RANTS & RAVINGS ABOUT HORROR – “2015 – A Year in Review…in Hell”

I would have loved to have said that 2015 was a great year for the horror genre, but sadly it was far from it.  2015 was a bad year for traditional horror films unless you were producer Jason Blum and the production costs for your films were so low that you couldn’t help but turn a profit.  Last year was a great year for non-horror, horror films which are all those films that have horror elements but would rather be action-horror (Jurassic World), animated-horror (Hotel Transylvania 2) or YA-horror (Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials) or comedy-horror (Goosebumps).  Remakes were shit and found footage films no one cared for (unless, oddly enough, your name is Shyamalan) and no one wanted to see sequels.  Here’s a play-by-play of how I saw 2015 in the world of horror. 

Jurassic World was the #1 grossing (action-)horror film with over $652.3 million domestically!  Some people loved the film but I thought it was mostly a rehash of the first two films done worse by two actors that had no on screen chemistry and the tired plot thread of putting stupid kids in danger (the plot of all the previous films).  Chris Pratt wasn’t given enough room to breathe like he did in Guardians of the Galaxy and the dinosaurs (which looked excellent in 3D) were the only reason the film wasn’t complete shit.  They should have stopped as The Lost World: Jurassic Park but now we are assured more braindead sequels to come.

 

Next up is Hotel Transylvania 2 (with $167.8 million domestically), which unfortunately I’ve not had the pleasure of seeing just yet.  I loved the first film and thought it was quite inventive but I didn’t hear much good about this film so I just skipped it.  That’s all that managed to gross over $100 million at the Box Office in 2015 which is a sad indicator of things yet to come over the course of the rest of the year.

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (with $81.7 million) was one of the few stand-outs of the year in my opinion as it took the adventure aspects of the original film and amped up the horror elements with its zombie-like carnage of terror.  I really enjoyed the first film and loved what they did with the sequel and hope that subsequent films are just as inventive with their horror elements.  Goosebumps ($79.3 million) did decent business but wasn’t a huge breakout film.  I must be one of the few people who have never read the books nor seen the original television series so I didn’t bother watching this film that looked like Jumanji with Jack Black.  

We finally get down to our first real horror film which is The Visit ($65.2 million) which was M. Night Shyamalan’s return to great form as he not only managed to craft a suspenseful found footage film but also made audiences believe that he wasn’t done yet as a capable film-maker.  I for one enjoy most all of his films but audiences have been left with a bad taste after several of his prior films.  Also, because he produced the film himself with his own money with a budget of only $5 million, this became one of the big success stories of the year.  It also happened to be one hell pretty damn good film as well.

Insidious: Chapter 3 ($52.2 million) and the remake of Poltergeist ($47. 4 million) were big disappoints for different reasons.  Insidious had a lot to live up to because of the success of the previous two films but since most of the cast were not returning and director James Wan jumped ship to go do the Furious 7 film, new director Leigh Whannell was going to have a lot to do in order to make audiences come back; unfortunately, only the die-hard fans showed up.  The film was still financially successful but a disappointment nevertheless.  Like most horror film remakes, there was no reason for Poltergeist other than it was a beloved film that hadn’t been given the remake treatment yet.  This film arrived D.O.A. despite the star power of Sam Rockwell and Rosemarie DeWitt.  I enjoyed Insidious but hated Poltergeist.

Next down on the list is the better than expected The Gift ($43.8 million) which is a character based thriller that had many twists and turns throughout.  With only a $5 million budget this did excellent business and played well with audiences throughout its run.  This is one of my favorites of the year.  A different kind of gift was on display with the holiday film Krampus ($42.5 million) which got mixed reviews from audiences expecting another Trick ‘R Treat from director Michael Dougherty.  This film didn’t make any waves and was unfortunately quickly forgetten despite the fact that I enjoyed it quite a bit.

The suspense thriller The Boy Next Door ($35.4 million) did really good business for a film whose production budget was a meager $4 million but so did producer Jason Blum’s other film Unfriended ($32.5 million) except the former is not as well remembered as the later.  Unfriended had a budget under $1 million and had one of the best profit gains of the year of any film.  I thought The Boy Next Door was effective yet highly forgettable and enjoyed the hell out of Unfriended when I saw it on the big screen in front of packed audience.

