We have just learned some new details on the upcoming Friday the 13th movie and they most likely won’t make many Jason fans, like myself, very happy.

I have just confirmed via a reliable source the Friday the 13th 3D rumors that have been swirling around since late 2011.

According to my source the new Friday the 13th will indeed be a found-footage film so long as Paramount’s current plans stay on track. This is a style that fans have emphatically regarded as not right for the franchise.

With the rights fully back in the hands of Paramount plans were really up in the air as for what direction the series would go in.

Would it be a direct sequel to the “reboot” or carry on from the original films? Though where it would pick up from there would be a whole other ordeal. Well, it seems that they really want to mess with us and disappoint us with their plans for the thirteenth Friday the 13th. Not only will it be shaky-cam, but it will also be yet another reboot of the series.

I’m sure the fan uproar against this will be plentiful. As a fan of the 2009 film, I thought it fit in well with the original series (with its plethora of series references) while bringing a modern style to it.

Guess we’ll wait and see how this all turns out. Hopefully some good news will come out of this. I would love to see Derek Mears return as Jason.

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True Story horror is front and center with the Conjuring I decided to tackle those creepy dwellings where things go bump in the night. These could be ghosts, or they could just be possessed houses that are pissed off for reasons of their own. The only steadfast criteria is that they must take place within a single dwelling and the events must be confined to that place. Roaming ghosts (The Grudge) need not apply. In any event, it’s not safe to stay in these moody houses even on a dare. So get under the covers and turn on all the lights. Here come the:

Top Ten Haunted House Films

10. The Ghost and Mr Chicken (1966)– This Don Knotts film may very well be classified as a comedy, but there were several scenes that gave me the out and out willies as a kid. If you have never seen this movie, check it out. Don Knotts is a certified scaredy cat as well as a typesetter for his small town newspaper. But he longs to be a reporter so he is sent into the Simmons house to spend the night in the location of a murder/suicide that took place 20 years earlier. He will find his courage along with the solution to a mystery that has plagued this little town for so long. And just maybe, he will find some ghosts along the way.

9. This House Possessed (1981)– This TV movie isn’t exactly what most people think of in recent years as far as haunted houses go, but this is exactly what I most had in mind when I came up with the idea for this list. A rock star (Parker Stevenson) on the verge of a nervous breakdown is ordered to get some rest. Little does he know he house will fall in love with him, for lack of a better term, and go on a murderous rampage to stop anyone in its way. It’s a little bit of cheese but a whole lotta fun. I used to look forward to catching this one on late night TV back in the day.

8.  The Amityville Horror (1978)- Everyone is familiar with this film and it still stands in my eyes as one of the creepiest haunted house movies.  The Lutz family moves into an ideal home only to find out there are reasons it sold for so cheap.  Reasons to die for.

7. The Haunting (1963)– Based on the popular novel, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, this film goes to show that some mysteries are better left unsolved. And some phenomena are better left without investigation. Dr Markway wants to prove the existence of ghosts, but he may be rethinking his decision to do so in this house…if he lives through it. An inferior and unnecessary remake was released in 1999.

6. The Others (2001)– In this creepy thriller, Nicole Kidman is a woman who lives in a darkened house with her two children who are sensitive to light. She becomes convinced that her home is haunted, but is it? And if so, who are the ghosts?

5. Burnt Offerings (1976)– Karen Black and her family (including Bette Davis and Oliver Reed) rent a Summer home that seems like the perfect place for rest and relaxation. They have no idea exactly how restful this house wishes to make them. They might just be relaxed to death. This movie contains all the atmosphere that you can stand plus some. It may not be very fast paced, but it does not fail to deliver. It’s obviously one of my favorite possessed house films.

4. The Legend of Hell House (1973)– Richard Matheson penned the screenplay based on his own chilling story. A team is sent in to prove or disprove survival after death. The only question is whether or not they can survive the experience. From the man who brought us such classics as I Am Legend and Prey, how could you expect anything but greatness?

3. The Changeling (1980)– Digging up basements long before Kevin Bacon unearthed his back yard, George C. Scott moves into a mansion after the untimely deaths of his wife and daughter to discover that his own ghosts are not the only specters he has to be concerned about. This film is a true classic of haunted house horror that chills from beginning to end.

2. The Shining (1980)– Released the same year as the above, The Shining is based on the novel of the same name by horror master Stephen King (as if you didn’t know). Though it departs from the novel quite a bit, it manages to hang onto the basic idea that strange things are afoot at the Overlook Hotel. Jack’s son Danny along with Dick Halloran of the staff share the unique ability to “Shine.” When the shit goes down, Danny and his mom (the wispy Shelly Duvall) are forced into fight or flight for survival from the author (Jack Nicholson) turned Psycho at the whim of the very building they are hired to oversee.

1. Poltergeist (1982)– Oh crap, “they’re heeeere.” During a vicious storm little Carol Anne goes missing and her parents are dismayed to discover she has been taken by the spirits inside their very own home. Worse, her father is an agent for the very developer that “didn’t move the headstones.” Tobe Hooper’s classic haunted house film has quite a different feel from his breakout film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but the element of horror is very much alive within this other iconic creation. Poltergeist set the tone for horror of the eighties as well as it perfectly captured the desire of the American yuppie to live in the suburbs in excess, as quickly as possible, cutting corners wherever they may. As much a cautionary tale as a horror film, Poltergeist warns us that a lack of respect can cause collateral damage down the road. Oh yeah and it’s pretty damned scary to boot.

