Eye On Horror
Eye On Horror
Top 10s of 2023!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR! What better way to start off 2024 than celebrating an absolute banger of a year for our favorite genre! That's right, it's the season 6 finale of Eye on Horror!!
This week, the boys celebrate 10 of their favorite films of 2023. Surprising twist this year, as their lists rarely line up! Will Jay continue his streak of being the fringe guy? Will Godzilla Minus One sweep the #1 spot across the board? Will Jacob and Correia reference The Boys Are Back In Town again? Find out on the new episode of EYE ON HORROR!!
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Welcome to Eye On Horror, the official podcast of iHorror.com. This is episode 119, otherwise known as Season 6, Episode 20. I am your host James Jay Edwards and with me as always is your other host Jacob Davison. How you doing? Jacob?
Jacob Davidson:Doing good, feeling the spirit of Christmas this Christmas Eve morning.
James Jay Edwards:Yeah, it is Christmas Eve morning. When you hear this, it will be New Year's Day. So Happy New Year.
Jonathan Correia:Happy New Year.
Jacob Davidson:Happy 2024
James Jay Edwards:Also with us as always is your other other host Jon Correia. How you doing, Correia?
Jonathan Correia:Doing good. A little sad that you know, it's Christmas Eve and I'm still not like, rich enough or as much of a bastard to be visited by three ghosts to tell me how I'm fucking up, you know?
James Jay Edwards:You mean four ghosts? People always forget Jacob Marley was a ghost.
Jacob Davidson:Well, yeah, but he was the one who told him that the three ghosts were coming. So yeah, it's like the three ghosts.
James Jay Edwards:He was visited by four ghosts, not just three. One of them just happened to be his old partner.
Jonathan Correia:I'm going to fight you on that because it's actually five ghosts because it's Marley and Marley. The Muppet Christmas Carol. Come on. Icons. We're Marley and Marley. But yes, someday I hope to... that's when you know you made it when you get visited by four or five ghosts. To tell you how much of a bastard you've been and how rich you are.
James Jay Edwards:Yep. This is our last episode of the year, even though it is the first episode of 2024 for the listeners. So this is our Top 10 List episode, which I can see Correia cringe because we already had just a discussion on whether or not we want to call it top 10s
Jonathan Correia:Well, I mean, like...
James Jay Edwards:They're subjective.
Jonathan Correia:It's all subjective. This is our personal opinions. And you know, I know we have a podcast and we, you know, give our opinions on things. But like, I don't know, like, artist is objective. And you know, at the end of the day, making a movie is hard. So like, we're not here to shit on anything. And this is just, you know, the movies that like affected us and gave us tinglies and all that fun jazz. So like, you know, this isn't, I wouldn't say this is like, Ebert and Roeper's top films of the year, this is just, you know, we're just normal men, normal folk, you know, saying hey, these are our favorites.
James Jay Edwards:And that's the thing they're favorites. I don't believe in "worst of" lists.
Jonathan Correia:Oh, fuck"worst of" lists.
James Jay Edwards:Yeah, I don't do "worst of" lists. I you know, there are movies I think have disappointed me. But not, I don't think...
Jacob Davidson:Yeah, no, "worst of" list is just lowbrow.
James Jay Edwards:Yeah, yeah. It's just people trying to get clicks, people trying to get attention.
Jonathan Correia:It's clickbait. It's tacky. I saw one and they had Asteroid City on it. And it's like, oh, you know...
Jacob Davidson:Ridiculous.
James Jay Edwards:I think that, was that Variety's?
Jacob Davidson:Yeah, yeah Variety.
James Jay Edwards:And it's that Owen Gleiberman dude that... I've disagreed with him since he was at Entertainment Weekly. That dude is. But yeah, anyway, don't get me started on him. Let's jump right into these. We're going to go... I always seem to choose a random order of one we're going to go and this year, we're going to go in the order that we appear in my zoom... in my Zoom app across the top, which means I'm first Correia's second, Jacob's third. So my number 10 is M3GAN.
Jonathan Correia:Oooh!
James Jay Edwards:And I know people have forgotten that M3GAN came out this year because it was way back in like January.
Jacob Davidson:It was a January release.
James Jay Edwards:I just had so much fun with M3GAN it took me back to those late 80s, you know, Chopping Mall, Deadly Friend kind of, you know, quote,"technological horror movies". I just had a lot of fun with it. I mean, Megan is, you know, just an amazing villain. And I think it had a lot to say about grief and moving on. And yeah, there's just a fun little you know...so many horror movies forget to be fun these days and M3GAN didn't.
Jonathan Correia:But it also didn't forget to be genuinely like tense at moments
James Jay Edwards:And disturbing in other moments
Jacob Davidson:She fucked up a kid.
Jonathan Correia:Yeah, that forest scene was just... when she got on all fours? It was just like ohh!! Yeah, M3GAN rules.
James Jay Edwards:What's your 10 Correia?
Jonathan Correia:Honestly, I have to say this year, my 10th spot was the most fought over spot on the list like number one was a no contest for me. But number 10 I had, like, twelvedifferent titles I was swapping in and out but at the end of the day, I could not leave Evil Dead Rises off my list. A, it's an Evil Dead movie, so that automatically gets great points. But on top of that, it's a great Evil Dead movie. I mean, that that franchise has no duds. I mean, absolutely five films, three seasons and it still is banging and like the fact that they went out of their way to do something original with it, putting it in a new setting, doing something new with it but not forgetting where it came from. And it was just Yeah, it was such a great and fun time. Like yeah, and again at the end of the day, my only gripe is who the fuck pressed that on vinyl? Who the fuck put them doing demon cantations. And it was like, let's press this to wax.
