The “Deus Ex” video game series has been a big deal for over a decade. In 2011, Eidos Montreal and Square Enix took a page from the movie playbook and made the third entry in the franchise, “Deus Ex: Human Revolution,” a prequel. The cyberpunk game set in 2027 has all the makings of a great sci-fi thriller: mysterious groups with sinister motivations, a program that augments humans into cyborgs, and a ton of ambient noise. Because of that easy translation and its popularity, it’s unsurprising that CBS Films wants to turn it into a movie. According to Deadline Hollywood, they’ve hired writer/director Scott Derrickson to take on the project. He’ll direct as well as write the script with Sinister writing partner C. Robert Cargill (who, full disclosure time, I know personally). It’s a move that will take Derrickson out of the horror world after successes with Emily Rose and the recent Ethan Hawke-led release, pushing him in a different direction that might still hold some of the same tonal elements.

All throughout October, we’ll be hearing from horror filmmakers about their favorite scary movies. We’ve already heard from Joe Dante on The Exorcist, so we turn now to a newcomer on the horror scene. C. Robert Cargill (who some may know as Massawyrm from years of writing at Aint It Cool) is the co-writer of Sinister, which hits theaters tomorrow (10/12). In his film, Ethan Hawke plays a true crime novelist, so is it any wonder that Cargill has chosen to celebrate a horror flick with a writer at its giant, monstrous heart? You can go watch it right now online, or you can join us for a discussion of the last great John Carpenter film and best H.P. Lovecraft movie that isn’t based on anything Lovecraft wrote. Download Episode #152

Editor’s note: This review has previously appeared as part of our SXSW 2012 and Fantastic Fest coverage, but since it’s so well-written and increasingly relevant thanks to Sinister’s opening this week, it’s back! In recent years the found footage style of horror has been done, pardon me, to death. Whole films have been cobbled together with bits of the fake stuff in service to pretend storylines, delivered to their audiences in tidy packages that often place style over substance. In Scott Derrickson‘s Sinister (this year’s SXSW “secret” screening), the found footage conceit is instead used as a source of information and scares, a clever little bit of storytelling that delivers the creeps with ease. Derrickson’s film (co-written with C. Robert Cargill) centers on Ethan Hawke as a true crime writer who has stumbled on his biggest gig yet – penning a book about the mysterious deaths of four family members, hung from a tree in their own backyard in a ritualistic manner. Not only is the perpetrator of the crime still at large, but a fifth member of the family (the youngest girl) who disappeared after the crime is still missing. Hawke’s Ellison routinely moves his family to new towns that have been struck by some sort of tragedy, tragedies that Ellison investigates and writes about to some apparent acclaim. But it’s been years since Ellison had a hit, and it’s imperative that Ellison’s next book is one, just for simple financial reasons.

Mark our words, Sinister is going to scare you. It doesn’t matter if you’re a hard-bitten horror freak or a screamer who watches scary films with your hands over your eyes, this thing is going to get you. Not sure about that? Well, here’s a red band trailer for you. Now, really, can someone please hold me? While we can recommend the trailer to those who want to get a real sense of the atmosphere and tone of the film, it does feature a number of scenes that could be considered spoilers (and a number of scenes that are part of some of the film’s most eye-poppingly scary moments). While most horror films certainly benefit from being viewed fresh, Sinister in particular works tremendously well if you take it in without any preconceptions (and without any knowledge of some of the truly disturbing stuff within it). Having seen it as a Secret Screening during this year’s SXSW, I got to watch it with absolutely no expectations, and it completely terrified me. Brave enough? Watch the new red band trailer for Sinister after the break.

If you’re looking forward to Scott Derrickson‘s Sinister, then you may want to get in on this chance to catch his restrained horror film sooner rather than later. The movie had its “surprise” premiere at SXSW this year and, after receiving some positive buzz there, Summit Entertainment is continuing to show promise in the project. Today the studio has launched “See Sinister First,” offering audiences the opportunity to attend an early screening of the film. You can join a screening which is already live or even request a showing for your hometown, and, for the latter option, use Tugg. The chance to make a screening close by you happen only lasts a week, so move fast. So far there are only showings scheduled in California, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and one in Washington D.C. that Film School Rejects happens to be co-hosting. The screenings that reach full attendance will receive a collectible poster for Sinister, as well as possible Q & A from the filmmakers. All in all, a pretty snazzy deal.

One of the worst kept secrets at SXSW this year was the “surprise” screening of director Scott Derrickson‘s Sinister, thanks to The Hollywood Reporter leaking the news before the screening. However, the movie itself still managed to deliver with some surprises. For one, this isn’t a found-footage movie, but, as Kate Erbland describes it in her positive review, “the found footage conceit is instead used as a source of information and scares, a clever little bit of storytelling that delivers the creeps with ease.” That’s a suitable way of describing Sinister. The movie has its scares, but many of them only hit you after the credits roll. This first trailer does almost too good a job of selling Derrickson’s restrained horror story, considering it gives away a handful of Sinister‘s finest moments. If you want to go into Sinister unspoiled, stop watching this at the 1:15 mark. Check out the trailer below.