Honorable Mentions

Saturday the 14^th – Yes this film is another comedy, a spoof in fact, but no other house has ever managed to unleash the amount of crap on its unsuspecting tenants than this one has. It is funny but it is also quite dark. Lampooning numerous films like Jaws as well as the similarly titled Friday films, this movie is a must see for true fans of horror. If you don’t get all the references, you have more watching to do.

Monster House– Receiving a mention because it is really a cartoon aimed at children, this film maintains its share of spookiness. And if you happen to be “enhanced” while watching it, it has the ability to scare the crap out of the most hardened grownups at times. Very well done.

13 Ghosts (remake)– While I do adore the effects in this film as well as the stories behind each of the titular 13 ghosts, I was severely disappointed with the story and felt that the end of the film shot itself in the foot. I do feel a need to mention it, though if only for the ghosts themselves.

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I’d originally heard about Spencer Parsons’ Saturday Morning Massacre last year via various news sites and reviewers as it made the rounds a few film festivals. The premise sounded interesting enough: a team of paranormal investigators, complete with dog a la The Mystery Gang, go around trying to debunk potential hauntings and the like only to be confronted with the real thing. As anyone with a working knowledge of Scooby Doo can tell you, the monster or haunted house or whatever was nearly always revealed to be some crook or codger trying to make money on a property or some such. After all, it was on Saturday mornings and was a kids show. So the idea to take that setup and make the monster or ghost a real thing seemed awfully clever. Add in the potential horror element and I figured I had to see it at some point. The Austin Film Festival (a conference and film making program) started an ‘Audience Award Series’ this year to screen favorites of all kinds from previous years’ festivals throughout the year. The first of these was Saturday Morning Massacre which screened at the Alamo Drafthouse Village this past Monday with Mr. Parsons and some of the crew and actors in attendance. The film starts out with our group of investigators looking into a haunting only to discover that it is not in fact a haunting (a throw to the Scooby Doo setup) but a cover up for child pornographers. But instead of a laughing, happy scene with police, the team is reamed by a couple detectives for blowing their sting operation and screwing up their investigation. I thought this was a good way to segue’ into this being a much more harsh world for them to work in with real consequences. No cranky old men with rubber masks. A scene follows in a restaurant that lays out that the team is spread very thin money-wise and is scrambling to have some sense of forward momentum. There are hints as to cracks in the team’s dynamic and possible past relations, betrayals etc beyond just being broke. At the restaurant (as one of the character’s credit card is declined) they get a call for a job to rid a house of, or uncover the reason for haunting claims. A real estate developer has taken possession of the house and needs to remodel and sell it quickly but this ‘haunting’ issue must be taken care of first. Pretty simple. Traveling to the mansion, the team’s bus breaks down (an argument breaks out about the engine, tensions raise) and while trying to figure it out, a county police/sheriff character stops to aid them. I highlight this because Officer Lance (Paul Gordon) is by far the funniest aspect of the film. His dry delivery and complete lack of trying to be funny makes him freaking hilarious. This was a very smart choice on the filmmakers’ part because trying your damnedest to jam jokes into horror films generally flies like a lead balloon. Thankfully, Gordon’s performance is pitch perfect and adds a great bit of levity to the proceedings. His arrival also inadvertently causes the ‘Shaggy’ character to hide his stash which has serious consequences later at the mansion. Officer Lance accompanies them to the property and gives them a tour (chance for more great, deadpan lines) and leaves them there after explaining the history of the house, the Kyser family that owned it, their sad downfall, their children and all else. Once the team sets up to work and Officer Lance leaves, things start to go all manner of wrong and go even worse when the true horror of the house reveals itself. In its second half, the film is essentially a survival story and unfortunately, this members of this team aren’t really useful in terms of survival. They bicker and fight with each other, breakdown easily and don’t see the danger they are in for a number of reasons. This makes the heightened tension and suspense of the latter part of the movie frustrating because it doesn’t seem like this bunch can do much of anything right. You’re hopeful for them, but, you know better. Anyone who has seen enough of these type of horror movies can figure out who’ll make it and who won’t, but, don’t let that lull you to sleep. Some truly stark unpleasantness can be found in how they isolate themselves, how they treat their work and each other and when the proverbial shit hits the fan, it is more the horror of human breakdown than it is attacking monsters or ghosts or mutants that potentially does them in. I would have liked more screwedupness when it came to this aspect, and, if they’d pushed the grindhouse aspect a little more (save for the very end which is damned cool) but on the whole, it was a fun time. I got a chance to speak with director Spencer Parsons after the screening and understood that they are working on VOD/DVD channels right now so this should actually be available to see here pretty quickly (with a possible title change). Seek it out as it does turn the slasher sub genre in a slightly new direction instead of in on itself for the 1000th time. 3.5 / 5 stars     

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I Love a good Gothic Movie, but most of them were filmed in the 30s to the 70s.   So I started to wonder are there any good “Modern” Gothic Horror movies? After searching my Dvd collection and looking around on the internet, I have come up with an interesting list…It seems there is a trend of new Gothic movies coming soon. But, for now I will have to include the 90s as part of my list, because they really are some fantastic films from that decade.