James Jay Edwards:Jacob, what's your number 10?
Jacob Davidson:All right, well, honestly, it was a real good year for horror in general. So, you know, honestly, this was was kind of tough to put together. So gotta say putting it number 10 because I wanted it to be on my list was Kids vs. Aliens, the new Jason Eisener movie that came out this year and speaking of you know, just fun horror and even though it's Rated R, it does kind of have that kind of the "gateway horror" type of vibe with a bunch... but I mean, the title delivers what it promises. You got kids, you got aliens, they fight each other. And there's a whole lot of goopy practical effects and blood and gore and violence and weirdness. And yeah, no, I just had a lot of fun with that one. I actually saw that at Beyond Fest last year, but it had its official release earlier this year. And every time I see it on the big screen, you know, I just had a fun time with it. And I hope it gets a sequel, or at the very least, we get another Jason Eisener movie sooner rather than later because man there was a big gap between Hobo with a Shotgun and Kids vs. Aliens.
Jonathan Correia:Yeah, very big.
James Jay Edwards:My number nine we have our first repeat of the of the lists is Evil Dead Rise.
Jacob Davidson:Ooh, that was fast!
James Jay Edwards:Evil Dead Rise, you know, I pretty much echo everything Correia said. I think I told the story before, but my Evil Dead Rise screening was the same night as Beau is Afraid. And I owe a lot to the PR rep who got me into a different screening because the screening that normally would have been that the press was invited to his press only so it was just all the fuddy duds. And I got to go see an audience screening of Evil Dead Rise. And that's the only way to see an Evil Dead movie. You need to see it with a packed crowd. And that's what, I mean, I was giddy the whole time because it's an Evil Dead movie. And it wasn't an AMC disrespectful audience. It was an audience that just had fun with the movie they were watching and it was awesome. So yeah, Evil Dead Rise. My number nine.
Jonathan Correia:I saw it at Alamo and it was you're right it was a great crowd to watch it with and everyone was very receptive and I love a good... see, I don't mind hearing crowd react, especially you know it when they're really receptive to what's happening. And, and that's a beautiful thing. It's just when people are just like being disrespectful to the movie. And that's why at number 9 for me, The Blackening, is my The Blackening is the rare movie where I think people talking number nine because we had an amazing crowd that was just in it the whole time. Laughing hysterically at all the jokes which were genuinely hilarious and then getting some nice genuine "Oh, no!" out of the crowd. During some of the bits. The Blackening was just such a fun movie. You know, especially with how it was advertised you thought it was just going to be like one of those like scary movie like lazy playing with tropes thing, but the more I think about and the more I want to rewatch the more one where you watch it just because it's just such a fun time. So yeah, Blackening. back to the screen might work. You know like if you don't mind if you have one of those you know audience that's like all do you didn't know you did that Again it's all about level, I always bring up my It Chapter Two experience with the Chinese restaurant scene when they show the eyeball, I just heard "Oh hell no!" like quick little little things like that yes but you're not MST 3K, You don't need to give commentary the entire movie
Jacob Davidson:Okay for my number nine I, and you know in the spirit of the season had to have a Christmas horror movie on here, so I wanted to give a big shout out to It's a Wonderful Knife directed by Tyler McIntyre and written by Michael Kennedy. Had a lot of fun with this one and again like you guys are saying the the crowd or like the audience experience is what helps makes the overall experience and seeing it at Beyond Fest back in October it was a lot of fun like it was a very enthusiastic crowd and I have been enjoying the kind of trend from Kennedy of you know just kind of these horror takes on classic films and yeah It's a Wonderful Life but Scream with Jane Widdop and also I just really like Justin Long in this because he plays this like rich douchebag and actually got veneers with the ridiculous ass giant teeth and then on the has some good kill sequences and it's surprisingly heartwarming which is fitting since it's also kind of a Hallmark movie parody. I've been meaning to rewatch it for the season and you know before the end of the year but ya know, I dug it.
Jonathan Correia:Hell yeah.
James Jay Edwards:My number eight is is probably the latest
entry I have on this list:Poor Things. Jacob said it best in his review of it, that it is basically Yorgos Lanthimos does Frankenhooker and that's that's exactly what it is. And I love Yorgos Lanthimos and I love Frankenhooker so that's two great tastes that taste great together. Yeah, Poor Things. I mean, the thing about Yorgos Lanthimos is he gets performances out of his... it has to be the direction where he gets these deadpan performances out of his actors. And then along comes Mark Ruffalo in Poor Things and shatters the mold and he is so awesome
Jonathan Correia:Career defining performance. As soon as we left that theater, I was like that is a career defining performance for Mark Ruffalo. Don't get me wrong, Emma Stone and Willem Defoe were amazing at it, but I know those two are going to continue to do performances at that level. I'm not saying that Mark Ruffalo can't top this performance. I'm just saying this is his literal best performance ever. Fucking incredible.
James Jay Edwards:Forget the Hulk. It's Poor Things.
Jonathan Correia:Forget 13 Going On 30 like this is Mark Ruffalo peak, like at it and like, on every just seeing his descent from like an overly confident cocky, grimy piece of shit to this like spoiled child. Like losing his mind is is an incredible journey to be on. And it's not even the best part of the movie.
James Jay Edwards:Yeah, he definitely understood the assignment. Correia. What's your eight?
Jonathan Correia:Number eight. Controversy. You guys ready for the first one? I think people are gonna be mad by my list but Dead Ringers. It's a... it was a limited series, but it's on Letterboxd. So I'm counting it.
James Jay Edwards:I was gonna say you're in the wrong decade.
