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Best (And Worst) Horror Movies of 2014

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It’s almost the beginning of a brand new, shiny year, so naturally it’s time to take a look back at the best and worst horror movies of 2014. The–wait. Ugh, does anyone else smell that? That’s the smell of every crap sandwich horror movie pumped out in 2014. I’ve said before that horror fans are becoming bigger and bigger snobs, but this year was really not helping my case. This year, we had every right to be assholes. In that spirit, let’s start with:

The Worst

5. Oculus

Oculus

While this one actually had some legitimately creepy scenes, it did not deliver after the very promising trailer. Disappointment.

4. Deliver Us From Evil

deliver us from evil

Yawn. I remember roughly 14% of this movie. Hot priest, hot cop, hot cop No. 2, and the world’s most boring exorcism. That about covers it.

3. As Above, So Below

as above so below

I hate every sub-genre nitpicker as much as the next guy, but really…was this even horror? It felt more like an angsty Indiana Jones with a teenage girl twist.

2. Devil’s Due

devils due

This movie is THE REASON everyone is over found footage: because everyone thinks they can do it! This movie was so bad that I rejoiced at the darkly violent ending because honestly, I wanted everyone dead.

1. The Quiet Ones

the quiet ones

When asking myself, “Self, what’s the worst of the worst?” I instantly answered myself with, “‘The Quiet Ones’, dumbass. Obviously.” The only redeeming moment of this flick was when the credits finally started to roll.

Special shout out to ‘The Houses October Built‘ and ‘7500’ for sucking just as badly as the rest, but being drawn last out of the hat of shame.

The Best

2014 wasn’t a total loss, I admit. There were some good ones in there. Some.

5. At The Devil’s Door

at the devils door

This flick was a weird one I just sort of stumbled across, but it was a happy find. Even with the disappointing ending, the rest of the movie was solid and kept me interested.

4. The Babadook

the babadook

There are no words for how excited I was to FINALLY see ‘The Babadook,’ and I was determined not to be let down. Luckily for me, this movie held its own and my hopes remained unshattered. Not quite as creepy as the trailer made it look, but satisfying nonetheless. And the pop up books are now for sale!

3. The Taking of Deborah Logan

the taking of deborah logan

I was so excited to see this movie on Netflix, and even more excited when it didn’t blow! Solid performances all the way around and the fear of a terrifying disease alone made this sufficiently freaky and then some.

2. The Town That Dreaded Sundown

the town that dreaded sundown

Following in the ‘Scream’ tradition of meta sequels, this was an enjoyable watch and very well done.

1. Annabelle

annabelle

Of course my number 1 is ‘Annabelle.’ This movie was freakin’ fraught with tension all the way through, and the basement scene is, I believe, one of the scariest I’ve ever seen. It plays on fears we’ve all experienced at one time or another, and the jump scares were solid. Best of 2014, no question.

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‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

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Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

The Strangers

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

The Strangers

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The Strangers

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

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It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

Great Movie Ride

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

Alien Romulus
Alien (1979)

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

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Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

Home Depot Skeleton Prop

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

Home Depot Prop

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.

Terror Dog Prop
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