The most interesting thing about some of these movies is that my Non-Horror friends have seen most of them, which makes me think they have a bigger audience than most Horror films do. I remember talking to a friend about movies recently, She said that she had never seen any Horror movies because they would give her nightmares.

I thought ok, we’ll talk about other genres then. It soon came out that she loved Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Interview with a Vampire, and the new Fright Night. I said really?…well then you have seen at least three Horror movies. Interestingly, she had never thought of them that way. I don’t think I convinced her to watch anything scarier right then, but maybe she will warm up to them in the future? There is just something about a period film that Women love… Maybe it’s the costumes and sets but I think truly it is the Romanticism. We all adore a good love story, even if it is about an evil blood sucking Vampire! And no I don’t mean Vampires that sparkle… just good old fashioned Bloodsuckers!

So here is my Top Ten list of Contemporary Gothic Movies…

1-Bram Stokers Dracula (1992)

Francis Ford Coppola’s version of Bram Stoker’s Dracula is one of my favorite films. Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to conduct a business transaction with Count Dracula. The Count sees a picture of Harker’s fiance, Mina, and believes she is the reincarnation of his true love. Dracula travels from Transylvania aboard a ship to London to find Mina. When he arrives, he seduces and bites Lucy, Mina’s friend. Lucy starts to fall ill and her fiance summons Dr. Van Helsing to help. Van Helsing easily figures out that Lucy has been bitten by a Vampire, and they try to prevent her from being attacked again.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a beautifully romantic Vampire movie. Winona is lovely in her gothic dresses and the sets are amazing. Gary Oldman plays Dracula very dramatically and effectively. This version is not very scary, but I love it for the visual feast that it is.

2-Interview with the Vampire (1994)

The Vampire Lestat seduces Louis, a young plantation owner, into becoming a Vampire. They are forced to flee the plantation when the slaves become aware of what Monsters they are. Louis and Lestat flee to New Orleans where they find and turn a young girl named Claudia into a Vampire. Louis is tortured by his guilt of killing people for blood.

Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise are undeniably sexy as Vampires, but the real star of the movie was Kirsten Dunst as little Claudia. This is one of those movies I enjoy watching over and over again. Even though Interview With A Vampire isn’t very scary or gory, it is very entertaining none the less.

3-Sleepy Hollow (1999)

Ichabod Crane travels to the small Hamlet of Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of murders. The villagers seem to be turning up headless all over the place. Ichabod arrives with his bag of strange instruments and goes to work at solving the murders. He seems to be a little squeamish for a Coroner though. The townspeople tell him there is a Demon hunting them but he doesn’t believe them until he sees the Headless Horseman for himself.

Sleepy Hollow is directed by Tim Burton and is wonderfully Gothic. He has his usual line up of quirky characters for the villagers from Sleepy Hollow.
Johnny Depp is charming as Ichabod Crane and Christopher Walken is really frightening as the Headless Horseman. I always enjoy the sets on Burton’s movies, because he uses a lot of detail to set up the atmosphere. Even the carved pumpkins have his trademark look to them.

4-Corpse Bride (2005)

The Corpse Bride is an animated movie by Tim Burton. Victor and Victoria are arranged to be married by their parents. The two meet for the first time the day before the wedding. The wedding rehearsal goes badly for Victor and he decides to take a walk through the woods in order to practice his vows. He accidently slips a ring on to the corpse of a bride, thinking her finger was a twig. Victor is immediately whisked away to the land of the dead and he must figure out a way to get back to the living.

The magical and macabre worlds that Tim burton comes up with are best done in this stop motion type of animation. The story is wonderful and imaginative with a mystery to solve. The characters are loveable and memorable played by Johnny Depp, Emily Watson, and Helena Bonham Carter.

5-The Woman in Black (2012)

Hammer Films returns to Gothic Horror movies after 30 years with the Woman in Black. Daniel Radcliffe plays a Lawyer, Arthur Kipp, that goes to settle an estate after the death of a Woman. She lived on a remote Island that has only one road leading to it. The road only appears when the tide is out, so it is easy to get stranded on the Island. Arthur decides it is best to spend the night on the island in order to finish his work quickly. The House is haunted and Arthur starts seeing strange things almost immediately.

The Woman in Black has that Gothic Hammer feel to it that fans of the classics will love. It delivers lots of thrills and scares with loads of atmosphere. This movie is in no way a remake of the 1988 TV movie, but instead another version of the same story. The film is dark and scary and reminded me most of one of my favorite Ghost stories…The Changeling. The set design really stands out in this film, as the house is really eerie with lots of cobwebs and creepy old toys.

6-From Hell (2001)

From Hell is set in the Whitechapel area of London during the Jack the Ripper murders. Prostitutes are being killed brutally on the streets of London. Their throats are being slit and then they are disemboweled. Quite often some body parts are missing as well. The murders are extremely savage but precise, leading Detectives to think the Prostitutes are being murdered by a Surgeon.

