2008 Twisted Flicks Awards

The TFA Awards are issued in recognition of outstanding artistic achievement in cinema.

For those that don't pander to the lowest common denominator of mass-market appeal, for those that challenge the emotions and intelligence of free-thinking adults, for those who choose to make their art for art's sake and expand the thoughts and ideas of society as a whole, and most of all for those who have simply created kick-ass twisted movies this year - we salute you!

TFA2008 Movie of the Year

Winner: Southland Tales
Runner Up: Tokyo Gore Police, Hell Ride, Planet Terror

Southland Tales is one of those movies that divided audiences, with many thinking it was a pile of crap, and others thinking it a masterpiece. Artists with a singular vision often do that. For its adult sense of humour, its convoluted, intelligent, satirical and subversive plot, its high production values and awesome soundtrack, Southland Tales earns the Twisted Flicks Movie of the Year.

Special mention goes to both our runners-up for crafting hugely entertaining totally twisted movies with a great sense of humour and style.

TFA2008 Badass Babe of the Year

Winner: Bai Ling for The Gene Generation
Runner Up: Eihi Shiina for Tokyo Gore Police, Lucy Liu for Rise: Bloodhunter, Rose McGowan for Planet Terror

For the actress who kicked major ass and looked totally hot doing it, this year's winner is Bai Ling. She has turned in many unique performances in films such as Dumplings, Edmond, and Southland Tales - always impressing with her freaky behaviour and simmering sexuality. This year she got the chance to play an action role and show us what she's made of. She's not the most convincing fighter we've seen, but she's such a freak that she's our Badass Babe of the Year.

Special mention for Eihi Shiina who doesn't speak a great deal in her movies but sure knows how to strike a pose and despatch mutant scum (and she's sooo sweet and modest in real life its uncanny). Also to Lucy Liu who impressed us greatly by venturing out of the mainstream to appear in a very sexual and bloody vampire flick. For an A-list mainstream actress to be seduced in a vampiric threesome, go topless, lesbian kiss a young model and subsequently get covered in blood as she chews the neck out of all and sundry is a role we always hoped she'd appear in! What's more, it wasn't watered down to a G rating and stayed true to the genre. We wish more top actors would follow her example. Respect.

TFA2008 Badass Motherfucker of the Year

Winner: Larry Bishop for Hell Ride
Runner-up: Vinnie Jones for Midnight Meat Train

With the goatee, gravelly drawl, and attitude to burn, Larry Bishop's performance as the Devil in Hell Ride gets our vote for Badass of the Year. Most impressive is the fact that he also wrote and directed the movie!

Special mention for Vinnie Jones in Midnight Meat Train who's got the 'dispassionate killer' look down pat, and is certainly someone you wouldn't want to fuck with.

TFA2008 Best Score

Winner: Steve Severin & Arban for Nature Morte

Nature Morte has a soundtrack specifically written for the movie, and is so perfectly scored that ultimately it must take the top prize. Created by Steve Severin and wife Arban, this unique soundtrack not only suits the movie, but is completely different to a lot of what else is out there. There's none of the usual weepy violins that sound like every other movie you've heard. This is true creativity by a very talented pair of musicians. We look forward to their next project.

TFA2008 Best Soundtrack

Winner: Moby and Richard Kelly for Southland Tales
Southland Tales has a totally kick-ass soundtrack. With music by Jane's Addiction, The Pixies, The Killers, Muse, Radiohead and more backed by a soundtrack from Moby - its fairly hard to top. For sheer enjoyment of great music, intelligently integrated into scenes and even into the script, this is a movie that needs to be played loud.

TFA2008 Gorehound Award

Winner: Tokyo Gore Police
Runner-up: Midnight Meat Train, Zombie Strippers

Uncontested really. No other movie came close to the extreme gore of Tokyo Gore Police. From Eihi Shiina's amputation of both hands of a subway groper with her samurai sword to the dismemberment of the poor sod who learnt the difference between 'suck' and 'bite' the hard way. Or our favourite, the woman whose legs turned into the lethal snapping jaws of a crocodile, spreading them wide revealed not what he was after, instead the gaping throat of a beast!

TFA2008 Ultra-Minx Award

Winner: Leonor Varela in Hell Ride
Runner Up: Bai Ling in Southland Tales

The sexiest seductress on film in 2008 goes to Leonor Varela for her role as Nada in Hell Ride. Given some of the choicest lines, she nonetheless hammed it up to full effect and created one of the most memorable characters in the film. We haven't seen her in anything else as yet, but for sure she'll be featuring in more movies soon.