2012 Movie Goodness
December 21, 2012 -the end of the Mayan calendar and the predicted end of the world. Well at least we get almost a full year of new movies before the impending doom. Doom, doom, doomdy doom. So I previously did my personal favourite of 2011 (short and disappointing list as it was for movies) and now here is what I am looking forward to for 2012. This is just movies that I have heard of thus far. I’m sure there will be more announced as the year starts. First up…
The Cabin in the Woods – http://discoverthecabininthewoods.com/ – Friday April 13, 2012 – Thor!!! in 2009 before he was Thor! Chris Hemsworth is listed as one of the stars of this horror movie about a group of friends who head to a cabin in the woods for relaxation and party time but there is more going on, something sinister and unexpected awaits the group. This looks like the usual slasher movie but if you watch the trailers, there’s something different going on, a more psychological mind f**k perhaps. Written and produced (according to IMDB and cabininthewoods.com) by Joss Whedon, this seems to be a different type of horror movie which hopefully doesn’t reveal all of the good stuff in the trailer. This is top of my list for what I’m looking forward to and I have high hopes that this will be the good scare of the year.
Update: I have read reviews on this movie, which opens today, and I am not impressed by what I am reading. It has been very poorly received thus far. If I do decide to try it (not looking likely that I will waste my time or money) I will publish a review. The Devil Inside – January 6, 2012 – A young women becomes involved in exorcisms while trying to find answers as to why her Mother killed 3 people 20 years earlier. This looks like an interesting exorcism tale but so did The Rite and that was not good. While I did not like The Rite, I hope this will redeem the exorcism genre with something actually unnerving and intelligent.
Underworld: Awakening – January 20, 2012 – The 4th film in the Underworld series and the return of Selene (Kate Beckinsale) as the lead. Hmm…I’m skeptical of this one; I did like the first two and the third was ok, so I will give it a shot. Selene was imprisoned sometime after the last movie ended pregnant with a hybrid vampire/werewolf child. Some years later she is released from imprisonment in time for a battle between the supernatural creatures and humans. And her child? I guess we’ll have to watch it to see what happens.
The Woman in Black – February 3, 2012 – Somewhat based on the story written by Susan Hill, The Woman in Black finds Harry, I mean Daniel Radcliffe, as Arthur Kipps, a widowed lawyer whose grief has put his career in jeopardy. Kipps is sent to a village to settle the estate of a recently deceased eccentric citizen but also encounters the spirit of vengeful ghost. I saw a play based on this story many years ago in our own local haunted playhouse and I really enjoyed it. I hope the movie gives the same level of scares and jumps that the live version provided.
The Innkeepers – February 3, 2012 – On demand December 30, 2011 (not in Canada of course) – A film by Ti West who is responsible for The House of the Devil (good movie but requires a second viewing) and the terrible Cabin Fever 2. A hundred year old hotel is shutting down and the two last remaining employees are trying to uncover proof that the inn is haunted. As the closing date draws closer, they begin to experience paranormal events. Another ghost story but in a different manner. It shows promise from the trailer of being a good scare but we’ll see. This counts as a 2012 pic since it won’t be available to view in Canada until then.
Update: This has now been postponed until January 11, 2013 as reported on /Film. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters – March 2, 2012 – 15 years after their traumatic gingerbread-house incident, siblings Hansel and Gretel have become a formidable team of bounty hunters who track and kill witches all over the world. (from IMDB) Wow, this does sound hokey but it also looks kind of kick ass in a cheesy way.
The Avengers – May 4, 2012 – Thor! Chris Hemsworth for a second appearance and all the other Avengers – Iron Man, The Hulk, Captain America and the rest. What an amalgamation of superheroes and other comic book characters associated with them. The possibility of Thor shirtless is slim but I’ll get through.
The Dark Knight Rises – July 20, 2012 – Christian Bale returns as Bruce Wayne/Batman after the death of Rachel and his exile from the spotlight and Gotham City. I really don’t know what else the movie is about but the first 2 were good and Bale does make a good Batman and Tom Hardy is pretty cool (watch Bronson).
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – December 14, 2012 – The prequel to The Fellowship of the Ring. The trailer has been released and there’s really not much to say other than – nasty little hobbits…
World War Z – December 21, 2012 – Based on the book of the same name by Max Brooks. Zombies and the pre/post apocalypse with Brad Pitt? High hopes for this one but we’ll see if we make it past movie start times on Doomsday.
John Dies at the End – release date unknown but hopefully it will be 2012. Based on the book of the same name by David Wong. How to explain…two regular guys inadvertently stumble across a mind altering, dimension rifting drug and many strange things take place. Bizarre book and hopefully the movie is just as weird.
Odd Thomas – release date unknown -2012? Number 5 on the list for movies based on books. I really like this book about a young fry cook in the middle of the desert with the gift or curse of being able to commune with the dead/ghosts. Starring Anton Yelchin as Odd, another book I liked and hope will be a good movie adaptation. Dean Koontz seems to have the same movie record as Stephen King, so that might not be good. Fingers crossed…
Watchable movies but maybe not in theatres: The Grey – January 27, 2012, The Raven – March 9, 2012, Prometheus – June 8, 2012, Dredd – September 21, 2012
Dawning Creates 