The most beautiful horror film of the year award goes to Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak ($31.1 million) but it’s gothic romance over horror vibe turned away many audiences.  Because of the budget of the film and the fact that this was built up to be one of the biggest horror films of the year, instead it became one of its biggest disappointments.  This is still one of my favorite films of the year that I believe time will shed a new light on for audiences.

Blum returned again with sequel Sinister 2 ($27.7 million) but this was a huge disappointment compared to the previous film and the hefty production budget of $10 million (high for a Blumhouse Production) means that this franchise is probably dead.  Another disappointment was the projected franchise starter The Last Witch Hunter ($27.4 million) which was one of the biggest box office duds of the year with a production budget of $90 million.  This was supposed to be a franchise starter and not a franchise killer.  I missed both of these last two films as I didn’t really care for the original Sinister film and Vin Diesel has starred in more crap films than good ones (i.e. Babylon A.D. and XXX) so I had no interest in his latest debacle (and neither did anyone else).

Another unneeded sequel arrives with The Women in Black 2: Angel of Death ($26.5 million).  Although an interesting concept the film should have been a stand-alone film rather than be forced to work within the confines of the original Woman in Black film.  Not a terrible film, but not a very memorable one either.  The same can be said for The Lazarus Effect ($25.8 million) which had a great cast and interesting concept that is blundered by being a CGI heavy slasher film in the third act.  Not a film worth seeking out as it borrows so much from the film Flatliners that it’s just better to go back and watch that film instead.

I might be a little biased since I come from the theatre world but I really enjoyed the low budget film The Gallows ($22.8 million) which was criticized not only for being a found footage film but also being predictable and unoriginal.  Unfortunately, it’s hard to be original with a found footage film as the market has been flooded with them but setting the film in the world of live theatre is why I liked it so much.  On a budget of only $100,000 this film was another huge financial success despite audience apathy.    This film was also produced by Blum as was Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension ($18.3 million) which is the lowest grossing film of the franchise.  Advertised as the final film, it was presented in 3D but was only given a moderate release because it was released simultaneously on VOD which is still highly controversial to most theater chains, so it didn’t get as wide a release as previous films in the franchise and kind of died quickly.  I loved seeing the film in 3D but it lacked the punch of previous films in the franchise which were suspenseful because of what audiences didn’t see rather than what they did.

Another high profile (action-)horror film to arrive D.O.A. was Seventh Son ($17.2 million) which had a $95 million price tag and nothing to show for it.  It wasn’t all that interesting of a film and was quickly ignored and forgotten.  

One of the most well received indie horror films It Follows ($14.7 million) almost didn’t get a theatrical release but when it did it found its audience.  The under $2 million production was a breath of fresh air from all the Hollywood horror films that just weren’t cutting it.  Like The Babadook a year before it, It Follows was the horror film that no horror fan should miss.  I loved the originality of the film and even though I didn’t think it was as good as The Babadook it was definitely one of the highlights of 2015.  The Green Inferno ($7.2 million) sat on a shelf for several years before finally finding release and unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to see it as yet. 

Victor Frankenstein ($5.8 million) was another high profile box office dud that found no love from audiences.  I rather liked the adventure-horror film that was more The Mummy (1999) and less Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994).  It was fun and exciting and had a great cast that really got the film that they were trying to make.  Not for the traditionalist, this version of the Frankenstein story owes more to Peter Cushing’s Victor Frankenstein from the Hammer franchise than from the book.

There are tons more films that were released last year but since I didn’t see any of them (yet) I can’t comment on them.  Instead, I’ll just list some of them with their domestic gross and keep in mind that many of these films received limited theatrical release at the same time as a VOD release.

*Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse ($3.7 million)

*What We Do in the Shadows ($3.5 million)

*The Vatican Tapes ($1.8 million)

*Goodnight Mommy ($1.2 million)

*Dark Places ($208,588)

*Maggie ($187,112)

*Cop Car ($132,552)

*Turbo Kid ($67,132)

*Dark Star: H.R. Giger’s World ($61, 044)

*Spring ($49,970)

*Knock, Knock ($36,336)

*The Nightmare ($28,281)

*Zombeavers ($14, 947)

*The Human Centipede 3 (Final Sequence) ($14, 562)

*The Hallow ($8,967)

*Hayride 2 ($2,571)

*L.A. Slasher ($2,421)

*REC 4: Apocalypse ($837)

Book Review: DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK: BLACKWOOD’S GUIDE TO DANGEROUS FAIRIES by Guillermo del Toro and Christopher Golden and Troy Nixey

For those of you who know a little about director Guillermo del Toro’s fascination with the original TV movie Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (1973) then you’ll understand his passion for the story and his eventual remake of that very film in 2010 (which he produced and co-wrote).  The book Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark: Blackwood’s Guide to Dangerous Fairies is an extension with his fascination with that film and with fairies and monsters in general.  Co-written with Christopher Golden and illustrations by Troy Nixey, del Toro’s book is an extension of his film and the world of fairies as seen through the eyes of the character of Emerson Blackwood whose home is the one in which the tooth breakers (or tooth fairies in the film) nest. 

This book is a catalogue of Emerson Blackwood’s life in documenting all the dangerous fairies across the globe.  After an incident that caused his best friend to be killed (and he believes a tooth breaker was the cause) Blackwood dedicates his life to documenting all the dangerous fairy cultures for what he thinks is an altruistic reason which is to educate the world about the “hidden people” that co-habitat our realm.  Intermixed with Blackwood’s list of fairies are his personal journal entries which include his romantic relationship with Annelise (daughter to his friend that was killed).  

What makes the book so fascinating is not just the large list of fairies documented in the book from all over the world as depicted through Blackwood’s interviews and adventures with the people all over the world but also his journal entries where he depicts how his growing obsession with the tooth breakers that killed his friend threatens his whole way of life when he gets too close to seeing the truth and discovers that the most dangerous fairies in the world may also be the most intelligent and they can hold a grudge.   

To add to the allure of the book are Nixey’s amazing illustrations of all the different fairy folk and hidden people.  You have to give it to del Toro, Golden and Nixey who have crafted a beautiful book not only to read but to look at as well since many of the pages are designed so that readers can see Blackwood’s actual handwriting.  This is one of the better books to tie-in to a film since it doesn’t require knowledge of the film nor having had seen the film as it survives on its own and even if you have seen the film then it adds to the richness and enjoyment of the film.

HORROR UPDATE AT THE BOX OFFICE 2013!

October is usually one of the more active months for horror film releases and now that it has finally come and gone we should take a look at how the horror genre is faring in 2013.  It should be noted that this October was a very light month for horror which only had the release of the high profile Carrie (2013) remake since this will be the first year within the last four that a Paranormal Activity film has not been released (it should be noted that Paranormal Activity 5 will be back next October along with the spin-off The Marked Ones in early 2014). 

THE BEST.

Zombies are the tops both at the Box Office and on the small screen (with the ever growing success of The Walking Dead).  World War Z managed to be the highest grossing horror film of the year so far with over $202.4 million in its coffers.  This is terrific for the horror genre as it proves that horror films can have mainstream success.  Now I know there are many of you out there who still can’t get over the fact that this film has almost absolutely nothing to do with its literary source material but you have to hand it to Brad Pitt and the film makers that they did deliver a pulse pounding action and suspense filled zombie film.  Regardless of your opinions on the film it was a massive success both domestically and abroad (another $337.6 million) guaranteeing a sequel to be in the works.

Next up is the one-two punch from director James Wan with The Conjuring and Insidious Chapter 2 ($137.4 and $83.1 million, respectfully).  He delivered one of the biggest word of mouth successes of the year with The Conjuring.  This haunted house film based on a true story was one of the big success stories of the year both at the domestic and foreign box office (worldwide gross at $316.7).  Insidious Chapter 2 took what was popular with the first film and expanded upon it delivering a sequel that grossed more than the first one.  It is hard to produce a successful horror sequel (just look at the dismal returns of The Last Exorcism Part 2 and Texas Chainsaw 3D) but there is no denying the popularity of this franchise with audiences.

