Weekend box office preview: Horror fans will push 'Insidious: Chapter 2' to the top spot

It's not even a fight this week at the weekend box office. Sometimes, I'm not quite sure which film or films will duke it out for the top spot, but this week? It's a no brainer. Insidious: Chapter 2, James Wan's follow-up to 2011's Insidious, will be number one. I mean come on, this is a Friday the 13th weekend - it's made for scary movies, right?

Insidious: Chapter 2 really doesn't have a lot of heavy competition for theater goer's attention. The only other films that might make an actual impact this weekend are the Robert De Niro action comedy The Family, and last week's top box office movie, Riddick.

Here's the thing: I'm a James Wan fan. I loved The Conjuring. It scared the stew out of me, as did the first half of Insidious. The second half? Ugh, if you've seen it you know: The whole thing came completely unraveled. I felt like any tension and fear that I'd built up over the first half of the film just evaporated. With The Conjuring, I was scared from the first frame to the last.

This is why I'm considering seeing Insidious: Chapter 2 in the theater. I hope James Wan is able to sustain the scares this time out, because he started strong with the original film. The original cast (Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne) is back, too, and that never hurts.

If I make it through Insidious: Chapter 2 (remember, I'm a big chicken), I'll gladly offer up a review here soon.

Now, let's discuss The Family: I realize that yes, this action comedy stars Robert De Niro (as a mafia boss, no less) and is directed by Luc Besson - one of the most talented French filmmakers working, but that does not guarantee a hit. Reviews for The Family, which also stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Tommy Lee Jones and Dianna Agron, are not good. It's hard to ignore that fact, especially now that we're into September, traditionally known as The Wasteland for Bad Movies. I think it's safe to say I'll wait for the DVD release of The Family.

With the well-reviewed Prisoners opening next weekend, I'm tempted to say forget the theater and just sit home and enjoy some college football. Do any of you have plans to hit the theater and, if so, what will you see?

Photo courtesy of FilmSchoolRejects.com