THC's 2016 Movie Preview: January-March!

With the new year comes a slew on new movies for us to enjoy (at least potentially), and so we decided to put together a 2016 Movie Preview, so that we could keep track of what's coming out and when.  

There will be four parts to this preview:

• January-March (Which lists the most movies with actual release dates,  because we're in that time frame now.)
• April-September (Which is a bigger stretch, because less movies have been firmly set for release.)
• 4th Quarter & TBA (The TBA portion lists the most movies in general, because so many have yet to receive 2016 release dates.) 
• Non-Horror flicks (Because we need to know when the Comic Book, Action, and Sci-Fi flicks are hitting the big screen.)

No matter what your tastes, there will be no shortage of movie-going options in 2016. While reading through this preview, be sure to keep in mind that...

• There are plenty of other Horror & Genre films, both big and small, that are set to see release this year. We're only covering the biggest ones, and the ones that interest us the most though, because trying to cover them all would be pointless. Sorry if we miss any that are on your radar. 
• Release Dates are always subject to change, and some of them probably will.  
• You can click the pics to be taken to each movie's IMDB page, for more in-depth info and trailers.
• LEGEND: THEATRICAL, VOD (Video On Demand), LIM (Limited Theatrical), BD (Blu-ray), DVD.

CHERRY TREE (OUT NOW, VOD)

Faith's world is turned upside down after she finds out that her beloved father is dying. Offering to cure her father in exchange for a child, Sissy strikes a bargain with Faith, who suddenly finds herself pregnant with a baby that's growing at an alarming rate. But with the clock to the child's birth ticking down and the true intention of Sissy's plans for humanity becoming more apparent, Faith and her father must stand together in order to save both their lives.

The first "Big" VOD release of the year is Cherry Tree. We're always up for a good flick that involves Witches (because they just don't come along that often, at least not lately), and Cherry Tree looks like it might just be a decent one; it's from the guy who directed Wake Wood, so we have a reasonable hope that it will at least be solid, if not spectacular.

THE FOREST (OUT NOW, THEATRICAL)

A young woman searches for her twin sister in a Japanese forest only to find herself surrounded by paranormal forces.

January is a dumping ground for bad Horror movies (and movies in general), so we're expecting The Forest to be on the generic and bland side of the fence... which isn't necessarily a bad thing, because sometimes we actually enjoy the bland, generic, PG-13 Horror flicks of the world. Ouija would be a good example of that. 

It's already getting some bad reviews, but we still want to see The Forest, if only because we love Natalie Dormer, and Game of Thrones is still a few months off yet. Plus it's January, what else is there to watch?

HOWL (1/12, BD/DVD/VOD)

When passengers on a train are attacked by a creature, they must band together in order to survive until morning.

Howl isn't going to change the Genre or anything, but overall it's a well-made and entertaining Werewolf flick that boasts some good gore; some cool monster VFX; and a solid cast, most of whom we rooted for. For fans of Werewolf flicks, this is a fun and gory ride that is definitely worth taking. Read our review for the full scoop. 

THE BOY (1-22, THEATRICAL)

An American nanny is shocked that her new English family's boy is actually a life-sized doll. After violating a list of strict rules, disturbing events make her believe that the doll is really alive.

Puppets and dolls are usually creepy as hell in any movie, but for some reason the one in The Boy looks extra eerie to us. Of course much like The Forest, this movie is rated PG-13, so we're not expecting it to be all that mind-blowing, or chill-inducing.

We'll watch The Boy, but that damned doll had better not hurt Lauren Cohan. Little bastard.

INTRUDERS (1/22, VOD)

Anna suffers from agoraphobia so crippling that when a trio of criminals break into her house, she cannot bring herself to flee. But what the intruders don't realize is that agoraphobia is not her only psychosis.

A Home Invasion flick with a Revenge Thriller bent, Intruders looks promising enough. At least we're familiar with the acting work of Rory Culkin (he's pretty good) and Martin Starr (and he's pretty funny), so maybe they'll bring something to this one, and it will surprise us.

The trailer looks really good.

JERUZALEM (1/22, VOD/LIM)

Two American girls on vacation follow a mysterious and handsome anthropology student on a trip to Jerusalem. The party is cut short when the trio are caught in the middle of a biblical apocalypse. Trapped between the ancient walls of the holy city, the three travelers must survive long enough to find a way out as the fury of hell is unleashed upon them.

Before Rabies and Big Bad Wolves, there were no Horror movies that came from Israel. After seeing both of those fine efforts, we were hungry to see more Israeli Horror, and so we've been all about Jeruzalem since we first heard about it last year.

A great concept, a perfect setting, and the return to Horror of Yael Grobglas (she's really hot), Jeruzalem is one that we'll be seeing on release day.

MARTYRS (1/22, LIMITED THEATRICAL)

Ten-year-old Lucie flees from the isolated warehouse where she has been held prisoner. Deeply traumatized, she is plagued by awful night terrors at the orphanage that takes her in. Her only comfort comes from Anna, a girl her own age. Nearly a decade later and still haunted by demons, Lucie finally tracks down the family that tortured her. As she and Anna move closer to the agonizing truth, they find themselves trapped in a nightmare – if they cannot escape, a martyr’s fate awaits them...

I know that we, and plenty of other people like us, tend to bitch about remakes, and dismiss them out of hand before ever giving them a chance. That's kind of not fair, as some remakes end up being really good, but for the most part, remakes tend to suck. Especially Horror remakes.

