RT users might remember a little poll we took on the site back in 2022 to try and determine the Scariest Movie Ever. Based on other lists and suggestions from the RT staff, we pulled together 40 of the scariest movies ever made and asked you to vote for the one that terrified you the most. As it happens, a British broadband service comparison website decided to conduct a science experiment to determine the same thing, and their results were… surprising, to say the least. Did Rotten Tomatoes readers agree with the findings? Let’s re-visit what our fans determined were the 10 Scariest Horror Movies Ever.
You may not agree that The Exorcist is the scariest movie ever, but it probably also isn’t much of a surprise to see it at the top of our list — with a whopping 19% of all the votes cast. William Friedkin’s adaptation of the eponymous novel about a demon-possessed child and the attempts to banish said demon became the highest-grossing R-rated horror film ever and the first to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars (it earned nine other nominations and took home two trophies). But outside of its critical and commercial bona fides, the film is well-known for the mass hysteria it inspired across the country, from protests over its controversial subject matter to widespread reports of nausea and fainting in the audience. Its dramatic pacing and somewhat dated effects may seem quaint compared to some contemporary horror, but there’s no denying the power the film continues to have over those who see it for the first time.
Writer-director Ari Aster made a huge splash with his feature directorial debut, a dark family drama about the nature of grief couched within a supernatural horror film. Toni Collette earned a spot in the pantheon of great Oscar snubs with her slowly-ratcheted-up-to-11 performance as bedeviled mother Annie, but the movie’s biggest shock came courtesy of… Well, we won’t spoil that here. Suffice it to say Hereditary struck such a nerve with moviegoers that it instantly turned Aster into a director to watch and shot up to second place on our list.
James Wan has staked out a place among the modern masters of horror, directing films like Saw, Dead Silence, Insidious, and this inspired-by-true-events chiller based on the experiences of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. The Warrens, best known for their work on the strange case that inspired the Amityville Horror movies (which played a part in The Conjuring 2), were portrayed by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who grounded the effective jump scares and freak-out moments with a believable world-weariness. Together, Wan and his co-leads found fresh terror in familiar genre tropes, and the end result is a sprawling cinematic universe that only continues to grow.
Literally dozens of Stephen King’s novels and stories have been adapted for the big screen, and several of those films are considered classics today, like Carrie, Misery, and Pet Sematary (and that doesn’t even account for non-horror stuff like The Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me). But the mother of them all is easily Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of The Shining. A marvel of set and production design and a genuinely unnerving take on the traditional haunted house story, The Shining features a host of memorable images and an iconic Jack Nicholson performance. The film’s relatively few jump scares are still absolutely chilling, but its true power lies in the way it crawls under your skin and makes you experience Jack Torrance’s slow descent into madness. It’s rightfully considered one of the greatest horror films ever made, and it ranked fourth in our poll.
While the top four movies on this list collectively garnered 42% of the total votes counted, they were followed by six films that all earned around 3% of the vote each. In other words, these last six films were separated by no more than 60 votes. The first of them is this low-budget slasher directed and co-written by Tobe Hooper, very loosely inspired by the crimes of Ed Gein. Texas Chainsaw’s grimy aesthetic helped lend it an air of authenticity, which made it all the more frightening (“This could actually happen, you guys!”), and the massive, menacing presence of Gunnar Hansen’s Leatherface paved the way for other brutes like Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees. Multiple attempts have been made to breathe new life into the franchise, but none have equaled the original in sheer, over-the-top, power tool-inspired terror.
It’s always a tricky proposition to take something that works well for one culture and try to translate that formula successfully for another, but Gore Verbinski managed that with The Ring. A remake of Japanese director Hideo Nakata’s acclaimed thriller about a cursed videotape, Verbinski’s take kept the original film’s striking visual imagery — the ghost of a young girl in a white dress with long black hair covering her face — and found that it scared the hell out of audiences no matter where they were from. While the film wasn’t as well-regarded as its predecessor, it features a committed performance from a then up-and-coming Naomi Watts, and for many, it served as an introduction to East Asian horror cinema.
Coming in at the seventh spot on our list is the film that introduced the world to all-time scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis and put John Carpenter on the map. Halloween is frequently cited as one of the earliest examples of the slasher genre as we know it today, and while it may not feature the same kind of realistic gore we’ve come to expect of films in that category, it packs a lot of tension and some inventive thrills in a relatively small-scale package. The film’s legacy is also fairly untouchable: Michael Myers’ mask has become the stuff of legend, and the giant, unstoppable killer and the “final girl” have become ingrained in the horror lexicon. There’s a reason the franchise is still going after more than 40 years.
For those who didn’t read the “scientific study” mentioned at the top, we’ve finally come to the film it crowned the scariest. Before he joined the MCU with 2016’s Doctor Strange, director Scott Derrickson had racked up a few horror films, a couple of which earned cult followings. One of them was this small-scale haunted house/possession story about a true-crime writer (Ethan Hawke) who moves his wife and kids into a house where a family was murdered, only to discover the new place might already have a rather evil tenant. Writer C. Robert Cargill was reportedly inspired to pen the script based on a nightmare he had after watching The Ring, and the story does share a minor similarity with that film, what with the creepy snuff film angle. But for many who saw it, the dramatic reveals and creepy set pieces far outweighed any recycled genre tropes that might have been present. Plus, there’s at least one report out there that says it’s the scariest movie ever made, so that has to count for something.
James Wan has already appeared higher on this list, but before he and Patrick Wilson made The Conjuring, they worked together on this supernatural thriller about a young boy who falls into a coma and begins to channel a malevolent spirit. The bare bones of the story weren’t the most groundbreaking, but frequent Wan collaborator Leigh Whannell infused it with a compelling enough mythology that it spawned four more installments. Wan also stated that Insidious was meant to be something of a corrective to the outright violence of Saw, which compelled him to craft something on a more spiritual level, and the end result is an effective chiller featuring what is frequently regarded as one of the best jump scares ever put on screen.
The fear of clowns is a very real thing, even if it’s become so commonplace to announce it that it feels disingenuous. If you needed any further evidence, we direct you to the box office haul of 2017’s IT, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, which went on to beat The Exorcist’s 44-year record as the highest-grossing horror film ever. Oh, and of course, its 10th-place finish on this list. Andy Muschietti’s big-budget adaptation drew on nostalgia to tell its story of children scarred by trauma, while Bill Skarsgard’s take on Pennywise the evil, shapeshifting clown was bizarre and unsettling in all the right ways. Add a healthy dose of jump scares, a handful of impressive set pieces, and some top-notch CGI, and you’ve got a recipe for a horror film that’s both fun and full of scares.
Thumbnail image by ©FilmDistrict courtesy Everett Collection
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Ozark’s highly-anticipated final episodes and Judd Apatow’s star-studded pandemic-inspired comedy The Bubble lead Netflix’s April 2022 offerings.
Part 2 of Ozark’s fourth and final season finds Marty and Wendy Byrde (Jason Bateman and Laura Linney) in the position of power they’ve strived for throughout the series’ tumultuous, chaotic, and often bloody events. As the series races towards its finale, the big question remains: Will they be able to escape the Ozarks for good, or will their crimes catch up with them for good?
On the comedy front, Judd Apatow co-writes, directs, and produces The Bubble, a fictional behind-the-scenes account of what goes into making the sixth installment of the fictional mega dino movie franchise, Cliff Beasts. Leslie Mann, Iris Apatow, David Duchovny, Fred Armisen, Keegan-Michael Key, Pedro Pascal, and Karen Gillan all play fictionalized versions of themselves, while stuck inside a pandemic bubble at a hotel, attempting to finish production on the highly anticipated blockbuster.
