Most Anticipated Horror Films of 2016

It's time for our second Most Anticipated list for 2016, where I'll talk about some of the biggest films of different genres arriving this year and why you should plan to see them. Our first segment, Most Anticipated Comic Book Films of 2016, included the highly popular Deadpool falling in second place. Today, we are going to cover the darker side of the film world, and I'm not talking about Star Wars. Now lets get started with Crave Cinemas most anticipated horror films of 2016!!

Photo credit: Pimthida via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

#5 - The Strangers 2

In 2008, a horror film hit the screen by the name of The Strangers. The film was made on a $9 million dollar budget and continued on to accrue over $80 million in the box office. The film was another one of those "inspired by true events" types. While the film received mixed views, many thought of it as an intense psychological thriller. The story follows Kristen McKay (Liv Tyler) and James Hoyt (Scott Speedman) visiting a vacation home. After McKay rejected Hoyts proposal for marriage, an emotionally hurt Hoyt heads out to buy cigarettes. From this point random masked visitors stop by and cause terror on the couple, threatening them mentally and physically. This year, a sequel to this high tensity film will be released. Tyler will appear in the film in a minor role, and the same three masked murderers will return in the film to terrorize a family of four who have recently been evicted from their home. The scariest enemies are the ones with no motive, and you can encounter the strangers yourself on December 2nd, 2016!

© 2008 - Universal Studios

#4 - The Other Side of the Door

Unlike The Strangers 2, the next film on our list is an original piece. As with many horror films, the terror takes off with the loss of a loved one. When a family loses their youngest son, the mother learns of an ancient ritual that will allow her to speak to him one last time before letting go. The family previous traveled a lot together and lived abroad, meaning these types of rituals and crazy places are somewhat normal for this family. The mother travels to a temple where she finds a door that is an apparent portal between the worlds of the living and the dead. When the mother decides to open the door, things go terribly awry. The film appears as one of those visually cringing movies, causing you to be terrified more by the sights you see than the things you don't. Find out for yourself what lies on the other side of the door March 4th, 2016. View the trailer here.

© 2016 - Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

#3 - Rings

First it was the Japanese horror film Ringu, then the successful American remake The Ring. Eventually, a sequel followed by the name of The Ring Two. In 2016, the next installment in the American Ring franchise will be released. The 2002 film, The Ring, told the story of people who would die soon after watching a horrific video tape that was place in a cabin which was frequently rented out. Viewers would receive a phone call after finishing the tape that would say "Seven Days", telling them how much longer they have left to live. The sequel, The Ring Two, was released in 2005 with a similar story and the same family involved. 11 years later, we finally get to see what the creative team has up their sleeve next for this series. In Rings, the story will follow a girl named Julia who goes to visit her boyfriend Holt, who has become distant after people in his college passed around the legendary tape. Where the tape goes, death surely follows. It'll be interesting to see what new information we can find out about this tape in the new film. Get your VHS players out, and be ready to watch Rings on October 28th, 2016!

© 2002 - DreamWorks Pictures

#2 - Before I Wake

The upcoming 2016 film, Before I Wake, is about an orphaned boy whose dreams become reality. Unfortunately for his parents, so do his nightmare. In a concept similar to that of the Insidious series, this film has the potential to be one of those stories that begins intriguingly before it goes horribly wrong. In the trailer you will notice the boys parents being fascinated before being terrified. With a lead case of Kate Bosworth and Thomas Jane, Before I Wake is another original horror film that has the chance of being especially terrifying considering you don't know what horrors are going to creep into reality each and every night. On top of this, the more the family scares the boy, the more nightmares he is going to create. Jump into your deepest nightmares on April 8th, 2016! View the trailer here.

© 2016 - Photo Credit James Bridges

#1 - The Conjuring 2

In 2013, one of the most terrifying films of the past decade was released by the name of The Conjuring. The film even went on to produce a spinoff called Annabelle. Both films have garnered high praise from critics, with The Conjuring being called one of the best horror films in our generation. The first film tells the story of a family that moves into a house horribly haunted by past spirits. In true ghost story fashion, the film doesn't just visually frighten you, it tears your mind apart. The family relies on the help of the Warrens, a couple who teaches about and facilitates paranormal activities. In the sequel, the Warrens will return and this time, they get to investigate activity in England at a council house in Enfield. With the original creative team mostly returning, it is said that lot of effort has been placed on this film to make it just as terrifying as the first film. See what horrors they can conjure up on June 10th, 2016! View the trailer here.

