Happy Boo Year! 15 Fright Flicks We Most Look Forward to in 2011

Happy New Year, horror fans! We put our heads together—and by that, we mean that yours truly scoured through the list of upcoming horror films of note and came up with a game plan for the films that belong on your scary movie radar. Keep in mind, however, that lists like this measure anticipation more than they guarantee quality. We’re fully aware several of the flicks mentioned herein will suck mountain oysters, but then again, you never know until you try! (Then again, sometimes ya do.)

SEQUELS

We suppose it’s best to get these out of the way first. Let’s face it. Most sequels are just plain moronic. Sometimes they get that way immediately. Sometimes it takes two or three efforts before the milk goes bad. In 2011, the sequels that we’re most looking forward to are:

Scream 4

The fourth installment attempts to be a reboot/sequel hybrid that combines the old cast from the original Scream trilogy with a new host of victims ready to be sliced up by everyone’s favorite Ghost-Face Killer(s). We’ve got no reason to think this movie will be any good when it opens on April 15, 2011. Wes Craven has always been an overrated filmmaker. My Soul to Take was one of the worst pieces of crap to come along in sometime. And the third Scream film was equally as bad. So why are we looking forward to this so much? Well, we know we shouldn’t be, but sometimes when you let an idea sit for a while, it’s possible to come up with something fresh and new upon revisiting it. Being the eternal optimists that we are, we’re kind of praying that’s what happens here. After all, the original writer and cast—the surviving members anyway—are returning. New decade. New rules. Count us in.

Zombieland 2

One of the most pleasant surprises of 2009 was the frequently hilarious and surprisingly soulful Zombieland, which assembled an unlikely but perfect group of characters with a cast that included Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin, and Emma Stone. And let’s not forget that surprise cameo that pretty much elevated the original flick from solid to great. In 2011, we get to catch up with these desperadoes again, and there’s no reason to think it won’t be equally as awesome. Definitely need another cameo that will rival the first! Mel Gibson, anyone?

The Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence

The Human Centipede—wow, what a disturbing and surprisingly plausible piece of horror shock! Beyond this, the characters were somehow sympathetic in spite of being attached face-to-butt via a gastrointestinal tube most of the movie. We have no idea what is in store for us with The Human Centipede 2—after all, the first didn’t leave a lot of room for sequels. But with an effort that was as interesting as the first, why the hell not?

ChromeSkull: Laid to Rest 2

Yes, it’s a pretty stupid and self-descriptive name for the killer from the original Laid to Rest, and it may make for a schlock title, but the first LTR was so graphic and glorious that we are certainly willing to take this ride again, so long as you’ve got Robert Hall returning to the director’s chair and the stunning Danielle Harris returning to her horror-ific roots—remember she was the young lady from Halloween 4 and 5 (and those crappy Zombie remakes).

Halloween III

Speaking of the crappy Zombie remakes, a third Halloween in the newly rebooted series is on its way with director Patrick Lussier filling in for the man, who made Michael Myers into a horribly un-scary joke. Lussier gave us the entertaining remake of My Bloody Valentine and the underrated Dracula 2000, so he’s a welcome breath of fresh air to this series, even though Scout Taylor-Compton is also returning to the role of Laurie Strode, where she will presumably scream, cry, snot, and do anything but act for 90 minutes. While that is a huge skid-mark on the undergarments of this sequel, we’re willing to give it one more shot thanks to the change in writer and director. And oh yes, no Silver Shamrock this time around!

Sleepaway Camp Reunion

When Return to Sleepaway Camp reunited surviving members of the original’s cast in a new camp-killer storyline, we were excited. Then we hit the play button and witnessed one of the worst acting performances of all time in “Your Ass Stinks” Michael Gibney. Nevertheless, just when you think this movie’s going to suck, it starts to recapture the spirit of the original and reminds you, in loving fashion, just what kind of flick the first Sleepaway Camp film was to begin with. Director Robert Hiltzik recreates the cruelty of kids about as well as anyone behind a camera. That makes us eager to see one more effort from the guy, who gave us Angela and her disturbing meat-stick.

Bubba Nosferatu: Curse of the She-Vampires

It’s slightly disappointing that Bruce Campbell will not be reprising his role in this sequel to Bubba Ho-Tep, but we’re still happy the movie’s going to happen. This time around, the ever-capable Ron Perlman will fill the role of the King, while Paul Giamatti will be taking 50 percent of all his earnings as the lively Colonel Tom Parker. The plot centers on Elvis running amiss of some girly vamps while shooting a film in Louisiana.

Horror Sequels We’ll Probably See, Though We Probably Shouldn’t:

Paranormal Activity 3
Jeepers Creepers 3: Cathedral
The Strangers 2
Night of the Living Dead: Origins 3D
Piranha 3DD

REMAKES

There is really only one remake here that could actually improve on the original, and we’ll just mention that to get it out of the way. Child’s Play gets Chucky back to his murderous basics, and while the first was a decent horror flick, it was hardly good enough to warrant a slew of crappy sequels. It’s by no means a horror classic, and could certainly stand the tune-up. We’re a little less happy about the next three remakes, but the originals were so good, it’s hard not to be a little curious.

