Horror Films You Didn't See in 2011 Quiz

Answer: Quarantine 2

"Quarantine 2" takes a completely different spin from its Spanish source material, the "REC" series, which is contained within a single apartment building in its first two installments. While the first U.S. remake, "Quarantine", follows this approach, "Terminal" brings the infection to an airport and has a plane-full of people deal with the consequences of a virus that turns its victims into ravenous killers.

You probably didn't see this one because it didn't get a theatrical release-- at least not a wide one. It went straight-to-DVD in most areas, unlike its Spanish counterpart, "REC 2", which finally saw its home video release in the U.S. in the same year.

Answer: Atrocious

"Atrocious" is yet another from the cinema-verite school of horror filmmaking, in which the director utilizes nothing more than handheld cameras to evoke the terror onscreen. In this case, the handy-cams are placed into the hands of two siblings who, along with their parents, head to a cabin in the woods (next to a maze!) and investigate an urban legend. As it turns out, some urban legends have some truth to them.

You probably missed this one. Why? Well, for one thing, it only showed in a few festivals outside of Spain (Sitges). When it finally came time to distribute it in North America, distribution was handled by 'Bloody Disgusting Selects', a label associated with the horror website of the same name. They were also responsible for the release of "Yellowbrickroad".

Answer: The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence)

Much like Tom Six's "The Human Centipede (First Sequence)", "Full Sequence" gained a certain amount of notoriety, particularly because of its seemingly-endless graphic violence and perverse content which, as many critics stated, was simply there to shock audiences more than the first film. This sequel follows a mentally-disturbed man named Martin who, after watching the first film, aspires to make his own twelve-person human centipede. To tone back the violence, the film is mostly in black and white; nevertheless, the UK banned it (though the ban was later repealed after cuts were made).

Why didn't you see this? Well, if it wasn't banned in your country and you tend to be able to stomach nearly obscene amounts of gratuitous violence, the film was also under limited midnight releases. It ended up receiving fairly poor reviews.

Answer: You're Next

Praised by horror critics, "You're Next" brought AJ Bowen and Amy Seimetz back together after the 2010 film "A Horrible Way to Die", a movie released at the previous year's TIFF proceedings and directed by the same filmmaker, Adam Wingard. Much like the more popular acquisition from the year before, "Insidious", it was picked up for distribution by Lionsgate. The film involves a group of killers who methodically begin to kill a family gathered together for an anniversary.

It's likely you missed this one. It ran through a few festivals in 2011 (including TIFF and Fantastic Fest) and never received wide release in the same year. Like "A Horrible Way to Die" the year before, many considered it a well-made movie; it just never really got to see the light of day.

Answer: Husk

"Husk", a film set entirely in a farmer's field and the adjacent property, follows a group of college-aged vacationers who happen to come across some possessed scarecrows who have the power to transform others into scarecrows as well. Suffice to say, the film isn't necessarily as corny as the fields featured therein. Created by After Dark Films, this movie was one of eight entries in the first 'After Dark Originals' collection (a brand akin to 'After Dark Horrorfest').

"Husk" probably wasn't on your 'to-see' list this year. Most 'After Dark' films only appear in limited release during their usually-annual festivals. Soon after they end up shifting directly to DVD. Other 'Originals' from this cycle included "51", "Scream of the Banshee", and "Seconds Apart".

Answer: A Serbian Film

"A Serbian Film" was filmed in Serbia, with an all-Serbian cast, in 2010 but never saw release in most of the world until 2011. Although it showed in a number of film festivals in Europe, reception to the movie proved to be the tell-tale sign of controversy. The movie follows Milos, a man in the pornography industry, who becomes the focal point for several sick and twisted events staged for money.

I can name several reasons you didn't see this. Despite the bans, "A Serbian Film" garnered a great deal of press from horror outlets and major horror magazines because of its notoriety. However, the movie was censored by many for its violent depictions of rape, some even more extreme than anticipated by most filmgoers. It became known as a vicious allegory regarding the political practices of Serbia while, in turn, becoming one of the most censored films in UK history -- over four minutes of footage were removed.

Answer: Red State

"Red State" premiered at Sundance in early 2011 with a great deal of curiosity to its name -- it was to have religious themes, it was meant to be straight-up horror (something many fans were unsure Smith would be able to swing), and it was purchased for distribution by Kevin Smith himself as he wanted to release it independently. "Red State" stars Melissa Leo and John Goodman as their community comes to deal with the upcoming rapture.

Religious horror? That's probably why you skipped this one. Well, that and because it never received wide release. Despite Smith's auctioning off of the film (to himself) it only earned back a quarter of its $4,000,000 budget and went to DVD soon after.

Answer: Grave Encounters

In "Grave Encounters", a film crew heads to a supposedly-haunted asylum to do a piece on the ghosts expected to be inside. Despite testimony from employees that say that they place is only barely haunted, their experience and handheld camera footage prove otherwise; the asylum is very much alive and seems to have the ability to trap them inside, defying space and time.

Let's face it -- the plot sounds interesting but you likely missed this film. Why exactly? I'd lay the blame on a meager theatrical release (festival only) governed by an on-demand system, kind of like the original "Paranormal Activity". The only problem is that the latter film had word of mouth.

Answer: The Innkeepers

Much like West's 2010 film, "The House of the Devil", "The Innkeepers" is somewhat of a slow-burn offering. Sara Paxton and Pat Healy star as the caretakers of an unvisited inn. While jumpy at the best of times, they soon come face to face with some real ghosts.

You probably didn't get to see "The Innkeepers" this year. Produced by Larry Fessenden, it ended up at the South By Southwest Festival in March 2011 and it took half a year to get picked up for any other screenings...planned for 2012. No DVDs in 2011 either -- you really needed to be there for this one.

Answer: The Skin I Live In

Directed by "Volver" filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, "The Skin I Live In" was had its premiere screening at Cannes. The movie stars Banderas as a scientist who uses a rather mysterious woman to test a new synthetic material created to withstand fire, almost like a second protective layer of skin.

Unless you live in Spain, this movie would've been hard for you to have seen. It received limited release after its festival roundabout, ultimately finding a larger audience in smaller European venues than anywhere else. It received good reviews but, like many foreign language films, little attention in North America and similar markets.