This year saw a couple of dominating television series that fit into the horror genre.. "Buffy the Vampire the Slayer", "The X-Files", "Millennium" and "The Outer Limits". None of these were new to our screens in 1998 which is dissapointing.. At a time when "Hollyweird" was looking to be a starter in Fox's holiday line up.. But Cassidy had a major riff with FOX, Wes Craven is still working on the series but will concentrate on his Quaterly Televised show, find out more about Craven at his lack luster hardly ever updated page bcause he's so busy www.wescraven.com.
As an extension of the former. I ask what was the best episode in a horror series. I'm going to extend this to the fabled "Halloween episodes" that other non-horror televisions shows put on that reflect back on the genre.. Be it Simpsons or the overly-exposed South Park. But don't dismiss the actual runnign series.. X-Files has from all reports had an excellent series since the film was released. Buffy has had people laughing in they're lounge rooms..MGM's Outer Limits has spooked the hell out of people and reminded us of the undying paranoia that is pending. Possibly the biggest surprise episode in a horror series this year was a plague in Millennium that wiped out the world.. The series has let go of its "Nightstalker" initial image and turned into a real reality screwer.
With television it is hard to pin-point the year that films fit into. For instance The Mini-Serie's "13 Gaintry Row", "House of Frankenstein", "The Shining" and "Peter Benchley's Creature" all got screenings in Australia this year. So I will leave it to the individual viewer to tell me truthfully that they saw that film this year on television and it was the best of the series or films that they saw that year.
To some the term "Best Sequel" may be a contradition in terms.. To be honest it's kind of why the category is invented. You can not measire a sequel up against any other type of film.. They are made differently.. 1998 saw a bunch of sequels. A new Phantasm film, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, H20, Hot Tubs 2, Bride of Chucky, Species II, Eko Eko Azaraku III, Curse of the Puppetmaster and Children of the Corn 5 (I may have missed some:). Children of the Corn 5 was in actual fact the sequel that Kane Hodder played in this year.. Not Freddy Vs. Jason.. Critics are particularly cruel on the sequel for some unknown reason. Maybe because they lack the originality of the original.. Maybe because they should never have been made.. My personal opinion on this matter is.. Sequels are a neccessary evil.. They remind us that evil never dies, it is always out there untill the studio has milked every cent it can from the viewing public. They change the context of the original but keep on the same playing field.. It is rare to find a sequel that skips across to another sub-genre, the bless'ed "Halloween 3, Season of the Witch" traded genre with SLASHER/REVENGE plot to a morbid variation of the MAD SCIENTIST plot. Keep in mind this category is about the BEST SEQUEL. The sequel you enjoyed the most because of the criteria you use when seeing a film.. It's not a bad thing to formulate your own opinion.
This award is purely meant as a fun thing. Who was the actor/actress that made you drool this year.. Was it LL Cool J, Brandy, Adam Arkin, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Adam Hann-Byrd or Traci Lords.. The list is endless.. I guess the way you pick it depends on your sexual persuasion so when the votes come in I'll seperate the nomination, BOY/GIRL just to make the results easier to read.. Because if last years survey is anything to go by the majority will be Male who send in nominations.. Girls Surprise me.. Not that I'm saying all guys will pick girls and vive versa.. If this was the case the world would be so boring.. What I really mean to say is.. PLAY BALL! Type in the name of the person in horror that turned you on the most this year.. It may have been a Director who knows??
I'm sure that this year we have seen some pretty good HYPE campaigns for horror films.. From the poster "SIZE DOES MATTER" for the flop GODZILLA to the "GET 0HOOKED AGAIN" ISKWYDLS poster. The controversial "Psycho" poster that was banned in some state in the USA, the withdrawn Psycho poster that was reminicent of FOX's recent Blockbuster. Posters are those that adorn the walls and walkways of the cinema months before the trailer.. The things that get us hooked early.. Then again this year has seen the regulating of the boring style of poster, the "Lets show the whole cast except the killer poster".. And the "faces running from bottom left dissapearing into the top Right.. With the best known actor first followed by the others poster.". Who could forget the picture of the big tough Vampire slayer/s on the ready to kick ass on a couple of posters this year.
