FMWL Indie Spotlight - SUPER HAPPY DVD RELEASE DATE EDITION

I normally shy away from posting "news" stories.  There are about 1,473,984 blogs/websites that can bring you that stuff.  But I caught wind of some news - or at least news to me - about a couple of my favorite movies of the last two years today, and I could not hide my excitement from y'all.  And if the title of this post doesn't show you how happy I am, wait till you hear what I've got to say below.

First up is the most infamous title in the history of FMWL - Dead Hooker in a Trunk.  I don't have to tell you much about the film, because it's exactly what you'd expect from a film called Dead Hooker in a Trunk.  But it's more than you'd expect from a film called Dead Hooker in a Trunk at the same time.  It's gory and violent and crude, but it's also funny and even kind of sweet.  I've pimped it more than enough here at the site, so when I saw a tweet from those devilishly Twisted Twins (BTW, if you don't already know about Jen and Sylvia Soska, don't worry - there's still time to save you!) this morning that stated that IFC Midnight (who are generally awesome) would be releasing the DVD of Dead Hooker in a Trunk on January 31, 2012....I got really excited.

Seriously, does that look like a bundle of awesome or what? (Spoiler alert: IT DOES LOOK LIKE A BUNDLE OF AWESOME.) And best of all, pre-order links are already up at CD Universe and good ol' Amazon.com.  So if you've really been craving a movie about a perished prostitute in a portmanteau (OK, that's a different kind of trunk, but when you have a chance to type portmanteau you type portmanteau) that's one of the most deliriously fun movies you'll see next year - you need to check this one out ASAP (Which, again, is January 31, 2012.)

On the other side of the indie DVD release news spectrum, I was equally joyed to find the official Facebook page of Absentia - which is a strong contender for the top spot on my Best of 2011 list that should appear near the end of the year - mentioning today that Phase 4 Films would be releasing their film on March 13, 2012. 

You might be dissuaded by that DVD cover - I'm a bigger fan of the simpler poster art that accompanies my review of the film RIGHT HERE - but let me assure you that Absentia is one of the most intelligent and well-acted thrillers out there right now.  Great performances by Katie Parker and Courtney Bell are a major part of the film's success, but director Mike Flanagan also frames some of the best scares I've seen in ages.  It's a really remarkable little film, and I challenge anyone out there to check it out and see for themselves.  I'm not much for guarantees on the internet - they're generally not worth the pixels they're printed on - but I will flat out guarantee that Absentia will get you to jump out of your seat at least once. Probably more than that.  Seriously.

As a fan of all things awesome, it absolutely thrills me to see these movies getting their chance to hit video and make their mark in the horror scene.  If you're looking for something fantastic and original during the first few months of 2012, I don't think you can do much better than these two films.  As different as they may be, Dead Hooker in a Trunk and Absentia are two great horror films - and y'all need to be ready for them.

If you're like me, you might find out that they are two films that will make you proud to be a horror fan.