Johnny Depp stars as a Police Inspector who starts to uncover a larger conspiracy surrounding the murders. He starts to fall in love with a prostitute named Mary Kelly and tries to rescue her from the Ripper. There is also a 1988 TV version of this movie starring Michael Caine, which it is definitely woth checking out as well.

7-Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)

The Province of Gevaudan in rural France is being terrorized by a mysterious Beast. The local peasants are being attacked by the Beast. A knight, Fronsac, and his companion, Mani arrive to try and capture the beast. Mani is a priest from the Iroquois tribe and uses his knowledge to help capture it. The movie is based on the true story of the Beast of Gevaudan that reputedly killed many people in 18th century France.

Brotherhood of the Wolf has beautiful scenery and sets. For a period film, there are lots of martial arts fights to be enjoyed. Beautiful period costumes and a little bit of romance too.

8-Sweeney Todd (2007)

Sweeney Todd is set in turn of the century England. A barber, who lost his wife and child, returns to London to seek revenge on the man that took them away. The Barber teams up with a woman who owns a shop that sells meat pies. She comes up with a plan to use corpses for the meat in her pies, and asks the barber to supply them for her.

A Musical Horror Movie…now that is unusual. Don’t be fooled by the nice musical medleys, at it’s core Sweeney Todd is about a Serial Killer who uses the corpses for Cannibalistic purposes. The movie has a nice mix of humor and the macabre.

9-Wolfman (2010)

Universal studios tries to bring back one the classic monsters…The Wolfman. Benicio Del Toro plays the tortured man, Lawrence, who is bitten and cursed by the Werewolf when he returns home for his brother’s funeral. A police Inspector arrives to investigate the recent murders in Blackmoor and suspects Lawrence is to blame for them.

The set design and costumes are really well done. This newest Wolfman is a decent remake and is entertaining but it certainly is not the best version of The Wolfman I’ve seen. I would recommend the 1961 Curse of the Werewolf instead.

10-Dario Argento’s Phantom of the Opera (1998)

The Phantom was abandoned as a child and put into a basket to float into an underground river. The Phantom ends up being raised by Rats instead of Humans and likes to hang out in the Catacombs under the Opera. He hears Christine sing and falls madly in love with her. He will do anything to get close to her including Murder!

Not quite Argento’s best work but it has some beautiful scenery in it. The Phantom, played by Julian Sands, doesn’t wear the trademark mask. I think it might have been better if Argento had stuck to the usual Phantom that is disfigured. Dario Argento’s beautiful daughter, Asia, plays Christine.

So there you have it,  a list of my favourite Contemporary Gothic films or otherwise known as a list of movies that women will love!

The post Top Ten Contemporary Gothic Movies appeared first on Horror Movies.

By now you should have probably noticed a ton of Top Lists for 2009 on site written by the staff members of our site. To give you an objective overview of what the top films of 2009 really were I have taken all the Top Lists written by the staff and compiled them into one master list. I have also include the votes of our readers to make this list as accurate as possible.

So without further ado here is the Definitive List of the Best Horror Films of 2009. If you have not seen any of these films.. you need to.  As far as our staff and the readers of our site are concerned these horror movies are the cats ass!

#25: Last House on the Left Remake: Quite honestly all things considered I really do not disagree with the choice of Last House on the Left landing at #25 on our Top 25 since it was both disturbing and dark. As much as it is a remake it was well done with a focus on building a great story and not garnering mass appeal at the box office. Last House on the Left was great for a remake and lands at #25.

#24 House of the Devil: At #23 on our list is House of the Devil which tells the story of an attractive college student who takes a job in a creepy old mansion as a babysitter to earn money for a deposit on an apartment. Unfortunately for her the creepy man who works at the Mansion is much more than just creepy and there are no children that need sitting… it all ends badly!

#23: Carriers: Carriers is a fantastic take on the infectious plague genre that lacked the confidence of its studio and ended up with a limited theatrical release in about a dozen theaters and even worse an irritating release onto DVD which had me hunting all over to buy it. It makes its way onto the Top 10 not from staff votes but from the guest and member votes and I agree with them. Carriers is a character film that focus on the humanity of its characters and the story more than action as a brother and two girls try to escape and survive a plague that has turned the United states into a wasteland of suffering.

#22 Cold Prey: Cold Prey teaches the cold lessons of why you don’t want to go skiing in the alps… especially  not to an abandoned ski lodge now inhabited by a psychopath. Released in theaters over seas in 2007 it released wide onto dvd here in north america Jan / 2009 which is why it made this list.

#21 Dead girl: Dead girl is a film summed up easily with the word Sadistic. But it’s also quite engaging in its story. Dead Girl will draw you in and spit you out with its intense writing and extreme brutality. Definitely not for the faint of heart!

#20 Babysitter Wanted: Babysitter Wanted flew under a lot of readers radar until Goon reviewed it and people went out and bought it and started talking about it on site. Babysitter Wanted teaches the important lesson of why there are much safer ways to get money than babysitting in an old isolated farm-house far from the safety of the city.

