I have loved horror movies since childhood. That love has taken lots of turns over the years. I am consistently interested in the occult, shadow work and understanding dark forces. I also like to laugh and embrace the weirder side of our imagination. This is my rundown of the 31 Halloween movies I've watched for October 2022.
BeetleJuice- From the mind of artist and filmmaker Tim Burton, comes this legendary film. Beyond falling in love with Catherine O'Hara, I appreciate the descriptions of hard life transitions, the makeup/costume design, and how it toys with the relationship between the living and the dead. When I think dark thoughts, I still quote one of my favorite scenes,
"I, myself, am strange and unusual."
The Privilege- This is a German film and was more suspenseful than scary. It is set at a high school, where these rich brat students get infected with a virus. I do not understand how everything went down, so pay attention to the subtitles! [Netflix]
The Inheritance- Beware of what you'll receive in the will of a creepy dead person. The Inheritance was a constant crescendo that stressed me to the end of the movie. It was fantastic! [Netflix]
Halloween Kills- DAMN. I have never been a huge fan of the Michael Myers movies. This one did not change my mind. Their attempt to wrap up the series totally fell apart at the end. The classic cameos are refreshing, and the level of gore was appropriate for the high-action, fast-paced plot. [Delta GoGo In Flight]
Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror- was a ratchet good time! I wanted to watch a ghetto Halloween classic, and this delivered. It was anthology style with a set of stories told via different mediums, and full of cameos. I was more pleased with the stories than Snoop's occasional narration. His music video at the end was cool though. [Freevee]
Creep Show 2 - Also anthology style, this one was a testament to the rawness of old horror films. There were a few scenes in here with graphics that could only fly in the 1980s, but were so charming that I had to smile. There was an unforgettable scene where a man who was reduce to a bloody pulp licked a woman's face for at least 15 seconds. [Freevee]
Rough Night- Not a horror movie really, but the definition of a nightmare. A set of goofy friends from college reconnect for a bachelorette weekend. Things take a nasty turn when an accidental murder happens. I screamed laughing a few times because this cast is A-1. [Amazon Prime]
My Best Friend's Exorcism- Poor best friend! This movie was pure silliness, but I liked their take on what would really happen between high school besties possessed by demonic forces. [Netflix]
The Exorcist- PERIOD.
God is able to cast out all demons. You betta believe it! [HBO Max]
Gretel & Hansel- A frightening rendition of the Brothers Grimm tale of a German pedophilic grandma. I'm sure its closer to the original violence of the story. The mushroom scene killed me. [Amazon Prime]
The Hunt- This movie is goofy and gorey. The premise is scary to even think about, but within the realm of possibility for most White Supremacist countries. A group of rich people kidnapped people to fly them to an island where they'd be hunted for sport. These Illinois purge circumstances are looking real in 2022. [Freevee]
The Aliens are Coming- This 1980 classic was just...not. The plot was boring and the aliens were more sci-fi than horror. Whoever is afraid of extraterrestrial life may enjoy this one more. Honestly, I'm waiting on them to visit us Earthlings any day now. [Freevee]
Elvira's Haunted Hills- I know the "Hills" are a euphemism because the movie was all tits and large hair. It gave undead vixen slapstick comedy, while making me question the time period it was supposed to be from. It could have been in black & white and still fitting. [Freevee]
Conjuring 2- The true story centers around the failures of a city's housing assistance program to protect a family. I screamed laughing at this movie. Not because it wasn't scary, but that it was absolutely predictable. I noticed the signs, got my body ready for terror, and fully enjoyed the dramatic production of this sequel. [Netflix]
Hubie Halloween- I wish that Adam Sandler would stop playing mentally challenged people, for comedy! There is a scene in here with Shaq doing some suggestive things with a woman and some cake. [Netflix]
Weed-Gie was a mix of gremlins puppetry, paranormal Ouija boards, college marijuana tale and low budget costumes. I enjoyed it because it kept my attention with colorful scenes and playful parodies. [Freevee]
Old People- I rarely get scared. I am usually disappointed in the lack of films out there that make me jump. Old People absolutely frightened me. It made me shudder, it gave me chills, I couldn't even finish the last 30 minutes. Of course I'll return to it. Those Germans are sick horror film makers and I am now looking at all German movies sideways. [Netflix]