Jonathan Correia:No, no. The Amazon Prime limited series. Yeah, no dead Dead Ringers. I mean, first of all you get you get two Rachael Weisses for the price of one. And it's it's such an incredible update and new take on the classic Dead Ringers. It's more of the book, but they don't shy away from Cronenberg. But they don't try to replicate Cronenberg too too much with either. Some of the subtle changes like simple changes like just gender swapping the characters to women just like makes so much sense for a lot of things. But it doesn't tarnish Cronenberg's it's an incredible journey. It's very tense. Rachel Weis is just incredible. She's incredible. And it's just there's no two ways about it. And just like yeah, Dead Ringers is yeah, it's phenomenal. It was it was one of the hardest to watch limited series of the year but like, also so engaging. You couldn't stop Like there were so many bits in that show where it's just like I can't I don't know if I can do another episode but I want to do another episode.Yeah, it's it's, it's great Dead Ringers on Amazon Prime go watch it now.
Jacob Davidson:All right. For my number eight. I feel like this one was pretty glossed over this year but I decided on The Last Voyage of the Demeter aka Dracula on a boat, which, as we've all agreed, that would have been a better title. You
know, there's your premise:Dracula on a boat. But no, I had a lot of fun with this one. You know, they I was at it again, audience experiences that I was at a q&a with the director André Øvredal. And they talked about how you know, this is this premise have been kicking around for years. And it's just such an interesting twist on the draft Dracula story in that it focuses on a somewhat small chapter, but very quintessential chapter and that this is how Draco gets from Transylvania to England. And it's just Dracula picking off sailors on the boat like Alien one by one. And I'm also a sucker for period horror. So it is always cool. You know, it's kind of having it set like that. And it was very heavily on practical effects with Dracula being more of a monster Batman, Nosferatu type vampire rather than the charming gentleman vampire. Yeah, no. So I feel like it deserves more of a shot and I hope it gets more of its do as time goes on.
Jonathan Correia:It was it was a fun ride. And it was also just great seeing Dracula in beast mode, basically, just like pure Hunter-prey, you know?
Jacob Davidson:Yeah, just swooping down and picking people off. And again, Dracula on a boat.
James Jay Edwards:My number seven is Infinity Pool. Is that Brandon Cronenberg. This is also from real early on in the year I guess. And it's got you know, the Queen Mia Goth. And I just you know, it. It's a cool premise where basically you can clone yourself if you if you get into trouble you clone yourself and that person gets executed or whatever, and you continue to live. And it's an interesting moral dilemma, and it's an interesting movie, as well. Correia, What's your seven?
Jonathan Correia:So my number seven? It was the incredibly fun, very tense No One Will Save You by Brian Duffield. Yeah, that one came out of nowhere. I don't know if I heard anything about this project before all sudden they're like, oh, coming out in like two weeks. And yeah, what a what a great fun time. I mean, it's it's a home invasion movie with classic grey aliens. Like yeah, you can't be any more fun with that. And I mean, Kaitlyn Dever just absolutely killed it. The fact that she was able to carry that whole movie with barely any dialogue was just awesome. And you know, I love me a classic gray alien look, you know, talk about icon but I love
Jacob Davidson:Fire in the Sky!
Jonathan Correia:Yeah, Fire in the Sky, you know. But I mean, I really loved the their own unique takes on it to like how they had the different forms and their... Definitely with that running through the forest... the forest scenes this year, I think this was the year for forest scenes, because that one also had a great forest scene of them being chased. Yeah, No One Will Save You. Number seven for me.
Jacob Davidson:All right, well, as for me, um, you know, here's the three-peat of the day, and that I am going with Evil Dead Rise, which, again, audience experience, it was a Beyond Fest early show. And it was a lot of fun because they actually did an invocation before the movie where they had a guy read from the Necronomicon and they had these performers and like, I think they're contortionist or something because like a lot of them were like twisted up and like done up like Deadites and like rushing the stage and it was really wild. So that really set the mood and and yeah, just again kind of focusing on kind of the on the lead up to it like how they emphasize the cheese grater so much like everybody got like a toy cheese grater and they I mean they integrate that into the marketing so hard. And yeah, as for the movie itself, like you guys were saying it's just managed to make the premise fresh again by changing the location from you know, the cabin in the woods to like a rundown apartment complex in Los Angeles and yeah it just it was just such a blast to see in theaters and I'm glad that you know Evil Dead is back again again again.
James Jay Edwards:So Evil Dead Rise is our first completely EOH approved movie for the year
Jacob Davidson:Yeah, triples, triple the best
James Jay Edwards:Yep. We have another repeat with my number six because I have No One Will Save You as number six. Like Correia said, it's just an amazing, you know, very little dialogue, but it's still you're on the edge of your seat. It reminded me a lot of The Twilight Zone episode The Invaders is I mean, it's that's a pretty fair comparison. Because, you know, it's also wordless, you know, and it is, you know, it's a home invasion movie with aliens instead, instead of an actual home invader. But yeah, No One Will Save You as my number six.
Jonathan Correia:My number six is my first documentary on the on the on my list. I know, am I fringe guy this year?(unintelligible) No, that's I will never take that title away from Jay of course, but yeah, Satan Wants You the documentary about the Satanic Panic of the 80s. And focusing heavily on Michelle Remembers. if you know me, you know, I love reading about the Satanic Panic. And, and I think it's an important thing to study. And I think Michelle Remembers is one of the most evil books ever published by the American publishing industry. And they did a really great job of interviewing those around it, it wasn't meant the documentary gave care to those that were affected surrounding it. They even you know, made people a bit of sympathy to Michelle, but didn't let them off the hook. You know, it's, it's a very great, interesting watch. It's a nice crash course, on, you know, the book that ignited the Satanic Panic, and I think it's a a must watch. It is now streaming on Tubi for free. So give it a check. Check it out, if you haven't seen it. And if, if you want to learn more, there's a great book out there by that was edited by Kier-la Janisse about it, called Satanic Panic, which is all as a series of essays on various aspects of pop culture that were attacked during that time, including an entire essay on D&D, and another one about satanic or erotic fiction, which is interesting.
