Killer Thrillers

This year it seems there's an influx of thrillers set to come out, and surprisingly they look good! However, trailers can be deceiving, but here's the low down:


In "28 Weeks Later" (the sequel to "28 Days Later" of course), London seems to be in a state of rebuilding now that the Americans have come over bringing aid and claiming the war against the virus is won. But when everything seems to be looking up, a carrier of the virus manages to sneak behind enemy lines restarting the vicious cycle we saw in the original, except this time it's worse. "28 Weeks Later" is set to be released May 11, 2007. Go here to see the trailer.



Based on the true story of the double initial killings in Rochester, NY, the trailer for "The Alphabet Killer" starts out saying "In the small blue collar city of Rochester, New York...innocent girls are being killed" showing us a panicked young girl named Carla Castillo who we find out was murdered in Churchville, NY. Coincidence with the names? I think not. There's not too much to report on this one, except that Rob Schmidt(director) is collaborating with Eliza Dushku(as Megan, a neurotic detective) again, after their first meeting on the set of "Wrong Turn," a movie that was a well executed horror flick, and even though it had no point, I liked it, so I'm definitely looking forward to this one which is set for release in October 2007.



In room "1408" there's been some weird happenings, and anyone who stays in that room never lasts more than an hour. Samuel L. Jackson plays the suave hotel manager, and John Cusak is the eccentric ghost hunter who lost his daughter when she was only a child, and is now out to find a real ghost. Convinced that there is no afterlife or such things as ghosts, he hears about the legendary 1408 and despite the 57 deaths that have taken place in this room, he believes it's all just a myth or coincidence...until things start happening. With an intense trailer that will grip any thriller junkie, "1408," based on the book by Stephen King, looks to be a promising thriller. It is set to come out on the oh so unlucky date of July 13, 2007.



"Vacancy," with Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale, is about a couple who become stranded and are forced to take shelter at a creepy little motel. Things are alright until they discover the hidden cameras and the tapes that show the countless murders that have taken place in this specific hotel room. They must find a way to escape before they become the next victims of this brutal cycle. "Vacancy" hits theaters soon on April 20, 2007. View trailer here.



Now this I feel could be a hit or a flop, but I just thought it was an interesting concept for a movie with our current reality TV obsession. "The Condemned" is all about reality TV except each contestant was on death row, and now they must fight to the death on a remote island, and the prize for the last one left alive...they are set free. Vicious killers (including Stone Cold Steve Austin), killing each other off in front of the masses for entertainment. Sounds kind of like the Roman coliseum to me, and judging solely from its kick ass trailer, I think it'd make a hell of a movie.


And finally, we have "Disturbia," which will be the most recent thriller to hit theaters this month on April 13, 2007. Some say it's going to be a complete rip off of Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window," but how is this a bad thing I wonder? Stealing from the master of suspense (one of my all-time favorite directors) and remaking it in the now. I have no problems with that. Shia LaBeouf (our own Even Stevens) stars as Kale, the trouble kid next door, who happens to be under a court-ordered house arrest, and is unable to leave his property. While spying on his neighbors, he manages to meet the sexy girl next door, Ashely (played by Sarah Roemer) who is more than willing to join in on the stake out. Of course, when you're looking where you shouldn't be, you're going to witness things you shouldn't have seen. In this case, a potential murderer is living right across the street. But while they're watching him from what seems like a safe distance, he's watching them right back. As an avid thriller lover, this trailer just chills me to the bone. It looks like it has all the jumps and spine tingling moments a thriller needs, while giving us a compelling plot to follow along with...100% thriller.