene stealing beauty.
BEST VILLAIN
JESSICA CHASTAIN: CRIMSON PEAK- I always appreciate an actor whose not afraid to go batshit crazy when it comes to playing a ghastly villain. Oscar Winner Jessica Chastain does that in spades as Crimson Peak rockets towards it's insane conclusion. Chastain wields a bloody razor with inspired glee and a manic intensity.
BEST COMEBACK
BRUCE CAMPBELL: ASH VS. EVIL DEAD-It's not like he ever really left. But Campbell stormed back with this perfect continuation of out beloved franchise. Bringing his chiseled good looks and lovable charismatic douchey sense of humor back to the franchise giving it just the right punch for starving genre fans. Here's lookin forward to season 2!
BEST TV SHOW
ASH VS. EVIL DEAD- Was it even a question? It's no doubt that Ash Vs. Evil Dead was the TV show of the year! Delivering on everything we could want this 10 episode season brought the ghastly goods from finely tuned plotting, creepy scares buckets of fun gore and lots of laughs the series stands as the most enjoyable genre experience of the year!
MOST DESERVING OF A FRANCHISE
FINAL GIRLS: Anyone whose seen and loved this movie knows that if any film deserves a franchise it's this perfect, innovative little genre feature. Leaving us with a inspired little cliffhanger we can only hope the same people involved return to bring us more clever carnage!
LEAST DESERIVING OF A FRANCHISE
INSIDIOUS: It all started out so perfectly. The Original Insidious was brilliant and absolutely terrifying but with the arrival of this third strained unwanted chapter it's leaving us asking why? This once brilliant franchise has lost all of it's pizzazz instead leaving us with an assortment of cliched scares, insipid makeup effects and laughably bad dialogue.
SO BAD IT'S GOOD
MUCK: Steven Wolsch's disastrous film is perfectly awful in all the right ways. From it's ridiculously sexy cast to it's exploitative use of them. The film features buckets of playful gore unintentionally funny dialogue and some of the most creative and stupendous sequences in any genre film of the year. For extra fun make sure you view the film with lots of booze, try and sort out the rationality of the characters actions and give all your attention to the many over the top slow mo shots!
DELICIOUSLY AWFUL PERFORMANCE
THE CAST OF MUCK: Listen no one in Muck is there to deliver a life altering performance, not that some of them aren't trying which makes it that much more fun. Delivering the corny dialogue with deadpan emotional range they are more focused on showing their abs, biceps, boobs and booties than anything else. But like the movie it's hard not too appreciate how deliciously awful it all fits.
MOST UNINTENTIONALLY LAUGHABLE MOMENT
THE GREEN INFERNO( Spoiler): There isn't any moment this year more absurd or laughable than that trick ending at the end of Green Inferno where our main actress turns to face someone with what seems to be wax monster teeth. It sent the audience I was with into a hysterical uproar!
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