Natasha Lyonne is back in the long-awaited second season of Russian Doll, and in case you were curious, the existential craziness is all still there. But this time, Nadia faces a whole new dilemma to sort out. And Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are back for one more season of the groundbreaking comedy Grace and Frankie. Anatomy of a Scandal brings equal parts political intrigue and tantalizing drama to the streamer. Co-written by David E. Kelley and based on the book of the same name by Sarah Vaughan, the series stars Michelle Dockery, Sienna Miller, and Rupert Friend.
Find out what else is joining them on Netflix and what’s leaving the service below.
The Bubble (2022)
20%
Description: Sneaking out. Hooking up. Melting down. The cast and crew of a dinosaur-themed blockbuster action franchise attempt to shoot a sequel while inside a pandemic bubble, quarantining at a posh hotel.
Premiere Date: April 1
Anatomy of a Scandal: Limited Series (2022)
57%
Description: Sophie’s privileged life as the wife of powerful politician James Whitehouse unravels when scandalous secrets surface — and he stands accused of a shocking crime. It’s an insightful and suspenseful series about sexual consent and privilege set in London. Based on the international bestselling novel “Anatomy of a Scandal” by Sarah Vaughan.
Premiere Date: April 15
Russian Doll: Season 2 (2022)
97%
Description: It’s been three years since season 1 first premiered, putting Nadia and Alan through a Groundhog Day–inspired existential crisis. Now, after enduring the wildest night of their lives — over and over — the duo stumbles into another bewildering adventure.
Premiere Date: April 20
(Photo by Saeed Adyani/Netflix)
Grace and Frankie: Season 7 (2021)
100%
Description: Seven years ago, Grace and Frankie’s lives turned upside down when their longtime husbands left them for… each other. Both sparring partners and partners-in-crime, Grace and Frankie formed an unlikely and unbreakable bond as they faced uncertain futures head-on, and hand-in-hand. They’ve laughed together, cried together, did shrooms together, and twice-over became successful entrepreneurs together. A history-making 94 episodes later, Grace and Frankie continue to show themselves, their families, and their fans what it means to live life to the fullest, fearlessly and unapologetically. Here’s to seven seasons of laughs, tears, mood-enhancers, and good vibes. And, as Grace and Frankie would say, f*ck it. This may be their final chapter, but they’re just getting started.
Premiere Date: April 29
Ozark: Season 4 (2022)
85%
Description: Part 2 of Ozark‘s fourth and final season finds Marty and Wendy rid of Helen and on top of Navarro’s empire. They find another opportunity to get out of the Ozarks but some past sins won’t stay buried and the most dangerous threats come from blood.
Premiere Date: April 29
One World, Infinite Wonder
The collection honors the vast beauty, creativity, and opportunity that surrounds us all – and plays an essential role in every story here. It also speaks to the finite fragility of our planet, underscoring the importance of advocacy. The collection looks at nature’s most appealing corners; it uplifts and touches on greater tonal nuance and urgency, by way of documentaries, dramas and comedies from new and beloved creators. View the collection beginning April 13.
Hold Tight*
The Taming of The Shrew*
Netflix Games:
Relic Hunters: Rebels
91%
Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood
(2022)
*
11%
A Cinderella Story
(2004)
*
51%
Any Given Sunday
(1999)
96%
Argo
(2012)
59%
Blade
(1998)
57%
Blade II
(2002)
24%
Blade: Trinity
(2004)
66%
The Blind Side
(2009)
56%
Blow
(2001)
91%
Bonnie and Clyde
(1967)
20%
The Bubble
(2022)
*
23%
Catch and Release
(2006)
5%
Delta Farce
(2007)
27%
Eagle Eye
(2008)
53%
Four Brothers
(2005)
90%
Full Metal Jacket
(1987)
10%
Grown Ups
(2010)
45%
Heartland
Season 14
95%
Her
(2013)
99%
How to Train Your Dragon
(2010)
87%
Inception
(2010)
65%
Love Actually
(2003)
82%
Molly's Game
(2017)
19%
Monster-in-Law
(2005)
11%
New York Minute
(2004)
13%
The Nut Job
(2014)
85%
Puss in Boots
(2011)
73%
The Rental
(2020)
72%
The Ring
(2002)
21%
Rumor Has It ...
(2005)
94%
Saving Private Ryan
(1998)
- -
Sherlock Holmes
(2010)
60%
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
(2011)
58%
Shrek Forever After
(2010)
72%
Something's Gotta Give
(2003)
92%
We the Animals
(2018)
99%
Better Call Saul: Season 5
(2020)
Ronny Chieng: Speakeasy*
Furioza*
Green Mothers’ Club*
Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story*
Michela Giraud: the Truth, I Swear!*
The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On* (new episodes weekly)
- -
Queen of the South: Season 5
(2021)
79%
Return to Space
(2022)
Barbie It Takes Two: Season 1
Dancing on Glass*
Dirty Lines*
73%
Elite
Season 5
- -
Green Eggs and Ham
Season 2*
My Liberation Notes*
Our Blues*
The Call
95%
Nightcrawler
(2014)
Hard Cell*
The Creature Cases*
- -
Almost Happy
Season 2*
31%
Choose or Die
(2022)
*
- -
One Piece Film Z
(2012)
LEGO Friends: Girls on a Mission: Seasons 1-4
- -
Man of God
(2021)
*
83%
Ouija: Origin of Evil
(2016)
- -
Van Helsing: Season 5
(2021)
*
Battle Kitty*
71%
Pacific Rim: The Black
Season 2*
The Marked Heart*
The Turning Point*
Yakamoz S-245*
All About Gila*
He’s Expecting*
58%
Along for the Ride
(2022)
*
- -
Selling Sunset
Season 5*
72%
Big Eyes
(2014)
Bullsh*t The Game Show*
The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes*
71%
Silverton Siege
(2022)
Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles*
Bubble*
Honeymoon with My Mother*
Rumspringa*
- -
Youth v Gov
(2020)
*
92%
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Seasons 1-7
- -
Truth or Dare
(2017)
79%
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
(2017)
96%
The Florida Project
(2017)
- -
House of the Witch
(2017)
71%
About Time
(2013)
76%
Miss Sloane
(2016)
31%
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
(2017)
95%
The Artist
(2011)
67%
August: Osage County
(2013)
- -
El señor de los cielos
Seasons 1-7
- -
Hostel
(2011)
- -
Dawson's Creek
Seasons 1-6
28%
Dear John
(2010)
*
45%
First Knight
(1995)
*
76%
The Professional
(1994)
*
94%
Moneyball
(2011)
*
69%
Snakes on a Plane
(2006)
*
74%
Snatch
(2000)
*
88%
Stripes
(1981)
*
72%
Superman Returns
(2006)
*
89%
The Shawshank Redemption
(1994)
*
92%
The Town
(2010)
*
On an Apple device? Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Apple News.
Thumbnail images: Netflix
There’s all manner of method to the madness in our selections of the scariest movie scenes ever. Some use high amounts of gore. Others deliver unnerving calm and quiet before shattering the senses. A few feature amazing monster makeup and effects. The one common thread between them all: They work. And work not just at producing a moment of fear, but sustaining that fear, sometimes for minutes on end, to drill deep into our psyche and staying there for decades. These are the stuff of nightmares, what we see when we close our eyes at night. These are the 25 scariest movie scenes of all time. Warning: spoilers abound!
