5 Best Horror Anthologies of 2015
Matt Molgaard
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We’ll likely remember 2015 for two things: first, the loss of an astounding amount of amazing genre contributors and second, a slew of insanely awesome horror anthologies.
We’re choosing to focus on the latter, as the former is only bound to leave us feeling depressed, already missing talents like Wes Craven, Betsy Palmer, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Geoffrey Lewis (to name but a few.) While we won’t forget any of the greats who departed this earth in 2015, it’s always important to focus on the positive side of life. It’s imperative that we stop to take in the good things, while we’re still here to enjoy them.
One of those good things comes in the form of a handful of awesome anthology pictures. These aren’t simple, cheap projects tossed together by green filmmakers who haven’t yet learned to actually make a film; these are projects that boast heaps of talent and tons of familiar faces… faces we’ve come to truly love over the years.
We’ve had a number of seasonal anthos drop in our lap in 2015 (all of which – somehow – were absolutely badass), but those available on the market as of right now aren’t the only film collections headed our way this year. No, there are still a few months left on the calendar, and we’re eyeing a prospect or two headed down the ‘pike. Take a look at the lineup of what just may be the greatest year in history for the horror anthology.
Tales of Halloween: By now you’ve already read the reviews and likely been swallowed by the hype. But Tales of Halloween is a lot more than hype; it is horror the way horror fans want horror. Gritty, gruesome, comical, unrelenting, unforgiving and unforgettable. A massive team of genre vets come together (included in the bunch are Darren Lynn Bousman, Neil Marshall, Lucky McKee, Pollyanna McIntosh, Adrienne Barbeau, Barry Bostwick, Lin Shaye, John Landis, Joe Dante and Robert Rusler – and believe this: That’s only a few of note) to deliver a true fan film. Not in the sense that a phrase like that may have you thinking; we’re talking about a picture designed to please fans of every sub-genre in existence, a movie really aimed at doing one thing and one thing alone: pleasing horror fanatics. It’s a success story, and even today, with Halloween in the rearview, it’s completely worth a late-night watch.
Mexico Barbaro: Having just landed on VOD outlets, Mexico Barbaro, or Barbarous Mexico, is igniting some crazy attention from horror aficionados. Why? Because, first and foremost, it looks wildly promising, bringing some grimy gore, an abundance of nudity, clean cinematography and some clever story concepts to the table. And second, there is an assortment of Mexican filmmakers attached to the project that have already left us quite impressed in the past: Isaac Ezban’s The Incident was a fine film, Jorge Michel Grau’s We Are What We Are was insane, Lex Ortega’s Atrocious far exceeded expectations and Gigi Saul Guerrero’s Evil Dead in 60 Seconds rocked the rock. There’s some amazing international talent involved here, and Mexico Barbaro is definitely an anthology that you’re going to want to see.
A Christmas Horror Story: Arriving nice and early this year, A Christmas Horror Story struck VOD outlets well in advance of the titular holiday. But it was a welcomed early arrival. Much like Mike Dougherty’s fan favorite Trick ‘r Treat, this one interweaves all of the stories to near perfection, never spelling out the fact that we’re watching an anthology, but rather blending each tale together with clarity yet clear points of separation. The movie looks awesome, most of the stories work to entertain and we’re finally seeing a “good” Santa Claus that intimidates while kicking the living shit out of a horde of zombie elves en route to a major showdown with Krampus; Santa’s a bad ass. Factor in a fun appearance from William Shatner (whose character grows increasingly intoxicated as the movie progresses) in the pic’s wraparound, and you’re talking about a Grade A flick.
All Hallows’ Eve 2: Back in 2013 the indie anthology All Hallows’ Eve was welcomed with some critical but generally positive reception. It was clearly a cheap film, just a notch or so above the “micro budget” line, but it sported some very unsettling imagery and efinitely had a few very shining moments. Fast-forward two years, and All Hallows’ Eve 2 is here. Arriving under a blanket of silence, the picture has gone almost entirely ignored, seemingly lost in the buzz surrounding Tales of Halloween. But the movie is a lot stronger than you may expect, and it deserves some notice. There are a couple insane segments awaiting viewers, and the production values are noticeably heftier. As was the case with the first film, we spot a few disconcerting images throughout the film, and it’s got a distinct Halloween vibe to it. Don’t let All Hallows’ Eve slip through the cracks this year. It isn’t as impressive as Tales of Halloween, but if that flick hadn’t seen release this year, All Hallows’ Eve 2 would have a lot more individuals talking.
Southbound: Still yet to hit the mass market, Southbound just arrived on the festival scene, and it’s already drawing big praise. The crew behind the V/H/S films delivers this goodie, and it’s being labeled as superior to the entire V/H/S franchise. Once again Rozanne Benjamin, David Bruckner, Patrick Horvath and Radio Silence are the creative minds at work, and once again the found footage angle is being utilized, but where some of the V/H/S amalgamation got it wrong, Southbound is said to get it right. A few more fan-friendly faces will be gracing the production, such as Larry Fessenden and Maria Olsen, and the buzz within the review circle is enough to have our interest piqued! Even if Southbound is an entirely foreign project to you, it sounds like it may be worth adding to your must-see list, and it makes for the fifth noteworthy anthology being released this year.
