You know, it’s Halloween. I guess everyone’s entitled to one good scare
You know, it’s Halloween. I guess everyone’s entitled to one good scare
Wanna shake up your Halloween viewing this year? Enter this old dark house for suggestions that don't include trips to Camp Crystal Lake, Haddonfield, Woodsboro, or even Elm Street
I love curling up and watching my favorite horror movies and shows in October. There’s nothing like spending time with Michael Myers and Laurie Strode on the 31st. (You already figured out the quote up top came from Halloween, right?) Sometimes, though, I want to step outside Haddonfield. Venture beyond Freddy, Jason, Chucky, Ghostface, and the Warrens (sacrilege, I know). Give Norman, Hannibal, and Marcus & Tomas a short rest. (But not too short; a girl has needs.)
For those of you who crave some fresh meat or perhaps just want to revisit an old fave, creep among my film and TV picks below. There’s something for everyone … dead or alive.
Writer’s note: Want more terrifying tales that I’ve recommended lately? Check out my previous posts to read about The Last Voyage of the Demeter and Wendell & Wild; Talk to Me; Psycho Beach Party (with the amazing Lauren Ambrose, also in Servant); and, of course, Bates Motel and Hannibal.
Hello, Darkness My Old Friend
The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster (2023)
Frankenstein is a stone cold classic horror tale (thanks, Mary Shelley!). So why not contemporize it without losing what makes it timeless? Bomani J. Story does exactly that with this emotional, terrifying retelling highlighted by an incendiary lead performance from Laya DeLeon Hayes.
Blood Flower (2022)
Prefer an exorcism? Look no further than this Malaysian possession tale about a novice healer forced to take matters into his own hands when a malicious spirit attacks his loved ones. Poor guy just wants to fit in and ignore his calling. Maybe in your next life, kid.
The Vampire Doll (1970)
Lake of Dracula (1971)
Evil of Dracula (1974)
Director Michio Yamamoto's Bloodthirsty trilogy has one thing that links all three films: vampires. My personal favorite is Lake of Dracula, which has a doctor deducing several women were killed by a creature of the night. Though you should totally see them all!
Chopping Mall (1986)
If the mall scenes in the Fear Street trilogy were your jam, then you should definitely make time for this bodacious flick about sentient AI machines (think Daleks) targeting horny teens after hours at a shopping mall. Legendary scream queen Barbara Crampton pops up, too!
Knife+Heart (2018)
Paris. Summer of '79. Sensational queer horror featuring a ragtag crew working in gay porn being targeted by a serial killer. There’s also a jilted producer, played by Vanessa Paradis, trying to win back her editor girlfriend while nursing a broken heart and some trippy, psychedelic visuals. Not for the inhibited.
Medusa Deluxe (2022)
Hairdressing contests are not for the faint of heart. The competition is fierce and you can cut the tension with a knife. But what if one of the stylists is cut down? And what if the killer is still inside the venue? Low key yet taut, this is a fascinating character study with a fly-on-the-wall feel.
Perpetrator (2023)
This gruesome tale plays out like a contemporary Grimm fairy tale with a feminist bent. A teenage girl is sent to live with her great-aunt, who's a bit twisted herself, in order to get a handle on her abilities. Fun fact: The great-aunt is played by the fabulous Alicia Silverstone.
Pieces (1982)
One fine day, a kid chops up his mom while playing in his room. Years later, he's targeting co-eds at a small town college. Come for the carnage, stay for the inept cops on the killer's trail. Seriously, they make Clouseau look like Poirot. This has quickly become one of my favorite slashers.
More Mischief
Deep Red (1975); Encounters of the Spooky Kind (1980); All About Evil (2010); The Masque of the Red Death (1964); It Lives Inside (2023)
Trick 'r' Treat
Mad Monster Party? (1967)
You haven't lived until you've seen this bonkers stop-motion creature feature from Rankin-Bass, best known for their delightful Christmas specials. This bash has the best guest list onscreen and behind the mic (Boris Karloff! Phyllis Diller!). Hotel Transylvania has nothing on this shindig.
Monster House (2006)
Most neighborhoods have a house that gives people the heebie jeebies. Imagine if the one in your neighborhood was an actual monster. An underrated animated gem, featuring a voice cast led by Steve Buscemi, that will make you laugh while that black magic weaves its spell.
The Monster Squad (1987)
A group of kids band together when Dracula comes to town with his supernatural supergroup in tow to wreak havoc. I have loved this flick since I was a kid and it still holds up. Bonus: Tom Noonan as the coolest Frankenstein's monster since Karloff.
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
Few things in this life are as charming as anything Aardman creates. (Though Heartstopper comes damn close.) Our beloved cheese-loving duo are on the trail of a garden saboteur, whose dastardly deeds threaten a vegetable contest. A were-rabbit may or may not be involved.
The Watcher in the Woods (1980)
The arrival of a new family digs up secrets long thought buried regarding a decades-old mystery involving a local girl who vanished. How many movies offer motocross, the occult, and the iconic Bette Davis? One of the first horror movies (by Disney, no less!) I ever saw, this has remained a favorite.
More Mischief
The Curse of Bridge Hollow (2022); Frankenweenie (2012); Goosebumps (2015); Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019); and The Witches (1990).
Spooktacular TV
The Addams Family
Creepy and kooky. Mysterious and spooky. Nobody does it better than the cast of the classic '60s sitcom. I'm a big fan of the altogether ooky clan — I've seen basically every iteration from Charles Addams' cartoons to the Broadway musical. Plus, the chemistry between Carolyn Jones and John Astin as Morticia and Gomez is scorching! (All episodes available on MGM+, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel.)
Evil
A priest, a clinical psychologist, and a contractor walk into a diocese. There they are given a case of the week and tasked with proving if the case is demonic or not. Okay, so there's no joke. The show, however, is wickedly funny and doesn't pull its punches when it comes to the horror element. Say a little prayer and binge to your dark heart's content. (Renewed for season four. All episodes available on Paramount+.)
Servant
Speaking of shows that are wickedly funny and don't pull their punches, this diabolically deranged gem from EP M. Night Shyamalan about a couple reeling from the death of their infant is the real deal. Everybody's an asshole; yet unlike with The Morning Show, everybody is endlessly entertaining and completely fascinating. (All episodes available on Apple TV+.)
The Strain
Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's books are brought to vivid life in this terrifying take on the vampire ethos. The strigoi are the fearsome bloodsuckers here as they burn the world down with an assist from a mysterious virus. David Bradley as the crotchety Abraham Satrakian and Rupert Penry-Jones as the stalwart yet deadly Mr. Quinlan are the show's MVPs. (All episodes available on Hulu.)
SurrealEstate
Love haunted houses? Then this spine-chiller about a real estate firm specializing in homes with special needs (i.e. that incessant creaking isn't the pipes) is just what you need. Ghosts, poltergeists, interpersonal relationships, and sarcasm? I'm sold. But then again, they had me with Tim Rozon. (Season 2 now airing on Syfy. Season 1 available on Hulu. Seasons 1 and 2 available on syfy.com.)
More Mischief
Astrid & Lilly Save the World; Channel Zero; Light As a Feather; Marianne; and Werewolf By Night.