Little Evil- Adam Scott was charmingly white as usual. Little Evil was a feel-good kind of family film that you'd want to keep from elementary school kids. The opening scene was a functional foreshadow of the entire plot, so be prepared to multitask. Shoutout to Donald Faison with those big ol' veneers. I love him [Netflix]
The Boy- This movie was wild and I am still forming an opinion. It shows the psychological warfare that people use against each other. Kidnapping, isolation, torture. It reminded me of the old studies where they would isolate infants to determine cognitive detriment. [Netflix]
The Baby- I have to take a deep dive into this limited series. I want to see the inspiration from the directors and the motivation of the actors in telling this...story. The Baby is a thriller about a happily childless woman mysteriously inheriting a murderous, evil, baby. The fears, challenges and love of womanhood are all present in this smart series. [HBO Max]
Scooby Doo The Movie- I dislike watching the Scooby Doo cartoon. I was always irritated by the ineptitude of the criminals to be caught by high school students. I did not like that Daphne and Fred's characters were totally washed out by the plots, or that Scooby was humanized into a hungry Bruh-man archetype. The first live action movie got it right, though! It made the characters more dynamic for me. Now I'm leaning into my Velma costume for Halloween! [Netflix]
Nightmare on Elm Street- The Elm Street saga is celebrated. I started the classic film streak with Freddy. I was very impressed by the basement burning scene because that was a man on fire for real, no CGI. That end scene where Freddy dragged the mom through the front door window was hilarious. I just love that cut to the mannequin. [HBO Max]
Poltergeist- Poltergeist may be one of the best paranormal horror films ever made. I haven't watched it since I was under 10 years old. I picked up on the parents being hella high, the TV people having a literal field day in the kid's bedroom, a young Richard Lawson looking like a snack, and that legendary character Tangina reminds me of my darling grandmother. I'm adding this to my annual rotation. [HBO Max]
The Rocky Horror Picture Show- Wow, this was a good representation of a New Orleans Bywater Halloween party. From the sequins to the dustiness of old, grand event halls. The levels of gay-Frankenstein-theater in this flick make me want a reboot starring Lil Nas X. [Amazon Prime]
Addams Family- I forgot how much I enjoyed this series and 1991 movie adaptation. The movie is well done and a great family classic! My goal in life is to be the Morticia to someone's Gomez. The lesson is that someone will adore you in the depths of your darkness. [Delta GoGo In Flight]
The Munsters- This was the 2022 reboot of the classic Munster show, adapted for the movie. It had been so long since I seen any Munster content that I totally forgot about Herman's laughter. I screamed in joy and delight. I also loved the scenes of them partying because it looked too much like a bar I enjoy in New Orleans. How I miss NOLA Halloweens. [HBO Max]
The Curse of Bridge Hollow- What a cute family movie! I enjoyed this for Halloween the same as I enjoyed Jingle Jangle when it released. Marlon Wayans always makes me laugh and he is one of the kings of horror satire. [Netflix]
Day Shift- Jamie Foxx is one of my favorite talents. I am overly pleased with the action-comedy vampire genre, this month. Him and Dave Franco together were a great pair for laughs and semi-coordinated fighting scenes. [Netflix]
The Ritual- Backwoods, European, mountain people, ritual films are a special type of scary to me. It is the cruelty that is wrapped into the ritual work that baffles me and makes me believe that this archetype still exists in the world. My favorite part of this movie was the monster's mouth arms- like humanoid arms that come out like insect pinchers. Gross. [HBO Max]
Cam- This was a realistic thriller that should put every sex cam girl on high alert for stalking and identity theft. The main character was put on blast by her little brother's friends for doing porn. My favorite part was her mother's reaction toward her daughter's life shifting throughout the movie. Takeaway thought: Get your VPN tight cause sex work never dies! [Netflix]
Black XMas- I thought it was appropriate to prep myself for the next holidays. I did not enjoy this movie, mostly because I could not pay attention past the archetypal sorority house setting. The actresses were perfectly cast to show the cultural transition from 1990's teenage to 2000s early 20s slasher flicks. [Freevee]
Leftovers:
Old
The Om
Frankenstein
Young Frankenstein
Blackenstein
Little Shop of Horrors
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