As much as we love Pascal Laugier's ultra-shocking Martyrs (read our review HERE), I'm finding it hard to swallow the idea that a U.S. remake of that movie can be any sort of good, let alone avoid being a complete disaster.

I'm not trying to be a pessimist about it, but come on, we all know that most Horror remakes end up paling in comparison to their originals, and many just end up being flat out horrible. When it comes to U.S. remakes of foreign Horror movies, those odds get even worse. When it comes to Martyrs in particular, I fear that a ton will be lost in translation, and that even if it's done perfectly, it's going to feel like a shade of the original.

I guess we'll see in a few weeks.

THE MAN IN THE ORANGE JACKET (1/26, VOD)

A young man gets fired and begins to stalk his boss and his young wife. After blood chilling turn of events he tries to escape his past and move into their luxurious mansion. Nothing can prepare him for an unsettling visit by a vaguely familiar guest. The house will not be a safe haven anymore, but becomes a twisted and dangerous trap.

I'd have to do a little research to be sure, but The Man in the Orange Jacket is being billed as the first Latvian Horror movie ever made, which already makes it kind of extra interesting to us. Advance word has been strong for this one, and we'll be eagerly checking it out the second we get our hands on a screener, which should be very soon.

THE PACK (2/5, VOD/LIM)

A farmer and his family must fight for survival after a ferocious pack of wild dogs infiltrates their isolated farmhouse. Through a series of frightening and bloody encounters they are forced into survival mode to make it through the night.

If you can put aside its more asinine plot elements & devices, then you might just find The Pack to be an intense Thriller that plays like Cujo; only with more dogs, more people, and more Australian accents. But it's not quite as good. This is a straight-up survival movie, with plenty of stalk-and-slash elements thrown in for good measure, and the parts of this movie that did work, worked really well.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES (2/5, THEATRICAL)

Jane Austen's classic tale of the tangled relationships between lovers from different social classes in 19th century England is faced with a new challenge -- an army of undead zombies.

Sure its premise sounds ridiculous, and the trailer looks silly and over-the-top, but Pride and Prejudice and Zombies looks like a crazy fun time, and we're all about crazy fun. And hot chicks kicking ass.

I'm at least sure that this one will be better than Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, so there's that at least.

REGRESSION (2/5, THEATRICAL)

A young girl is sexually abused by her father. Thus, begins the disturbing tale of a father and daughter torn apart, thrown into the center of a conspiracy that shocks the nation.

Originally set to come out last August, Regression was pushed back all the way to February, because Harvey Weinstein wanted it so, and his will be done. No matter the reason for the delay though, it looks like a pretty engaging Thriller, and we really like Ethan Hawke and Hermione Granger, so we're there on opening day.

SOUTHBOUND (2/9, VOD)

Five interlocking tales of terror follow the fates of a group of weary travellers who confront their worst nightmares - and darkest secrets - over one long night on a desolate stretch of desert highway.

Even though most of them tend to be uneven efforts at best, we're suckers for a good Horror Anthology. Advance word on Southbound has been overwhelmingly positive so far, with it being likened to Creepshow or Tales From the Crypt, which sounds pretty damned great to us.

We'll be there on day one. *In front of our TV's, because it'll be on VOD.

CABIN FEVER (2/12, VOD/LIM)

A group of five friends are terrorized at their getaway cabin. A remake of the 2002 film, 'Cabin Fever'.

Another remake, but one that we aren't mad at in the slightest, is this redux of Eli Roth's quirky 2002 viral splatterfest, Cabin Fever. We thought the original was fun, and we actually liked 2014's Cabin Fever: Patient Zero for what it was, so we're kinda hyped to see what this remake has to offer.

It might even end up being better than the original.

THE WITCH (2/19, THEATRICAL)

We're going to go ahead and call The Witch the 2016 It Follows; it's got all kinds of crazy positive buzz surrounding it, and it looks like the kind of quiet, creepy flick that will end up pleasing both critics and audiences alike.

Everyone is loving this movie so far, and so we're expecting big, quality things from it. 

BACKTRACK (3/11, VOD/LIM)

Psychologist Peter Bower's life is thrown into turmoil when he discovers that the patients he has been seeing are ghosts. Risking his own sanity, Peter delves into his past to uncover a terrifying secret which only he can put right. Backtrack is a spine-chilling story from the acclaimed writer-director, Michael Petroni.

Backtrack has a hell of a cast going for it, and it looks sufficiently creepy, so we'll forgive the fact that it looks like a generic Supernatural/Psychological Thriller, and give it a fair chance.

Besides, we'll pretty much see anything that Sam Neill shows up in, because that guy is just good.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR (3/11, THEATRICAL)

A family lives an idyllic existence abroad until a tragic accident takes the life of their young son. The inconsolable mother learns of an ancient ritual that will bring him back to say a final goodbye. She travels to an ancient temple, where a door serves as a mysterious portal between two worlds. But when she disobeys a sacred warning to never open that door, she upsets the balance between life and death.

Another movie that looks like a generic Supernatural Thriller, but that also boasts a really solid cast, is The Other Side of the Door. The trailer reminds us a lot of lat year's Out of the Dark for some reason, but let's hope that this one ends up having a little more bite to it.

It'll at least be cool to see Sarah Wayne Callies in a starring role for a change.

THE DISAPPOINTMENTS ROOM (1/25, THEATRICAL)

A mother and her young son release unimaginable horrors from the attic of their rural dream home.

There's not much info out there about this one, not even a single picture from the movie, but Kate Beckinsale running around being terrorized by Supernatural elements is something that we can totally get behind... especially if it's Kate Beckinsale's behind.

Don't judge us.