Hey all! Well, 2014 has come and is nearly gone. The New Year is right on the horizon, and that usually means people will be making resolutions that they will fail to keep after a few weeks or months. Why is this?!

Maybe the resolutions are a chore and are therefore too easy to postpone this time, that time, until it becomes 'postponed indefinitely'. If that is the case, then I have the remedy. You just have to come up with a resolution/yearly goal that is fun to accomplish. And I say if you can't watch more baseball in 2015, watch more Japanese horror/comedies! Seriously!

Some of the most eccentric cinema ever has come from this country's genre, and you'll be guaranteed to have fun laughing the whole ride through. This is a country that absolutely loves their horror, and occasionally loves being goofy while delivering it. They know it's not scary, it's amusing! These movies are merry if anything! Just check your brain  at the door, mind the non-rational plots, and have a good time. After all, the strangeness and unconventional nature of these movies are what makes them what they are. Here are four films I've really had a blast with recently, and I hope you will too!

Japanese horror movies that are more serious in nature, such as Ringu and Audition, were intentionally left off this list. Though they are great films in their own right (I'll go as far to call Audition an absolute classic) they just don't fit the loony mold the films down below do. Also, this is not a 'Best of' list by any stretch, there is no ranking system going on here. These are just four fun movies I recommend for a night full of amusement. Let's begin!

1. House (Hausu) 1977
First and foremost, you NEED to see this movie. It is widely known as the weirdest movie you can possibly watch, and has become a bona fide cult classic here in the United States. It's also shown on a semi-regular basis at the IFC Center. First off, yes, I know the plot is silly. A schoolgirl travels to visit her aunt while on summer break with six of her classmates (they all have comedic names too, like Gorgeous, Kung Fu, see where we're going with this?). Once there, it's obvious the house is possessed, and all craziness ensues. Some of the highlights include an animate and murderous piano, people randomly turning into fruit, floating talking heads, and hey that's barely scratching the surface. Without giving too much away, you really have to watch House to believe such a cinematic oddity was created. The plot is kind of incoherent, and the special effects (specifically the animate piano) were shot in such a way that the filmmakers knew it looked unrealistic and ridiculous - and didn't care! Now with a carefree, cavalier attitude, you'd expect the movie to be unwatchable. But it really isn't! Sure the plot is inane and things happen simply for the sake of making jaws drop, but honestly that's why it's become such a cult classic today. Honestly nothing I say can possibly do justice to just how entertaining I find House, so you're going to have to see it to believe it! Click here to watch the House trailer!

2. Dead Sushi (Deddo Sushi) 2012
So you guys know what the zombie revolution is, am I right? Bunch of undead corpses running around looking to conquer everything, yeah yeah yeah. Well, let's replace the corpse part with raw fish. That's basically what the abridged version of Dead Sushi is folks. Here, we have the daughter (Rina Takeda as Keiko) of a world acclaimed sushi chef and martial artist who has run away from home due to the grueling training he has her undergo to live up to his name. She ends up finding work at a local inn, however it is there her skills must be put to the test as the sushi-zombies have begun to take over. It's fantastic. Sushi talks, sushi flies around, sushi attacks! How does this happen? Well it's in thanks to a certain guest that stays over at the inn Keiko is working at, but you have to watch it to believe it! Eventually, an anthropomorphic fish starts dueling with Keiko, and aw just go see it for yourself! I remember watching this movie on my laptop in college at the recreation center and having people come up to me asking what on earth it was. It's one of those movies you don't want to miss! Click here to watch the Dead Sushi trailer!

3. Meatball Machine (Mitoboru Mashin) 2005
Fan of sci-fi crimes? Look no further! There's no bigger crime in that genre than aliens taking over the bodies of human beings, and forcing them to battle one another. And what about when one host gets tired? Well it's simply time to dump that one and go find another. That's the basic premise behind Meatball Machine. It's chock full of blood (only takes 90 seconds for the film to lose all respect for keeping body parts intact), crude humor (stay away from this movie if this kind of thing offends you), and body invasions. I will admit, this entry is not as strong as the other two on this list, but the special effects, amounts of blood, and costumes are pretty cool. In addition to the main male and female characters, there is also a side storyline about a father whose daughter was affected by the aliens, and is attempting to salvage her life. All in all it's a fun watch. It's not the type of movie that's going to headline lists, or win awards or anything like that, but all in all if you're looking for a good sci-fi/action/comedy/splattorama film to screen one night with your friends, Meatball Machine is sure to have you laughing throughout. Perhaps cringing as well, this one is bloody folks! Click here to watch the Meatball Machine trailer!

4. Helldriver (Herudoraibā) 2010
From director Yoshihiro Nishimura, here's Helldriver! This man brought us Tokyo Gore Police, in all its bloody glory. Well this one isn't far off. We have Kika, who lives in an abusive home where both her mother and her uncle are sociopathic murderers on the run. Soon, a meteorite hits earth and emits a powerful mist that turns everyone in its path into zombies. Kika ends up being recruited by the Japanese government in order to help defend the country. Confused? Don't worry, it's one of those movies where if you don't see it for yourself you just won't believe that it's a real film. The movie gets weirder and weirder as it goes along just like all films of this genre. I say as long as you know what you're getting yourself into ahead of time, give Helldriver a watch. Some of the characters are downright ridiculous (particularly the uncle) but the uncommon style of storytelling is fun and trippy. Helldriver is totally maniacal and crazy, even going as far to have all the zombies pile up to create a gigantic mecha-zombie at one point. Easily one of the screwiest movies, from one of the world's screwiest directors, Helldriver is a nonstop expedition to everything Japanese gorefests have to offer. Click here to watch the Helldriver trailer!