#19 The Collector: The Collector got mixed reviews from readers staff of this site but still made alot of Top 10 lists for 2009. The Collector is gruesome, disturbing and reminds us all why crime doesn’t pay.

#18 Surveillance: Surveillance is a film by Jennifer Lynch and its both disturbing and violent while still being very deep and through provoking. It tells the story of a town of crooked cops, two serial killing partners and a team of FBI agents out to get them. You will never guess the ending and the last 5minutes will definitely knock the wind out of you. Not for the weak of heart.

#17 The Children: Think of the Children as a modern-day telling of Children of the Corn only this time its a virus making the kids go bat shit crazy. The Children is a creepy christmas tale of a family that heads to the woods to celebrate and discovers their children have more in mind then unwrapping presents. Creepy and dark the Children is a fantastic film with a dark ending.

#16 Splinter: I am a huge fan of the thing and up until now no film has touched it. I say until now because Toby Wilkins SPLINTER is genius. Its dark, is gorey, its violent and it mixed sci-fi, nature and horror all in a nice little bundle that is sure to make you think twice about going to the woods anytime soon. Definitely an homage to The Thing it’s easily one of the best indie films made in the last 10 years.

#15 Doghouse: Doghouse is one of those movies that just re-enforces why as men we need to make sure we don’t confuse the women for the weaker sex. Especially not when they are a bunch of flesh-eating zombies looking to put all the men in the doghouse… or their bellies!

#14 Thirst: This one needs no intro. Directed by Park Chan Wook the genius behind the Oldboy series of movies its a vampire tale that every fan of Park’s should watch!

#13: End of the Line: I love zombie movies but I also love apocalyptic films with religious overtones. Seems I am not alone as the combined votes of our staff and members put End of the Line in the #14 spot on the Top 25 Horror Films of 2009. Beware religious whack jobs in uniforms sporting knives looking to bring about the end of days! Dark and gruesome End of the Line is everything a good apocalyptic horror film should be.

#12 The Orphan: I actually had the ending of this movie ruined by a forum member who posted the ending without a spoiler alert. Regardless I still watched it and much to my surprise enjoyed it. Although it did not make my Top 10 list I can see why it made so many staff members top 10’s and made it into the Top 25. The Orphan is a movie that will make sure orphanages around the world are a little fuller for a while.

# 11 Let The Right One In: Let The Right One In is easily the best vampire film to come out of the foreign markets in many years. A love story told between two teens it is shot in a very atmospheric way and is both creepy and endearing. The movie is so good I am actually interested in seeing how the remake Matt Reeves who directed Cloverfield is working on turns out.

# 10 REC: Not much to say about REC other than its the first truly scary zombie movie to arrive on the scene in many years. I love zombie movies and watch them all but admittedly most are for entertainment value and not scares. REC is both entertaining and scary and will make you think twice about staying in an apartment complex in Spain. REC was released onto dvds this year but had an international run in theaters in 2007. Real shame that we never experienced it in theaters.

# 9 Martyrs: Although Martyrs only made it to #9 on the score cards I think it really deserved to be a lot higher. Martyrs is one of the most disturbing and captivating movies I have ever seen. I saw it based on recommendations from those who had seen it and I was far from disappointed. Shocking and incredibly disturbing it is wrapped in a story that pulls you in deep and then spits you out. This movie redefines the word disturbing but in the same token is a fantastically written story. I had to fast forward through parts… it bothered me that much.

# 8 Dead Snow: Nazi’s, Zombies, Chainsaws, carnage and medical students skiing in the mountains. This is what Dead Snow brings to you. It’s a foreign film which brings some laughs, plenty of carnage and lots of zombies. It reminded me of a mix of Evil Dead meets Shaun of the Dead with a bit of Night of the Living Dorks thrown in the mix. This film landed high on a lot of our staffs Top 10 lists which is why it ended up at #8.

# 7 Drag me to Hell: Sam Raimis return to the genre that got him started was by most measures a success. It got mixed reviews from some horror fans but critics and the rest of the fans thought the film was genius. For me Sam Raimis Drag Me To Hell was a return to his roots. The film was filled with homages and easter eggs from his earlier films and was a complete riot with an ending that will please just about anyone. Definitely a fun film that lands at #7 on our list. This movie teaches us to never screw with an old Gypsy… they might just git you!

# 6 Grace: Grace tells the story of a woman who brings a baby to term and delivers it knowing that the outcome will be less than healthy. Grace is a disturbing film that is sure to make all expectant parents quicker and stare at those pregnant bumps with terrified eyes. Landing high on our staffs top lists it ended up at #6 overall.

# 5 Zombieland: Zombieland is easily one of the best commercial zombie movies to come out of Hollywood in some time. Its the North American answer to Shaun of the Dead while still very much being its own movie. The rules, the action, the romance and the laughs makes Zombieland easily one of the best films to hit the horror genre in 2009. It lands at #5 on our list.

# 4 Paranormal Activity: Paranormal Activity really does not need a lot said about it. Made for around $25,000 it went on to become the most profitable movie ever made. Considered by some to be over rated and by others to be one of the most terrifying theater experiences in years. Anyway you cut it a good film that lands at #4 on our staffs list.

