The Wish List: Part 3

Horror fans with fat wallets are no doubt drooling over Second Sight's upcoming lush releases of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975). Personally, I'm more excited over the rumour of  High Tension (2003) and Frontière(s) (2007) getting some much needed shine from the aforementioned label.

Here are five more genre films from the noughties that deserve some HD remastered love:

Creep (Christopher Smith, 2004)

Quasi-remake of Gary Sherman's subterranean cannibal horror, Raw Meat (1972), AKA Death Line. The concept of a person being terrorised and alone in the London Underground during the wee hours has always fascinated me ever since An American Werewolf in London (1981) and Creep is an entire film based on this premise. So much entertainment value seeing what might be going on below our very feet. Smith was on a great run between this film and Black Death (2010). A shame Creep is more commonly associated with the overrated found footage film released a decade later.

Cold Prey (Roar Uthaug, 2006) & Cold Prey 2 (Mats Stenberg, 2008)

Two for the price of one here. Can't speak for the third film in the series, AKA the eponymous sequel that's really a prequel as I never watched it. What I do know is that both films did a far better job, unofficially of course, in capturing the original terror of  the first two Halloween films than Rob Zombie's attempts ever did. These snowswept, Norwegian chillers are two perfect examples of golden age slasher throwbacks given a respectful contemporary update.

Ils AKA Them (David Moreau & Xavier Palud, 2006)

Consigned to the list of forgotten great Euro horror films of the noughties. Ils might may lack the necessary splatter to appease gorehounds, but it's packed to the rafters with enough suspense and dread to make it one of the best kiddie horror flicks from the noughties. Even New French Extrmity aficionados appear oblivious to its existence and it really does deserve a second life with a HD remaster.

P2 (Franck Khalfoun, 2007)

Another peak alternative Christmas film that nobody mentions because they're too busy regurgitating the same old "Die Hard is a Christmas movie" narrative ad nauseam to even know about P2. Khalfoun's film is a great little cat and mouse thriller that proves that New French Extremity film makers like Aja, who co-wrote P2, understood more about seventies and eighties horror thrillers than their Hollywood contemporaries. Great performances from Rachel Nichols and Wes Bentley make this a must watch. In hindsight, I should have included this in my Hitchcockian Thrillers post.

Pandorum (Christian Alvart, 2009)

This was one of my favourite older film discoveries from last year. The fault really does fall upon me since I originally dismissed it as some bog standard Dennis Quaid vehicle when it first came out. Had any notable film critic mentioned Pandorum would be this dark and cerebral science fiction film, then I would have checked it out much sooner. Unfortunately, much like every other movie listed here, there hasn't been a worthy remastering ever since its initial home format release over a decade ago. That's a huge shame, in my opinion. 

There are a wealth of films from the noughties that seem to be caught in some kind of limbo while sandwiched between the nostalgia interest of previous decades and the more recent fondness for the 2010s; it sadly feels like a forgotten period, in my opinion. My monthly viewings posts somewhat proves this, unfortunately.

Dada Debaser Bonus: Speaking of the noughties, while listening to a film podcast this month, I discovered that Carter Smith, the director of the rather fun and gory The Ruins (2008), also helmed S Club 7's music video Reach. Mind blown!