Well friends, 2009 is on its last legs and 2010 is well within sight. In spite of a few inconveniences in my personal life, this has been a good year for Wtf-Film. Our monthly readership hasn’t so much expanded as exploded, doubling from what it was just six months ago, and I couldn’t be happier. My personal thanks to all of you for visiting – it should go without saying that this site wouldn’t be here without you.
But enough of this sentimental mish-mash, on to the movies! The following list is loosely categorized and in no particular order. What were the criteria for being chosen? The hell if I know! Enjoy!
Theatrical Releases:
Carriers (Paramount Vantage, directed by Alex and David Pastor) This film about the death of civilization in the aftermath of an unidentified plague is perhaps the most underappreciated film of the year. The majority of the fault for that lies with Parmount Vantage itself, who chucked it into a handful of theatres for a handful of weeks before tucking it back into the archives. A DVD was released with little to no fanfare this week, and those who missed it in its brief theatrical blitz are encouraged to indulge.
Antichrist (IFC Films, directed by Lars von Trier) This one is, in a word, devisive, though what else can one expect from Denmark’s resident enfant terrible? A very dark examination of personal loss and mourning, Antichrist is highlighted by beautiful camera work and some of the most grueling violence ever to grace a feature film. The film is currently still in the midst of a theatrical run domestically, though DVD and Blu-ray releases are already popping up in Europe.
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (First Look Films, directed by Werner Herzog) About as unlikely as films come, this darkly comic character study of a man in the midst of making the worst decisions of his life is one of the very best films of the year. Nicolas Cage defies the odds and proves that there’s a reason he’s still making movies, providing his best performance in years. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is still in its theatrical run, with simultaneous DVD and Blu-ray releases slated for April of 2010.
New to Home Video:
Icons of Sci-Fi: Toho Collection (Sony Pictures and Columbia, directed by Ishiro Honda, DVD) Not even some of the worst packaging in the history of the medium and a strong lack of extras is enough to keep this triple feature of classic Toho Company science fiction epics from making the list. Battle in Outer Space, The H-Man, and Mothra are all presented in both their US theatrical and original Japanese variants in gorgeous restored anamorphic Toho-Scope transfers and look better than they ever have one home video before.
The Inglorious Bastards (Severin Films, directed by Enzo G. Castellari, Blu-ray) Quentin Tarantino’s exceptional remake is well deserving for a slot on this list, but I’ve yet to review it – fortunately the Castellari original was given the deluxe treatment earlier in the year! Free from the boosting, edge enhancement, and poor packaging design that marred the initial 3 Disc DVD edition, Severin Films’ Blu-ray of The Inglorious Bastards is a real winner on all fronts, boasting a healthy restored image and a bevy of supplements in high definition.
From Hell It Came (Warner Archive Collection, directed by Dan Milner, DVD) That’s right, I’m calling this bare-bones addition to the swiftly growing Warner Archive Collection one of the best discs of the year. Warner is to be commended for finally making it officially available (it’s only been 52 years, guys – no rush!) and with an enhanced widescreen transfer that puts the multitude of gray market copies to shame. Never mind that it’s one of the worst science fiction horrors you’ll ever see!
Personal Favorites:
End of the World (Nordisk Film Co., directed by August Blom) Who would ever have thought that cinema had tackled the topic of celestial calamity so early in its history – and in Denmark of all places! This big budget yarn about love, greed, and cometary collision is a silent epic ripe for rediscovery. End of the World has been restored and released to PAL DVD by the Danish Film Institute, playing a double feature with the ludicrous silent space opera A Trip to Mars.
Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (Criterion Collection, directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini, DVD) So this is technically a release from 2008, I was just a little slow on the uptake. Pasolini’s final film remains as impactful as ever before, and the dual disc Criterion Collection reissue of the title allows for a whole new level of appreciation. The British Film Institute chose the film as an unlikely candidate for their first Blu-ray release, and one can only hope that Criterion will follow suit.
Disgusting Space Worms Eat Everyone!! (T-N-H Productions, directed by George Keller) This shot-on-video sci-fi horror noir comedy from the end of the ’80s is a film I should have hated on sight – but I didn’t. In fact I was utterly charmed by this crude production about invading spaceworms that can only be destroyed by hefty doses of cocaine, and that’s no small feat. No DVD release is available, but surely it’ll happen one of these days.
And that’s it for 2009 – Happy New Year everybody!