The Thing

Okay, so this is the second time John W. Campbell, Jr.’s, short story “Who Goes There?” has been remade for the big screen. But it feels more like a remake to the John Carpenter remake, which itself was a superior effort to the B-movie standard from 1951. Carpenter’s The Thing was such a claustrophobic and dynamic horror-thriller with that perfectly quiet and understated ending that it pretty much ranks in our top 10 as one of the best horror movies of all time. That sets the bar pretty high for director Matthijs van Heijningen, Jr.’s, redo, and it is unlikely he’ll raise it. Nevertheless, it will be nice to see what some of the improved FX will do for this hellishly fun shocker.

Fright Night

Welcome to Frrrrrright Night! While the horrific vampire comedy from 1985 is another one of our favorites, and therefore, should not be touched, we’ve got to say that director Craig Gillespie has demonstrated a knack for re-casting with David Tennant in the role of aging horror host Peter Vincent and Anton Yelchin as hapless dreamer Charley Brewster, who believes his next door neighbor is a vampire and feels that his TV idol is the only one capable of stopping him. Add Colin Farrell to the mix as the evil Jerry Dandridge and Christopher Mintz-Plasse as “Evil” Ed Thompson, and you’ve got the recipe for another horror classic.

The Crow

Director Stephen Norrington will have to move fast if he wants to squeeze this one out by the end of the year. So far, he doesn’t even have a lead officially cast, though Ethan Peck is in talks to fill the role originally brought to life by Brandon Lee, who tragically died while filming. By all means, we should probably let this one go. After all, there never has been another incarnation of the character—though many have tried—that has come close to Alex Proyas’ original. Still, with Nick Cave (music star, writer of The Proposition) on board as scribe, there is hope!

HORROR ORIGINALS

Red State

Writer and director Kevin Smith doesn’t always knock ‘em out of the park, but we give the man credit for always trying to challenge himself as a filmmaker. He refuses to be pigeonholed and is constantly trying to reinvent himself. His previous efforts have included angst-ridden comedies, rom-coms, comedy-dramas, comic books/superheroes, and now he’s going for the throat. Red State is a straight horror effort about some misfits, who become the targets of a group of psychotic fundamentalists in the Midwest. We’re eager to see how he plays it, and we won’t have to wait long to find out (March 2011). Doesn’t hurt having Melissa Leo on board either!

Twixt Now and Sunrise

Okay, so we don’t know much about this one’s plot, but we do know that director Francis Ford Coppola is helming the piece, which stars Val Kilmer, Bruce Dern, and Elle Fanning. That’s a pretty good start. And for those of you who think Coppola should stick to his mobsters and leave horror alone, we should remind you that he got his start with the fright flick Dementia 13 and he also turned in what is perhaps the best adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula ever filmed. He knows what he’s doing, people! What we do know about the plot is that Kilmer plays a horror author, and that the title comes from the short story “Young Goodman Brown,” written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and centering on a man who encounters what is probably the Devil within a forest.

The Tall Man

No, this one has nothing to do with the Phantasm movies, but it does sound equally as creepy (if not more so). Jessica Biel plays a woman, whose child is abducted. The deeper she goes into finding out answers, the more she starts to believe that her child may be the victim of an urban legend known by the film’s rather foreboding title. What really makes us want to see this more is that the guy behind it—writer-director Pascal Laugier—gave us the film Martyrs, a disturbing horror effort that is hard to shake once you’ve seen it. Let’s hope this one ends a little more cheery!

The Last Voyage of Demeter

What can we say? We’re suckers for claustrophobic monster movies. With director Stefan Ruzowitzky at the helm, we’ve got just that, as the acclaimed pro behind 2007’s The Counterfeiters tries his hand once more at the horror genre. (He also gave us Anatomy and Anatomy 2.) Here he takes on one aspect of Stoker’s Dracula, giving us names and faces to the characters, who were part of the ill-fated voyage of the Demeter in the classic novel. The Demeter left for England from Transylvania with Dracula’s coffin on board. When it sailed into harbor, the body inside was missing, and there were no survivors. This is their story. Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Ben Kingsley star.

The Cabin in the Woods

When an old man tells you not to go there, make fun of him. That’s the tagline. Beyond that, we know that it is “a twisted and unusual take on the familiar ‘cabin in the woods’ formula,” according to IMDb. Critics have referred to it as a rip-off of Cabin Fever, but with Joss Whedon penning the script and Cloverfield writer Drew Goddard making his directorial debut—with a cast that includes Richard Jenkins, Chris Hemsworth, and Bradley Whitford—this one shows promise.

We definitely know we’ve left some titles out. With thousands of movies on the horizon, and the horror genre rollicking along at a steady pace, we’d like for you to share the fright flicks that you want to see over the coming 365. What stands out to you, and why? Also, do you agree or disagree with any of our selections? Don’t just sit there. Let us have it!

ALSO COMING IN 2011
Red Riding Hood
The Apparition
Priest
The Roommate
Apollo 18
The Woman in Black
Vampire
Dream House
The Factory
The Darkest Hour
51
ATM
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Jack and Diane
Detention
Intruders
Suicide Kids
Fantomas
Blood Fare
The Awakening
Faces in the Crowd
Into the Darkness
The Fourth Reich
Thorns from a Rose
The Letters
The Collection