This year the genre attracted some old favorites, Dourif as the voice of Chucky. James Woods and that Baldwin fellow in VAMPIRES, the Vampires worthy of nominations as well.. The Hip Hop boys Usher and LL COOL J. Adam Arkin was in there.. Wesley Snipes as a slayer with Kris (convoy) Kristofferson by his side.
Should Jamie Lee Curtis returned.. Was Brandy as good as I thought she was.. A pool of acting talent bombarded us again this year.. A Big acting award went to Neve Campbell who was voted best Actress for her portrayal of Sidney Prescot in SCREAM 2 (a 1997 release) at the MTV movie awards (The only awards that count on your resume, critically acclaimed means nothing to an audience).. Actresses again had the stronger roles in all sub-genre's except for the Vampire films where they were still damzels in distress, vs the testosterone backed, STAKE drivers (I hear laughing:)..
The year of the Vampire and Slasher films that 1998 was.. Surely amongst the films there was a death scene that sprung out more.. Was it a certain Decapitation, Vamps burnt by the Sun... Or someone gutted or cut straight down the center.. OR was it a remake shot 4 shot or almost of a shower scene from a certain film.
Well usually when a genre is in SOLD OUT mode the cool, BRAVERY lines come out.. Vampires over use of "did that give you wood.". or the paranoid ramblings of Keri Tate. Blade "there are worse things out tonight than Vampires.... Me.".. Psycho "A boy is no substitute for a lover.".. The Faculty "Report to the principals office.".. The lines that reflect an almost complete picture of the film in the head of someone who has seen it..
When everthing looks better than alright and purely visual CANDY.. For instance the ISKWYDLS may have not been splendid in narrative, but the use of the camera not only under the direction of the DIRECTOR, but also the DOP made the film watchable.. The use of Green, coupled with the constant hassle of shooting during rain.. Made the film visually more exciting than GODZILLA which was also mainly a rain shoot but lacked the ability to see detail to cover up for some quick shonky effects.. Form your own opinions on this.. It is a hard one.. Think of the Aussie who worked on the SHOT 4 SHOT remake of Psycho as DOP.
This does not need to be a horror genre film.. It just needs to be horrifying. The film that shocked you to the core.. In years past "Natural Born Killers", or "Rollerball","The Man Who Could Make Miracles Happen" may have made it to the polling booth in votes for such a film.. Tom Brownings "Freaks" is another film that may have graced the nomination.. This year we have been tortured by some graphic paranoia on screen with the earth being ROCKED from outer space in DEEP IMPACT and ARMAGEDDON.. Audience memberes left Saving Privates Ryan, in shell shock! Others felt duped by the system after seeing the truth in the documentary "WACO: The Rules of Engagement". All films that were meant to shock us by showing us an extremely DARK or GROTESQUE part of the human psyche. In Early Silent Cinema Men and Women hid behind their chairs when the star of "The Great Train Robbery" turned his gun on them and fired at the camera.
This year saw a lot of Hubub over the re-release of the "The Excorcist" as part of Warner Brothers 75th anniversary. They went as far as to get horror relatives and horror makers together to pledge this to be the #1 scary film of all time. Maybe it was.. But 1998 saw stacks of Re-releases as the popularity of the DVD started to snowball. BLADE a 1998 cinema release had a completely new release on DVD with scenes you could watch from different angles, extra scenes including an alternate BLOOD BEAST ending. There is an ART to the Re-release.. Usually occurs on an anniversary or the coming of NEW technology.
Herrmann was BACK.. Will John Carpenter be any match for him.. Will Danny Elfman have stuffed up the score too much.. Did John Ottman ruin the Halloween theme? Who really tuned up the STALK and STAB music this year. Phantasm Oblivion has one of the greatest scores (u can hear it now).. But was it any match for the rest of the Heavy Weights around this year.. Either enter the Composer name or the Film Name.
