Horror Films You Didn't See in 2012 Quiz

Answer: V/H/S

"V/H/S", appearing at Sundance in 2012, became a quick favourite in the horror world because of its approach to the anthology subgenre. The film followed a group of thieves searching an apparently-not-abandoned house for a single VHS tape ("which they'd know when they saw it"). They found more than one and decided to start watching them only to find more horrors than they'd expected.
The movie was filmed entirely on handy-cam; six different directors filmed the different vignettes (including Ti West, Adam Wingard, and Radio Silence).
Why didn't you see it? After a limited run in festivals and on VOD services, it ended up finding its way to (heh) video. It was popular enough to warrant a sequel greenlight.

Answer: The ABCs of Death

Another anthology from horror's best and brightest independent directors, the film didn't have a singular plot -- instead, twenty-six different letters of the alphabet were handed out, at random, to the participants and they were asked to put their own spin on it.

While some of these were hit-and-miss, the general appeal was there -- as much as it could be with only a few minutes per letter. Directors included Ti West, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Jake West, and Nacho Vigalondo. Why didn't you see it? The movie appeared late in the year at the Toronto International Film Festival and was slated for wider release in 2013.

Much like "V/H/S" before it, it would see an earlier light of day on VOD release.

Answer: Piranha 3DD

Also starring Danielle Panabaker (known for roles in the remakes of "Friday the 13th and "The Crazies"), "Piranha 3DD" was written by "Saw" series writer Marcus Dunstan and picked up where the first "Piranha" remake by Alexandre Aja (released in 2010) left off...to an extent.

The movie shifted its focus to a nearby water park full of strippers where the piranhas made their next attack. Despite obvious stunt casting, the reason you likely didn't see it is because of the poor box office return and the miserable critical reviews.

The movie grossed one tenth of the original's returns and bombed. Director John Gulager also filmed the "Feast" trilogy.

Answer: The Tall Man

Although Laugier previously released the controversial French Extremity film "Martyrs" to create resounding waves in the horror community (that was back in 2008), "The Tall Man" was a bit underwhelming. Filmed in Canada and starring Jessica Biel and Stephen McHatty (of "Pontypool"), the movie followed Biel as she attempted to uncover the mystery of the legendary 'Tall Man' in a small mining town to locate her missing son. Why didn't you see this one? Probably because no one saw it -- the movie was a flop recovering only $4,000,000 of an $18,000,000 budget and appearing with little-to-no promotion before its release.

Answer: ATM

Why didn't you see this one? The movie made just over $3,000 in the box office. With the most minimal of limited releases, the film definitely did not recoup its three million dollar price tag. The only views it would've seen were from on-demand services and DVD. "ATM" primarily starred a trio of relatively well-reputed actors (Brian Geraghty, for instance, was in "The Hurt Locker") and was set, for the most part, within and around an ATM booth where the three were stalked by a man in an obscuring jacket.

As the movie progressed, there were more and more methods employed to kill those inside the booth; perhaps people also felt trapped inside the theater?

Answer: The Apparition

"The Apparition" starred Ashley Greene, Sebastian Stan, and Tom Felton as they attempted to reenact something called the Charles Experiment in which they used their concentration (amplified) to call forth a spirit from another plane. Sure enough, this worked and they put themselves into mortal danger. What do you expect, right?
"The Apparition" had a single-digit approval rating on most review sites. On top of that it received virtually no marketing. As such it received very little money. You likely didn't see it as a result.

Answer: Smiley

"Smiley" starred a cast of unknowns and was released with little notice in 2012. The movie followed a group of internet-savvy college students who attempted to uncover the truth about a serial killer with a carved-out smiley face mask who killed only when someone wrote "I did it for the lulz" in a video chat box. Seriously.
Why didn't you see it? Have you heard the premise? Aside from a dismal limited release, the movie was panned and criticized through and through. It was quickly shifted to VOD services in lieu of an actual theatrical release.

Answer: Excision

"Excision" was definitely hyped amongst horror fans, especially after showings at Sundance and other international film festivals. Starring a robust cast (including Marlee Matlin, Ray Wise, and AnnaLynne McCord amongst others), the movie was split between the story of a girl attempting to impress her mother and become successful in the medical world and the delusions she suffered along the way. Most of these delusions were quite graphic and involved surgical procedures. This was one you likely didn't see because of its lack of wide release.

Despite being picked up by Anchor Bay shortly after Sundance, it met with a very limited run in select theaters before showing on VOD.

Answer: The Bay

Directed by Barry Levinson (also known for "Good Morning, Vietnam", "Rain Man", and "Sphere"), "The Bay" likely wasn't on your list of films to see this year, not because it was poorly made, but because it was rarely promoted. After premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in mid-2012, it ended up seeing a limited release in theaters in November, earning less than $50,000 in the box office.

The movie followed the events which befell a small bayside town as captured through the webcams, cell phones, security footage, police footage, and other unorthodox recording devices.

As it turned out, deadly parasites were emerging and using humans as hosts.

Answer: Berberian Sound Studio

Directed by Peter Strickland, the movie was a throwback to the Italian Giallo genre and its tendency to redub entire soundtracks. The movie featured a man creating the soundtrack for what would be come a Giallo movie, "The Equestrian Vortex", which was never really seen in the film proper. Said individual would slowly unravel as the film went on, in effect exemplifying the tendencies of the Giallo genre.

It starred Toby Jones. Why didn't you see it? It never received a wide release outside the UK in 2012.

Despite making appearances in several film festivals worldwide and on significant year-end lists, it never made the cut for theaters.