The end of 2007 is almost upon us and already movie studios are generating some interesting PR with details of their upcoming releases ... and it looks like there are quite a few horror projects amongst the herd. Most notable is “Cloverfield.” Based on the internet buzz alone, the suits at Paramount Pictures are probably sitting back in their comfortable chairs confident that they have an instant winner. J.J. Abrams’ untitled 01-18-08 movie was originally unveiled in a teaser trailer attached to the summer blockbuster “Transformers” and since then the Internet has been filled with speculation, viral marketing ploys and snippets of supposedly leaked footage. The movie centers on a monster attack in New York City and has been described as the American version of Godzilla (no, not the 1998 shambles starring Matthew Broderick, the real Godzilla), but offers a completely unique perspective on the tale: through the lens of a home-video. Already the project has amassed a large online following and looks set to be one of the big-screen highlights of 2008. Japanese horror movies have always been a step beyond what is currently being pumped out of Hollywood and tend to include a scarier atmosphere, accompanied my more shrieks, screams and wails from the audience. The Americanized release of “The Grudge” starring Sarah Michelle Gellar did offer a few thrills but once you watch the original Japanese version it is but a pale comparison. The latest movie to get the Hollywood treatment is “The Eye,” starring the beautiful Jessica Alba “The Eye’s” French directors David Moreau and Xavier Palud themselves have admitted that they were forced to edit some of the ghostliness out of the film in order for it to become a workable feature in the United States, quoting a deeply rooted belief in the supernatural in Japanese culture that wouldn’t work in an Americanized release. In its place however, the dynamic duo have incorporated a few elements you’d expect to find in more traditional horror movies and are positive that the film will not leave anyone disappointed. Other movies you can expect to find at the box office in 2008 include “Shrooms” (which has already been released in the UK) and Warner Brothers’ own Japanese re-make of “One Missed Call”. Both have been receiving a hefty dose of online advertising and have been classed as a horror/mystery/thriller that will have your heart racing from beginning to end. Both seem heavily geared up to the “Final Destination” crowd and will definitely be received well by a slightly younger-breed of horror fan. But if you’re into the hardcore classics, George A. Romero may once again put a sick, twisted smile on your face as he returns to the big screen in all his zombie glory with “Diary of the Dead.”  A group of film students are forced to fight the undead when the filming of their own horror movie goes disastrously wrong. You might not be convinced that it’s going to be a success, but Romero certainly is as the sequel is already being pushed into production and will continue exactly where this project ends. “The Signal” however might be one of the more interesting releases of the year, adopting a slightly different style than the traditional horror adventure. The film itself is told in three parts from three very different perspectives, in which a mysterious transmission invades every cell phone, radio and TV, turning the public into killers. Unfortunately, Twentieth Century Fox seem to be lacking an imagination as the only horror project that appears on their grand plan for the year is “Shutter” †a predictable sounding story starring Joshua Jackson and involving cameras and mysterious ghosts in Tokyo. The tail end of 2008 looks to be on better form, as Paramount and Universal again show that horror is still a genre they have an interest in with “The Ruins,” and the more popular “Hellboy II: The Golden Army”. Early buzz from both projects have them standing in good stead and based solely on the “Hellboy II” trailer, it looks as though some of the flaws that prevented some viewers from jumping straight into the original film have been solved and a third instalment is already being prepped. Expect nothing but good things from Guillermo del Toro and team. Actress Renee Zellweger will also try to prove her acting talents when she fights the system to save a girl from her abusive parents †only the girl might not be as innocent as her file suggests. “Case 39” has an interesting sounding premise and may actually work, but is Renee Zellweger the right woman for the job?  If not, there is always J. Michael Straczynski’s “The Changeling” to look forward to. The movie hasn’t to be confused with an episode of “Deep Space Nine” or Kevin Thomas’ independent movie of the same name that is also released in November. As head honcho of “Babylon 5”, Straczynski is a well known figure and is renowned for intricate plot work on all of his projects - “The Changeling” sounds like it will offer his same brand of addictive and original storytelling as a mother's prayer for her kidnapped son to return home is answered … but it doesn't take long for her to suspect the boy who comes back is not hers.  There are definately more movies still to come, but based on this short list alone, 2008 will be an interesting year indeed. 2008 Release Schedule Jan. 04 - One Missed Call (Warner Bros.) Jan. 11 - The Orphanage (Picturehouse Entertainment) Jan. 18 - Cloverfield (Paramount) Feb. 01 - The Eye (Lionsgate) Feb. 01 - Shrooms (Capitol) Feb. 15 - Diary of the Dead Feb. 22 - The Signal (POP Films) Mar. 21 - Shutter (Fox) Apr. 4  - The Ruins (Paramount) July. 11 - Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Universal) Sept. 19 - Case 39 (Paramount) Nov. 7 - The Changeling (Universal) TBC - Whiteout (Warner Bros.) Alan Stanley Blair is the assistant news editor for Rabid Doll and its sister site SyFy Portal, contributing from his home country of Scotland. He is currently studying for his diploma in freelance journalism and feature writing as a distance student at the London School of Journalism. He can be reached at any time at ablair@syfyportal.com.