What’s the scariest movie scene you’ve ever seen? Tell us in the comments.
(Photo by 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved. Courtesy: Everett Collection.)
The scene: The chest burst
One of the things that sets Ridley Scott’s sci-fi nightmare apart from the other horror fare of its era is its relatively slow burn, playing on the claustrophobia of space and the fear of the unknown. So it comes as a shock to the system when a “facehugger” hurtles out of an egg and attaches itself to John Hurt’s Kane, puncturing the atmospheric dread with a visceral jump scare. But the moment that became indelibly stamped in pop culture history comes just a few scenes later, after the facehugger has detached itself and Kane is recovering from the incident. As the crew enjoys a meal together, Kane suddenly begins to choke and convulse on the table, and a small, lizard-like creature bursts through his chest and scrambles away, effectively birthing a horror villain that would terrorize space crews for decades to come.
(Photo by IFC Midnight/Courtesy Everett Collection)
The scene: Baba breaches bedroom
A lot has been written about The Babadook: It’s a story about grief, and it’s a story about feminism; it’s less a horror film than a domestic drama; and somehow through it all its central bogeyman has emerged a wonderfully camp gay icon. We’re all for it. But in the midst of the think pieces and the movie’s surprising afterlife, one thing often goes overlooked: The Babadook is just a really, really scary horror traditional horror flick, too. Take the scene in which the Babadook (dook, dook) taunts Amelia (Essie Davis) in her bedroom. On paper, it’s nothing we haven’t seen in any Conjuring or Insidious flick, but as executed by director Jennifer Kent and acted by Davis (robbed of an Oscar nom, and yes we’re still sore) it’s almost unwatchably tense. Sound and darkness work overtime to drum up the suspense before the Babadook himself appears, jerkily terrorizing the woman on the edge of a breakdown.
(Photo by Artisan Entertainment/courtesy Everett Collection)
The scene: Putting babies in the corner
Anyone who tells you this super-low-budget 1999 phenom isn’t actually scary just hasn’t watched it all the way to the end. Because if you can sit through the moment Heather discovers Mike standing in the corner of that abandoned house and not tear the leather off your La-Z-Boy’s arms then you’re a much tougher horror-watcher than we are. The traumatizing screams and image of Mike standing ultra-still in the corner are scary enough – add in the fact that none of it is explained and this is a fright-filled finale for the ages.
(Photo by New Line Cinema / courtesy Everett Collection)
The scene: The nun comes to life
Taken on its own merits, The Conjuring 2 was a solid movie, even if it didn’t quite reach the heights of its predecessor. But it’s somewhat telling that its most memorable scare came courtesy of an entity who spends much of the film on the fringes of the primary story and whose presence was so immediately chilling that it spawned its own spin-off movie. The scene in question takes place inside the Warrens’ (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) own home, when Lorraine experiences a vision in which she is trapped and attacked by the demon nun Valak. Director James Wan milks the tension for all its worth, as a dark shadow moves across the walls and positions itself behind the painting of the nun’s face before it lunges at Lorraine with a shriek. We all checked our pants after that.
(Photo by Lions Gate/courtesy Everett Collection)
The scene: Monsters revealed
Neil Marshall’s The Descent is considered by some the scariest movie of the past 20 years, and for good reason. The movie hooks us in with its claustrophobic setting – a tiny and very unstable cave system somewhere in Appalachia – and its dynamic group of women with their complicated pasts and relationships. Then, when it has us right where it wants us… MONSTERS. And f—king scary ones at that. The movie’s most intense scene is also the first time we see these humanoid beasties, and Marshall masterfully mixes slow-building dread, dramatic distraction, and a helluva jump scare for the big reveal. We’re so caught up in the drama over Juno getting the group lost that we almost don’t notice that thing standing RIGHT THERE.
(Photo by British Lion Films)
The scene: The ending
Up until the very end, you don’t know what the exact nature of the threat is in Don’t Look Now. You’re only aware that something sinister creeps on the fringes, vaguely menacing Donald Sutherland’s character as he wanders Venice with his wife after the accidental drowning of their young daughter in America. It’s the uncomfortable way people talk to him. Or is that just how it always feels in a foreign country? It’s in the way light reflects onto the camera. Or isn’t that how light always bounces around? It’s in Sutherland’s unsettling visions of his wife and daughter. Or is he just processing grief? But it all snaps into place for Don’t Look Now‘s vein-icing final sequence, giving terrible logic and clarity to the preceding 100 minutes.
(Photo by Warner Bros./ Courtesy: Everett Collection.)
The scene: Spinning heads
William Friedkin’s controversial film, based on a novel that fictionalized purportedly true events, is famous for the raucous reactions it inspired from terrified audiences who nevertheless flocked to see it in droves. It managed to entertain just as effectively as it scared the pants off of everyone, and perhaps no scene captures that special magic as well as the moment when Linda Blair’s possessed Regan – after having performed a rather sacrilegious act with a crucifix – spins her head 180 degrees to face her frightened mother (Ellen Burstyn). Regan does spin her head again later, during the climax of the film, but this first scene is so vulgar, violent, utterly shocking, and ultimately horrifying that it’s impossible to pull your gaze away from the screen.
(Photo by Lux Compagnie Cinématographique de France)
The scene: Face/off
Director Georges Franju started his career as a documentary filmmaker, an invaluable skill set for his second narrative feature Eyes Without a Face. It’s the story of a desperate father who, after disfiguring his daughter in a car accident, spends his night killing women, slicing off their faces, and attempting to attach them to his daughter’s. The concept is gross enough, but the way Franju uses his calm and deliberate camera (indeed, like shooting a documentary) during the film’s infamous central surgery scene gives the fictional proceedings the sheen of reality.
(Photo by A24 /Courtesy Everett Collection)
The scene: An allergic reaction
Like Alex Wolff’s Peter in the movie, we were left completely speechless and frozen the first time we saw THAT MOMENT in Hereditary. We’re being vague for now, because it’s such a recent film and the moment is such a spoiler, so if you haven’t seen the movie stop reading now…. OK, if you’re still with us, you know what we’re talking about: Charlie (Milly Shapiro), struggling for breath in the back seat, pushes her head out of the car window and connects with a passing telegraph pole. The whole sequence, from the chocolate cake at the party to the wheezing in the car to the moment of impact, is brilliantly choreographed, but this is one of those scares that was also heavily aided by the film’s publicity. Charlie was at the center of the marketing campaign, leaving viewers to think she would be a central figure right through to the end; when she gets it about a third of the way in, we suddenly know that anything can happen in Hereditary. If Psycho broke the “don’t kill your main character” rule, and Scream stepped all over the “don’t kill your biggest star” rule, Hereditary went one further: Don’t kill the kid.
(Photo by Universal)
The scene: The opening scene
Much has been made of Spielberg’s expert use of the unknown and unseen in Jaws, and nowhere is it more apparent than in the movie’s opening scene in which a woman is jerked to and fro by something moving beneath her in the black abyss. (Stuntwoman Susan Blacklinie had hooks attached to her Levi’s and was being pulled by divers.) The scene is also the first time the world got to hear that iconic John Williams score, its pulsing slow-build instantly becoming a mood-building classic. We eventually went back in the water after seeing Jaws, but never at night.
(Photo by Weinstein Company/Courtesy Everett Collection)
The scene: A transcendental experience
Martyrs was part of the New French Extremity movement, where a wave of filmmakers put out horror films hit harder than ever before. Part home invasion, part torture porn, all blood and gristle, Martyrs details a cult-like group who torture young, beautiful women to the brink of death to uncover insights into the afterlife. It all comes to a head with the final sequence, where one of the main characters is flayed alive. Worse: She survives. Even worser: The experiment actually works, as the character enters a transcendental state. The knowledge she gleans about the afterlife and passes on, however, proves too much for the living.