ROB ZOMBIE.. STABBING WESTWARD... HARVEY DANGER.. PORNO FOR PYROS.. Huge list of music inspired by and from the soundtracks to horror this year.. Bride of Chucky and the remake of "Crazy".. The Faculty and the Remake of "School's Out", and "Brick in the Wall pt 1 and 2"... Horror blessed our ears and we heard Jennifer Love Hewitt sing again.. HIP HOP actors in horror films like Usher, Brandy and LL COOL J.. Did not really impact on the soundtrack.. The Sound was still ROCK or DANCE.. BLADE had a huge 1 million beats a second soundtrack.. Godzilla's soundtrack did better than the movie (compaatively).. The Music was there again this year. Call this version of HORROR marketing "SCREAMafied" (as alt.horror uses) or not.. Is it bad to sell a film through its soundtrack.. What would that blockbuster "The Sound of Music" be without the soundtrack.?. "The"?
Copius amount of film-clips this year.. MTV or V or whatever you watch you would have seen some.. The film-clips I was looking for were the HORROR styled.. This year a great breed.. A THOM YORKE film-clip for Rabbit in the Headlights consisted of a man walking through a car tunnel constantly being hit by cars while muttering something indistinguishable. GOLDIE had a film-clip called "TEMPER TEMPER" which included hidden evil.. Also in Australia undoubtedly the best film-clip of the year was "On the Day You Come" by Powderfinger, directed Vince Price (I think). The film clip eluded to a dinner party with Satan (or anitichrist) as the host without using any FX or horns or tails.. The Evil was hidden.. But surely this year without "Beavis and Butthead" to tell us what clips are cool, we have no choice but to go it alone.. What was the best horror film-clip this year.. I'm not after the best song.. But the Clip that went with it.. remember the director may end up in Hollywood or someplace someday turning out some great HORROR features.
Harder to find, different to the film-clip.. Usually shot for next to nix. Usually gritty, sometimes gorey.. Very funny, somehow spooky.. Well if in Australia and you saw the ARENA Graveyard Shift's "SHIFTY FILM COMP." you would have seen some great shorts.. Killer Giant Kangaroos, A cannibal family and their dolly, and who could forget "KEVIN" look out TROMA Kevin could make it to your next line up.. Across the world it is harder to get in touch with horror short films.. Maybe you were entered in some fextivals or saw a couple of shorts at festivals.. Vote for your own or one you saw.. GO CRAZY.. If not title Descriptions will suffice.
Horror came into question again this year.. Warner gave out their tribute.. Wes Craven had his show on.. Most important "GODS and MONSTERS".. The Critically acclaimed Biopic of the final days of JAMES WHALE.. Look out Spielberg I suspect this film could beat you at the ceremonies..
What horror film had the most convincing gore and killing this year. Did ISKWYDLS or was it H20, or were the scenes in these films fake looking.. This is straight forward Question.. Either say the movie title or FX artist.
CG has made it into the movies in a big way over the last few years.. Gone are the days of people wearing GODZILLA suits, now it's no STRINGS ATTACHED, 3d graphically rendered monsters, and planes and choppers, Vampires.. The LESS mess version of the old style has taken hold of the world. What horror film had the best CG FX this year??
The new buzz term for studio flooding conferences and what not.. What studio pleased you the most this year.. What studio's graphic before the film was an insurance of quality??
The place you saw most of the horror films this year.. Cinema.. Not at home..
What was the best site this year.. Were they for official sites? As a general Rule Newline, Universal and SONY understand how to entertain while advertising their films across the net, using Shockwave, soundbites, Realplayer, supplying screensavers, competitions, minimal TEXT maximum fun sometimes including online games and postcards... We waited on Miramax/Dimension to smarten up this year, but we were slapped in the face with a boring boring bunch of sites.. When the FACULTY site eventually went up the interaction consisted of .mov of the trailer, cast info pictures, Real player soundtrack stuff.. But WAS completely tainted by Advertising TOMMY jeans on the site.. Jeans I will happily burn upon reception. Now at least.. The last thing I want to see on a site that is purely infotainment is and ADVERT.. This must be stopped.. They're of course are other sites out they're less official.. They might be focused on a series, a director a sub-genre.. Is the newlook fridaythe13th.com worth the time to download?.. Is IMDB failing with its newlook interface.. You be the judge what was the best HORROR site in 1998.
