To make a horror film truly scary, every ingredient that goes into a scene has to be measured perfectly in order to get the intended reaction from the audience.

In a video essay from Now You See It, we take a closer look at what constitutes effectiveness in the horror genre. Using a case study of David F. Sandberg‘s 2016 film “Lights Out” and comparing the full-length adaptation to its original short version from 2013, the subtle details are peeled back so we can see which is more effective.

Continue reading What Makes A Movie Scary? at The Playlist.

“The Batman” may no longer have a director, but the DC Universe keeps pushing forward. Director David F. Sandberg is currently in talks with Warner Bros. to direct the latest film in the DCEU, “Shazam!” Sandberg made his directorial debut last year with the critically acclaimed supernatural horror film “Lights Out,” which is based on his 2013 acclaimed horror short of the same name.

Continue reading ‘Lights Out’ Director David F. Sandberg to Direct DC Comics Movie ‘Shazam!’ at The Playlist.

September is here, and the fall film festivals have started —check out our Venice coverage so far, and our Telluride coverage starts tomorrow and TIFF next week. Nevertheless, the days are getting shorter and the temperature a little cooler, so it’s time to look back on 2016’s moviegoing summer.

In most respects, it was a bad one. Most tentpoles disappointed, and unusually, it seemed that most underperformed at the box office (though it’s interesting to note that total box office is up about 3% from last year, thanks to a few monster hits).

Continue reading The Winners & Losers Of The 2016 Summer Movie Season at The Playlist.

Well, that didn’t take long. After a strong debut at the box office, New Line Cinema has given the go ahead on a sequel to “Lights Out.” The micro-budget film had a $4.9 million budget and has already grossed over $35 million worldwide since its Friday debut. Combined with the reviews that were better than most horror films, it seems like New Line has a new franchise on their hands.

Continue reading Warner Bros. Turns On A Sequel For ‘Lights Out’ at The Playlist.

There have been two constants in Paramount‘s rebooted “Star Trek” series: As the domestic total for each film has gone down, the international tally has increased. And it looks like that will be the same for “Star Trek Beyond,” which flew into first place this weekend, but with numbers that show North American audiences are perhaps not so invested in the franchise.

READ MORE: ‘Star Trek’ Never Goes Beyond Its Familiar Orbit, But Entertains Nonetheless [Review]

Rebounding from J.J.

Continue reading ‘Star Trek Beyond’ Blasts Off Into First Place, ‘Don’t Think Twice’ Wows In Limited Release [Box Office] at The Playlist.

As kids, most of us will go through a stage in which we are afraid of the dark. It’s part of human DNA, seemingly hardwired in our subconscious: stay away from the dark, because there could be danger. David F. Sandberg‘s “Lights Out” plays with a fear of the dark. The director surely knows that innumerable prior horror films have used this trope indiscriminately to scare audiences. But the difference between “Lights Out” and any other mainstream horror movie is that it actually uses the dark as the center of its plot, organically drawing out the majority of its jump scares in the process.

Continue reading ‘Lights Out’ Finds Genuine Scares In The Dark [Review] at The Playlist.

At a time when there are no sure things in Hollywood, the one constant over the past few years has been horror. It’s a formula that studios certainly love; the movies are often made on the cheap, and when they earn big box office, the return on investment can often be bigger than what they’d get on a much more expensive blockbuster film. We’ve seen modest movies like “The Conjuring” and “The Purge” explode into franchises, with sequels and spinoffs, but what we haven’t seen from the horror world lately is a truly iconic, mainstream recognized villain (one that everyone from your Dad to hardcore horror buffs would recognize).

Continue reading Maria Bello Talks ‘Lights Out’ Villain, Says “People At Comic-Con Will Be Dressed Up As Diana Next Year” at The Playlist.

This year, it seems horror is coming in some very familiar flavors. You can try out a sequel in “The Conjuring 2,” go into the woods with, uh, “The Woods,” or get spooked by whatever is in the dark in “Lights Out.” And sometimes the biggest scares come from the simplest ideas.

READ MORE: ‘The Conjuring 2’ Has Great Scares In Search Of A Serviceable Story [Review]

Directed by Daryl F.

Continue reading Extended Trailer For Horror ‘Lights Out’ Starring Teresa Palmer Serves Up More Scares at The Playlist.

Watch: First Trailer For Horror 'Lights Out' Will Make You Afraid Of The Dark

Continue reading Watch: First Trailer For Horror ‘Lights Out’ Will Make You Afraid Of The Dark at The Playlist.

Brian De Palma To Direct Action Thriller 'Lights Out'

Continue reading Brian De Palma To Direct Action Thriller ‘Lights Out’ at The Playlist.

Directors: Justin Lin May Helm 'Fast & Furious' Finale, 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2' Gets Helmer & More

Continue reading Directors: Justin Lin May Helm ‘Fast & Furious’ Finale, ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2’ Gets Helmer & More at The Playlist.