# 3 Antichrist: Antichrist was all the buzz this year as easily one of the most messed up films of the year but also one of the most terrifying. PoppaScotch who was one fo the judges on this list put it best when he said Lars Von Trier is either a genius film maker or an absolute madmen. Antichrist tells the story of a couple who head to the woods to fix their relationship after a tragic loss and nature takes its course exploding into a truly mad film.

# 2 Trick R Treat: I really can’t argue with the #2 spot at all for 2009. Trick R Treat is one of the best horror anthologies I have seen since Creepshow. A mix of tales that tell their own story while still being interlinked its creepy, gruesome and lots of laughs. Without a doubt Trick R Treat is a fantastic film and it seems all the staff of HM.ca agree as it lands in the #2 spot. If you buy any movie off this list make it Trick R Treat and I will be shocked if you don’t love it.

# 1 Pontypool: The #1 place on our Top Films list goes to Pontypool and honestly I am somewhat surprised. I figured for sure that films with more notice like Zombieland or even Martyrs would have made it to #1 but it seems our staff have alot of love for this low budget Canadian zombie film about a DJ on the air during a disturbing and violent outbreak of a zombie like infection. Pontypool is a smart zombie movie that plays out like a stage play and focuses on the characters more then the action. Pontypool wont appeal to everyone but for this zombie fan it is one of the best written and most intelligent zombie films since Night of the Living Dead. It is also what our staff voted to be the #1 horror film of 2009.

Two Closing notes. First a thank you to all the staff who contributed their votes for Top film of 2009 and also a thank you to the 20 some odd members of our community who also took time to contribute votes to this list making it truly a Top Horror Films list by fans… and for fans. Without a doubt because of how we did this list you will be able to find a film on this list that you can truly love!

My Final closing note is a decision I made as site editor. District 9 actually landed at #3 on this list and frankly well deserving but I had to cave to the ‘scifi’ crowd. Alot of people have made comments to me that District 9 is scifi and not horror and although I refuse to take it off the site since its such an awesome and gruesome tale I do concede it does not belong on a Top Horror Films for 2009 list. So I made the choice to remove it but DEFINITELY make sure you buy District 9. Its a really awesome flick.

The post Top 25 Horror Movies of 2009 The Definitive List! appeared first on Horror Movies.

Yes, yes, I know.  “The Addams Family” films are an absolute classic and any film attempting to do something new with the property has a steep uphill to battle.  That being said, I think an animated adaptation was the right route to take.  You’re gonna have a tough time doing a live action adaptation that doesn’t draw comparisons to the ’90s films, so you might as well do something completely different with it.

“The Addams Family” stars Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Bette Meddler, and Allison Janney as the kooky Addams Family.

The teaser trailer, which you can watch below, doesn’t reveal a whole lot about the plot of the movie, but it does show the kind of tone and humor they’re going for.  Personally, I think the animated style does a good job of invoking the original hand drawn images. And while the one off gags are nice, the real test will come when we get to see how dark and weird the plot gets.

“The Addams Family” hits theaters this Halloween.

The post ‘The Addams Family’ Return in the First Teaser for their Animated Film appeared first on Horror Movies.

At this years Wondercon I got the chance to sit down with the “Fear the Walking Dead” (along with 20-30 other bloggers/reporters) and pick their brains about the upcoming season.  With plenty of new additions to this upcoming season, including Jenna Elfman, and the arrival of a familiar “Walking Dead” character it seems like this season for “Fear the Walking Dead” is prime for plenty of change and turmoil.  So there were certainly plenty of questions raised regarding not only the future of the series, but the “Walking Dead” universe as a whole.

First of all, one of the big questions about the upcoming season was why Morgan (Lennie James) was making the jump from “The Walking Dead” to “Fear the Walking Dead.”  Showrunner Andrew Chambliss touched on the choice to bring his character over and expressed the idea that he was a natural fit for the emotional arc that would be playing out this season.

“We set out with a very specific idea in mind about where we wanted to take the season emotionally and once we sort of mapped that out . . . we were big fans of Morgan’s character from “Walking Dead” and Lennie James . . . and it became undeniable that Morgan seemed like the perfect person to intersect with the journey we’ve charted. So we’re very excited to see how it plays out and how fans will react to it.”

And with Morgan’s arrival, that means the two separate “Walking Dead” shows are finally connecting in a meaningful way.  Is this simply a one-off event or will there be further interactions between the two shows to create a larger “Walking Dead” universe? Of course Chambliss wouldn’t go too deep on what the future might hold for crossovers, however he did touch on the ramifications of his arrival.

“It is a step in bringing the world’s closer together, for us it’s really about Morgan’s journey to ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ and becoming apart of that world. At the same time he’s going to change and effect the characters who are on ‘Fear’ and likewise they’re gonna change him and it’ll create something that feels new and different.’

Along with Lennie James joining the cast, we’ll also be seeing Jenna Elfman take on the zombie universe for the first time.  Normally Elfman is known for her comedic roles, though she’s also done the occasional dramatic role.  However, when she was asked about coming to the horror genre it was interesting to note that she viewed “Fear the Walking Dead” as a drama.

