Halloween is just around the corner, which means it’s time for ghosts, monsters and masked killers to take up residence at your local cinema.
Horror is the seventh-highest grossing film genre, and accounts for only 4 percent of the total gross of the box office. But that may be because there are far fewer horror movies released throughout the year than any other genre. Until October, that is.
With Halloween now only a couple of weeks away, horror films are making their annual pilgrimage to theaters beginning this weekend. Here are four that are expected to get attention from the scare-me set:
Goosebumps
Release Date: Oct. 16
In this live action take on the classic young adult series, Goosebumps author R.L Stine (Jack Black) is haunted by the characters he writes about, like Slappy the Dummy, Monster Blood and the Haunted Mask. To protect the world from their terror, he keeps them locked away in his books. But when his teenage son Zach (Dylan Minnette) accidentally unleashes them, the monsters run amok in the town.
With a PG rating, the movie is more family-oriented than horror, with a fair amount of humor, but fans of the classic series will appreciate seeing these monsters come alive on screen. IMDB predicts the film will gross $35.6 million over its opening weekend.
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension
Release Date: Oct. 23
The first “Paranormal Activity” movie was released in 2009, and to date the five movies in the series have grossed over $811 million worldwide. In its opening weekend, the most recent film of the series, “Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones,” earned $90 million worldwide at the box office.
The sixth and reportedly final movie in the franchise, “The Ghost Dimension,” is set in Palo Alto, California. Continuing the found footage approach of the series, a family discovers an old video camera in their home, and when they watch it, accidentally unleash supernatural phenomena.
Despite less than stellar reviews, the series continues to earn big at the box office, probably because the films deliver plenty of jump-out-of-your seat moments. "Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension" is rated R.
Paramount is predicting an $11 million opening weekend for the film.
Bastard
Release Date: Oct. 16 (Limited, VOD)
An independent production, “Bastard” has everything a horror enthusiast could want: serial killers, a remote mountain town, and, of course, a masked murderer.
The story follows five strangers running from a masked murderer who may be a member of their group. The film will only be released in eleven theaters over the weekend, but it’s also available via video on demand (iTunes and Amazon, for example). The film is rated R for violence, gore and nudity.
Crimson Peak
Release Date: Oct. 16, 2015
Directed by Guillermo del Toro, “Crimson Peak” takes place in 19th-century England and follows the story of writer Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) who falls in love and marries a mysterious stranger (Tom Hiddleston). After moving into his home, Cushing discovers her husband and his sister (Jessica Chastain) are hiding a dark secret about the house itself.
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With an A-list cast and director at its helm, the movie has been one of the most anticipated horror films of the year, and seems to promise a gratifying mix of romance, horror, and beautiful cinematography: something that should appeal to classic film aficionados and horror fans alike. The film is expected to gross $18 million to $20 million in its opening weekend, according to the Deadline website.