James Jay Edwards:Alright, Jacob number six.
Jacob Davidson:All right, coming in at number six, and I'm gonna say the later half of my list is going to be a lot of Beyond Fest related films. So number six, I'm going with V/H/S/85. I've been a big fan of the franchise for since the original and honestly, I feel like they just keep on getting better and better. I really dug the whole 80s aesthetic and the stories they managed to put together for this one. And I mean, you had like an all star crew from Scott Derrickson, David Bruckner, Mike T. Nelson, Gigi Saul Guerrero and Natasha Kermani. And I really dug just kind of the different places these whent I mean, you had like shooters, you had ancient gods you had techno Gods you had, like the weird psychic dream visions, and the Giallo stuff and the in shape shifting alien. Just you know, it's it's like basically getting a garbage bag full of blank VHS tapes and pulling each one out, and you just never know what you're gonna get. And still a sucker for found footage and just kind of different ways that convey the found footage. So you know, it's just, it's always it's always a blast. And it's, it was it was, again, just the combination of the period style of 1985 with these directors, and just kind of the delivery I felt was very strong in this entry.
James Jay Edwards:We are halfway through. And so far, we have one triple and one double, but so far, lists are pretty much different. So I'm impressed with us.
Jonathan Correia:I love that.
James Jay Edwards:My number five is Beau Is Afraid. This is the newest Ari Aster movie. This is his four hour nightmare comedy that he was threatening us with. It's not quite four hours, it's three hours. But it is a nightmare comedy and I still do have a theory that Beau actually dies in the first act and the rest of the movie is his nightmare going through, you know, that he does after death because as the movie goes on, it just gets more and more outlandish. Until Yeah, till the conclusion is just, you're like, What the hell am I watching? But yeah, it's a nightmare comedy is the best way to describe Beau Is Afraid. That's my number five.
Jonathan Correia:So for my number five is RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop. Well, you know, we, we've covered these documentaries that are about the making of of a movie, and I don't think there ever has or ever will be one as in depth as RoboDoc. Eastwood, Alan and Chris Griffiths really went ham on this. It's four hours, and the entirety they cover the entirety of the movie. It's not just oh, yeah, and we did this, like little anecdotes here. And there, they went scene by scene of the movie Robocop and not only dived into it with critical analysis, but also got everyone involved to talk about it. And I must say, I won't say the title of another movie, but I did watch another movie that was about a cult classic and, and did the interviews and stuff and it was just so horribly made, I turn it off 20 minutes into it, even though it was about one of my favorite movies. And just having that comparison of like, this is how it's done right? And this is how you could do it horribly. Just put RoboDoc even higher on my list. And yeah, I gotta say like, if you need to kill an afternoon, or a day, put on RoboDoc, because once you start it's really hard to stop and it is it's so good. Yeah, RoboDoc, it's on screenbox and home video now.
James Jay Edwards:Alright, Jacob number five.
Jacob Davidson:All right, and going into the top five. I would have to go with Eli Roth's Thanksgiving. The movie that we waited what like 18 years?
James Jay Edwards:Yeah, something like that.
Jacob Davidson:Ya know, cuz I distinctly remember seeing the original Grindhouse movie back in '07 at, yeah 16 years. And, you know, in the end, you know, the movie's, you know, Death Proof and Planet Terror are great, but I love the fake trailers so much. And Thanksgiving, the trailer was a lot of fun in the sense that, you know, is a Massachusetts based slasher, which you know, I was living in Boston at the time. And I just And yeah, I just love the idea of like a Thanksgiving themed killer who's a pilgrim. Because as Jonathan can attest, if you grew up in New England, you hear a lot about pilgrims growing up and in school and just in the culture and all around. You hear a lot of lies about pilgrims. Okay. Oh, so many lies about pilgrims. Yeah. And yeah, so it's just really nice to have something that just takes the piss out of pilgrims. And also just a the way they updated it for this feature version because you know, the trailer you know, it's fun. It's kind of a Grindhouse type thing with the gritty film reels and very mean and a lot of grossness to it. But for this, somebody else pointed out that it this feels like if Platinum Dunes or Dark Castle had remade Thanksgiving in the mid to late 2000s. Yeah, no, it just really was a lot of fun. And honestly, it felt like the most accessible movie like Roth has made in the horror genre. And again, you know, just it's a slasher movie for Massholes so it's very, so it's very local to me, so I like that.
James Jay Edwards:How many of those Grindhouse fake trailers have been made into real movies? Because Hobo with a Shotgun, and Machete
Jacob Davidson:All of them except no, as are all of them except Don't. And Werewolf Women of the SS So Rob Zombie and Edgar Wright are the last two
Jonathan Correia:if you want to... Hooker in a Trunk? The Dead Hooker in a Trunk? The Sosks Sisters. They submitted a fake trailer for competition and they made it into feature too. But yeah, if you're gonna hold your breath for an adaptation of Don't Edgar Wright already said he's never doing that. So
Jacob Davidson:Nah, man.
Jonathan Correia:Don't hold your breath.
Jacob Davidson:Yeah. And I was at a screening of House of 1000 Corpses this year. And Rob Zombie also said like, he's probably not going to do Warewolf Women of the SS because there's too many Nazis around these days as is.
