Halloween is just a few short weeks away, and these five upcoming films should start getting you in the mood!
Buried (September 24)
By far the most promising film of the bunch, Buried features megastar Ryan Reynolds (the upcoming Green Lantern) trapped in a coffin for the majority of the film’s running time. A huge critical hit at last January’s Sundance Film Festival, the film promises to be one of the most claustrophobic experiences ever to be had a in movie theatre. This one might be a tough sell to general audiences, but horror buffs should definitely check it out.
Let Me In (October 1)
While American remakes can often be unnecessary rehashes of their better European counterparts, there are many things to look forward to in Let Me In, the remake of the critically acclaimed Swedish film adaptation of the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist. Matt Reeves, the talented director of Cloverfield, has taken the reigns here, and he has cast two of the most promising young actors working today—Chloe Moretz from Kick-Ass and Kodi Smit-McPhee from the underrated The Road. The trailer is a magnificent creepfest that promises something extraordinary.
My Soul to Take (October 8)
The last time horror mastermind Wes Craven wrote and directed a film was back in 1994 with his exploration of the disturbing ways a genre franchise can affect its makers in New Nightmare. Finally, after three Screams, Red Eye, and a Meryl Streep violin movie, he is back with his own original project. The story concerns a serial killer who returns home to stalk a group of kids who share the same birthday as the day of his burial.
Whatever the plot may be, put your faith in Craven to make something both thought-provoking and terrifying. And enjoy knowing this is just the first of two Craven flicks coming out soon—Scream 4 is set for release on April 15, 2011!
Paranormal Activity 2 (October 22)
The best thing about Oren Peli’s no-budget demon story Paranormal Activity was that it finally put an end to the never-ending Saw juggernaut, which inexplicably became a yearly movie ritual like the Friday the 13ths of the 1980’s. What Peli achieved with so little in that original was truly extraordinary, and here’s hoping part of that magic can re-created for this follow-up.
Saw 3D (October 29)
The very last Saw? Yeah, right, but that’s what the studio is saying. This series gasped its final creative breath with Saw III (despite some interesting story twists in Saw VI). All of the tension and imagination of the original has been beaten to death by now, and it’s time for this series to take its final bow. This will be the first of the franchise released in 3D, but hopefully it will be a worthwhile story, not the flash of three dimensional effects, that brings this series to a worthwhile close.
