Top 10 Hyped Horror Movies
Sometimes hype for a movie is so great, it's scary. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the top 10 hyped horror movies. For this list, we're taking a look at scary movies from the '90s onward that garnered lots of hype through intense marketing and sheer anticipation. Whether the film ended up being good or bad doesn't matter as long as the publicity preceding it had everybody pumped up.
Special thanks to our users NickSpake, Erica Jones and Donathan Rogers for submitting the idea on our Suggestion Tool at http://www.WatchMojo.comsuggest
#10: “Halloween” (2007)
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With John Carpenter’s “Halloween” being a perennial classic, a new version was about as necessary as the original’s seven sequels. Nevertheless, the trailer for the 2007 reimagining had many horror fans convinced that this could be a stylish, gritty, and fresh successor to the definitive slasher flick. With Rob Zombie helming the project and Malcolm McDowell perfectly cast as Dr. Samuel Loomis, it actually looked like the film was going to break the horror remake curse. But would the movie be a trick or a treat?
#9: “Grindhouse” (2007)
If you adore B-movies, exploitation films, and double features, the trailer for “Grindhouse” blew your mind. Even if you weren’t familiar with the term “grindhouse,” it was hard not to be intrigued by the prospect of Robert Rodriquez and Quentin Tarantino directing a back-to-back cinematic extravaganza. Talents like Eli Roth, Rob Zombie, and Edgar Wright were also attached to the project, each producing a shoddily loving fake trailer. Although “Grindhouse” had rave reviews and strong buzz on its side, the film was unfortunately overlooked and bombed at the box office.
#8: “Devil” (2010)
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Remember when M. Night Shyamalan’s name was enough to sell a picture? Well, people have since come to realize that he’s not the modern Hitchcock we built him up to be. Regardless, many felt he might find redemption in the initial installment to his proposed “The Night Chronicles” trilogy. Looking like something out of “The Twilight Zone,” this Shyamalan-produced supernatural horror depicted five people getting stuck in an elevator with the devil hidden among them. Despite the engaging setup, audiences ultimately argued that “Devil” didn’t live up to its potential. What a twist.
#7: “The Purge” (2013)
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The premise for “The Purge” makes about as much sense as…well, the devil singling out five people in an elevator. Still, the notion of crime being legalized for twelve hours had audiences curious. The advertisements promised a groundbreaking social commentary on government, human nature, and 21st century America’s changing ways. Granted, this idea would never happen in real life. The hype surrounding the film, however, got a lot of people asking, “What if the purge was real?” Their answers were probably more interesting than the movie we ultimately got.
#6: “Alien vs. Predator” (2004)
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Given the numerous “Alien vs. Predator” comics, video games, and novels, fans wondered for the longest time if these two species would ever butt heads on the big screen. Their prayers were answered when the teaser for “AVP” hit, implying that whoever won this anticipated battle, humanity would lose. Although Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sigourney Weaver weren’t making appearances, it didn’t really matter. All we needed to know was that the Xenomorph and Yautja would finally be starring together after spending decades in development hell.
#5: “Hostel” (2005)
“Hostel” benefited from being released less than a year after “Saw” when the demand for torture porn was at an all time high among mainstream audiences. While Eli Roth directed “Hostel,” Quentin Tarantino’s producer credit is what caught audiences’ attention. People were additionally sucked in by the film’s premise, which concerns hapless backpackers at the raw end of a deal between a European torture facility and wealthy clients looking to feed their sick urges. Earning better than expected reviews, “Hostel” had little trouble opening number one at the box office.
#4: “Freddy vs. Jason” (2003)
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This long-awaited crossover event brought two of the horror genre’s greatest icons together for the ultimate slasher showdown. The marketing campaign built their fight up as if Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees were competing for the World Heavyweight Championship. They even appeared at Bally’s Las Vegas Hotel for a weigh-in. That’s just one of the several entertaining interviews the two had leading up to the film’s release. Whether you placed your bet on Freddy or Jason, we were all rooting for the flick to kick ass.
#3: “The Sixth Sense” (1999)
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While “The Sixth Sense” had a bankable lead and solid advertising, the film didn’t accumulate mega hype until after its opening weekend. Why? Because of that immortal surprise ending everybody now knows about, but still needs to be headlined by a *spoiler alert* whenever discussed. Not since “Psycho” has a film done a better job at keeping its secrets under wraps then sucking masses in with incredible word of mouth. “The Sixth Sense” only got more buzzworthy over time, remaining number one at the box office for five consecutive weeks.
#2: “Paranormal Activity” (2007)
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“Paranormal Activity” started off as an underground cult film that slowly became a sought-after commodity. Rather than spending countless millions on a big ad campaign, the film’s revolutionary marketing instead relied on audiences to get word out. The trailer took an unconventional approach by showing footage of an audience’s horrified reaction to the film at a free screening. With everybody wanting to know if it was really the scariest movie ever, “Paranormal Activity” only took four days to reach one million demands on Eventful.com and achieve a wide release. Before we build-up our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: - “Insidious” (2010) - “Annabelle” (2014) - “Ghost Ship” (2002) - “Mama” (2013) - “Quarantine” (2008)
#1: “The Blair Witch Project” (1999)
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Although the campaign for “Paranormal Activity” was ingenious, that film never would’ve broken out had it not been for “The Blair Witch Project.” Utilizing the Internet to produce hype, the studio marketed this low-budget horror picture as a documentary. Having come out years before found footage flicks became a popular trend, many audiences were inclined to believe them. The performances and cinematography represented in the trailer only made these claims more convincing. Even if you didn’t buy into such accusations, you most definitely bought a ticket to see the movie. Do you agree with our list? What horror flicks were you psyched to see based on all the hype? For more entertaining Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