(Photo by Columbia/courtesy Everett Collection)
The scene: Annie breaks Paul’s legs
When it comes to visceral gross-out scares, the Saw films may win for degree of difficulty and Hostel (remember that one?) may be the king of holy-f—k gore. But for impact, nothing beats Rob Reiner’s Misery, in which barely a drop of blood is spilled and not a single eyeball plucked. We’re cringing just remembering the moment Kathy Bates’ Annie Wilkes’ places a block of wood between a tied-down Paul Sheldon’s (James Caan) feet and breaks his ankles with the swoop of a giant sledgehammer. The crunch! The unnatural bend of the ankle! The slow and methodical description of “hobbling” that Wilkes gives before she takes her epic swing! Jigsaw ain’t got nothing.
(Photo by Paramount Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection)
The scene: The 21st night
Oren Peli’s game-changing found-footage film did for the bedroom what Blair Witch did for the woods. The fast-forwarded footage of Katie (Katie Featherstone) standing by her bed and watching Micah sleep was the reason some of us got separate bedrooms – with locks – from our loved ones for months after the hit film’s release. But the movie saved its best shock for last: On night 21, a now fully possessed Katie leaves the bedroom, lures Micah out with a torrent of screams, and then – after a seemingly endless silence – throws him at the screen and proceeds to eat him. Well, at least we think that’s what might happen. Like Blair Witch’s unexplained finale, this one leaves us with lots of theories to chew on.
(Photo by Universal Pictures)
The scene: The shower kill
Hitchcock didn’t invent the slasher, but we’ll be damned if he didn’t perfect it with Psycho and its seminal scene: Marion Crane’s iconic shower death. Even after you analyze the hell out of it – the Hershey’s chocolate syrup in place of blood; the edits that never once show knife penetrating skin – the moment loses none of its ability to shock. The key is the build-up, that wonderful shadow of Norman behind the curtain, and then the brutality: those quick-cut thrusts matched by that iconic burst of Bernard Herrmann’s score.
(Photo by Filmax/Courtesy Everett Collection)
The scene: Dragged into darkness
This is a found footage nightmare set in a quarantined building in Barcelona where a zombie virus infection is breaking out. Our protaganist Angela is a newscaster who at first merely wants to report on the mysterious closure of the building, and then becomes the news herself when she ges swept into the quarantine. [REC] is a roller coaster of a film, culminating in its final scene, presented in eerie quiet and night vision, as Angela, seeming like she just might make it out, is dragged into the darkness while the dropped camera rolls on. It’s such an effective moment, it was of course spoiled on the theatrical for the American remake Quarantine.
(Photo by DreamWorks/courtesy Everett Collection)
The scene: The cursed video
It took us far longer than seven days to wipe the images from this bizarro piece of video art from our minds. Gore Verbinski’s U.S. remake of The Ring is full of excellent creepouts – Samara emerging from the TV; the distorted victims’ faces – but the ace up its sleeve is the video at its center. This unnerving mish-mash of static, random ominous imagery (a tree aflame, a woman brushing her hair), and insistent screeching is truly dread-inducing. Even after it’s been aped by the opening sequence of nearly every season of American Horror Story, the Ring video still makes an impact.
(Photo by Paramount)
The scene: Mother and child
The tension rises and falls throughout Rosemary’s Baby, never allowing the viewer to quite settle in and fully process what’s happening. A demonic rape her, some weird juice there, just to keep the viewer discombobulated. It all reaches a boiling point in the dream-like coda, when Rosemary wakes up after giving birth, in her empty apartment. She finds a hidden room where her husband and neighobrs have gathered, all in on the conspiracy for her to deliver Satan’s child, and welcome her in. You never see the baby, but Rosemary’s line says it all: “What have you done to him? What have you done to his eyes?!”
(Photo by Dimension Films)
The scene: ‘Do you like scary movies?’
Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson’s genre-reinvigorating classic kicks off with what many consider the greatest opening scene in horror history. Plot-wise, it’s basically When A Stranger Calls, ’90s-style – girl is alone in the house, receives stalk-y phone call, happens to have encyclopedia knowledge of the film genre in which she suddenly finds herself – but Craven brings so much smart and bravura skill to the direction of it that it kicks complete ass even decades later, after we’ve seen the countless imitators that followed and the shock of having a big-star snuffed out in the first 10 minutes has worn off. Credit too to Ghostface voice Roger L. Jackson, that perfectly placed pan of Jiffy Pop, and to Williamson’s script, a step-by-step screenwriting masterclass in how to ratchet up tension. “The question who am I, the question is where am I?”: Chills to this day.
(Photo by Warner Bros)
The scene: Jack on the attack
Kubrick stuffed his adaptation of Stephen King’s novel with so many scary moments and images, trying to pick just one could drive you to Jack Torrance levels of craziness. But we’re doing it anyway. While the Grady twins in the hallway are spooky as hell, and we still can’t erase the image of the bathtub woman from our minds, we had to go with the movie’s most iconic moment: Wendy trapped in a bathroom as Jack hammers at the door. Kubrick’s swinging camera, Jack Nicholson’s mania, and Shelley Duvall’s totally convincing fear combine to make this the most terrifying scene in one of cinema’s most terrifying movies.
(Photo by United Film Distribution Company /courtesy Everett Collection)
The scene: The big reveal
For much of its runtime, Sleepaway Camp plays like any other teen slasher of the 1980s, with a bunch of kids who are summarily executed one-by-one by a mysterious killer. If some of the kills are overly creative — death by a thousand bee stings? a curling iron in the hoo-ha? — none of them compares to the twist at the end of the film, which comes from way out of left field. The quiet, young, bullied girl at the center of the movie, Felissa Rose’s Angela, is not only revealed to be the killer, she’s also outed as a man, dressed up as the opposite gender by his demented aunt.
(Photo by Bryanston Distributing Company)
The scene: Leatherface appears
The Texas Chain Saw Massacare is considered one of the most punishing, sickly transformative experiences in horror. And it’s not even 90 minutes long. And nothing happens for like the first 30 minutes. But once Leatherface appears, the movie never lets up afterwards. His grand debut happens inside his house, when a stupidly intrepid young adult enters looking for fuel for his car. Leathface pops out from a hallway and hits the dude in the hammer, the body crumpling and then twitching on the ground. Leatherface drags the body into the butcher room, and slams the door. There’s plenty of more scares to come, but this opening salvo is as disturbing as they come.
(Photo by Universal/courtesy Everett Collection)
The scene: Getting something off your chest
John Carpenter was well into his groove by the time he made The Thing, and he put all of his talents on display to contribute one of the most influential entries in the “body horror” genre not directed by David Cronenberg. We get our first glimpse of the “thing” fairly early in the movie when it absorbs a pack of huskies, and we see it again when it attempts to assimilate Peter Maloney’s Bennings. But the big scare comes when Charles Hallahan’s Norris appears to have a heart attack, and Dr. Copper (Richard Dysart) attempts to revive him with a defibrillator. Norris’ chest opens up like a giant mouth, complete with teeth, and rips Copper’s arms off before Kurt Russell’s MacReady blasts it with a flamethrower. Thanks to some top-notch practical effects and the judicious use of a jump-scare, the scene remains the most memorable and viscerally disturbing in the movie.