© 2016 - New Line Cinema

This year is looking to be filled with many exciting horror films in its headlights. Not only will there be returning sequels of some highly anticipated series from years past, but some original gems of horror which will hopefully terrify. The concept of horror is one of the most difficult to implement. There tend to be more duds than successes, but fortunately theres a lot of talent coming to the screen this year so the odds are in our favor. Get ready to be scared all of 2016, and as always, continue to crave horror and Crave Cinema!

These films didn't make our list, but also arrive this year. Check out our honorable mentions:
10 Cloverfield Lane, The Purge: Election Year, Amityville: The Awakening

Actor Highlight: Leonardo DiCaprio

Many actors in Hollywood have lavish and amazing careers. Some actors have big breakthroughs that launch their platforms in the film world, and other will fall to the wayside. The 41 year old actor Leonardo DiCaprio has painted the film world every color in his career, delivering performances which seem to continuously prove the actors strength on the screen. Having won three Golden Globe awards, two Critics' Choice Awards and a medley of others, the actor has been paving a career directly towards the Academy Awards and that final Oscar trophy. These awards would not come without warrant, this actor is extremely talented and works difficultly for what he has achieved. Recently, he is gaining extreme attention for his grand performance in the film, The Revenant. Today, I am going to cover five of Leonardo DiCaprio's stand out films in our Crave Cinema: Actor Highlight.

AP Images/Invision

Blood Diamond

In 2006, DiCaprio alongside Jennifer Connelly and Dijmon Hounsou starred in the film Blood Diamond. In comparison to other films by the actor, this one was not as much of an instant success. Regardless, Blood Diamond is a favorable choice of the actors films for many fans. The film is set during the Sierra Leone Civil War. The Revolutionary United Front would consistently terrorize the area, taking children hostage and turning them into rebels themselves, equipping them with weapons. DiCaprio plays a character named Danny Archer who overhears of a rare diamond by a man named Solomon Vandy. Vandy's son was taken by him during RUF sieges, and agrees to help Archer if he helps him find his son. Throughout the journey the men take, accompanied by the support of journalist Maddy Bowen, Archer finds himself on a life changing and dangerous path to redemption. DiCaprio put on an amazing performance, perfecting the accent of the Rhodesian character Danny Archer, whose journey was especially revolutionary. If you have yet to see this film from the DiCaprio vault, I would suggest checking it out.

Photo by Jaap Buitendijk - © 2006 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.& Virtual Studios

The Wolf of Wall Street

Seven years after his film Blood Diamond was released, DiCaprio debuted in a new film that went on to become the critical success many of you might know as The Wolf of Wall Street. The film received many Academy Award nominations but did not win any of them. Fortunately, the actor won another Golden Globe for his performance in this film. The movie tells the story of Jordan Belfort, a man who goes from Wall Street stockbroker. After learning the success of scamming, Belfort alongside partner Donnie Azoff, played by Jonah Hill, go on to open their own company. The film plays on, telling the story of the successful men and their corrupt company. Set on a journey of luxurious money spending with frequent drug use, Belfort can only dodge the FBI so long in his schemes. The film garnered many positive reviews, and plays out in a way that you can pull your eyes from the screen. This is not only a great DiCaprio film, but a film simply not to be missed in general.

Photo by Mary Cybulski - © 2013 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Titanic

Considered DiCaprio's breakthrough role, it is hard to exclude Titanic from mention of the actors selection. The film was released nearly 20 years ago in 1997. DiCaprio stars as Jack Dawson, a poor man from Wisconsin who wins his tickets on the trip of a lifetime, the debut of the Titanic ship. On the ship, he meets and falls in love with Rose Bukater, a rich daughter from Philadelphia. In true fashion, the film tells the story of the two who fall in love when they shouldn't, on the glorious backdrop of the Titanic sailing the Atlantic. The two encounter issues when Rose's family puts in all effort to keep them apart. Of course, the ship sees a fate that will truly place a wedge in the love story. Filled with moments and lines that will go down in classic film history, this is one of those movies that you simply have to see, no matter what. Not only is DiCaprio's performance one of his best he will ever reveal, but the story is told beautifully and directed by legendary and prolific director James Cameron who later goes on to create the extremely successful Avatar film. If you haven't seen this, I'm sure you will.

