Mark's Horror & Suspense Blog

Now that Season 2 of Dexter is out on DVD, you have no excuse not to find out why this show has garnered five Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. To help you get started, I've created a handy overview of the main characters. Now, all you have to do is watch 24 episodes in the six weeks left before the premiere of Season 3 on Showtime on September 28 at 9 PM ET/PT.

Another day, another horror remake. This time, it's Poltergeist, the 1982 hit ghost movie directed by Tobe Hooper and produced by Steven Spielberg. According to The Hollywood Reporter, writers Stiles White and Juliet Snowden have been hired by MGM to pen the script. The pair previously wrote the exceedingly mediocre Boogeyman. Let's hope they get it right this time.

Unlike many horror fans, I don't necessarily find "classics" like Poltergeist untouchable as far as remakes go, but I think that Poltergeist holds up well enough after 26 years (Holy bleep, I'm old.) that a remake seems unnecessary. Then again, MGM is no doubt aiming for 13-year-olds born in the mid-'90s, so to them, Poltergeist might look as decrepit as an old Indian burial ground.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

This week, the independent supernatural thriller Cthulhu (pictured) is the lone theatrical release (in LA only, before expanding to Seattle, Portland, Atlanta and Denver), while Prom Night, the second season of Dexter and the Spanish set 6 Films to Keep You Awake lead the DVD charge.

Before Twilight hits theaters on November 21 (moved up from the original December 12 date), another series of vampire books hits the small screen. True Blood is based on the Southern Vampire Mysteries books by Charlaine Harris and is being brought to HBO by Alan Ball, creator of the acclaimed Six Feet Under. I haven't read the books, but judging from the series of faux websites that HBO created for the show -- including a human-vampire dating service -- it looks like it has a wry sense of humor. Tune in to see on September 7 at 9:00 PM ET/PT.

Based on early weekend estimates, Mirrors made around $11 million this past weekend -- an underwhelming number, but about what was expected. That total would put it right between the opening weekend tallies of two other recent Asian remakes -- One Missed Call and Shutter -- meaning it will probably end its run with around a $25 million total. Nothing great, but like a lot of horror, it will probably do well on DVD. Final numbers are due on Monday.

This week, you might want to check out the excellent "little" 2002 film My Little Eye, about a group of people who agree to live in an isolated house equipped with cameras for an online reality show. As folks start to die, however, they begin to wonder if they're part of something more sinister. It's vivid proof that you don't need a big budget to provide big thrills. Check it out on Saturday, August 23, at midnight ET/PT on the Sundance Channel.

Although the previews for Mirrors never got me excited, I was cautiously optimistic about the movie, based on the talent involved. I should've trusted my instinct. Mirrors is a mess of a movie, astoundingly sinking close to the depths of One Missed Call as one of the worst horror releases of the year. Read on, if you dare...

Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer is a well-made independent film that has steadily built a buzz in horror circles since being shown at the 2008 Slamdance Film Festival in January. It's been picked up by horror connoisseurs Anchor Bay, who are releasing it in a select few theaters before it hits DVD on October 7. Is it worth seeing it in a theater? Sure; it's a fun "group" experience. Just don't expect it to change your world. Find out more in my review.

Magnet Releasing, the newly formed genre unit of Magnolia Pictures, has announced that it will be releasing six acclaimed genre films in theaters for six straight months, beginning in October. Four of the six movies, collectively deemed the Six Shooter Film Series, are of the horror-suspense variety, each coming from a different country:

October 24, 2008:

• Let the Right One In - The acclaimed Swedish vampire movie won Best Narrative Feature at this year's Tribeca Film Fesival.

December 2008:

• Timecrimes (Los Cronocrímenes) - This Spanish time-travelling sci fi thriller was featured in this year's Sundance Film Festival.

January 2009:

• Donkey Punch - From Great Britain comes this tale of death and deceit, also from Sundance '08.

February 2009:

• Eden Log - This French sci fi-horror outing has received strong word of mouth since its release in France at the end of 2007.

Although the releases will no doubt be limited, this strong slate positions Magnet as a major force in the competition for horror fans' fickle hearts. Take THAT, Lions Gate!

Sequels go with horror movies like sugar cereals go with diabetes, but few are worth the effort it takes to put the DVD in the player or, heaven forbid, go to the theater. However, there are a select few that are not only worth a watch, but they're even better than the originals. See what I mean on this list.