(Photo by Argos Films)
The scene: The truth
Forget everything you know about The Vanishing. Oh, that was fast — as if you’ve never seen the Jeff Bridges/Sandra Bullock kidnap thriller before. It was a lousy movie with the distinction of being a remake…with the same director. George Sluzier was brought to Hollywood to direct the remake, and it’s easy to see why: the 1988 Dutch original is a chilling, methodical examination about the mundane face of pure evil. Naturally, the American version has none of that. It also doesn’t have the original’s ending: When the hero finally confronts his girlfriend’s kidnapper, who offers him the opportunity to find out what happened to her. The answer is one of the most terrifying scenes in movie history.
(Photo by Columbia Pictures)
The scene: The phone calls
Pop in When a Stranger Calls and for the first 20 minutes, you’ll think you’re watching the scariest movie ever made. Carol Kane plays the babysitter, and she keeps on getting increasingly menacing calls to check on the kids upstairs. When she gets the call traced, naturally it’s coming from inside the house! Think this scene won’t work anymore because it’s been parodied and referenced to death since? Think again. It remains a masterclass in editing and suspense. The rest of the movie is pretty lousy, but that opening act can still dial up the tension decades later.
(Photo by British Lion Films)
The scene: The burning
Not quite a masterpiece these days but definitely a classic, The Wicker Man follows a prudish police officer as he investigates the disappearance of a young girl on a remote English island populated by pagans. As he follows the clues and contradicting statements of the village people, he edges ever closer to the titular wicker man, a sacrificial vessel to be burned at dusk. Even if you can get who gets put inside it, the sheer intensity and terror of the scene is still something to be witnessed.
Horror has a way of making an unlit hallway look like a trek through hell, inducing heart attacks though jumping cats, and transforming everyday tools like chainsaws and double-barrel shotguns into instruments of doom. The marketing and posters for Us suggests that Jordan Peele’s new horror flick will do for golden scissors what Get Out did for tea cups, which also happens to be one of selections for the 25 most iconic props from horror movie history! Read on to get your fill of creaky carriages, demonic dolls, and bloody blades.
Hereditary torments viewers with every horror trick and trope in the book. It’s got jump scares, dreadful atmosphere, supernatural goings-on, the occult, spirits and seances, and, yes, creepy kids. You’ll be hard pressed to find a young girl more unsettling at the movies than Milly Shapiro as the forlorn Charlie, who may be channeling her dead grandmother…or worse. But enough tongue clucking: we present this week’s gallery of the 24 creepiest kids from horror movie history.
Look, we know that it’s the time of year when everyone and their sister has a list of the best horror movies of all time. This time out, we at Rotten Tomatoes decided to take a slightly different tack. Using our weighted formula, we compiled a list of the best-reviewed fright fests from each year since 1920 — the year The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, which created the template for horror cinema, was released. This wasn’t an easy assignment — there were several years, like 1932 and 1960, that boasted a slate of classic films (and a few others, like 1937 and 1938, in which we had trouble finding any solid contenders). What was the best horror flick the year you were born? Check out our list — if you dare.
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Since producing the American version of "The Ring" in 2002, producer Roy Lee has stayed firmly within the realm of the "re-imaginings" by producing movies like "The Grudge," "The Ring 2," "The Lake House," and "The Departed." And he’s not done yet! Seems we can expect a "Ring 3" and a remake of "The Host," too.
According to Bloody-Disgusting.com, Mr. Lee’s "plan is to hold the film for a few years and go into the franchise "with a new fresh story," and perhaps going back and doing the prequel thing — because the hardcore Ringfans really want to know Samara’s backstory. (Me, I’m done with the whole series, American and/or Japanese.) Unfortunately for those fans, another "Ring" flick is (at the very least) a few years away.
And while we don’t have any additional news on the project, Roy Lee is also preparing a remake of "The Host," which opens in American theaters on March 9th.
Apparently Naomi Watts is itching to become the Queen of the Horror Remake. She’s already done "The Ring" and "King Kong" — and now comes word that she might be toplining Michael Bay’s new production of "The Birds."
From IGN FilmForce: "Universal Pictures and Michael Bay‘s Platinum Dunes production company have been developing a remake of the Alfred Hitchcock suspense classic "The Birds" for over a year now.
The powers-that-be are reportedly eager to take the next step in the development process and attach a star. According to TMZ.com, Universal is poised to make an offer to scream queen Naomi Watts to star in the film.
The role would be the one played by Tippi Hedren in the original film. TMZ also claims that screenwriter Leslie Dixon has come onboard the pic."
Four new films open wide, but they may not be enough to stop the North American box office from suffering its third consecutive down weekend.
Leading the way is the Paramount sequel "Jackass: Number Two" which will enjoy the widest release by far. The rest of the films will take moviegoers back in time just as so many other recent releases have done. Focus Features unleashes Jet Li‘s martial arts epic "Fearless," MGM takes off with the World War I adventure "Flyboys," and Sony remakes the political thriller "All the King’s Men."
Four years ago, Paramount shocked the industry with the number one bow for its crude stunts flick "Jackass: The Movie" which managed to keep "The Ring" out of the top spot on the weekend right before Halloween. Its $22.8M debut and eventual $64.3M domestic take and DVD success helped to bring about a sequel, "Jackass: Number Two" which hopes to conquer the charts once again. The R-rated pic regroups the team from the hit MTV reality series including Johnny Knoxville and finds them taking part in another series of outlandish don’t-try-this-at-home antics. Males in their late teens and early twenties are the target audience here although slightly older guys who were devoted followers a half-decade ago might also be up for some nostalgia.
The first "Jackass" bowed to a muscular $9,073 average from 2,509 playdates which at today’s ticket prices would be over $10,000. "Number Two" is not likely to match that amount though. A wider launch will dilute the average a bit and the franchise has aged and is no longer at the peak of its popularity. But since Knoxville has found more mainstream success recently with films like "The Dukes of Hazzard" and "The Ringer," the studio is hoping that some new fans will give "Two" a try. Competition for males will be fierce with last weekend’s top film "Gridiron Gang" still playing to sports-loving boys and men while Jet Li’s new film "Fearless" will
steal away dudes who dig martial arts fighting, bones cracking, and necks breaking. Male dollars will be stretched to the limit this weekend and an already sluggish marketplace will mean that there will only be so much overall traffic. Busting into over 3,000 theaters, "Jackass: Number Two" will rank number one and may open with around $23M.
Mr. Knoxville and co. are back to cheat death and reason.
Also gunning for young men with R-rated fare is Focus Features with the historical martial arts actioner "Fearless" starring Jet Li. Already a hit at cinemas in Asia, Australia, and parts of Europe, the period pic tells the true story of a legendary fighter who inspired his nation in China at the start of the twentieth century. With a bigger star in the lead, "Fearless" is sure to perform better than Tony Jaa‘s Thai actioner "The Protector" which bowed to just $5M two weeks earlier. Li has a consistently loyal fan following that is likely to turn out especially since the marketing campaign is pushing the claim that this is his final martial arts film ever. This tactic gives the pic a level of urgency, although it should not mean much to those outside of his fan base. Crossover potential to mainstream action fans is not very likely, though the actor’s pull with urban males should not be underestimated.