Pacific Rim was neither a huge hit nor a failure with its $101.8 domestic haul.  It was a film designed to play better at the foreign box office which is did in spades (another $305.8 million foreign).  It was a huge success overseas but here in the states the film was a well received (and reviewed) oddity similar to director Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy films. 

Next up are a few sleeper hits which really mean films that weren’t expected to do well but surpassed expectations – Mama, Warm Bodies, and The Purge.  Mama was an early 2013 surprise hit taking in $71.6 million.  This film (produced by Guillermo del Toro) came out of nowhere and got great word of mouth and played very well to audiences in the early part of the year.  Warm Bodies became one of the few YA films to actual find an audience with a haul of $66.4 million.  It also played well overseas (another $50.6 million foreign) proving that zombies, whether they be the fast moving kind of World War Z or the romantic kind of this film, dominate the box office and audiences can’t get enough.  It also helps that the film was actually good and word of mouth helped it find its audience.  The Purge ended up being this year’s over achiever with a budget of $3 million yet it grossed over $64 million.  These are great numbers from a financial point but audiences were a little disappointed by the film and word of mouth for this film was not so great.  The investment for the film was indeed a great thing and a sequel is in the works so let’s hope that the next film actually delivers the goods.

Further down the list is Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters which grossed a so-so $55.7 million (but another $170 million foreign) which is nothing to brag about considering how much the film cost $50 million to produce but what should be noted is the fact that this film was one of the most entertaining films of the year made for a cult audience.  It may not have found its audience at the box office but it will as a cult movie.

The remake of Evil Dead is also a minor success story with $54.2 million (against a $17 million production budget) as it was a remake that was both a financial and critical success.  Dropping the horror-comedy trappings of the original franchise this remake decided to go for broke as a dead serious gore filled horror extravaganza that also happened to be well written, acted, and directed.  This will be remembered as one of the best remakes of the decade.

The re-release of Jurassic Park in 3D added another $45.4 million to its gross making it one of the more successful 3D re-releases (with an accumulated gross over time of $1.03 billion worldwide).  In a declining 3D marketplace it’s good to know that there are still a few films out there worth paying the extra few dollars for the upgrade and you can’t go wrong with this classic.

That concludes our list of the Top 10 grossing horror films of the year but let’s take a few moments to look at a few of the other films.

ALL THE REST.

Riddick, the third part of the Riddick saga, didn’t fare as well as expected with $42.03 million but it wasn’t as disliked as the previous film and it did return the character back to his roots.  It also did so-so compare to its actual production cost which was a meager $38 million (ending its theatrical run with $93.6 worldwide). 

  

A Haunted House was a huge low budget success story with $40.04 million (against a  $2.5 million budget) and a sequel is already in the works for 2014 proving that you can’t keep a good parody down.  The same cannot be said for Scary Movie 5 which is the lowest grossing in the franchise with an anemic $32.01 million.

Sequels also did not do so well as Texas Chainsaw 3D started well opening at number one at the box office with $21.7 million but then audience indifference only allowed the film to end its run with a meager $34.3 million.  The Last Exorcism Part 2 also did horrible at the box office with a non-existent $15.2 million (with a budget of $5 million).  The first film really should have been the first, only, and last.

R.I.P.D. was D.O.A. with only $33.6 million making it one of the biggest box office duds of the year (production budget at $130 million).  Also, the festival favorite You’re Next could not find its audience grabbing only a meager $18.5 million.  This was one of the few well received horror films that just could not catch a break (it sat on the studio shelf for two years).  Dark Skies was also non-existent at the box office never finding its audience with a so-so $17.4 million but since the film cost only a little over $3.5 million to produce it didn’t hurt as much.

With Carrie being the last horror film released this year thus far (at only approximately $34.5 million) it’s hard to determine the tastes of audiences as the success stories are so independent of one another.  Zombie films and any movie directed by James Wan were “in” while sequels were definitely “out”.  There were so many different types of films to choose from that it seemed like most audiences just waited for word of mouth to tell them what movies to go see.  It just goes to show you that the horror genre is far from predictable and that 2014 will be open season for everything to start all over again.

All info about film grosses and budgets were obtained from Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com).