James Jay Edwards:Yeah, he could modernize it.
Jacob Davidson:Maybe
James Jay Edwards:number four, my number four. I have a feeling this is the first of a few times we're going to see this movie on this list. Godzilla minus one.
Jonathan Correia:Ooh, thick boy!
James Jay Edwards:This is the Godzilla movie we have been waiting for. It's got the spirit of a Toho Godzilla movie with the visuals of like the legendary ones. And I think we described it as a good movie that happens to have Godzilla in it because It's you know, it's got a lot of people, you know, plot as well. And, you know, this looming threat of Godzilla brings everyone together. And plus, it's got a lot of great Godzilla.
Jacob Davidson:Yeah, it's definitely gonna pop up again
Jonathan Correia:Yeah. Is it gonna do it right now? No, soon. because my number four is Fall of House of Usher, or the Fall of the House of Usher.
James Jay Edwards:You got a lot of asterisks on your list.
Jacob Davidson:Fringe. You're Mr Fringe
James Jay Edwards:No, it's not fringe. It's just not movies.
Jonathan Correia:It's a limited series. I can check it on letterbox so it counts. No, I mean, Fall of the House of Usher. I mean, we dedicated an entire episode to it because it's that good. It's Mike Flanagan, you know, doing what Flanagan do best. And I mean, the performance everything from the performances to the kills to just the inherent just like concept of it of doing Fall of the House of Usher and then episodically killing off each kid to a different Edgar Allan Poe's short story is just amazing. And it was so well executed, like just 10s across the board performance wise. And but Bruce Greenwood you know, again, performance of a career like I can't imagine anyone else doing it. And Fall of... what else to say we've dedicated an entire hour basically to it, and it's so good.
James Jay Edwards:You could bring up Mark Hamill. Oh,
Jonathan Correia:I mean, my boy Mark Hamill talked about career performance. I mean, who always knew he had it in him? He was just never given that chance. And so I'm just again so happy that you know, as Flanagan likes to bring back people that he's worked with before who and bringing up amazing performances in him. I'm so excited to see Hamill be a part of that roster now and seeing him come back time and time again. So yeah, we're really looking forward to the next Flanagan, and yeah. Again, it's it's my second favorite of his limited series. Yeah.
Jacob Davidson:All right. Coming in at number four for me would be Joe Lynch's Suitable Flesh. Yeah, there's surprisingly I feel there hasn't been a lot of Lovecraft adaptations lately. And this definitely more than filled the void. It was such an interesting take his, well for one thing, you know, they chose some untouched ground because the story was based upon the thing at the doorstep. I don't think it's ever been adapted before. So you know, a lot of new ground and this was Joe taking on the legacy of Stuart Gordon because it was originally going to be one of his projects before he sadly passed away. And I think he more than was able to take the reins and bring it to life. It is such an interesting take and making it a kind of psychosexual thriller with with the combined body jumping between you know, Heather Graham and Judah Lewis. And of course, perennial favorite Barbara Crampton, who we all love. And yeah, no, just see it. It was, ya know, it was just such an interesting adaptation and dynamic while keeping up with the Lovecraftian elements of the unknown and also, you know, forbidden knowledge, forbidden love, forbidden lust, a lot of that type of stuff. So, ya know, just again, Beyond Fest screening, had a fantastic time with that, and be interested in seeing, you know, just to add, where it goes from there.
James Jay Edwards:My number three is Knock at the Cabin. Its no secret, I've made no bones about being a Shama fan. And I genuinely with the exception of The Last Airbender, which is problematic in several other ways. I legitimately enjoy M. Night Shyamalan's movies, unironically a lot of people you know, we'll go into some of his later ones, you know, more like a so bad it's good kind of a thing, but...
Jonathan Correia:I'm sorry, are you about to defend After Earth?
James Jay Edwards:No. After Earth, I mean, meh, well After Earth has other problems because yeah, anyway, but anyway, sorry. Knock at the Cabin is what we're talking about now. Knock at the Cabin. I just thought it was just a it's a fun Shyamalan movie Batista breaks the mold that he's been kind of pigeon holed into with his Drax thing, you know, I mean, he actually flexes his acting muscles, which is great. And you know, the ending is a little different from the book (actually a lot different from the book). But I can see why they went that route for the movie. But yeah, it has that Shyamalan twist and it has that Shyamalan feel the whole way through. It's a it's definitely a Shyamalan movie. Yeah. I love Shyamalan movies so, Knock at the Cabin.
Jonathan Correia:Hell yeah, there was a bunch of titles that I was like, oh fuck yeah, that did come out this year didn't it, Knock at the Cabin. There was a Scream movie that came out this year guys. Yeah. And a good one too. But yeah, this year it's a it's a blur. But... that's why I kind of I feel a little bad that so many of my titles were like ones I saw in the last like month or two because it's like oh, well we went out with a banger including of course my number three spot which is Godzilla Minus One. What more is there to say about a beautiful period piece starring our favorite thick boi. The I don't know what I say Godzilla Minus One kicked ass. And I still say like its greatest triumph is having weight to the destruction the tension that builds in that movie, the tension that's there. The butt clenching that I experienced throughout that movie was intense.
James Jay Edwards:I thought you were gonna make another thick boy joke with your weight of the distruction.
Jonathan Correia:I mean, we could but that's that's low hanging fruit.
James Jay Edwards:He definitely gains weight through the course of the movie but
Jonathan Correia:in all the right places. No, Godzilla, I mean, it's just it's it's a fantastic movie. It's it's a fantastic Godzilla movie. And it just it reignites the imagination and the heart and Yeah, makes me want to just binge watch a lot of Godzilla. Yeah, love love Godzilla Minus One.