Still, Li has posted some impressive numbers in his career. Each of his six films from this decade has launched with an opening weekend average of at least $5,500 with five having averaged more than $6,000. His last effort "Unleashed" bowed last summer to $10.9M and a solid $5,570 average while 2004’s Chinese blockbuster "Hero" conquered the North American charts for two straight weeks bowing to an impressive $18M and $8,865 average. Foreign language films pretty much never do that in the U.S. market. "Fearless" will not duplicate the success of "Hero" which used the "Quentin Tarantino Presents" tag to attract extra biz. Plus with "Jackass" taking away many young men this weekend, only the true followers will make it out. But reviews have been very positive (the best for any new
release) and advance buzz from overseas has been encouraging too. Kicking its way into roughly 1,806 theaters, "Fearless" might debut to about $9M.
Jet Li inviting us to his last Martial Arts flick.
World War I bi-planes are the draw in "Flyboys," a new historical action adventure being released by MGM. The PG-13 film stars James Franco as a courageous American pilot in France who devotes his life to fighting for the Allies. With a high pricetag and no proven stars that can sell in America, this is yet another risky period film packed into the slow month of September. The "inspired by a true story" description used by half of the films in the current top ten is once again in play here. With sex and bad language kept to a minimum, "Flyboys" hopes to appeal to a broad family audience so adults can bring their kids. However, the starpower and subject matter are both lacking making this a tough sell at the box office especially since the marketplace is already filled with mediocre product. Zooming into 2,033 theaters, "Flyboys" might climb to around $7M over the weekend.
The real star of "Flyboys": the CGI.
After taking a beating at the Toronto International Film Festival, Sony’s remake "All the King’s Men" enters the marketplace on Friday with more subdued expectations. The PG-13 reworking of the classic 1949 political thriller stars Sean Penn as a charismatic politician from the South who gains power and flirts with corruption in the process. The all-star cast also includes Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Anthony Hopkins, Mark Ruffalo, and James Gandolfini. Distributors often utilize the Toronto fest to generate buzz for their Oscar contenders right before their fall commercial openings, but in this case, it seemed to have backfired with so many reviewers panning the pic. "Men" should play exclusively to a mature adult audience as teens will yawn at the premise. The marketplace has been flooded with period dramas in recent weeks with "The Black Dahlia," "Hollywoodland," and "The Illusionist" all going after the same audience. Competition will be a major factor.
Sony is not giving its usual saturation release to "King’s Men," but instead campaigning in just 1,514 theaters this weekend hoping some positive buzz will spread. The lack of screens will keep the gross in check and the bad reviews should sting even more. Last weekend, "Dahlia" found out the hard way how far a serious film for adults can go when the critics give a thumbs down. The film’s starpower is about its only major asset right now, but will it be enough to make moviegoers risk their dollars? With negative press, an abundance of direct competition, and only a moderate amount of theaters, "All the King’s Men" could find itself with only $7M this weekend and a rocky road ahead.
Sean Penn’s politician wins over his constituents, but not the critics.
In limited release, The Weinstein Co. unleashes its horror flick "Feast" in 140 theaters with special midnight shows across the country on Friday and Saturday. The latest winner from the Project Greenlight series is directed by John Gulager and finds a group of people trapped inside a bar fighting off flesh-eating creatures. Filmmaker Michel Gondry ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind") returns to the surreal with "The Science of Sleep," a new fantasy drama starring Gael García Bernal ("The Motorcycle Diaries") as a man whose dreams collide with reality. Warner Independent is opening the film on Friday in eight major U.S. markets and will expand it across the country next weekend. Miramax platforms its futuristic sci-fi toon "Renaissance" in New York and Los Angeles. Set in Paris in the year
2054, the R-rated tale is the latest film to bring the look of a graphic novel to the big screen.
Last weekend’s top film "Gridiron Gang" is sure to lose its first place ranking. The Rock‘s films never have very good legs on the second weekend as evidenced by the sophomore declines of his recent films – 48% for 2003’s "The Rundown," 46% for 2004’s "Walking Tall," and a horrendous 73% for last fall’s "Doom." While "Gang" was not a favorite with critics, it has been getting favorable responses from moviegoers so its drop this weekend may not be too bad. Competition for young males will be a factor with the dueling R pics "Jackass" and "Fearless," but younger boys may still be up for an uplifting football tale. "Gridiron Gang" might see a decline of 45% to around $8M giving Sony a reasonable ten-day cume of $25M.
Universal’s murder mystery "The Black Dahlia" was not too powerful in its opening last weekend and both critics and moviegoers are giving negative feedback. A 50% fall would leave the Brian De Palma flick with $5M for the frame and a weak $18M after ten days.
LAST YEAR: One A-list Hollywood blonde replaced another at the top of the charts. Jodie Foster‘s kidnapping thriller "Flightplan" flew to number one opening with a strong $24.6M. The Buena Vista release went on to gross $89.7M making it the top-grossing film in the September-October corridor for 2005. In second place, Warner Bros. expanded its animated film "Corpse Bride" nationally taking in $19.1M. The Tim Burton–Johnny Depp collaboration found its way to $53.4M. Reese Witherspoon fell from first to third with her comedy "Just Like Heaven" which collected $9.6M. Opening in fourth place with moderate results was the skating drama "Roll Bounce" which bowed to $7.6M on its way to $17.4M from less than 1,700 theaters. Close behind in fifth was the hit thriller "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" with $7.5M in its third round.
Author: Gitesh Pandya, www.BoxOfficeGuru.com
RT’s "White Noise 2" set coverage, Part Three: producer Shawn Williamson, whose 50+ credits include "Slither," "White Noise," and many of Uwe Boll‘s thrillers, talks about the popularity of the horror remake, movie-hoppers, and "Dungeon Siege."
Shawn Williamson says was looking for the next hot Canuck horror director when Patrick Lussier came on board to "White Noise 2," and strangely, the term "Canadian horror" indeed seems to be increasingly relevant as more and more fright fests come from our friends to the north. Read on to hear what the Vancouver native thinks of the remake subgenre, shooting for a PG-13 audience, and working with Uwe Boll.
Rotten Tomatoes: How did you guys get Nathan Fillion and Katee Sackhoff involved in the project?
Shawn Williamson: Nathan we knew because we were all fans of "Serenity," but we also worked with him on "Slither," and found him to be an incredible actor, so it just seemed a natural fit for him in this role. Katee has a good following in "Battlestar" and we’ve loved her in the series. Her role is a quirky, cool, hip nurse and she seemed just perfect for it, so we were lucky to get both.
RT: Was there a conscious decision to get two actors from big sci-fi series with large followings?
SW: That was a bonus. The first priority was to get good actors. Secondarily, the fact that they both happen to work in the genre that our audience hopefully will respond to, that’s a big benefit.
RT: "Slither" was extremely well reviewed. What kind of reception are you expecting for "White Noise 2?"
SW: We hope we get reviewed in a similar manner to "Slither." We have a great script, a great cast, and a great director, but now we have to create something that the audience and the critics like, and frankly primarily what the audience likes. We need something that captures the audience and intrigues them, and does two things: makes something that a distributor can market well, but secondly that pleases the audience and makes them want to return or tell their friends to come see it.
It’s not a set formula; it’s a magical thing that happens. It’s an unquantifiable element that hopefully comes together in post, which combines the music with what we do in editing, with what Patrick does to it later. Hopefully that combination is successful commercially and critically.
RT: There has been a recent trend in horror films to show a lot of blood and gore, yet with "White Noise 2" you seem to be staying away from that and going a more realistic route.
SW: Personally, I find those films difficult to handle. The psychological horror we have here is done for a combination of reasons. That graphic element isn’t necessarily in this kind of film, and so there are some graphic moments. There’s a very brutal opening to the film, and some amazing prosthetics that are going to be shocking and graphic. But we aren’t relying on blood and guts to draw an audience; we’re relying on old-fashioned traditional "scare" moments. So we’re putting our energy primarily into scaring the audience when they’re not expecting it, and we’re going to do it without massive amounts of gore.
