2013 Calendar of Horrors: We Preview the Fright Flicks Coming Out This Year

For me, 2012 was a pretty lackluster year as far as the blood n' guts were concerned. We were presented with several decent trailers that on the surface might've been potentially good, scary horror movies, but what happened was we ended up with movies like Cabin in the Woods and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter; which in my opinion, both fell short in the scares department.

That being said, there were a few standout films like Sinister, Citadel, and V/H/S; which were all definitely worth a look.

So what does 2013 hold in store for us horror junkies? Here's how the year's shaping up so far...

January

2013 had a blood-soaked start with yet another interpretation of everyone's favorite dead-skin-mask wearing ogre, Leatherface. Texas Chainsaw 3D came out on Jan. 4. I've yet to see it, but it topped the box-office on its opening weekend.

Guillermo del Toro remakes Andres Muschietti's 2008 short film, Mama. A supernatural thriller which follows two grown sisters who are haunted by an evil entity from their past, after their parents are killed.

The makers of Dead Hooker in a Trunk deliver the gore in American Mary. When a former medical student turns to bizarre underground medical procedures for her diabolical enjoyment, she leaves her patients with much more than they bargained for.

February

A revenge-driven female college student goes on a killing spree in Girls Against Boys. This was the official selection at SXSW 2012, so that part sounds promising. However, with a cheesy tagline like "Bad Girls Don't Cry. They Get Even." this one could go either way.

Evil spirits continue to reap havoc, but not in Connecticut this time. The sequel to the 2009 psychological horror film, The Haunting in Connecticut, follows a young family as they move into an old demonic home in Georgia. What's the Connecticut connection, you ask? Not sure. We'll have to see what it's all about in The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia.

March

I was fortunate enough to have seen a few awesome segments from the much anticipated anthology, The ABC's of Death, which gives 26 exciting horror directors a chance to tackle 26 short tales of death. Each short utilizes its own unique creative direction. Great concept. Stoked for this one!

Director Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes, remake), takes on the Maniac remake. This time, Elijah Wood is in the role of Frank, a mannequin shop owner/insane serial killer whose obsession with a young artist leads him into gory madness. Shot mostly from the killer's perspective, there's a lot of hype surrounding this project as a result of some early positive screenings.

Following up on the box office success of the 2010 critically acclaimed hit, The Last Exorcism, the sequel promises more contorted scares as we find out what happens to Nell after she's discovered alone and terrified in the woods.

April

Rockstar/horror director extraordinaire, Rob Zombie, delves into the world of backwards playing records and witchcraft with the much hyped The Lords of Salem. I'm very anxious to see it despite some negative reports I've read. I've always been a big Zombie fan, both of his music and of his films, so I won't be swayed by some of the early criticism. The Devil's Rejects was awesome, that's my two cents.

Hands down, Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead (1981) is one of my favorite horror movies. When I first heard about the remake in the works, like most Evil Dead die-hards, I was skeptical. But, with one look at the amazing trailer, I became a believer. This just may be the highlight of the year for me. Director Fede Alvarez says that there was no CGI used in the film, so this old-school practical approach sticks closely to Raimi's roots. Lets hope this one kicks as much ass as the trailer.

June

Hmmm... Brad Pitt vs. a world of zombies? World War Z doesn't look very "horror," but I figured I'd throw it in here since its co-star happens to be a slew of super-fast climbing infected poor bastids.

Watch World War Z Trailer

July

James Wan's The Conjuring looks interesting. This one is inspired by the 1970s real-life account of a terrorized Rhode Island family who claimed that their farmhouse was filled with evil spirits. The story follows two paranormal investigators who sign on to help this poor family evict their unwelcomed demonic guests.

Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim is worth mentioning, mostly because it's an epic, big budget monster movie. The trailer seems much more sci-fi/action adventure than horror, but fans of Godzilla and Cloverfield should dig it. The movie stars Sons of Anarchy's Charilie Hunnam and Ron Perlman.

August

Saw creators James Wan and Leigh Whannell return with the original cast of Insidious to pick up where they left off with Insidious 2. I enjoyed the first one and am looking forward to the sequel!

October

The remake of Brian DePalma's classic, Carrie (1976 ), will hit theaters just in time for Halloween. Based on the best-selling Stephen King novel, this version stars Julianne Moore as Carrie's mom and Chloe Moretz as the famous bloody prom date.

The fifth installment of the Paranormal Activity franchise will look to scare the bejesus out of audiences looking for more slow-burn, found-footage formulas.

Some other Halloween horror to keep your eyes peeled for, are Haunts and The Devil's Rapture. Also, a film titled Gallows Hill, directed by Victor Garcia (Return to House on Haunted Hill) is slated for 2013, but has no confirmed release date as of yet.

Well, folks, it looks like 2013 will have no problem blowing away last year's horror roster out of the water. Keep your fingers crossed and your crosses close. There's a lot of evil spirits that'll need a talkin' to this year.

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Alan Robert is a popular musician, artist and author, best known for being the primary-songwriter/bassist for the hard rock group Life of Agony for over two decades. In recent years, he's created quite a name for himself in the world of comics due to the success of his critically acclaimed horror comics. In 2010, he released Wire Hangers, a unique horror/crime tale in which he wrote and illustrated, followed by the 2011 hit series Crawl to Me, now in development to become a feature film.

Alan's latest series, Killogy, stars Goodfellas/The Sopranos actor Frank Vincent, legendary punk rock icon Marky Ramone, and Heroes/Dexter actress Brea Grant as its main characters. Killogy is available now in print and digital through IDW Publishing. For more info on Alan Robert, visit: www.alanrobert.com and follow him on Twitter: @arobert