Photo by Merie Weismiller - © 2011 Paramount Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox. All Rights Reserved.

That's all we have today on our Actor Highlight, but before we conclude I will leave you with a list of honorable mentions for the actors film slate. Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the most iconic actors of our generation, and if you haven't heard of him, chances are you will. Please feel free to comment on other films you think the actor was noteworthy in, and as usual, don't forget to Crave Cinema!

Honorable Mention

• The Revenant
• Inception
• The Great Gatsby
• J. Edgar
• Django Unchained
• Shutter Island
• The Aviator
• Gangs of New York
• Catch Me If You Can
• The Beach

The Truth Behind "10 Cloverfield Lane"

On March 11th, 2016 the truth behind 10 Cloverfield Lane will finally be revealed. There is a history behind this film that is very unusual in comparison to other films production schedules. First off, what is 10 Cloverfield Lane?

© 2016 Paramount

The History of Cloverfield

 In 2008, producer J.J. Abrams and director Matt Reeves secretly began filming a found footage monster movie. They wanted to keep it as quiet as possible, going as far as to call it "01-18-08" before revealing the actual film title. In fact, the actors were even kept out of the loop on most of the script, and the actors they hired were mostly unfamiliar faces at the time. Through months of successful viral marketing, Cloverfield was released to find success. With a budget of simply $25 million, the Cloverfield creature had grown into a modern day American movie monster on par with the likes of Godzilla and King Kong. Most think that the Cloverfield monster was actually more terrifying then its compared companions. After the end of the film, questions were raised about whether the monster was still alive, or how many monsters may have actually appeared. This is where the 10 Cloverfield Lane comes into play.

© 2008 Paramount

Just to cover some ground on how this monster came to be in New York, the viral marketing reveals that the creature emerged from an oil rig in the ocean that had exploded. Now if you follow the viral clips down to every clip and scene, you will see in the background of a video some object (thought to be a satellite) falling from the sky into this oil rig, thus awakening the monster. This is the closest we get to "theorizing" a solution of where the monster came from. Either way, however it came to arrive, the monster ended up being even more terrifying in lack of understanding for its origin.

 © 2008 Paramount

The Follow Up, 10 Cloverfield Lane

Flash forward eight years, after on and off talk of some sort of sequel existing in the Cloverfield universe to get more understanding for this monster film, 10 Cloverfield Lane was revealed out of the clear blue. Originally a low budget script placed on a Hit List in 2012, the original story was to be called The Cellar. The film is based entirely around three characters coinciding in a bunker below ground. The actors portraying these characters are Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman and John Gallagher, Jr. whom all appear to have been thrown together amidst apocalyptic chaos. The main character, played by Winstead, comes to wake up in this bunker, confused as to why she is there. After being told by Goodman's character that the world above is an apocalyptic wasteland, she must decide if he is telling the truth or not.

© 2016 Paramount

First and foremost, it was mentioned during production they came up with the idea to place this in the same world as the original Cloverfield film. Commonly, this method is used to bring in more financial gain for a low budget film. Fortunately, the fact that this was decided during production and not after is a positive sign about the story intertwining in the Cloverfield world much more fluently. Viral marketing for the first film used a mock website for a company which somehow had involvement of the releasing of the monster. The website for a fictional company called Tagruato Corp. had been the creators of the oil rig that was destroyed in the initial release of the monster(s). The website has once again been updated after all these years to reveal information for 10 Cloverfield Lane. On this "Employee of the Month" page on the viral site, Goodman's character can be seen under the name Howard Stambler. It can easily be assumed his involvement in the company gives him a deeper understanding on whats happening with these monsters and why he has ended up in this bunker, terrified at the world outside.

© 2008 Paramount

Writers Theory

Now that we've covered most of the basis for what to expect in this film, that last topic I will talk about is how this film could 'theoretically' tie into the first film. Using the trailers from both films I will give you a break down of what happens. If you look below, you can view the trailer from the first Cloverfield film. After that, the trailer for 10 Cloverfield Lane. In the first trailer, you will notice at the 50 second mark an explosion in New York city behind the main characters on the roof. Note the roar from the creature. This is the first sign of chaos caused from the monster. The second trailer below, at the 10 second mark, reveals a similar explosion behind a house with the same threatening roar. My theory, is that 10 Cloverfield Lane is some form of a prequel, with its final sequence highlighting the attack of the monster from the beginning of the first film. Alternatively, this could take place years after the first film when the creature(s) have taken over the world in general. With movies like this, its hard to truly know who, what, where, when and how.

