Cherry’s Best of 2014!

Throughout the week, we will be highlighting each of our contributor’s “Best of 2014” on an individual basis. This isn’t limited to movies & television either. No, no, this bleeds over into memorabilia, music and so much more. Without further ado…

Another. A film by Jason Bognacki

When I wrote a review for DTB about director Jason Bognacki’s 2014 Giallo inspired witchcraft film “Another” I said that the film was “poised to be a future-classic”. It turns out I wasn’t wrong. Since the film started screening in festivals worldwide, it has garnered many well-deserved accolades along the way. In fact the UK publication the Daily Record even included Another in their year end list of top-ten horror movies and presented an excellent point about the mesmerizing film while doing so saying that you “don’t expect” to like Another. Even now as I continue to share the news via social media about Another’s positive reception, some horror fans remain skeptical that a film that they never heard of by a director that they likely never heard before (but should have), could possibly be one of the greatest horror films to grace the big screen this year. Another is a gorgeous and gruesome flick that is simply impossible to forget. A thing we will both have in common once you fall under its spell.

Snowpiercer. A film by Bong Joon-ho

I was happy to see that Snowpiercer made the list of some of my fellow DTB contributors as one of their favorite things of 2014. The film is weird in all the right ways, as well as a timely bit of social commentary. To say nothing of Tilda Swinton’s Monty Python-esque TEETH. To be honest, I really didn’t expect to like Snowpiercer. However not only did I like it, I loved everything about it it from its apocalyptic concept to it’s dark execution. If you missed this one, change that right now.

The 1987 classic Street Trash first physical release (vinyl and cassette)

This is the first time ever that the epic soundtrack to the equally epic 1987 film, Street Trash has ever been released. And boy, did Lunaris Records do it right. The super-synth-y soundtrack (composed by Rick Ulfik who went on to underscore Soaps like Guiding Light and All My Children among other things) is pretty fantastic, especially if you’re a fan of this kind of music. Which you most likely are if you are a fan of horror films. For you vinyl addicts like me, the pressing will not disappoint you. Especially when you consider that one comes in a “toilet blue” color (available from Lunaris Records only). And if you’re saying “yes” to all of this, you are a true gore child of the 80’s and will likely pick also up the legendary soundtrack on cassette.

Godzilla 60^th Anniversary ornament

It ain’t cheap (what is these days), but for any Godzilla fan out there the ornament created by American Greetings in honor of Godzilla’s 60^th Anniversary is well worth the change. The ornament is in the likeness of the 1954 “Gojira”, lights up and “roars” with the help of an actual track from the original film. If you can still find one, it’ll run you about $35 bucks with some selling on Ebay in excess of $50. Once Christmas is over, you won’t be putting this sweet little Godzilla away, that’s for sure. This mini-Gojira is a total a year-round chachki that is too cool to live in a box in your garage eleven months out of the year.

Melvins “Fair Warning” t-shirt designed by Brian Walsby

If you read any of my ramblings on DTB, you know I’m a huge t-shirt freak. I just can’t help myself. This is especially true when it comes to some of the designs artist and musician Brian Walsby has done for sludgy punk pioneers, the Melvins. The last time Walsby tricked out a tee for the band it was a riff on The Warriors featuring the band dressed as the Baseball Furies. This time around Walsby Melvinized the trippy cover to Van Halen’s 1981 record, Fair Warning. The shirt looks as amazing as you might imagine, and is still available in a few sizes over at Walsby’s site along with some of his other mashed-up creations for bands like COC, Voivod and Valient Thorr.