Jacob Davidson:Well, we officially hit triples because I'm also saying Godzilla Minus One
James Jay Edwards:Nice!
Jonathan Correia:Heey!!
Jacob Davidson:I mean, it was just a solid Godzilla movie Yeah, it doesn't surprise me that Godzilla Minus One is is so overall and as somebody else has had mentioned, just is kind of Godzilla-Jaws you know is just, you know, like a ragtag group of people trying to defeat an overwhelming like animal abomination. And it is an it's such a unique take in that you know, they're you know, this is postwar Japan so they don't have any super weapons there's no giant robots or freeze rays or something like they just have to, like use what's available and their own ingenuity and smarts and this is *Godzilla* Godzilla so like he regenerates like he just smashes shit he and when he does the atomic breath charge and like his tail spine starts clicking like your spine, your own spine, tenses because you know, shits about to go down. Yeah, no, just a, it was such a brilliant way to kind of do a retake on the character of high on all three of our lists, because, first of all, it's so Godzilla, while also making such a compelling human drama about the indomitable will of the human spirit. It is now just one fresh. I mean, we were all blown away. But also it's just that of my all time favorite Godzilla movies and definitely one of my favorites this year. movie was made for us.
Jonathan Correia:Until next year, when Kong or Godzilla X Kong the new empire comes out and then we get to see thick boy and hairy man go at it.
Jacob Davidson:The boys are back in town.
Jonathan Correia:Oh, the boys are back in town!! Yes. Yeah. Love it.
James Jay Edwards:My number two and I'm a little surprised this the first time we're talking about it: Talk to Me.
Jacob Davidson:Ooh, yeah,
James Jay Edwards:Talk to Me just... I think I described at the time as A24 getting their hands on a Blumhouse script. Because it's very much you know, the kids and the ouija board. It's a figurative ouija board, because it's actually a hand that allows them to, you know, communicate with the spirits but it is very much like one of those silly Blumhouse storylines, but the way that it is approached is just all art house and all, you know, A24 So, yeah, Talk to Me. It's my number two and if you haven't seen it yet, this is another one from earlier on in the year. A lot of mine... A lot of my list hasn't changed since about July.
Jonathan Correia:So mine is the opposite.
James Jay Edwards:What about you, Correia? What's your number two?
Jonathan Correia:I you know, I gotta say right now, first of all, Talk to Me is not on my list. And I think it's kind of the opposite of like we've mentioned a lot of these movies that are in our top 10s of having an amazing audience to watch it with
James Jay Edwards:Oh no.
Jonathan Correia:And I think that's the main reason why Talk to Me didn't is because we had the worst audience you could possibly have for it like I'm talking everyone talking, everyone on their phones
Jacob Davidson:oh man.
Jonathan Correia:And so as much as I liked Talk to Me, I really did, I don't associate it with a positive experience. So that's that's an unfortunate...but I am glad to see it on somebody else's list. And so high because it is a great movie and I can't wait to revisit it at home away from all the disruptful youths. but anyways, this one kind of feels like cheating because I just saw it last night finally, but Poor Things is my number two of the year. Yorgos fucking did it again. In his most fantastical movie just like... love this alternative world that he lives in. I think Jay said it. Everyone plays it so deadpan and serious. And then he got Mark Ruffalo just like on this like, other level camp level of camp. And yeah, we talked about Mark Ruffalo earlier but like, Emma Stone, just like, giving it everything like you really do see her age from like, five to 35 over the course of two and a half hours. And it's it's an incredible sight. I love just everything about it. The themes of feminism and, and what women go through and how everyone's always trying to trap her and you see her go through these phases in the movie doesn't also allows you to be uncomfortable because it's an uncomfortable situation. We're talking about a movie where there's the mind of an infant in the body of a grown woman and how the world treats her and how the world interacts with her and how she interacts with it. It's everything about it was just Yeah. Visually and just thematically just delicious. I mean, yeah, I It's one of the few movies this year that I was like, fuck when do we should I go see it again in theaters because that that was quite the experience and so funny. So fucking funny. That's a funny movie. Like, yeah, Poor Things. Can't rave about it enough.
James Jay Edwards:Alright, Jacob number two.
Jacob Davidson:All right, number two, I am also doing a limited series and saluting Mike Flanagan's the Fall of the House of Usher, which was definitely one of my favorites this year, as we discussed. that end, you know, just felt like an incredible hybridization of the Edgar Allan Poe you know, is stories into one incredible thru line, and was such an impressive cast. And a lot of what I loved about it was that it did and in a lot of ways feel like a modern update on kind of those EC comics, morality tales combined with the Poe stories and aesthetics, and that it's just about a lot of rich assholes getting their comeuppance for their shitty ways in supernatural and Poe theme devices and mechanics. And yeah, and it and I just, I just really enjoyed it. Yeah, the Peter Greenway lemons speech alone should get him a nomination for an Emmy or an Oscar or something because that was that was very impressive. So yeah, I had I had to put it at number two just because you know, like, I watched one episode and I was so hooked like I finished it within within a few days it just just really was so compelling.
