Best Of 2014: Brad Henderson

The Treatment

I watch quite a few movies in a year’s time, subjected to an endless amount of horror and indie flicks. I review a lot of them, too, so when I actually have time to watch what I want, I scour the depths of VOD and check out the newest horror releases there, or maybe catch something I didn’t get to see in the theater. I also go to a few festivals throughout the year so I get to see some of my favorites there, too. One of those festivals is Fantastic Fest from which a good portion of my Top Ten movies come.

The reality is that I don’t have the time to watch movies in the theater and I know I can catch them later on Blu-ray or DVD. Even though I would probably enjoy those films a lot more than the straight-to-DVD found footage films, I live for independent film and feel that people need to discuss more of that than the films at the multiplexes. Most of those films are promoted heavily and don’t need the help, but others do. So, yeah, I would rather sit at home and watch three subpar found footage films and review them than see 12 Years A Slave.

Here are my Top Ten for 2014:

1. The Treatment, director Hans Herbots
2. It Follows, director David Robert Mitchell
3. The Guest, director Adam Wingard
4. Locke, director Steven Knight (review)
5. The Editor, director Adam Brooks
6. Alleluia, director Fabrice du Welz
7. Under The Skin, director Jonathan Glazer (review)
8. John Wick, director Chad Stahelski
9. At The Devil’s Door, director Nicholas McCarthy (review)
10. Contracted, director Eric England (review)

Top 10 New To Me Movies Of 2014:

I also see a lot of older films that get re-released on Blu-ray or DVD. Ever since Vinegar Syndrome started putting out their awesome reissues, they have taken up most of my list with their greatness. Sadly, this year I didn’t get to watch a lot of weird and obscure stuff on VHS but I’m hoping to rectify that next year. Also included this list are other random things I’ve seen or come across on DVD or things I might have missed before.

1. The Telephone Book, 1971, reissued by Vinegar Syndrome (review)
2. Savage Streets, 1984
3. The Doll Squad, 1973, reissued by Vinegar Syndrome (review)
4. Cropsey, 2009
5. Wakefield Poole’s Bible!, 1974, reissued by Vinegar Syndrome (review)
6. Rats: Night Of Terror, 1984, reissued by Blue Underground (review)
7. The Pawnbroker, 1964, reissued by Olive Films (review)
8. The Disco Exorcist, 2011, Wild Eye Releasing (review)
9. Snuff, 1976, reissued by Blue Underground (review)
10. Stunt Squad, 1977, reissued by Raro Video (review)