Spooky Hotel, again (Out this week - 08/06/12)

You'd be forgiven for thinking there's nothing new coming out this weekend, even though that is patently ludicrous as there are 8 new films hitting some cinemas. However on Friday 454 cinemas are showing Prometheus - the most prolific at cinemas - Men In Black III is at 431 cinemas, Snow White and the Huntsman at 416, followed by Top Cat and Avengers Assemble. Only then, the sixth biggest release in just 270 cinemas do we reach this weekends biggest opening. And whilst I'm not slavishly devoted to the big ticket movies it's hard to get excited about anything when no-one's trying hard to sell you anything. It's the first (only) week this year where the film of the week needed 4 blobs to get the accolade, and it's a rare foray into pure horror, so if you see anything go see The Innkeepers.



Prometheus did indeed own the box office charts last weekends, but it was generally a fantastic few days - thank you Your Majesty - which meant none of the bigger releases disappointed. It goes without saying that nothing out this week is going to threaten the Space Jockey's grip on audiences. That said it's a big scrap for the films that are coming out. I'm going to predict Plan B's eviscerating dissection of modern life on the working class estates iLL Manors, not least because it has the advantage of a parallel album release.

Innkeepers

Ti West's House of the Devil shocked both seasoned horror fans and sniffy critics when it shocked the bejesus out of everyone in 2009 so its' great to see him back in this creepy lo-fi horror set in the closing weekend of a haunted hotel, with two ambivalent employees more concerned with ghost-hunting (probably a mistake).

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○

Read on for hero flyboys, autobiographical flights of fantasy and a rapper shouting "Oi", as well as all of this weeks trailers.




I had forgotten Kelly McGillis was in this until I rewatched the trailer - I don't believe she communes with the dead, though.

Arirang



In 2008, after a near fatal accident on one of his movies, South Korean auteur Kim Ki-duk suffered from a nervous breakdown. This return is either a re-enactment of his emotional state at the time or a documentary on his therapy helping him come to terms with it depending on your point of view, either way it seems utterly compelling.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○

Red Tails



George Lucas has promised his take on the pioneer African-American squadron of World War II pilots - The Tuskagee Airmen - for over 20 years and it's a shame that he eventually farmed it out to renowned TV director Anthony Hemingway to take the helm. Guaranteed to have superb, relalistic dogfights, the worry has always been that the subtlety of the racial discrimination they faced would be watered down or overdone, and the early buzz pretty much substantiates that possibility. The cast includes Cuba Gooding Jnr and Terrence Howard.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○

Casa de mi Padre



I know that all the good jokes are probably in the trailer but there is something oddly endearing about Will Ferrell's willingness to try new things, and to make a spoof of Mexican soap operas with two of the worlds most famous latino actors completely in Spanish. Is hope it's a success here, but even if not props to Will for trying.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○

Fantastic Fear of Everything



Inspired by a short story from Withnail & I creator Bruce Robinson it's inevitable that Chrispian "Kula Shaker" Mills' directorial debut would be heavy on the weird and grotesque. Grubby underpants and terrifying hedgehogs abound in this tale of one paranoiac's attempt to visit to laundrette. Features a tour de force performance from Simon Pegg.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○

Harsh Light of Day



It's difficult to know, but I think the trailer for this British horror gives more away than it probably should. We know that our wheelchair bound hero's wife is brutally murdered and we know he contracts someone to dispose of the killers. Or is that some thing?


Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○

Ill Manors



I could just have easily posted the latest music video from Plan B (otherwise known as Ben Drew) as the entire movie is the closest Hip hop has come to a concept album in years with each track, performed by Plan B as narration, provides a succinct personal history of each of the story strands. This makes the film come across as a angry mix of Loachian miserablism and musical fantasy. It's worried the right wing press with it's bleak picture of society deserving the underclass established in the UK and sets out Drew as a talent to watch in cinema too.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○

The Pact



The last of this weeks releases is the one that's showing in most cinemas, but short of a few TV spots and a half-hearted bus campaign there's not been too much fuss about this so-so looking cut and paste horror. Lots of pasty looking people getting dragged about the house by unseen forces. Well if that's your sort of thing, it's probably your sort of thing.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○