James Jay Edwards:Well, before we get on to our number ones, let's throw a few honorable mentions out there are ones that just missed the list or in my case, one that got bounced off the list when I saw Poor Things. I have a few that just missed, one is Saw X
Jacob Davidson:Oh yeah
James Jay Edwards:I was late to the party on Saw X but it is... the Saw movies, as I say, they get progressively worse from one to nine and this one takes place between one and two and I think that's where I would put it is between one and two quality wise it's it's good. Also just missed the cut was Thanksgiving, which Jacob has already talked about a bit. Like said it's just a fun slasher, and it is easily Eli Roth's most accessible movie and the one that did get bounced when I saw Poor Things is Soft & Quiet. The Netflix movie about... I don't even know if I want to spoil even though it's been out for so long. But anyway, the reveal on that was one of my favorite experiences of the year where when you finally find out what's going on, it's like just totally jaw dropping so anyway, what barely made your list Correia?
Jonathan Correia:So for me some honorable mentions first and foremost In My Mother's Skin. It takes place in the Philippines during World War Two and deals with flesh eating fairies. It's very... so if you're a fan of like Guillermo del Toro's dark fantasies like Pan's Labyrinth or Devil's Backbone or Issa López's Tigers Are Not Afraid that you got to watch this one. It's absolutely fantastic and is very dark and fantastical. That one just...Poor Things came in like a fucking wrecking ball last night. fucked up my whole list. Cipher, the Tierra Whack documentary gets into some real creepy Illuminati shit and is a I mean, it's two of my favorite things. It's Tierra Whack, and you know, conspiracies. So yeah, it's a great one. Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar. It's just, it's Metalocalypse back baby like and we finally got that finale that we deserve. So I was really stoked on that. Haunted Mansion was a lot of fun, fuck off if you hated Haunted Mansion. Nocebo on Shudder is also really good. I highly recommend checking that one out. Very creepy. And Satanic Hispanics was one that like just barely got edged out and another recent watch. It's an anthology film from Hispanic filmmakers and that they cover a lot of different things. And it's got a Efren Ramirez is kind of the he's known. He's the Traveler, and he's the one telling the stories and they do such a great job of giving him his own horror like story within it like but he's also the one telling it and I left that going, Man I want to see his character in a in a in anthology series where he's introducing various stories, but he's like, kind of on the run like kind of like an Incredible Hulk series meets Tales from the Crypt with him. He's phenomenal in it, but yeah.
Jacob Davidson:All right. Well, on my end, let me just say I only did not add Poor Things to my list because I had not really considered it horror although again, you know, the whole Yorgos Lanthimos' Frankenhooker is an apt description.
James Jay Edwards:Correia actually talked me into considering it horror when when he was in our little iHorror chat. it wasn't on my list initially either. But then when he considered it plus, when you say that it's Frankenhooker, it's horror.
Jacob Davidson:Yeah, no, that's true.
Jonathan Correia:What's more horror than how society treats women? I mean, there you go. Come on. Yeah, come on.
Jacob Davidson:Yeah, no, I mean, I yeah, I just kinda it was hard for me to think of a way to put it put it in but a it definitely is high on my list this year. It's definitely one of my favorites. Definitely one of the funniest movies I've seen this year too. And that aside, yeah, some other shout outs like I really dug The Boogeyman. That was a fun one to see this year. Got some good scares me. And also I can't believe none of us have mentioned Skinamarink. That was a really solid experimental very out there kind of horror. And Satanic Hispanics also agreed on that. Really glad that got a theatrical release, and have had a lot of fun there. Mythrigan, of course. And also want to give a big shout out to Renfield which gave us Nicolas Cage as Dracula, which you know that alone, you know, gives it a lot of loud action and praise. Also, I saw this movie Moon Garden and it's like kind of an indie dark fantasy horror movie very nightmarish. I really enjoyed seeing that at the Alamo Drafthouse and also have to agree with Jay that Saw X was really solid and probably one of the best Saw sequels out there. Like I ya know, it's surprisingly heartfelt. And you know what, especially with the heart rending and gore So, ya know, just it yeah, a lot of lot of great horror movies this year.
James Jay Edwards:So, now drumroll let's get our number one which there's very little drama to it to anybody who has listening been listening to me talk all year. My number one is Cocaine Bear. For me, easily the best movie of the year horror or not. I mean, what more do you want? It's a movie about a bear on cocaine. But it also I mean it it's succeeds on that level, the bear on cocaine level. But it also succeeds on a deeper level, because the characters are just really well written. And it actually has a lot to say about, about, like motherhood and protecting. And it just, I don't know, it's a surprisingly deep movie. And plus the ambulance scene is one of the best of the year in any movie, I think. But yeah, Cocaine Bear. It was my favorite movie when it came out and nothing changed it.
Jonathan Correia:Yeah. I mean, Cocaine Bear gets the award for me for most patriotic movie of the year, that's for certain. As we have discussed, nothing is more American than Cocaine Bear. So
Jacob Davidson:no, yeah, the cocaine bear is a patriot.
Jonathan Correia:Yeah. True and true. And I'm real proud...
Jacob Davidson:...And national forests. Yeah. Again, bald eagles are okay. Like, let's make our national animal representative be a bear on cocaine. Yeah, I mean, when you when I think of America, I also think of a bear on cocaine.
James Jay Edwards:So the new American mascot is Pablo Esco-bear. Yeah, all right, Correia. What's your number one?
Jonathan Correia:My number one, treble please (drum noises): When Evil Lurks.
James Jay Edwards:Ohhhh!
