Horror Takes the 1 & 2 Spots at the Box Office

I thought, for sure, that "Saw 3D" was going to disappoint. With "Paranormal Activity 2" storming into the theaters last week, I was positive that it would win the week again and the entire "Saw" franchise would go out with a pathetic wimper... well, it didn't. It didn't put up Paranormal 2 numbers, but it did yank in around $22.5Million and win the weekend. "Paranormal Activity 2" dropped almost 60%, to $16.5Million and "Red" was third. "Jackass 3D" held fairly strong at almost $8.5Million and came in 4th. Sure, it's Halloween and everyone's looking to check out scary films, but it's great to see horror take the number one and two spots. Funny that they're both sequels, though. I guess that doesn't bode well for us aspiring screenwriters, huh? Once again, the only successful horror films are sequels, franchises and stories with built in audiences. Sweet. Anyhow, let's take a closer look at "Saw 3D".

There are definitely a few things to note about this release. It is, supposedly, the last installment in the series, it's in 3D and the marketing of the film didn't even mention the story or plot of the rest of the "Saw" franchise. Did you notice that? Basically, it just showed the "Saw" logo, mentioned that it was the "final chapter" and then promoted the crap out of the fact that it's in 3D. Generally speaking, one could assume that that means that they weren't looking to attract a new audience... they just wanted people who've seen the other "Saw" films. Juxtapose that with "Paranormal Activity 2", where they mentioned the previous film and discussed the plot. Truth be told, "Paranormal 2" had the leg up going into this little battle. They were the surprise hit of last year and everyone and their dog knew about the film and, on the other side, "Saw" was on its 6th film last year and that film sucked ass... tough mountain for "Saw" to climb going in to this year, but it did overcome. It won the weekend and did it respectfully. Way to save the franchise, 3D technology.

So, horror's one and two this week. Great. However, we all know that horror's domination won't last for long. There are three films set for wide release on Friday, none of which will interest the horror hounds. You have "Due Date", "For Colored Girls" and "Megamind". Really, the next film that may be of interest comes out on November 12th, which is the alien invasion film, "Skyline". Even though it may be of interest to genre fans, it may get slaughtered at the box office... I don't know, we'll have to wait and see. I hope it doesn't because I've been calling for a resurgence in alien films for a while... and I'm currently starting up on a sci-fi related script. "Skyline" is a huge underdog, but I'll be rooting for it.

So, no surprise, tomorrow brings a thin week for horror on DVD, but there are some good looking indie's coming out. So, stay tuned...

Our Halloween Picks and What's New In Horror This Week

It's the week before Halloween... well, really, it's just a few days before Halloween and it's your last chance to pick up some new horror and guess what? There's not really anything new to report... not that you would get it in time, but whatever. Either way, last week was good, but this week definitely leaves something to be desired. So, while you can pick up "Lake Placid 3", "The Bisbee Cannibal Club", "Lynch Mob" or "Eulogy for a Vampire" this week, I'm going to take the opportunity to suggest a few personal Halloween picks, just for you. Pick 'em up on Amazon by clicking on the title or just go rent them...

Let's start off with "Trick 'r Treat". It's an obvious choice and although it's probably not in the "classic" section or anything, it's definitely underrated and has been overlooked by everyone from audiences to the studio since it came out. Next up, personally, I think Kevin Tenney's "Night of the Demons" IS a classic and it does take place on Halloween - 10 teens end up at a party and awaken evil demonic forces. Next, let's not forget about the cult classic from Lucky Mckee, "May", where May tries to build a new friend out of parts from her other friends, which is awesome. It does have a large scene that takes place on Halloween... so it qualifies. "Ginger Snaps", the werewolf teen horror flick, is another little film that tends to get overlooked and it has a great scene that takes place on Halloween. You know, looking back, fans of "Twilight" that are looking for something a little more edgy and gory may like "Ginger Snaps". If you qualify, make sure you pick it up. Finally, I don't want to pick the original "Halloween", so I'll pick "Halloween 4 - The Return of Michael Myers"... I've got a soft spot for it, always liked it.

Now, I'll quickly go over the new releases of the week...

I'll admit, "Lake Placid 3" does have decent cover art, but considering that "Lake Placid 2", with John Schneider, was kinda shitty, I don't expect much here. A swarm of gigantic crocodiles terrorizes a secluded country lake...

"The Bisbee Cannibal Club" showed up on Amazon last week, but disappeared... now, it's back. And, like I said last week, I am pretty excited to check it out. I received a box of films from the distributor, Chemical Burn Entertainment and Reality Media, and this is the first to be released. I should be reporting back on a few of them soon.

"Lynch Mob" takes place in Lynchburg, Georgia and a century-old curse is condemning the citizens to a diet of human flesh. To quote the box art, "if you see one mafia, cannibal zombie horror film this year, make sure it's "Lynch Mob"."

It's definitely not going to be for everyone, as "Eulogy for a Vampire" is a gay horror, but if you're interested... it's about a young drifter that's found unconscious by a monastery, then seduces all the monks into joining his league of the undead.

Horror Kicks Ass at the Box Office

Honestly, I didn't see that coming. In fact, I don't think anyone did. "Paranormal Activity 2" delivered. Not only did it deliver, it won the weekend with ease. Further, it drew North of $40Million, which makes it the highest-grossing opening for a supernatural horror film... ever. "Hereafter" was the only other film to open this weekend and it didn't do quite as well. With all due respect to Clint Eastwood, Paranormal 2 will probably flicker out fairly quick and "Hereafter" will stick around for a while. Sure, they're both supernatural films, but they're completely different audiences. Parents are going to "Hereafter", their kids are going to "Paranormal 2". In any case, let's take a closer look at Paranormal 2...

When it was announced, I thought we were going to have another Blair Witch 2 on our hands, I really did. Now, why didn't we? I think there's a couple of things to look at, the first being the most obvious - "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2" sucked. No question, it was just bad. Having said that, that doesn't necessarily mean it should open as poorly as it did. As we all know, bad movies can open well. What I think is the most intriguing thing is that "Blair Witch" abandoned it's 'found footage' look when it came to the sequel. They put a decent budget behind it, around $15Million, and went out and made a traditional film, based on the original. Juxtapose that with "Paranormal Activity 2", where they kept with the 'found footage' style, as the sequel revolves around a family that sets up security cameras because they think they're experiencing a bunch of break-ins, and they kept the budget low. Paranormal 2 only cost $3Million to make. Morale of the story? Even though you can do more, sometimes you should just stick with what works... or, in this case, what worked. The good news for us indie filmmakers is, this is a style that's now worked for various films and it's a look that you can easily emulate on a meagre budget. As long as 'found footage' films and horror mock-docs sell, micro-cinema filmmakers have something to hang their hat on.

Now, next week brings the opposite side of the spectrum, when "Saw 3D" comes out. The original "Saw" was a small film, but its now spawned a mind-blowing 7 installments. The last few have been a bit lack-lustre, but they're hoping to reboot the franchise with an all-out 3D version. Also interesting to note that Cary Elwes is back... I'm not sure in what capacity, though.

I'll look forward to seeing how it does. Until then, enjoy Halloween week! Always a good week for horror fans...