I wanted to open up with a young, brand new director for my list, because I believe what he accomplished in 2012 was unheard of. Make an original superhero franchise, make it darker than most superhero films, and fill it with awesome Akira nods – Trank accomplished all of those.
That formula sounds doomed to fail for a first time director, but let’s not forget, as is a trend with this list, you will see that there is some nepotism. Here, it is because Josh Trank’s dad is John Landis, the man who made what I consider to be the best werewolf movie ever filmed, An American Werewolf in London. Also, Chronicle has a great deal of “found footage” scenes, which would work incredibly well with the V/H/S series. So how about we give this dude a shot at one of the vignettes for the inevitable VHS 3? He’s shown he can give us tension, he’s shown he can give us awesome, and his Dad is a master in the field, so hell, maybe let them write and direct a segment together? Hold on, I just jizzed in my pants. That would almost be TOO awesome.
I’m assuming not enough of you saw 2012’s Silent Night, the Christmas themed “remake” horror slay-fest – but I’m also assuming even less of you saw Automaton Transfusion and The Aggression Scale. Why is that a problem? Because then you don’t understand the awesomeness writer/director Steven C. Miller is capable of.
Yes, Automaton Transfusion and Scream Of The Banshee aren’t exactly classics, but his most recent films have cemented Miller as a no-holds-barred horror mainstay. The Aggression Scale was included on numerous Top 10 lists of horror writers I admire, and while I haven’t seen Under The Bed, Silent Night showed me Miller has a true knack for not only creating fun horror, but delivering monumental kill scenes on a very unique level. Reflecting on his ultra-violent Santa killing spree which includes a woodchipper kill I’ve mentioned time and time again, I’d be absolutely ecstatic if Miller was given the chance to develop a short contribution for a franchise which prides itself on an abundance of creativity. Miller has shown he’s stuffed full of ideas, and a short story delivery may be the best way to utilize his immense talents.