Jonathan Correia:This movie fucked me up. There's no other way to say it. Possession movies are like zombie movies to me and can be very tired, can be very formulaic, can be very, I mean, you know, there was a few possession movies that came out this year that you know, were big and hyped and, you know, disappointed. You know,
James Jay Edwards:we don't want to mention Exorcist: Believer's name. But oh,
Jonathan Correia:I mean, The Pope's Exorcist was almost that but I mean, it didn't have Russell Crowe on a moped. So I can't be disappointed at that. But When Evil Lurks just it was fresh. It was new, it created it treated possession like a disease like an areal spreading disease. It created it had this amazing world building I love I love it when a movie just starts in this world. And you pick up the little clues as it goes on. And just like picking those up as it as it went was awesome. And once once it started, it did not stop. And there's one scene in particular, I always I always have to give big props when a movie makes me pause so I can pick my jaw off the ground, and When Evil Lurks. If you know the scene, you know the scene that I'm talking about that fucked me up and and it's one of those ones where you're like, you're sitting there, you're like, something's gonna happen with this thing. something's gonna happen with this thing. And you're sitting there, and you're waiting for it. And then it happens. And you're still completely caught off guard. But yeah, When Evil Lurks, it's highly recommend. it's on Shudder. Go in as blind as possible. And just get ready because it is a mean motherfucker.
James Jay Edwards:When Evil Lurks has.... the first half of it. Probably pound for pound has more holy shit moments than any other movie of the year. And I'm counting when you say that if you know the scene, you know the scene, I kind of want to find out what you consider the scene to see if it's the same one that I consider but we'll talk it with so we won't spoil it. We'll talk we'll talk after. Yeah, yeah. But yeah, it is. That's another one that kind of just missed the cut for me, because I think it kind of ran out of steam a little bit in the second half. But that first half Holy crap.
Jacob Davidson:Yeah. Well, can I get a drumroll please? But okay, coming in at number one for me When Evil Lurks nice again, Oh, when I was making this list, I and you
Jonathan Correia:We tied?? know, we're thinking top 10 horror of the year. So I had to go to the movie that's legitimately scared me the most out of anything else as entire year. And again, a lot of his presentation because I saw that Beyond Fest, which was the perfect venue for it. And I tell you, I have not heard so many people screaming at the theater like I did that day, especially during that scene. Like we were so shocked. I jumped and yeah, no, it's just as made by our Argentinian director Demián Rugna, who was actually there for q&a. And it was very interesting to hear his thought process, which a lot of can be boiled down to fuck them kids. He's having a great year because he also did one of the stories in Satanic Hispanic.
Jacob Davidson:Yeah, in fact, he was talking about that he that he did that the exact same time he was doing production on When Evil Lurks so it basically just took a few takes to do that in the middle of that production.
Jonathan Correia:Oh wow what a what a fucking machine because both were really great so yeah
Jacob Davidson:oh yeah no I love this segment yeah it just he is timing is so perfect and for his scares like he doesn't really knows how to do a set piece and to misdirect all at the same time and are just gut punching you. And ya know, just it is such a unique take on the possession genre while also it establishes this whole world like this kind of setting that's like an alternate universe from ours, where it's like, the possession is like a plague and societies kind of crumbling. And it also brings you know, just a concept I'd never even considered but in the scheme of things is existentially terrifying you know within and without of the movie just that What if demons were real, but religion was powerless to stop them because they talk about how people have lost their faith in Christianity because the Christian faith is powerless against these demons. Yeah, oh, it just adds a whole other level to the story that I don't think has really been done before.
Jonathan Correia:It starts off with that it was metal as fuck because it starts off being like, religion is powerless and so no one is religious. And it's like, Well, okay. It's just like, religion is dead. And there's demons everywhere. It's like oh, okay, so we're starting off with religion is dead, copy.
Jacob Davidson:Yeah, no, they go hard. And it is just so gut wrenching it is just like even beyond the supernatural horror, like just the depth that people are willing to go in the face of this possession is just really hits you and so yeah, it just it was legit. The scariest movie I think I've seen this year, so I had to give it number one.
Jonathan Correia:Not to mention that like it handles the themes of like, outbreak and all that beautifully.
Jacob Davidson:So anyway, me and Jonathan agree When Evil Lurks is the scariest movie of 2023 and you should see it
Jonathan Correia:hell yeah. Now playing on Shudder
Jacob Davidson:Yeah, and one last thing at the Beyond Fest screening they as a promotional they gave everybody Apple ice cream afterwards.
Jonathan Correia:Ah, that's so cute
Jacob Davidson:to see the movie you understand the importance of the apple ice cream it was kind of disturbing with us just kind of shocked and like our jaws dropped like eating the ice cream afterwards like seeing something fucked up and just trying to enjoy us because like, oh, man, this ice cream is good, but that was fucked up.
James Jay Edwards:Cool. Well, these are our top 10s What do you agree with? What do you not agree with? What are your top 10s? Give us a shout let us know. Is Cocaine Bear NOT the best movie of the year? Anyone who thinks it isn't as wrong including YouTube, but whatever.
Jonathan Correia:Hey, I love Cocaine Bear but like you know, again, you know it's it's subjective. Are you pissed at me for including so many documentaries and limited series of my lists? Well, guess what? Get your own fucking podcast.
James Jay Edwards:Hey, I didn't go fringe enough to include The Iron Claw on mine.
Jonathan Correia:I Yeah, that would have been the that's quite fringe. But yeah, I mean, I would have I would have allowed it because again, broadcast to anyway.
James Jay Edwards:Alright, we're gonna get out of here. So our theme song is by Restless Spirits. So good. They had a great year as well. Yes, national tours great new album. So go check Restless Spirits out. Our artwork is by Chris Fisher. So go check him out. You can find us on all of the socials under Eye On Horror or at ihorror.com, which is the site we all call home. And happy new year. We'll see you all next year, or this year as you listen to this. And we'll talk at you then. Thanks for joining us for this year, and we'll see you in the next. So for me James Jay Edwards.
Jacob Davidson:I'm Jacob Davison
Jonathan Correia:and I'm Jonathan Correia. Keep your Eye On Horror.