“Well it’s not my genre that’s been in the past . . . whatever, but it actually was before I was doing comedy. I was doing drama, but then comedy boat went and I’ve just been on that cruise.  I was super honored that they came to me for this.  I was really ready for a change.  Something that I really wanted was to lean into a woman who has lived life and reared children and had a lot of experiences. I was really looking forward to a project where I could really lean into the human story and human emotions and tell a real story where I can stay in those moments and connect with people and connect with humanity.  The writing is superb, it warms me, I get so excited for every script.”

Regarding the upcoming challenges that cast would face this season, here’s what Chambliss had to say:

The central goal we had when Ian and I started working on this . .  . we wanted to find the thing that makes surviving worthwhile.  And making it more than just where am I gonna find a place to sleep tonight? Or where I am gonna find some food and some water.  And really to have a mission statement that’s finding the reasons to live, like the connections you make in this world.  And there are connections that are so fraught cause you never know what’s going to come around the corner.  And that’s at the center of every story we’ve set out to tell this season.

And while personal challenges are great, what sort of villains will they be facing?  Co-showrunner Ian Goldberg chimed in on this one along with Chambliss, but the were very vague about the upcoming conflict.  Still, the way they were describing it made it seem like this would be an opposition completely new to the “Walking Dead” universe.

Ian Goldberg- “One of the great things about ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ and ‘The Walking Dead’ universe is that it lends itself too reinvention. And one of the things we got excited about when we started thinking about obstacles our characters might have and adversaries is that we really wanted to create something that hadn’t been seen before. To create a different force of opposition and uh . . . we can’t tell you exactly what form that takes, but we think and hope that you’ll find that it’s very different than the adversaries they’ve been up against.”

Andrew Chambliss – “And kind of one our goals in creating this was to create an adversary where going up against them isn’t as easy as just arming up with weapons and having a fight. Really, you’re trying to make a challenge that’ll push our characters to dig a little bit deeper and to really test them.  Test themselves, test what they believe in, and what they’re fighting for.”

It’s no surprise that they would be coy about the details of the upcoming season, but it’s interesting to see them be so protective about who and what the adversary would be this year.  I’ll be really curious to see how they change things up and actually make it something we haven’t seen before in the “Walking Dead’ universe.

The post The Next Adversary in ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ Won’t Be Something We’ve Seen Before appeared first on Horror Movies.

Happy New Year everyone, how are we doing this lovely day?  Nursing a nasty little hangover? Try eating some spicy ramen, I find that really helps me. You know what else helps? Reading a list! We have a whole 365 days ahead of us and plenty of horror movies to enjoy on the horizon.  This is really the best part of the year because all there is is potential and there are plenty of movies on the horizon that have plenty of it.

So what are some of the horror movies you’re looking forward too this year? For me, these are the ones I’m most interested in seeing:

Predator

This has the potential to be the “Predator” film that fans have been waiting for since the first “Predator.”  First it’s being handled by director Shane Black who was in the first “Predator” and went on to have an impressive writing and directing career.  Secondly, it has an amazing cast that includes Boyd Holbrook (Narcos), Keegan Michael Key (Key and Peele), Sterling K. Brown (This is Us), Thomas Jane (Punisher), Jake Busey (playing the son of Gary Busey’s character from ‘Predator 2’), Edward James Olmos, Yvonne Strahovski, Olivia Munn, and Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones). Holy crap, that’s an amazing cast.  As a huge fan of the Predator, this could be my second most anticipated movie of the year.

Halloween

So if “Predator” is my second most anticipated movie of the year, what would be my first? A new “Halloween”! This one is promising to be a really interesting take on the “Halloween” legacy as it’s reuniting a lot of people who were responsible for how great the original film was.  First of all you have John Carpenter helping out with the music and producing and then there’s Jamie Lee Curtis and Nick Castle (the original Michael Myers) returning to their respective roles.  On top of that you have Director David Green and writing partner Danny McBride (yes that Danny McBride) who have a real reverence for the original film.  It all sounds like a promising return to form for the series.

God Particle (Cloverfield 3)

You know this movie is supposed to come out next month? I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t know that, because they haven’t said anything about it. We don’t even have a trailer yet! Now, it’s entirely possible that the movie will just be pushed back and released later . . . but could you imagine if they did another surprise trailer release like they did with “10 Cloverfield Lane”? If you didn’t know “God Particle” originally started as its own feature film, but at some point J.J. Abrams got involved and the film became another addition to the “Cloverfield” family.  Now, the Cloverfield films have become known for their surprise trailer releases, so could “God Particle” still be coming out in a month with a trailer set to release in the next couple of weeks?  I believe it’s entirely possible, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens with this one.

 The Purge: The Island

I was mildly into the first “Purge” but really enjoyed the hell out of “Purge: Anarchy.”  Unfortunately, the series lost me again with “Purge: Election Year,” but I feel like I have one more left in me and “The Purge: The Island” could be the right twist to win me back again.  In “The Purge: The Island” we get to see what the very first test Purge was like and how it was slowly introduced to the US.  Sounds like a promising idea to show us how all the mayhem began.

