It’s hard to believe that 2013 is already over. I don’t know about y’all, but it feels like it flew by for me. I just graduated from college, and now I’m on to bigger and better things. I hope that whatever you guys have planned for 2014, I wish all of you the best of luck in your endeavors. It’s a new year, and everyone gets a chance to start over. Okay, before I turn this post into an episode of Oprah, let’s move on. There’s a ton of exciting horror films being released in this year! Read on, and let me know which films are on your “must watch” list for 2014!
Beyond Outrage/Autoreiji: Biyondo
Takeshi Kitano, star of Battle Royale, is back with Beyond Outrage, an action-packed film that Kitano wrote and directed himself. In the feature, the Japanese police force set harsher penalties for organized crime, sparking a war between the Hanabishi on the west side, and the Sanno on the east side. This flick is out now, so check Magnet Releasing’s website to see if it’s playing near you, or watch it on iTunes, or OnDemand!
All Cheerleaders Die
Lucky McKee is known for his female-centric horror films, such as The Woman and May, so it comes as no surprise that his newest film focuses on a group of girls exacting revenge. This time, the story centers around a cheerleading squad, and the vengeance they act out on the boys who took their lives. McKee hasn’t announced an exact release date yet, but hopefully, this flick will hit theaters sometime in 2014.
The Raid 2: Berandal
If you’ve seen Gareth Evans’s The Raid, then you know that he portrays some of the most exciting martial arts on film in recent memory. I’m absolutely thrilled about the news of his second installment in the franchise, which is simply titled The Raid 2: Berandal. Although the exact plot has not been announced yet, the story is said to pick up two hours after the first movie ended. This film is set to release on March 28th, 2014.
R100
This film has been on the festival circuit for months, but has yet to announce limited theater screenings in America, or a DVD release. Hopefully it’ll become more available in 2014, because it is a real genre gem. In the film, a man joins a S&M club when the pressure of raising his son and tending to his comatose wife proves to be too much to bear. Looking to find a little joy and try a new experience, the man soon finds that he signed up for more than he bargained for. This hilarious feature from director Hitoshi Matsumoto takes a brave inquiry into a forbidden world, while at the same time, poking fun at the Japanese rating system.
Horns
Son of Stephen King and writer of the beloved Locke & Key graphic novel series, writer Joe Hill’s novel Horns is being adapted into a film. Starring Daniel Radcliffe as Ig Perrish, this film tells the story of a man who mysteriously wakes up with horns growing out of his head, shortly after the death of his girlfriend. Horns was supposed to come out last year, but hopefully, we’ll all see the latest adaptation of Hill’s work sometime this year.
The Sacrament
Director Ti West (The Innkeepers, House of the Devil) is back with arguably his strongest piece of work yet. The Sacrament is based on the infamous Jamestown incident, told in a documentary style of filmmaking. Starring AJ Bowen and Joe Swanberg, the tale is told from the viewpoint of a VICE news crew, who infiltrate an off-the-map community led by a man who calls himself “Father”. I caught this film at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, and was thoroughly impressed. The Sacrament shows how something as optimistic and powerful as religion can be misused for evil when its in the wrong hands. Set to release on May 1st, 2014, Ti West’s newest feature is definitely worth watching.
Big Bad Wolves
When a distraught father tries to find the man who killed his daughter, he will go to any length to recover the truth, even if it means capturing and torturing a suspect. Straight out of Israel, Big Bad Wolves is hitting limited release in the U.S. on January 17th, 2014.
Cheap Thrills
When Craig (Pat Healy) started his day with an eviction notice and a job termination, he thought it was the end of the road. How would he support his wife and newborn baby? How would they survive? That’s where Vince (Ethan Embry) comes in. After the two long lost friends run into each other at a local pub, they are invited to play a series of games by a couple sitting nearby. The couple, known as Violet and Colin, tell Craig and Vince that for each dare they challenge the men to, they will reward their sinister behavior with various amounts of cash. Although reluctant at first, the friends agree to participate in their strange games, and find that they are willing to go farther than they ever thought possible for the right price. Cheap Thrills has received much praise already at festivals including SXSW and Fantastic Fest. Look for it at a theater near you starting March 21st, 2014.
Nurse 3D
Abby Russell is no ordinary nurse. She may make a living healing people, but she gets her kicks by hurting those she deems worthy of punishment — cheating men. Starring Paz de la Huerta and Katrina Bowden, this raunchy slasher shows how some women prefer to use their sexuality for more sinister reasons. Look for Nurse 3D sometime in 2014!
Devil’s Due
Newlyweds Zach and Samantha McCall are starting to suspect the worst about their unborn baby. After a strange, vague night on their honeymoon, the couple begin to experience paranormal activity, and Mrs. McCall undergoes unusual physical changes. As time goes on, it becomes apparent that there’s a darker force at work within the mother’s womb. Devil’s Due is being released upon the world on January 17th, 2014.
We Are What We Are
A remake of a Mexican film by the same name, We Are What We Are is a highly esteemed film about a very private family named the Parkers, and the secrets that lie within their household. This film has been making the rounds at festivals around the globe, including Fantastic Fest in Texas, the Cannes Film Festival in France, and Toronto After Dark festival in Canada. Hopefully a limited release will be announced in the states soon in 2014.
Witching and Bitching/Las Brujas De Zugarramurdi
Here’s a film that I’m sorry I missed at Fantastic Fest. Although I didn’t see it myself, I’ve heard nothing but praise about Witching and Bitching, with many people saying that they laughed the whole way through the film. In the movie, a group of thieves’ plans are disrupted, causing them to retreat to a nearby town in a quiet corner in Spain. They may have escaped the law, but the men soon find that their troubles are only beginning when they come face to face with a coven of witches. Look for this flick at a theater near you in 2014.