Of course, this is just a theory. Producer J.J Abrams loves these sorts of little clues, connections and viral hints. Cloverfield films likely are the type of films to have 'easter eggs' hidden throughout. Either way, on March 11th, well know the truth behind 10 Cloverfield Lane. I encourage you all to watch the original film once again, one of the best slow revealing monster movies of the past decade. Once again, thank you for checking out our article and of course, don't forget to Crave Cinema!

© 2016 Paramount

Zoolander No. 2 & Company

Le Tigre, Blue Steel & Magnum. What do they all have in common? These are all signature looks from the legendary male model Derek Zoolander. In less than a week, the long awaited sequel to Zoolander will be among us. Just what is it about this film that has it finally coming to fruition. Today, I will be talking about the history that brought this film together as well as some of the legendary comedians making appearances throughout the film!

Photo credit: Philippe Antonello - 2015 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

15 years ago, Zoolander pushed the boundaries of the fashion industry in many different ways. The film was in no means a box office hit, but it was generally well received. In theaters, the film only doubled the its budget making a little over 60 million dollars. Somehow, this film has finally pushed through to develop a sequel. All the way back in 2008, Ben Stiller mentioned trying to get the sequel off the ground and into development. Between 2011 and 2013 multiple actors mentioned their desire to return and by 2014 the powers that be put the production into motion.

The original film features many celebrity appearances including the late David Bowie. Zooland No. 2 will continue this tradition fashionably with many prolific actors and comedians making appearances. Besides Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Will Ferrel lets see who will be making an appearance in this highly anticipated sequel.

Penelope Cruz & Kristen Wiig

In the sequel, Penelope Cruz will play a character named Melanie Valentina. She appears to be the 'partner' or 'love interest', maybe both, of either Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) or Hansel McDonald (Owen Wilson). While Cruz may not frequently act in comedies, some of her notable past works include Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides, Vanilla Sky & Blow. On the other hand, Kristen Wiig portrays a character named Alexanya Atoz. The character appears to be the love interest of fashion supervillian Jacobim Mugatu, played by Will Ferrell. Unlike Cruz, Wiig's background is focused heavily in the comedy world, appearing in films such as Anchorman 2, Bridesmaids, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Knocked Up & many more. Notable mention to Christine Taylor returning as Matilda Jeffries, the love interest of both Derek and Hansel in the first film.

Photo credit: Wilson Webb - © 2015 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Kanye West & Kim Kardashian

The very media centric celebrities Kanye West & Kim Kardashian will be making appearances as a couple named August and Trinitee Campbell. Kanye West is slowly expanding his film credits making previous appearances in comedies Anchorman 2 and The Love Guru. Kim Kardashian has made appearances in three films before, this most likely being her largest impression in the film world yet. It is not yet known how these actors will intertwine to the films storyline, or even if their roles will be large ones.

Photo by Christopher Polk - © 2012 Getty Images - Image courtesy gettyimages.com 

Milla Jovovich & Billy Zane

Two people returning from the first film who deserve recognition include Milla Jovovich & Billy Zane. In the first film, Billy Zane plays himself but also a close friend in the fashion world of Derek Zoolander. It is important to know Zoolander has another good friend in his corner this trip around besides Hansel alone. On the other hand, Jovovich returns as Katinka Ingabgovinanana, one of the films henchman for the villain Mugatu.

Photo credit: © 2015 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Honorable Mention

Many other celebrities will be making an appearance in this film that have not yet been mentioned, albeit in smaller capacities. Models in the film are being assassinated by an unknown villain, and these celebrities include Justin Bieber, Lenny Kravitz, Usher, Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato. Other notable celebrities appearing in this movie include ASAP Rocky, Skrillex, Mika, Ariana Grande, Jourdan Dunn & Lewis Hamiliton. With more cameos likely to arise, this film is shaping up to be a worthy follow up to its original.

Photo by Serge Arnal - © 2016 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Overall, this film sums up as a celebrity induced fashion coma with the IQ of an infant. Most fans wouldn't want it any other way. You can finally see the long awaited sequel, Zoolander No. 2, in theaters next week on February 12th, 2016! After all, there's a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking and that includes enjoy movies. Don't forget to keep up with us each week and continue to Crave Cinema!

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