A Quiet Place

This probably has the premise that I’m most excited for. A family living in isolation must live a life of silence or else they will become the target of a murderous creature who hunts based on sound.  It also features a real life couple as the mother and father in the film in the form of John Krasinski (The Office) and Emily Blunt.

The Nun

Probably the most terrifying part of “The Conjuring 2,” the Nun creature was a super unsettling addition to the “Conjuring” universe. “The Nun” will look at the origins of this terrifying creature, who also made a cameo appearance in “Annabelle: Creation.”  Of course a good horror movie needs more than a creepy creature, but this one does at least have a good basis to work off from.  Plus, this one also has Corin Hardy directing who last handled “The Hallow.”

Meg

“Meg” has been in development hell forever, so of course I’m excited to finally see it come to the big screen even if it turns out to be terrible. In “Meg” a prehistoric shark, known as a Megalodon, resurfaces and causes mayhem on the ocean and the only man that can save us is . . . JASON STATHAM.  Yeah, this one might turn out to be pretty cheesy, but I love good cheese so bring it on.

Strangers: Prey at Night

 The long awaited sequel to “The Strangers” is finally here.  Personally, I only kind of liked the first “Strangers” movie, but I can’t say that I’m not intrigued by the idea of bringing them back for another go around.  I think there’s a lot of potential there and I’m eager to see how they bring them back after ten years.

New Mutants

This probably won’t turn out to be a pure horror movie, but it is exciting to see a comic book movie adapt more of a horror aesthetic for its film.  “New Mutants” is tied to the X-Men universe, but it looks like the film features a group of kids tormented by a haunted house and their own powers. It could potentially be a huge surprise for horror fans and I’m looking forward to see what it does with the genre.

Insidious: The Last Key

The first big horror movie of the year, how could you not be excited for it! “Insidious: The Last Key” hits theaters this week and I love the idea of exploring Elise’s (Lin Shaye) past and finding out what ghosts haunt her.  Plus we get more Specs and Tucker and that’s always a good thing.

The House That Jack Built

A psychological horror thriller from director Lars von Trier, so you know it’s going to be screwed up. This one stars Matt Dillon as Jack, a serial killer, and the film follows his life over a twelve year period where we see the kills that develop Jack as a serial killer. Yeah, that sounds pretty radical.

The Movie that Only Jason is Excited For:

RAMPAGE

I’m the first to admit that I tend to like some pretty shitty movies and I’m a huge sucker for giant monster movies.  So the idea of the Rock, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Joe Manganiello taking on three giant monsters is the most delicious idea in the world. I love it. Give me passable CGI, terrible acting, lame jokes, and giant monster movie action.  I’m all for it.

The post Most Anticipated Horror Movies of 2018 appeared first on Horror Movies.

Last month we ushered in your first look at Simon Basche’s 2Lava2Lantula via a teaser trailer, today, we have scored the official trailer courtesy of our friends over at Fangoria and yes, this sucker is as silly as they come, but we all need a bit of silliness from time to time, right?

The film stars Steve Guttenberg (Colton West), Michael Winslow (Marty), Michele Weaver (Raya West), Jimmy Bellinger (Kyle), Lorynn York (Daniella), Randall Walker, Jr. (TJ), Erron Jay (Brick), Martin Kove (Colonel Jester), and Marion Ramsey (Teddie).

Synopsis: When an unprecedented amount of sinkholes erupt all over Florida, a new nest of fire spitting Lavalantulas is awakened… wreaking their fiery havoc all over the sunshine state. Adding to the mayhem, the arachnids have hit the beach where Colton West’s step-daughter, Raya, is taking a break from school. Now an A-list movie star, Colton walks off the set of his latest hundred million dollar blockbuster to save her. Armed with specialized weapons, Colton, his personal assistant, Kyle, and his best friend, Marty, race to save the residents of Florida from these hellish prehistoric beasts and taking on the biggest, baddest one of them all — Gargantulantula.

Look for this one on the Syfy channel this August 6, 2016.

The post Official Trailer for ‘2Lava2Lantula’ appeared first on Horror Movies.

In November of last year we ushered in the official trailer for Timothy Smith’s short horror film The Russian Sleep Experiment, a film which is based upon the Creepypasta of the same name. Since that time though, they have been extremely busy, as not only is the short now available for you guys over at Mindplate.tv for $0.99, the short will be adapted into a feature film.

So, do you want to get in on the action? Well, Timothy, Michael Bugard and the whole team have setup an Indiegogo campaign to help raise $50,000 to turn the short into a feature film. As always with these things they have perks on offer, so hit up the link above and see how you can help. Also, a simple share is more than enough to help get the word out.

The feature so far is set to star Gary Brunner, Michael Bugard, Brett Solferino, Zach Ross, Katie Oliver, Lucia Hyde, Didrik Davis, and Michael Alexander.

The original synopsis for The Russian Sleep Experiment is as follows;

Three Nazi war criminals are held captive in a Russian compound where they are given a gas that keeps them awake for 30 days. Morality will be tested and sanity will be bent. Its very different on the other side of the gas.

The Russian Sleep Experiment has has the potential to deliver something truly unnerving, and if they can pull off something as terrifying with just $5,000, imagine what they can do with $50,000!

Check out the trailer for the short below, and see what you make of it?

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