Top 5 films of 2012

For film, 2012 was a year for anticipating sequels.  The Dark Knight Rises, The Expandables, etc.  I was also looking forward to films that got a good buzz at Sundance.  These five flicks have been films that I've been playing on my dvd player more than twice.

#5. Chained

This was a really good flick that I was kind of afraid to check out.  As I've mentioned on the "Chained" review, I'm not a fan of films with rape.  Jennifer Lynch made a really great film with a lot of atmosphere, psychology, and suspense.

#4. The Cabin in the Woods

Most Hollywood horror flicks suck balls.  It was nice to see a Hollywood horror film like The Cabin in the Wood.  A lot of my friends told me what a really good flick this was.  It was a pretty smart flick with some good laughs and some good blood flow.  Of course this was from the director of The Avengers.  Maybe that's why I enjoyed this flick.

#3. Excision 

One of many films that got great buzz at this years Sundance Film Festival.  A very dark film with a lot of great cameos.  Not since Fred Vogel's character in August Underground, have I hated the main character.  Anna Lynn McCord did an amazing job playing the delusional/sad fuck, Pauline.

#2 Rec 3: Genesis

When Rue Morgue did the story on Rec 2, I was excited to read when they were doing two more.  But when I read the reviews about Rec 3, about how in the 2nd half, I wasn't sure.  But being a fan of the first two, I still wanted to check it out.  Rec 3 was shot very well.  And even though they added some humor, it was still one of my favorite horror flicks in 2012.

#1. The Raid: Redemption

This got a huge buzz at this year's Sundance Film Festival.  I'll admit, this flick isn't horror, but there are a bunch of violence.  The action is amazing.  There's a reason why people have been raving about this.  It told a really good story.  But wow!  The main character was bad arse.  If their was a film I would recommend this year, it will be The Raid: Redemption.

Top 5 Albums of 2012

Well, I hope everyone is going to have a awesome NYE.  2012 was a great year for music.  Found some new bands that I now love.  And enjoyed some new music from my favorite bands.  Hope 2013 brings us some more great music.

#5. Pig Destroyer- Book Burner

I have been waiting for Pig Destroyer to make a new album forever.  After listening to this album so many times, it gets more intense.  The deluxe version made my day with the bonus disc of punk covers.  And J.R. Hayes short story, The Atheist, was a good read.

#4. Evoken- Altra Mors

Oh how I heart death/doom.  And Evoken continue to make that sub-genre awesome.  Very dark and brutal.  These guys never disappoint.  If you're a fan of doom and it's many micro-genres, you have to pick this up.  A great listen when reading The Walking Dead.

#3. Author & Punisher- Ursus Americanus 

This album was also very intense.  Harsh and brutal.  Tristan Shone is one of the few pioneers of this generation.  His shows are even much intense.  A lot of my co-workers who are into dub-step became really huge fans of Ursus Americanus.  More bands/artist should be very creative like Mr. Shone.

#2. Royal Thunder- CVI

My favorite new band of 2012.  CVI, Royal Thunder's first album is one rocking album.  "Whispering World" is my favorite song of 2012.  It was nice seeing these kids get some great reaction.  It was really refreshing to see a more hard rock band (compared to the more extreme).

#1. Unsane- Wreck

I've been a huge fan of these guys since I saw the video for "Scrape".  And since then I've been a fan of noise rock.  Chris Spencer and Co. have made another great album for me to rock out.  Got see them withe Melvins, which was awesome.  Their cover of Flipper's "Ha Ha Ha" was the greatest cover I've heard in a while.  This is the album I recommend people to pick up.

August Underground

Probably one of the most talked about horror in the past decade.  Fred Vogel's August Underground has started a buzz in the horror community as "The Sickest Film Ever Made".  Some horror fans love this film because it's sick and demented.  Others hate it because it's sick and demented.  And then there are the folks who think this film is all hype.  It's shot terrible.  And that it doesn't have a plot.  I have to say first off, it's a found footage/psuedo-snuff film.  When going into this film, you have to pretend that you found this video on the floor when you were taking a walk.  Out of curiosity, you pick up the video and take it back home and put it in your VCR.  You then find out that this isn't any ordinary home video.  This is a video diary of two deranged fellas.   

The film opens up with the camera man pouring some beer on the ground when he is approach by his friend, who invites him down to the basement.  In the basement, he finds a naked girl, strapped to a chair, covered in blood, sweat, and shit.  The camera man gets a total kick out of it and then his friend shows him the victim's boyfriend, dead in the tub, with his cock cut off.  We then see footage of the two psychopath doing normal things that everyday people do.  Like fooling around in a farm, visiting places, going to a concert, and getting a tattoo.  Then back to the chaos in which they killed a hitch hiker, a old lady, staring a fight at a gig, terrorizing a convenience store, killing two brothers, and a pair of hookers.

One of the reasons why Fred Vogel made August Underground was to show the true and ugly side of violence.  As great as the special effects are, there is nothing glamorous about the violence portrayed in August Underground.  This film was meant for you to feel sick.  In a generation where horror fans root for the psychos and monsters, you just feel disgusted by the actions of the two men.

Most mainstream horror fans aren't gonna enjoy this.  They've complained about the quality.  That there's no plot.  And worse of all, they complain that the women in the film "aren't hot".  Uh, yeah.  Unlike in the real world where there are a lot of hot big booby women, who enjoy getting naked.  Goddamn, I hate those fans.  But anyhoo, this was a great first effort by Fred Vogel, who has now started his own company (Toe Tag Inc.) and has made six other films.  And despite the mix reactions, August Underground, to me, is a cult classic with a really dedicated following.

If interested, you can purchase the dvd at www.toetag.biz.  There, you can find other dvds and ToeTag gear.  Spread the sickness.  -Mikey O)))