Horror Films of 2014 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones

Not following the typical numbering convention of the series (you know, sequential), "Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones" was billed as an aside to the story, instead following a Latin American family following similar hauntings to those seen in the earlier movies. What followed was a trip through several key moments, all tied to the paranormal activities experienced by Katie and Kristi and the coven of witches seemingly responsible (as seen in the third and fourth films).

The film earned more than $90,000,000, on par with the others in the series, and was written and directed by series mainstay Christopher B. Landon. Original creator Oren Peli produced.

Answer: As Above, So Below

Searching for what was, essentially, the Philosopher's Stone, a young academic headed deep into the underground of Paris in this 2014 film from "Devil" and "Quarantine" director John Dowdle. What she and her group ended up discovering was a pathway straight to Hell, bringing forth their repressed fears and dragging them into the underworld with their handicams in tow.

The movie did quite well in the theatre grossing more than seven times its $5,000,000 budget. The film, actually filmed in the catacombs themselves, ended up being panned for being boring and lackluster.

Answer: The Guest

Adam Wingard, fresh off his previous successful horror features "A Horrible Way to Die", "You're Next", and the "V/H/S" series, released "The Guest" to Sundance audiences in early 2014, finally releasing the movie to theatres in September to good reviews.

In the movie, a family was greeted by an alleged comrade of their deceased son; both served in the army together. When the family started to discover that their guest had a malicious secret, things got a bit dicey. The movie was written by frequent collaborator Simon Barrett, who also wrote and directed portions of "V/H/S 2".

Answer: Annabelle

Combining the paranormal spookiness of evil dolls with the feel-good adventures of a satanic cult, "Annabelle" brought the creepy doll from "The Conjuring" into its own spin-off world, telling the story of its origin in the 1960s before it fell into the hands of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. Annabelle, of course, ended up becoming a host for a demonic presence shortly after being gifted to Mia Gordon.

As it turned out, it sought out the soul of her unborn daughter. Despite critical panning, the film was ultimately a box office success. Funnily enough, director John R. Leonetti was first credited as the cinematographer for "Child's Play 3".

Answer: Ouija

Grossing a surprising amount of money in theatres (not all too surprising, however, considering a lack of big-name horror films out at Halloween), "Ouija" ended up becoming another high-grossing, critically-panned Platinum Dunes release. Platinum Dunes, of course, became famous when Michael Bay founded the company to release horror reboots like "Friday the 13th", "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning", and "Nightmare on Elm Street" in the 2000s. "Ouija" followed a group of kids who unwittingly (you'd have to be) evoked the spirits of the dead using the titular board.

While they assumed that the spirit was that of their recently-deceased friend, it was actually much worse.

Answer: Devil's Due

Critically panned, "Devil's Due" ended up getting released in January 2014, typically seen as a bit of a dumping ground for bad movies. Somewhat of a "Rosemary's Baby" for a modern age, the whole thing was filmed as a found-footage movie and ended up pitting a newlywed couple against unnatural cravings, an uncomfortable pregnancy, and a possible demon child...just like every nine months before birth. (Hey-oh!) But seriously -- the baby was, quite possibly, the Antichrist, and with all of the people watching them from the shadows, no one was refuting it.

The movie did quite well despite the lack of buzz (and the rehashing), earning over $35,000,000 in the box office. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, known as 'Radio Silence', also created the final segment of the original "V/H/S" release.

Answer: The Purge: Anarchy

"The Purge: Anarchy", the sequel to 2013's surprise summer hit "The Purge", ended up faring even better than its predecessor in the box office, earning over one hundred million in the summer of 2014. Once again, "The Purge" took place on the one night of the year in which people were able to kill anyone they wanted or, otherwise, hide from the carnage; such a night would reduce crime levels significantly, and it being a dystopia, every little bit would help.

Instead of following the family seen in the original film, "Anarchy" followed several people out in the city during the purge struggling to stay alive.

Answer: Oculus

"Oculus" certainly had a unique premise -- one with no equal in 2014 at least. In this film, two siblings with a troubled past find that they've been haunted by the supernatural powers of an evil antique mirror, causing them to see things which clearly do not reflect reality.

The movie premiered at TIFF the year before, getting sent to theaters worldwide in April 2014 and earning a modest $44,000,000. Despite the out-there plot, the film was quite well-received-- better, in fact, than Alexandre Aja's "Mirrors" released less than a decade earlier. Director Mike Flanagan earlier released the Kickstarter-funded horror darling "Absentia".

Answer: Deliver Us From Evil

"Deliver Us From Evil" did quite well in the box office, taking in a respectable $85,000,000 despite low review scores. Director Scott Derrickson made more of a splash two years earlier with the well-rated "Sinister". Instead, "Deliver Us From Evil" had Eric Bana playing a cop who, after odd circumstances following a more-than-routine call, ended up embroiled in a case that resulted in an exorcism.

He and a priest (played by Édgar Ramírez) had no choice but to work together to banish the demons within the soldier, just back from the war, obviously with more than they bargained for.

Answer: V/H/S Viral

"V/H/S Viral", distributed by Bloody Disgusting and created by several indie horror directors, was the third in the series of anthology-style releases in the series known for its innovative applications of the found-footage, mockumentary style. Released on VOD (like Netflix) in October, just in time for Halloween, the movie ended up featuring several different vignettes, all tied together by a group of people filming a police chase with an ice cream truck in L.A.

This time around, the shorts were filmed by "Timecrimes" director Nacho Vigalondo. "Deadgirl" director Marcel Sarmiento, "Dance of the Dead" director Gregg Bishop, and "Resolution" directors Justin Benson and Aaron Scott Moorhead.