The Filles Files (April 1 - April 7)

Each week, the Filles bring you some of our favourite films finds of the week—news, reviews, features, interviews, tweets, new releases, etc.—just in case you missed them.

REEL GREAT READS

• /Film Set Interview: ‘The Avengers’ Star Tom Hiddleston (Slash Film) - Tom Hiddleston talks about The Avengers, how it compares to Thor, his character Loki and what it's like working with such a big cast. I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of him.
• Glenn Close: 'People like Albert Nobbs deserve to have their stories told' (The Guardian) - A bit late, but Glenn Close talks to The Guardian about Albert Nobbs, one of the best (and most underrated) movies I saw last year.
• The Woman in Black to haunt cinemas again in Susan Hill sequel (The Guardian) - YES! A sequel to The Woman in Black! Put me down for tickets right now!
• Exclusive: Dumb and Dumber 2 Begins Production This September (Coming Soon) - And you can count me in for the first official sequel to Dumb and Dumber too!
• Adam Sandler's 'Jack and Jill' sweeps the 2011 Razzie Awards (EW) - Well obviously, Jack and Jill made a clean sweep at the Razzie, except for the awards that it shared with Sandler's other movie last year, Just Go With It. I guess when you're not a Sandler fan, you really don't get it.

WEEKEND WATCHES

• Titanic 3D - In memory of the 100th anniversary of the tragedy, James Cameron has re-released the classic love story in 3D, in case you haven't heard yet.
• American Reunion - The American Pie cast reunites at their high school reunion to find that some things never change.

TRAILER OF THE WEEK: To Rome With Love

Woody Allen's Italian answer to Midnight in Paris in four vignettes with a steller ensemble cast.

The Woman in Black

Directed by James Watkins. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Ciarán Hinds and Janet McTeer. 120 minutes. 14A

I don't read horror movie reviews and I don't believe horror movie hype. Good or bad, they make me sceptical. Unless it's coming from a horror buff, I don't feel horror is taken seriously enough. The capabilities of the genre, the storytelling, the styling, the characterisation... It's all often ignored when it's got the "horror" label on it.

This movie's been generating hype since it was announced, though largely thanks to Potterheads-turned-Radcliffe-fans, but also because the general public was interested to see if he had acting chops beyond the 8-part epic series. And although I avoid the reviews, once the film was out, it was tough to shield myself from hearing that it was being received pretty decently (for horror), so I was, as usual, sceptical. Compounded by the fact that this was the horror movie I'd most been looking forward to all year, heading the theatres was a nervous venture. But it ended up being more than I expected.

Set at the turn of the 20th century (as much good horror lit is), the story follows widower and lawyer Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) as he works on the case of Alice Drablow's estate, Eel Marsh, a creepy mansion on a hill surrounded entirely by water when the tides rise. He travels ahead while his son and nanny plan to meet him in a few days. However, when he arrives in in the new town to begin his work, he's greeted by folklore, that a woman in black haunts Eel Marsh and has plagued the entire town with a curse.

In a one-word review, this movie is creepy. It's possibly the creepiest movie I've ever seen. And if you think the trailer is any indication of the creepiness in this movie, think again, because it gets even creepier. Much of this creepiness owes to the time and setting: old musical toys, a creaky and withered house, frail hand-written letters, tattered black and white photos. But it's also the genuine horror of it all: quick glimpses of darkened faces, silently nearing of shadows, shattering screeches. It's all gorgeously styled to give you goosebumps.

The cast is small and nothing without Radcliffe, who proves to be much more than a boy wizard. Although it is tough to picture him as a father, and the distant relationship doesn't help, a reminder of movie's era lets it pass (a time when parenting itself seemed distanced).

With a great, chilling back story from the legend's incarnation to the havok wreaked on the townspeople for years, combined with its creepiness and beautiful styling, The Woman in Black makes for what I'm sure will be on the best horrors of the year. A

Gimme Five!: Most-anticipated Horror Movies of 2012

Join us every other Sunday as we treat you to a handful of the best and worst movies, characters, scenes, lines and or other significant cinematic moments. At least in our opinion.

A few great gems aside, 2011 was a pretty crappy year for horror. It was more of a year for the marginally horror films, suspense thrillers like Straw Dogs and Red State, and sci-fi like The Thing and Apollo 18. Of course, it was also the year of Scream 4, Insidious and brilliant indie find Grave Encounters, but I draw the line there.

But this upcoming year seems like it'll make up for it all with its endless promising list of horror releases in store. I was seriously tempted to write "Gimmie Another Five" later just so I could squeeze in 10 picks, but I painstakingly cut it down to the five I really can't wait for.

WORLD WAR Z

Brad Pitt in a zombie movie? I used to think that Brad Pitt could choose no wrong when it comes to movies, and when he chose baseball movie Moneyball, I thought it was the beginning of the end. But I was so wrong. When I first heard of World War Z, I was tempted to think the same. But Moneyball convinced me that I will be wrong. (Release date: December 21)


PROMETHEUS

It's the prequel to Alien that we're told is not the prequel to Alien. And like its unofficial sequel, strong women Noomi Rapace and Charlize Theron take the lead alongside Michael Fassbender and Guy Pearce. (Release date: June 8)


SINISTER

A true-crime novelist (Ethan Hawke) seeking inspiration stumbles upon a box of home videos of an entire family murdered in what is now his new home. But uncovering the murder isn't as "crime thriller" as you might suspect when the story becomes supernatural. (Release date: August 24 October 5)


THE CABIN IN THE WOODS

This movie looks like the outcome if you'd combined Friday the 13th and Cube: a horror sci-fi thriller set in a cabin in the woods inexplicably like a maze where our main characters are caught up in a mad chase. (Release date: April 13)


THE WOMAN IN BLACK

Ghosts in creaky, dusty old houses? That's my kind of horror. Because ghosts are real. Judging from the trailer, styling looks amazing, scares look haunting and Daniel Radcliffe seems like more than Harry Potter. (Release date: February 3)

Honourable mentions: The Innkeepers, The Apparition, The Amityville Horror: The Lost Tapes (possibly)

The Fille Files (August 12-18, 2011)

Each week, the Filles bring you some of our favourite films finds of the week -  news, reviews,  features, interviews, tweets, new releases, etc. -  just in case you missed them.

REEL GREAT READS

• What's Missing from Planet of the Apes? Revenge (Toronto Standard): A heartfelt piece by Andrew Westoll, placing his experiences working on his latest book The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary in context of a review of Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
• Pixar's 25th anniversary: How the studio changed the animation game (Entertainment Weekly): A 5-point piece on the iconic animation studio's 25-year history, making stops at WALL-E, Cars, Toy Story and more. If this doesn't make you excited for Monsters Inc 2, we don't know what will.
• Lust Have ("Insert Something Trendy Here"): A short post with charming black-and-white photos of some of the most fashionable, lust-worthy Hollywood classics.

WEEKEND WATCHES

• One Day: Based on the international bestseller by David Nicholls, starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess as lovers-by-chance who see each other only one day a year.
• Fright Night: It's just refreshing to see vampires who are supposed to be scary, not beautiful. Okay, maybe a little beautiful too.

TRAILER OF THE WEEK: The Woman in Black

If The Others met Harry Potter...