Horror films and thrillers continue to make their way to the box office. Some of this week’s new releases also have a comedic twist, making the scary seem funny. For those who yearn for the horror films of yesterday, a revamped classic is now in theaters.
A teen, ridiculed by her classmates, wreaks havoc at her high school prom in Carrie. After discovering she possesses the powers of telekinesis, a sheltered girl is brought to the brink by her schoolmates causing her to use her powers for evil. The one hour and thirty-nine minute film is a retelling of 1976 horror classic based on Stephen King’s first novel. The horror film stars Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore. It’s rated R for violence, language and sex.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone join forces in Escape Plan. Imprisoned at what is considered the world’s most secure facility, a wrongly charged inmate convinces a fellow prisoner to help him hatch a plan to break through the highly protected walls. Jim Caviezel, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and Vincent D'Onofrio co-star in the one hour and fifty-six minute action thriller. It’s rated R for violence and language.
The morality of exposing secrets is questioned in The Fifth Estate. The two hour and eight minute drama is based on the real story behind the WikiLeaks scandal that broke news and released classified government information on the web. It shows the rise and fall of the controversial website and the tension between its creators. The film is rated R for violence and language.
A man is stranded in the Indian Ocean when his sailboat is damaged by a floating piece of cargo in All is Lost. With the loss of communication and only nautical maps to guide him, the sailor faces a terrible storm as he attempts to cross paths with another vessel. The PG-13 drama stars Robert Redford. It’s running in limited theaters for one hour and forty-five minutes.
Following a devastating plane crash, a sheltered girl escapes her small town and heads to Las Vegas in Paradise. The innocent, church-going girl attempts to experience all that Sin City has to offer. A local bartender and lounge singer help her on her way to self-discovery. The PG-13 film is written and directed by the Oscar-winning Juno director Diablo Cody. It stars Julianne Hough, Russell Brand, Octavia Spencer, Holly Hunter and Nick Offerman. The comedic drama is playing in limited theaters for one hour and twenty-six minutes.
In the horror film, Haunter, the ghosts are the main characters. The spirits of a family who was murdered by a serial killer in 1985 are trapped in a house. The teenage girl that was killed discovers that the only way to stop reliving that fateful day is to contact the girl, now living in the home, and protect her from being possessed by the killer’s evil spirit. The unrated thriller is running in limited theaters for one hour and thirty-seven minutes.
A group of exorcists go to great lengths to send demons to hell in Hellbenders. In order to get rid of the evil, they let the spirit possess them and then commit suicide. In the one hour and twenty-five minute comedic horror film, the team tries to stop a supernatural power that threatens New York City with the intent of opening the gates of hell. The limited released film is rated R for violence, language, sex and drugs.
A huge spider is attacking Los Angeles in Big Ass Spider!. In the unrated sci-fi comedy, an exterminator and a security guard join forces to save the city from the dangerous arachnid. The one hour and twenty-five minute film is playing in limited theaters.
Set in the United States before the Civil War, 12 Years a Slave, is based on the life of Solomon Northup, a man from Upstate New York who was kidnapped and sold into slavery. He struggled not only to live but to keep his self-respect as he remained captive. After twelve years, he found hope after an encounter with a Canadian abolitionist. The limited released drama runs for two hours and fourteen minutes. It’s rated R for violence, nudity and sex.
A shy teen, with no luck in the love department, lets his friends use his van for their sexual encounters, in Adventures in the Sin Bin. When a schoolmate tries to coach him in the art of the pickup, he ends up in over his head and in a love triangle. The unrated, limited released comedy plays for one hour and forty-six minutes.
A former drug dealer falls for a church going woman in I’m in Love with a Church Girl. Claiming to be a changed man, he’s still living the high life and hanging out with his thug friends. In order to keep his budding relationship going strong, he must leave his past behind and put his faith in God. The PG drama stars Ja Rule, Adrienne Bailon, Stephen Baldwin, Toby Mac, T-Bone, Michael Madsen and Vincent Pastore. It’s playing in limited theaters for one hour and fifty-eight minutes.
Leo Tolstoy’s short story “Two Hussars” gets a modern take with 2 Jacks. The limited released drama shows the parallel lives of a father and son. Both are Hollywood directors with the same name, but at different points in their careers. The younger Jack is looking to step out of his father’s shadow and make a name for himself. The unrated film stars Sienna Miller, Jack Huston, Danny Huston, Jacqueline Bisset and Billy Zane. It’s playing for one hour and thirty minutes.
Brad Pitt not only appears in this week’s 12 Years a Slave, but he also stars in next week’s The Counselor alongside Michael Fassbender, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz and Javier Bardem. Also, bringing some laughter into theaters on Oct. 25 is Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa.
Become a fan of the Trailer Park on Facebook.