Halloween brings out the devil in Hollywood.
The industry can’t resist releasing horror movies around Oct. 31, but this fall features more than just another “Saw” entry.
Yes, actor Tobin Bell will start receiving unemployment checks should “Saw 3D” fail to turn the franchise around.
But the new “Saw” is the least likely film to scare us silly this fall.
* “Devil” (Sept. 17) What can be scarier than “from the mind of M. Night Shyamalan?” Well, this film could survive that dreaded tagline. Five people get stuck in an elevator and realize one of them might be the devil himself. Or herself. Let’s not assume gender rules apply to the Dark Lord. No-name cast. No budget to speak of and a pretty slick trailer.
* “My Soul to Take 3-D” (Oct. 8) Wes Craven returns to both embrace the latest tech fad and restake his claim to the horror genre. But the setup hardly gets my goosebumps going. A deceased serial killer vows to snuff out the seven children born on the same day he died. But could one of the seven, now grown, have the killer’s spirit within them? Yawn.
* “Let Me In” (Oct. 1) Yes, there’s no reason to remake the spooky import “Let the Right One In” about the sweet teen vampire. But the American version boasts director Matt Reeves, who delivered big time with “Cloverfield.” And the star is Chloe Moretz, the pint-size dynamo from “Kick-Ass.”
* “Skyline” (Nov. 12) The trailer offers just the right amount of tease – plus a defrocked news anchor cashing a paycheck. But this one has some mighty “District 9″ buzz, and, even though it’s more sci-fi than horror, it’s fair to include it in this shock list. But … the film comes from the Brothers Strause, the team responsible for “Alien vs. Predator: Requiem,” one of the worst films of the past decade.
* “Monsters” (Oct. 29) Aliens land in Mexico and suddenly half the country is in quarantine mode. What, is this “Machete 2″ with more immigration commentary? We’ll soon find out, but horror movies often thrive with the right balance of activism and active scares. And you can check it out early at home – it will appear on Video on Demand services Sept. 24.
* “Paranormal Activity 2” (Oct. 22) The lessons of “Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2″ still ring in movie-goers' ears – don’t make a sequel to a bottled lightning hit. But here they go again, trying to stretch a unique shocker into a franchise. And the trailer is just plain awful, providing nothing new for movie fans to savor.
* “Saw 3D” (Oct. 29) As inevitable as “Jersey Shore” stars letting fame to get to their heads. Please answer me this question – is it really scary for a pick ax, or saw, or any other sharp object, to appear as if it’s coming off the screen? Really?
-AH-
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