Horror films are here to stay – Van Buren Press Argus-Courier

Horror movies: Some people love them and they love thefear they summon whileothers turn their nose away and prefer lighter, less gruesomecinematic fare.

For many moviegoers, the thrill of being scared in a darkened theater can't be topped, according to Fort Smith movie buff MelissaMadison.

"I'll tell you, I love being scared in the theater; yeah, I admit that to everyone,"Madison said with a laugh. "And it's really almost any kind of horror that I like 'Saw,' the 'Annabelle' films,the 'Halloween' films, the two recent 'It' movies, all of it.

"And when they showed the first 'Alien' film in the theater a few months back here in Fort Smith, I was there," she added. "Me and my friends were on the fourth row, and we were frozen. You would have thought that we hadn't seen 'Alien' 100 times already. It was so much fun."

Madison did admit that she and other individuals she knew moaned unfavorably when it was first announced that director/star John Krasinski's "A Quiet Place" was going to get a sequel, but her initial disdain eventually melted and became excitement.

"I fell in love with it," she said of the first "A Quiet Place," which hit theaters in 2018 and co-starred Krasinksi's wife, actress Emily Blunt. "It kind of was like a Hitchcock film. And, in a way, it was a lot like a silent film just not a lot of dialogue, which really worked.

"Me and my friends, we're hoping that this one will be good," Madison added of "A Quiet Place Part II," which was written and directed by Krasinski and will begin playing in movie theaters March 20. "From the look of the trailers, the new one looks like it might be more action-based, and there's definitely more people seen in the new trailer than the people who were seen in the first film. I guess we'll see."

'The Invisible Man'

Currently in theaters is "The Invisible Man," which focuses on a woman who, after her abusive boyfriend dies, thinks she is being stalked by an evil presence. One of the R-rated film's violentscenes had Tyler Jones squirming and then jumping from his seat. The Fort Smith resident said his short outburst wasn't the only reaction seen and heard during his screening.

"It's intense, but that is something I like," Jones said with a smile. "My friends tease me about it, but I'd much rather watch a horror film than almost any other type of movie."

Jones and Madison both said they plan on seeing the soon-to-be-released movies, "The Hunt," "The New Mutants" and "Candyman," among others.

"I've always liked scary movies, and I don't even know why; I can't help but be drawn to horror movies," Jones said. "Those kinds of movies definitely get the heart rate up quite a bit."

Other films that promise to be steeped in horror and thriller territories are "The Hunt,""The New Mutants" and"Candyman," among others. "The Hunt" will open March 13 and center around a dozen strangers who wake up in a field without knowing how they were placed there, while "The New Mutants" is expected to place a modern, horror-film twist on some of the "X-Men" characters when it startsshowing in early April.

Co-written and co-produced by "Get Out" mastermind Jordan Peele and scheduled for release on June 12, "Candyman" is being billed as a "spiritual sequel" to the 1992 thriller of the same name. The film will star "Aquaman" actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

"If you look around, it kind of seems like there's been more horror and horror-type films being made by studios over the last three or four years than in the past," Madison said. "If you ask me, it's an exciting time tobe going to the movies."

Following is a list of some of the otherhorror and thrillerfilms that will be released:

"A Quiet Place Part II" Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe reprise their roles as family members desperatelytrying to defendthemselves against strange, deadlyadversaries.Also starsDjimon Hounsouand Cillian Murphy.March 20. (PG-13)

"Saint Maud" A hospice nurse named Maud (Morfydd Clark) converts to Roman Catholicism and, once she finds herself infatuated with a former dancer (Nennifer Ehle),worries that shemight bepossessedby something terrible. March 27. Also stars Lily Frazer, Marcus Hutton and Turlough Convery. March 27.(R)

"The New Mutants" A horror-laced spin from co-writer/director Josh Booneon some of the young characters from "X-Men" founder Charles Xavier's school. Gifted with superpowers, the students are held against their will and make an effort to try and save themselves. April 3. (Rating to be announced)

"Antlers" A small-town teacher and her sibling, who is the local sheriff,become trapped inside a young student's deadly secret. This secret results in frightening consequences for anyone near. Stars Keri Russell, Jeremy T.Thomas, Jesse Plemons and Graham Greene. April 17. (R)

"Promising Young Woman" Traumatized byan awfulevent in the past, a woman makes a plan to seek vengeance against those who stand in her way. April 17. (Rating TBA)

"Antebellum" Veronica (Janelle Monae)is a successful author, butwhen she becomes trapped in a terrifying reality, she vows to learn the meaning behind thehead-scratching mystery. Co-stars Eric Lange, Jena Malone and Jack Huston.April 24. (Rating TBA)

"Shirley" A popular horror writer is greeted with unexpected inspiration when she and her husband agree to take in a younger couple. Logan Lerman, Elisabeth Moss and Odessa Young star. April 24 (Rating TBA)

"Spiral" A warped sense of justice is experienced by someat thehands of a sadistic individual in this new film, which is taken from the book of "SAW."May 15. (R)

"The Woman in the Window" Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie and Jennifer Jason Leigh lead the cast in this thriller about an agoraphobic woman, who lives alone in New York and witnesses a violent, unbelievable event.May 15. (R)

"Candyman" "Aquaman" actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and other cast members such as Vanessa Williams, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Carl Clemons-Hopkinsand Miriam Mossstar in this thriller from co-producer/co-writer Jordan Peele.June 12. (Rating TBA)

Untitled "Purge" Sequel The fifth installment in thedark, popularmovie series will be directed by Everado Gout and written by James DeMonaco, with cast members to include Ana de la Reguera and Leven Rambin. July 10. (Rating TBA)

"Tenent" Director Christopher Nolan's upcoming thriller stars John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Kenneth Branagh, Michael Caine, Elizabeth DebickiandFiona Dourif. International spies are thrown into espionage, evolution and time travel. July 17. (Rating TBA)

"Morbius" Starring Jared Leto, Michael Keaton, J.K. Simmons and Adria Arjona, this movie follows biochemist Michael Morbius, who tries to rid himself of a rare blood disease. His experiment goes south when heexhibits vampire-esque tendencies. July 31.(Rating TBA)

"The Empty Man" A former police officer hunts for a missing girl and stumbles across a strange group, which is summoning a fierce, supernatural entity. Stars Steven Root, Aaron Poole, Joel Courtney and Rasneet Kaur. Aug. 7. (R)

Continued here:
Horror films are here to stay - Van Buren Press Argus-Courier