10 Horror Movies That Changed the Genre

As long as movies have existed, filmmakers have been telling horror stories. George Melies’ Le Manoir du diable, a silent, three-minute French film from 1896, is generally recognized as the first horror film ever made, coming just a few years after the medium was invented. Since then, horror films have undergone constant changes, growing in tandem with mainstream entertainment and doing their own part to advance filmmaking technology, push the envelope for what’s appropriate in film, and get people talking about movies. It’s probably fair to say that there have been dozens, if not hundreds, of horror films that have changed the genre in one way or another, but of all these, a few stand out as especially powerful, or gripping, or revolutionary. These are the films that didn’t just make a cultural impact or earn decent revenue; they redefined what horror films looked like, period. Read more …

Camp Hell (2010) Official Trailer [HD] Friday the 13th is reborn!

Evil invades a children’s spiritual retreat. Jesse Eisenberg is among them…Friday the 13th is reborn. Formerly called “Camp Hope”.

Coming to theatres on September 2010
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Dana Delany, Spencer Treat Clark, Valentina de Angelis, Joseph Vincent Cordaro, Bruce Davison

At the end of every summer, the children of a Christian community from a suburb of New Jersey attend Camp Hope. They travel deep into the woods far from any distractions the world provides. Here, the children are taught the ways of the Lord, the perils of the flesh, and the horror of the Devil. A charismatic priest leads them in their training. But, he unknowingly has brought something with him, something evil. What was supposed to be a safe place, a spiritual retreat has now turned into a nightmare that not even faith can end. Read more …

Toronto After Dark Film Festival: Black Death (2010)

Short Description

An investigation of witchcraft is at the centre of this medieval horror tale starring Sean Bean (LORD OF THE RINGS)

The Buzz

“A badass Dark Age story about the Black Plague… I love this film.” - Ain’t It Cool News

“Black Death is smart, classy, and extremely grim. Very good stuff.” - Dread Central

“A striking, mature and deeply scary piece of work.” - Fangoria

“Black Death is another excellent film from Christopher Smith who only seems to get better with each new production. A medieval thriller with hints of the supernatural, a fast paced story, beautiful locations, and some scenes that will stick in your mind.” - Horror View

“BLACK DEATH is a dark and chilling piece of work….a truly creepy tale of medieval terror” - Joblo.com’s Arrow-In-The-Head

Official Selection - Frightfest, London Read more …

The Nightmare Before Christmas 3-D, Synopsis, Poster HQ, HQ Pics and Trailer: Release Date: October 24, 2008

Release Date: October 24, 2008
Director: Henry Selick
Writer: Caroline Thompson
Starring: Chris Sarandon Danny Elfman Catherine O’Hara William Hickey Glenn Shadix Paul Reubens Ken Page Ed Ivory Susan McBride Debi Durst Greg Proops Kerry Katz Randy Crenshaw Sherwood Ball Carmen Twillie Catherine O’Hara
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Rating: PG
Official Site: Click Here
“Chris Sarandon, Danny Elfman, Catherine O’Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix, Paul Reubens, Ken Page”

SYNOPSIS

Enter an extraordinary world filled with magic and wonder — where every holiday has its own special land … and imaginative, one-of-a-kind characters! “The Nightmare Before Christmas” tells the heartfelt tale of Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, and all things that go bump in the night. Bored with the same old tricks and treats, he yearns for something more, and soon stumbles upon the glorious magic of Christmas Town! Jack decides to bring this joyful holiday back to Halloween Town. But as his dream to fill Santa’s shoes unravels, it’s up to Sally, the rag doll who loves him, to stitch things back together. Read more …

“Paranormal Activity 2″ rules foreign box office

By Frank Segers / Mon Oct 25, 2010 12:23am EDT

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Halloween got a jump on the foreign box office during the weekend as “Paranormal Activity 2″ claimed the No. 1 spot after scaring $22.1 million out of audiences in 21 markets.

The sequel to 2009’s “Paranormal Activity,” which reportedly grossed more than $85 million overseas, premiered at No. 1 in at least four key markets, led by Britain with $6.3 million. The new North American champ was also the top draw in Australia ($2.7 million), Mexico ($1.9 million) and Russia ($1.8 million).

Last weekend’s champ, “Despicable Me,” slipped to No. 2 with $19.8 million from 39 territories. The cartoon opened at No. 1 in Portugal, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and Latvia. U.K. was the top holdover market ($4.3 million; 10-day total, $12.2 million). After 16 weeks, its international total stands at $198.1 million.

At No. 3, “The Social Network” grossed $10 million from 25 markets, bolstered by No. 1 openings in Sweden, Norway and Ukraine. The early overseas total for director David Fincher’s Facebook drama rose to $32.2 million.

Fourth was “Les Petits Mouchoirs” (”Little White Lies), the weekend’s dominant No. 1 opener in France with $9.9 million. The Gallic variation of “The Big Chill” stars Marion Cotillard and Francois Cluzet.

“Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” came in at No. 5 with $9.5 million from 53 markets; the foreign total for the financial sequel stands at $62.18 million. Read more …

October Horror - The 31 Flicks That Give Me The Willies

Shoot The Projectionist has the final list of 180 films that received at least 3 votes each from early ballots for the favourite Horror films of all time.

It’s a terrific list filled with great films and I’m happy to see that it’s longer and more diverse than I expected. I’ve seen about two thirds of them, so I obviously have some work to do. Most of my initial picks made the final list (27 of 31), so I guess I’m not overly original in my choices. Oh well.

The 4 I chose that didn’t make it were:

* “The Abominable Dr. Phibes” (1971) - Not so much a film that scares me, but a hugely entertaining one that I just couldn’t leave off the list. Dr. Phibes uses the biblical plagues as reference points for getting revenge on the 9 doctors he holds responsible for his wife’s death. Vincent Price rules here and it led me directly to his Edgar Allen Poe films - so that alone is reason enough to put it on my list.

* “Cure” (1997) - Probably regarded less as a horror film and more as a mystery thriller in the vein of Seven (which made the final list), this is a terrifically creepy and disturbing tale of a killer who seems to hypnotize others into committing murders. Along with “Pulse”, Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s finest film.

* “The Fury” (1978) - My favourite of Brian DePalma’s horror films. Young people with strong psychic abilities are kidnapped by the government and are trained to become weapons of war. There’s just something about the way the plot flows that engaged me more than his other films.

* “Shallow Ground” (2004) - I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a forest look this good on film. The rich greens and cool colours make a perfect background for the blood that appears - and there’s definitely lots of blood… Read more …

31 Days of Halloween 31 Movies To Watch by bigmac64

Have not finalized my list, as I am waiting to see what I’ll be able to catch at the Lovecraft festival (when I’m not working). However, here’s the start, in no real order:

1-House of Wax (1953)
2-I eat your skin
3-Scream Bloody Murder Read more …