You can get a hard R-rating and limit your audience to a degree. When I went to the opening weekend of "White Noise," half of the audience was filled with teenage girls who went out looking to get scared, and if you make this an R-rated film, you can’t capture that audience.
They’ll probably go see the film, but they’ll buy a ticket for another film and sneak in to this one, so that doesn’t help our box-office, and that’s a lot of who our market is.
RT: So you guys are definitely shooting for a PG-13?
SW: We’re shooting multiple takes of different scenes, so we have an ability to test it different ways, but more than likely we’ll end up without an R-rating.
RT: A lot of horror remakes have been successful. What do you think of the current state of horror films?
SW: I think the remakes now are spectacular. "The Hills Have Eyes" and these films are recapturing why a lot of us grew up petrified of those sorts of films. They were made on a very tiny budget, but were classic horror. And now they’re being remade with a larger budget and perhaps a bit slicker. "Texas Chainsaw" is a perfect example, or "Dawn of the Dead" — great remakes of original classics, but they put a new spin on them that works well. I think it’s an opportunity to recognize a new class of horror fans that are kids that weren’t around when these films originally opened, but the concepts of the original films were so strong that it translates to a good film now.
RT: How do you think the Japanese horror films influence the horror films in the U.S.?
SW: Japanese and Korean films, they have such great visuals. And they’ve got a totally different style in how they shoot films. "Ringu" and the remake, "The Ring," are very different in some ways but very similar in style to a degree, but they also break tradition. They don’t follow standard mechanisms that we might use to create a horror film.
There are no rules in a lot of them. They create their own rules. The preconceptions of horror changed a lot with the Asian films coming in and really gained an audience in North America.
RT: How did you guys come across Patrick [Lussier] to direct?
SW: It was a combination of Universal and us looking for the next hot Canadian feature director in this genre. Patrick we’d probably want in any genre, but because this is a horror piece it’s something that we think with his background…as we did our searches for the right person to direct Canadian horror, he was the guy.
RT: Is it hard to adapt video games to films?
SW: It depends on the package. I think some films are done very well, and others are a challenge. The ones that are done haven’t met with huge critical success, but they have all met with financial success. I think "Silent Hill" is going to be a marvelous adaptation, because it’s a video game that lends itself well to adapt.
"House of the Dead" was a challenging one, because it’s a first-person shooting game, similar to "Doom." It didn’t get great reviews but it’s a good, solid first-person shooting game with a cast, a good video game adaptation that worked.
The problem with a lot of video games is that they are video games first, purely interactive for the gamer. Taking that process and adapting it to the screen is a very difficult transition.
"Mortal Kombat" I don’t think met with great critical success, but I think it was the first large one. Most haven’t met with huge critical success.
And the gaming community is incredibly critical, and they should be, because they’re coming from games that they love and are passionate about. Translating that from their passion and their vision of the game to what you can actually create on film is a very difficult process.
Sometimes it can end very well, and sometimes not as well.
RT: Given that you’ve done these video game adaptations, do you play video games yourself?
SW: Yes. It’s so busy that I don’t get to play as often as I can. I have a nine-year-old, so I play with him quite a bit. When I need to zone out, I’ll sit and lose myself in Halo like anyone might.
The video game adaptations that I’ve worked on typically are not horror films at all. They’re pretty much all action films, and they were never contrived as horror. Creating horror is very specific. It’s like comedy. They’re two of the hardest things to do.
It’s very much about shock composition and timing, and music combined. It’s very difficult to make a good horror film, a good classic horror. So the adaptations in the video game world that I’ve done were not horror at all, but pretty much straight action, and all Uwe Boll creations.
RT: How did you come to work with Uwe Boll?
SW: I met Uwe years ago when he was making smaller budget thrillers, and Uwe runs his own German financing fund. He is the only director I’ve ever worked with who finds the product he wants to adapt and pays for it from beginning to end. He self-finances his own movies. So Uwe is the ultimate creative decision maker on all of these films, and our job is to try to make the best film we can given all those parameters.
RT: Speaking of Uwe Boll, can you tell us about his latest movie that you’re producing, "Dungeon Siege?"
SW: There were two elements that were great. We had a great cast: Jason Statham, Ray Liotta, Leelee Sobieski, Claire Forlani, and Burt Reynolds. It was an amazing cast we managed to put together, combined with Tony Ching doing our action — Tony did "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers," so the action in the film is absolutely amazing.
It’s a "Lord of the Rings" genre in essence, a medieval style mythical genre, but with some spectacular action. Tony brought a stunt team with him from China, and they coordinated an amazing action unit that shot here for three or four months, so the action in the battles is quite spectacular. Jason Statham is a natural acrobat and martial artist, so he wanted to do all of his own stunts and all of his own fighting and it works very, very well in the film. The action in that film is just marvelous.
Wondering what Vin Diesel‘s been up to lately? Well, he’s been off making a fact-based courtroom flick with … legendary director Sidney Lumet, that’s who. Entitled "Find Me Guilty," this one’s about a pinched mafia guy who refuses to rat on his friends while opting to act as his own attorney. Trailer here.
"Sent to prison on a drug charge, Jackie Dinorsio refuses to turn government witness against his former associates in the New Jersey Lucchesi crime family. However, prosecutor Sean Casey mounts a huge case under the RICO statutes involving dozens of defendants and their attorneys, including Nick Calabrese. For Casey, it looks like an open and shut case, until Jackie, who is already serving 30 years, decides to defend himself. Initially dismissed as a lunatic, Jackie has a forceful personality and an intrinsic understanding of the legal process that gradually change the course of the trial."
Co-starring Ron Silver, Peter Dinklage, and Alex Rocco, "Find Me Guilty" opens on March 17th. It’s Mr. Lumet’s first theatrical feature since 1999’s "Gloria," but with his body of work, the old master’s earned a misstep or two. Unless you can think of another guy who directed "12 Angry Men," "The Pawnbroker," "Fail-Safe," "The Anderson Tapes," "Serpico," "Murder on the Orient Express," "Dog Day Afternoon," "Network," "Prince of the City," "The Verdict," "Running on Empty," and "Q & A."
For those who just can’t get enough of American remakes like "The Ring," "The Grudge," and "Dark Water," get ready to celebrate. Paramount’s got a remake of "The Eye" on the way, and New Line is now set to distribute "In-Utero," which is a redo of "The Eye 2."
The "film is about a pregnant woman who has a near-death experience that results in her seeing dead spirits. Scribe Todd Stein has been set to adapt.
Gold Circle ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding") will finance "In-Utero" with a budget around $25 million. Company has a first-look deal with Universal, which passed on the pic.
A U.S. remake of the original ("The Eye"), which had a completely separate plot, is in development with Vertigo at Paramount."
Variety brings news that the always-busy Renee Zellweger will star in Paramount’s remake of the Pang brothers’ thriller "The Eye."
Going ahead with director Hideo Nakata, the "new version of "Eye" is envisioned as a psychological horror film about a girl who sees more than she bargained for when she regains her vision after a cornea transplant.
The original version, produced by Thailand-based Oxide and Danny Pang, grossed $10 million-plus worldwide.
Writers who have worked on the script include Sebastian Gutierrez, Ryne Douglas Pearson and Hillary Seitz.
Nakata directed the original Japanese "Ringu," which was the basis for DreamWorks 2002 horror pic "The Ring." Nakata also directed that film’s Japanese sequel and "The Ring 2" for DreamWorks."