Who was consitently the name behind the best production in 1998?
Stefano, Don Kakoby or are the newbies still praising Williamson?
Straight forward.. Who?
HERE IS THE LIST I HAVE COLATED: There maybe more.. Released 1998.
Apostasy (1998) - Religion Attack of the Flesh Devouring Space Worms From Outer Space (1998) Big Monster on Campus (1998) - teen monster Blade (1998) - vampire slayer Blood Kiss (1998) - vampire movie gothic romance Blue Moon (1998) - Remake of 'WOLF'??? Bride of Chucky (1998) Bride of the Head of the Family (1998) - fantasy horror comedy Cabin Fever (1998) - teens in a shinninig snowed in situation. ikwydl like. Cabin, The (1998) - Zombie curse in a teen filled cabin. Children of the Corn V: Field of Terror (1998) Chorrito de sangre, Un (1998) - mexican religious. Cold Hearts (1998) - vampire film Curse of the Puppet Master (1998) Cutting Moments (1998) - series of short gorey films. Really gorey. Dario Dare: Go To Hell (1998) Dawn, The (1998) - German film in English ??? Dead to the World (1998) - Docko in 'Marilyn Manson' avail Aust. Decampitated (1998) - Troma! Deep Rising (1998) - sea monster Desperation (1998) - Stephen King Disturbing Behavior (1998) Dreadful Dead, The (1998) - German Zombie film Eko Eko Azaraku III (1998) - Japanese "The Dark Angel has Landed" balck magic. Evil Dead's Trap (1998) - Japanese, something about Torture and a T.v. reporter. Faculty, The (1998) Fallen (1998) Friday Night (1998) - a 90s kind of 80s movie, Corey Haim teen film. Gabriel Knight: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned (1998) -video games Gargantua (1998) - marine creature Genesis (1998) - Spain. ??? Godzilla (1998) Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later (1998) Hot Tubs II: The Terror Returns (1998) - slasher films I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) I've Been Waiting for You (1998) Ice From the Sun (1998) - experimental gore flick Inevitable Death of a Serial Killer, The (1998) - silent short film Into the Woods ... (1998) - finland Lady of the Lake (1998) - Canada, 'fall under her spell and into the depths of horror.' Landarzt Dr. Oetkker - Trailer (1998) - ? Romance Last Roadstop, The (1998) - Halloween type film Legion of Fire: Killer Ants! (1998) - Killer Ants! Light Speed (1998) - scifi horror, with a monster Memoirs of a Stalker (1998) - tale about a guy who murders the people he loves Minion, The (1998) - Dolph Lundgren Fallen styled horror My Sweet Killer (1998) Mørkeræd (1998) Nattens engel (1998) - Danish Vampire Film Paha posteljooni (1998) - (Bad Postman) Finland- postman goes beserk after delivering porn. Phantasm: Oblivion (1998) Phantoms (1998) Psycho (1998) - reinterpretation Rasen (1998) - Japan "It must have died", zombie revenge. Real Psycho, The (1998) - German ??? Resident Evil 2 (1998) - Video Game Rose Madder (1998) - Stephen King Sieben Monde (1998) - German, [night time] ??? Species II (1998) Talos the Mummy (1998) Three Tales of Gorror (1998) - purpose built low budget horror all encompassing Trance (1998) - psychological horror??? Urban Legend (1998) Vampirates (1998) Vampire Club (1998) - a movie about a girl who wants to be a Vampire. Vampires (1998) - John Carpenter Victoria's Shadow (1998) - ? Vampire Viewer Discretion Advised (1998) - the horror of being trapped in a t.v. episode. Watchers Reborn (1998) - Dean Koontz Wheelchair Invader (1998) - Black comedy Witchcraft X: Mistress of the Craft (1998) Wonderguy (1998) X-Files- Fight the Future (1998)
Opposite to above. :)