Movie Monday: Looking at Horror Movies for the 1st Quarter of 2012

With the release of The Devil Inside this past weekend, which didn’t get high marks from critics but which was the number one movie at the box office, I thought it’d be fun to check out other horror movies for 2012. Here’s what will be coming soon to theaters:

JANUARY

Underworld Awakening

The vampires and lycans are at each other’s throats again…literally.

Amityville Horror: The Lost Tapes

As per Rotten Tomatoes description: The “found footage” filmmaking style is applied to the Amityville film series in this Miramax/Dimension Films co-production.

The Theatre Bizarre

As per Rotten Tomatoes description: Young Enola Penny {Virginia Newcomb) finds herself becoming strangely obsessed with a seemingly long-abandoned theatre in a run-down neighbourhood near where she lives. One night, she finds the front door of the theatre standing open. The invitation to explore is more than she can resist. And there, in the dark, seedy auditorium, to her surprise and growing horror, she discovers that a nightmarish freak show is about to begin… Six startling stories by six cult directors, each offering their spooky, sick or plain surreal spin on the horror short.

The Wicker Tree

My first thought was, “How many remakes of this are they going to do? Wasn’t the Cage version torture enough?” Turns out, it’s not exactly a remake… (Phew?)

As per Rotten Tomatoes description: Director Robin Hardy revisits his 1974 cult classic The Wicker Man with this related horror film concerning a cowboy (Henry Garrett) and a gospel singer (Brittania Nicol) who stop in Ireland on a missionary excursion only to come in contact with an aristocrat (Graham McTavish) whose nefarious plans don’t include being reformed by their Christian ways. Christopher Lee returns for a small role in this semi-sequel.

FEBRUARY

The Woman in Black

As per Rotten Tomatoes description: A young lawyer (Daniel Radcliffe) travels to a remote village where he discovers the vengeful ghost of a scorner woman is terrorizing the locals.

Sounds good. But even if it sucks, it still gets my vote for creepiest movie poster of the year so far.

The Innkeepers

I saw a preview of this on On Demand. Sara Paxton plays a more edgy character than her usual pretty girl, but the premise is weak and the plot looked dumb. Also, if this tells you anything, it was supposed to be released last October. (I wrote about it in 2011 Horror Movie Season Is Upon Us.) It had a different poster then. I’m guessing there was some distribution issues. Which also makes me think I’m not far off in supposing it’s probably as bad as the trailer would lead me to believe…

“After over one hundred years of service, The Yankee Pedlar Inn is shutting its doors for good. The last remaining employees -Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) – are determined to uncover proof of what many believe to be one of New England’s most haunted hotels. As the Inn’s final days draw near, odd guests check in as the pair of minimum wage “ghost hunters” begin to experience strange and alarming events that may ultimately cause them to be mere footnotes in the hotel’s long unexplained history.” — (C) Magnet Releasing

MARCH

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters

As per Rotten Tomatoes description: Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton reimagine Hansel and Gretel grown-up as bounty hunters in this Paramount Pictures production.

John Carter

It’s not exactly horror. It has elements of it, but is probably more sci-fi than anything. Still, it looks sort of interesting.

“John Carter is based on a classic novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, whose highly imaginative adventures served as inspiration for many filmmakers, both past and present. The film tells the story of war-weary, former military captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes reluctantly embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands.” — (C) Walt Disney

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The Raven

Looking forward to this one. John Cusack as Edgar Allen Poe? Has the potential to be good.

“Upon discovering that a psychotic serial killer has been using his writings as inspiration, legendary author Edgar Allan Poe (John Cusack) joins forces with a bright, young Baltimore detective to catch the maniac and end his reign of terror. Detective Emmett Fields (Luke Evans) was investigating a vicious murder when he realized the crime scene bore a striking resemblance to a mystery story that was just published in the local newspaper. The author of that ominous tale was Edgar Allan Poe, a brilliant young writer whose status as a social outcast catches the attention of the diligent detective. Shortly after Poe is questioned by the authorities, detectives stumble upon yet another murder scene that seems to have been inspired by the author’s morbid writings. Convinced that the killer will once again use Poe’s writings as a springboard to murder, Detective Fields recruits the reclusive author to help piece together a pattern to the crimes and stop the madman before he can strike again. Brendan Gleeson and Alice Eve co-star in this tense period thriller from director James McTeigue (V for Vendetta).” ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Silent House

“Open Water co-directors Chris Kentis and Laura Lau return to terra firma for this remake of the “real time” Uruguayan thriller La Casa Muda. Their summer cottage vandalized by squatters during the off-season, Sarah (Elizabeth Olsen), her father, and her uncle begin the laborious process of cleaning the place up when noises from within hint they are not alone. Now the deeper Sarah ventures into the derelict building, the further the secrets of her dark past are dragged out into the light. As with La Casa Muda, Silent House was shot in one continuous take, a production style that allows the viewer to experience the swelling tension of Sarah’s horror firsthand as she unlocks a diabolical mystery.” ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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