This week’s wide releases share a concern for the agonies of the modern family. How does a single mother cope with leaky faucets that are harbingers of doom? How does a family of superheroes deal with its newfound powers and its place in an oversaturated media environment? How will the fraternity (and sorority) of movie critics respond to these dilemmas?
The comic/superhero genre has seen something of a resurgence lately. There’s the exhilaration of the "Spider-Man" films, the dark grittiness of "Batman Begins," the stylistic delights of "Sin City," and even the domestic woes of a super family in "The Incredibles." So where does that leave the "Fantastic Four?" In the dust, according to critics. The creation myth of Marvel’s oldest super-posse is, at 29 percent, less than, um, fantastic. The bar has been raised, and this silly throwback, with its lack of depth and clumsy script, is short on firepower. In fact, it’s one of the most poorly reviewed superhero movies of recent years. And that doesn’t help Jessica Alba, who stars as the Invisible Woman, as her Average Tomatometer is at 40 percent.
Scary dwelling? Check. Spooky child? Check? J-horror pedigree? Check. A-list credits in B-list material? Check. All of the hallmarks of recent horror cinema converge in "Dark Water," starring Jennifer Connelly as a woman who picks out an apartment with so much flooding it begs the question: can you get back your damage deposit if the supernatural is involved? This remake of the Japanese thriller of the same name is headed down the drain with the critics; at 45 percent on the Tomatometer, the scribes say this flick contains spooky atmospherics but is a bit too dull to be truly scary. And it doesn’t compare with "The Ring," still the critical high watermark in Hollywood’s recent glut of J-horror rehashes. Nor does it rise above Connelly’s Average Tomatometer of 65 percent.
Other American J-horror Flicks:
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73% – The Ring (2002)
20% – The Ring 2 (2005)
39%- The Grudge (2004)
Other Recent Superhero Movies:
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84% – Batman Begins (2005)
7% – Elektra (2005)
93% – Spider-Man 2 (2004)
97% – The Incredibles (2004)
79% – Hellboy (2004
A hearty thanks to Movie City News for presenting the trailer to Peter Jackson‘s "King Kong" in sparkling Quicktime and without the annoying Volkswagen commercials. Just go enjoy the trailer. (Pretty awesome, eh?) Too bad we have to wait until December 14th to see the finished product, but hey, it’s always great to have a big, roaring adventure movie to look forward to.
As you’re well aware, this is Mr. Jackson’s own interpretation of the 1933 classic "King Kong," which the filmmaker considers his very favorite film. The cast includes Jack Black ("School of Rock") as movie director Carl Denham, Adrien Brody ("The Pianist") as the heroic Jack Driscoll, and the very lovely Naomi Watts ("The Ring") as the very lovely Ann Darrow.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I want to go watch that trailer a second time…
Yes, we’re now living in a world in which you people cannot wait to see the commercials that advertise movie trailers. Sounds kind of silly, but then again we are talking about Peter Jackson‘s "King Kong" remake, so let’s just revel in the good, geeky fun of it all. Stop off at the truly excellent Kong is King website to catch a promo for next week’s "King Kong" trailer premiere.
Don’t go in expecting much more of a tantalizing little taste of giant-ape goodness, and be sure you’re in front of a TV next Monday night. "King Kong," starring Naomi Watts ("The Ring"), Jack Black ("High Fidelity"), and Adrien Brody ("The Jacket"), climbs your local multiplex on December 14th.
While chatting at the press junket for Michael Bay‘s "The Island," producer Walter Parkes told Variety that the next "Ring" sequel will be "by its very nature a small, intimate movie," which is an odd thing to say about a horror series that features ravenous reindeer, but oh well. This might be a businesslike way of saying "lower budget and no Naomi Watts," but at the very least you fans can rest assured that there will be a "Ring 3" some time soon.
Blackfilm.com is the very first movie site to share with us the official one-sheet for Terry Gilliam‘s "The Brothers Grimm." (Yeah, it’s just some skimpy poster news, but it’s a slow news week and a LOT of people have been looking forward to "Grimm" for quite some time now!) Scheduled for release on July 29th, "The Brothers Grimm" is "a fictional action-adventure tale about folklore collectors and brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm … While traveling from village to village pretending to protect townsfolk from enchanted creatures, they encounter a real sorceress with terrifying powers."
Heath Ledger ("Lords of Dogtown") and Matt Damon ("The Bourne Identity") play the titular siblings, and they’re backed by a supporting cast that features Jonathan Pryce ("Brazil"), Mackenzie Crook ("Pirates of the Caribbean"), Monica Bellucci ("The Matrix Reloaded"), and Peter Stormare ("Fargo"). Widely admired filmmaker Terry Gilliam ("Time Bandits," "12 Monkeys") is directing from a screenplay written by Ehren Kruger ("Scream 3," "The Ring").
Sequels are not doing well this month as two weeks ago, critics gave a tepid response to "Be Cool," the sequel to "Get Shorty." This week, DreamWorks’ "The Ring Two," the second sequel released this month, receives a similar response. As in the case with "The Pacifier" where it served as counter-programming to "Be Cool," Disney opens another family comedy, "Ice Princess," to compete with "Ring Two." However, unlike the week "Be Cool" was released, where it was not a matter of which film critics like more, but rather which they dislike the least, there is a fresh movie to choose from this week.
Naomi Watts reprises her role in “The Ring Two,” the sequel to 2002’s surprise hit “The Ring.” The original US remake was directed by Gore Verbinski, who also directed the hugely popular “Pirates of the Caribbean.” It grossed a terrific $128.5M and scored a Fresh 73% on the Tomatometer. “The Ring” was based on the Japanese horror hit, “Ringu,” which was directed by Hideo Nakata. He also directed the sequel to the original Japanese release. After Gore Verbinski opted not to re-sign for the sequel to the American version, Dreamworks tapped the Japanese director to take the helm. And critics aren’t impressed. Although there are some genuinely terrifying moments, critics can’t get over the film’s absurd plot and lethargic pace. As of this writing, it has a tedious 34% on the Tomatometer.
In comparison, the Tomatometer for Hideo Nakata’s “Ringu” and its sequel “Ringu 2” are 93% and 0% respectively. Regarding the sequels, 35% is a whole lot better than 0%. The good thing about remaking a 0% movie is that it can’t be any worst, but why remake a 0% movie? Maybe that’s why Gore Verbinski bowed out.
Countering with a gentler film targeted at a different audience, Disney opens the inspirational family comedy “Ice Princess.” According to the production notes, a recent national survey found that ice-skating is the second most popular sport in America, behind football. Since they already made a critically and commercially successful football movie, “Remember the Titans,” Disney decides to try their luck with ice-skating. And at the time of this writing, they are again successful – at least on the critical front. Despite the trite story and misplaced morals, critics recommend the film based on the likable Michelle Trachtenberg and the film’s “good-spirited warmth.” It scored a Fresh 67% on the Tomatometer.
It’s the second week in a row that we have at least one Fresh movie. Last week, it was “Robots” with 64% on the Tomatometer. This week, it’s “Ice Princess” with 67%. It’s time for celebration.
A video featurette with featuring interviews with "The Ring Two" star Naomi Watts and director Hideo Nakata are now online. The film is a sequel to the 2002 horror hit, which itself is a remake of a popular Japanese film, directed by Nakata. The story involves Watts’ character’s attempt to escape the memories that have haunted her since the events of the first film; after moving away from Seattle, she quickly discovers that she cannot hide from the wrath of Samara.
