Haunt-tober 2024 is here and it’s time to dive into the macabre, the strange and the frightful during this beloved time! Join me as I spend the month discussing new and classic films.
Between Stuart Gordon’s masterful eye to Jeffrey Combs pitch perfect performance, Re-Animator fires on all cylinders with silly and bloody precision.
This is an H.P. Lovecraft adaptation after all. So, expect a lot of weirdness with your horror.
Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) arrives at University with a reagent that revives the dead, dragging his roommate Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott) into his mayhem. Their experiments escalate when West involves his rival, Dr. Hill (David Gale), and Dan’s girlfriend Meg (Barbara Crampton).
Of course, no one ever learns – you shouldn’t mess with death! what starts as a genius yet bizarre invention becomes a cluster of bad decisions and even bigger mishaps.
source: Empire Pictures
There is fantastic use of practical effects and some scenes will have you bust out laughing. Combs’ deadpan humor is especially hilarious and there are moments in this film that are so absurd I dare you not to crack a smile.
At a sleek 86 minutes the film is all pulpy playful fun, with little waste. The cast is all great (including scream queen Crampton) but it’s Jeffrey Combs with his intensity and dry delivery that make this so good.
Re-Animator was Stuart Gordon’s first movie and it has an energy that is undeniable. While the plot isn’t particularly inventive there is still a real charm to the mad scientist gone awry formula. It is also executed in a way that makes for an iconic and memorable experience showcasing what makes B horror so lovable.
Re-Animator is zany goodness, with ample splatter and morbid humor that makes for an all time classic.
Stay tuned for more Haunt-Tober fun!
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!
Haunt-tober 2024 is here and it’s time to dive into the macabre, the strange and the frightful during this beloved time! Join me as I spend the month discussing new and classic films.
If you’ve followed my blog you know that I’m a big Stephen King fan. He’s been a huge inspiration for me and whenever I hear of another adaptation (which, let’s be honest, is like very few months), I am excited. Yes, it’s a cautioned excitement but one all the same.
When I heard there was a new Salem’s Lot coming I was intrigued, despite there being two previous versions. The Tobe Hooper is a classic and should definitely be consumed by anyone who hasn’t seen. The other, a much lesser (and underrated) known entry, is the 2004 two-part miniseries by Mikael Salomon.
Gary Dauberman’s newest is a poor induction into the pantheon of King adapts. It strips the story down to its fairest point, taking away character development and overall cohesion, until you’re left with a good looking vampire tale that doesn’t feel like Jerusalem’s Lot.
Author Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman) returns back home to Salem’s lot for his newest book. Soon after arriving he becomes involved with aware of a vampire that’s slowly taking over the town.
Along with Pullman, there is Mark Petrie (Jordan Preston Carter), school teacher (Bill Camp) Susan (Makenzie Leigh), local doctor (Alfre Woodard) and priest (John Benjamin Hickey) joining the cause for life.
source: Max
There are aspects I liked. I did love the 70’s aesthetic. There are some great looking and creepy shots. It has a terrific cast, that, with better dialogue and less edited cuts, could have had something good. The creature design is good, but the character of Barlow is empty.
Mears barely feels like a main character and so much of his story (and other character’s) is scrapped. I won’t go into all of the changes from the book, and there are many, because I truly try to look at them separately. But, even as just a new addition to vampire cinema, this is a lean and underwhelming film.
Salem’s Lot is a mediocre adaptation that doesn’t give us anything new to ruminate on. There’s a missed opportunity here that exists as a serviceable vampire film, but doesn’t have anything really exciting to sink your teeth into.
Stay tuned for more Haunt-Tober content!
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below!
Haunt-tober 2024 is here and it’s time to dive into the macabre, the strange and the frightful during this beloved time! Join me as I spend the month discussing new and classic films.
Don’t you love an entertaining jaunt that features a great cast and an even better creature? That’s Splinter.
Polly Watt (Jill Wagner) and boyfriend Seth Belzer (Paulo Costanzo) are celebrating their anniversary. When their plans to camp outside change, they decide to check into a motel.
On their way, they’re carjacked and kidnapped by wanted criminal Dennis Farell (Shea Whigham) and Lacey Belisle (Rachel Krebs), who take them to a local gas station. What’s waiting there though, is much worse.
source: Magnolia Pictures
Director Toby Wilkins creates a lively horror that maintains suspense despite its one location setting. These characters, forced to work together despite their differences as something more insidious looks to take them over, are all fascinating and entertaining.
Kai Barry and Ted Kroeber penned the script which incorporates flashes of humor, sweetness and a clear humanity. The cast is excellent and have a rapport that makes it easy to take the journey with them, maneuvering the high stakes and shifting threats.
And as I said, the creature creation is great. A splintering parasitic black goo that spreads over its host and animates it.
Splinter is a treasured gem for me. It doesn’t take itself too seriously but is efficient in capturing its horrific intent.
Haunt-tober 2024 is here and it’s time to dive into the macabre, the strange and the frightful during this beloved time! Join me as I spend the month discussing new and classic films.
Out of context: a car goes on a killer rampage, sounds ridiculous. In execution, well, it’s still silly, but damn is it a blast.
Combining my two favorite heroes of horror John Carpenter and Stephen King, a fantastic novel is brought to campy demented delight.
Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon), a high school senior, discovers a 1958 Plymouth Fury in a junkyard named Christine and restores it. A bond is immediately formed and he buys her from LeBay (Roberts Blossom). Unbeknownst to him, there’s something sinister at its core and the car soon turns to murderous intent.
Arnie is by no means popular, often overlooked by his overbearing mother Regina (Christine Belford), and bullied by his classmates. His one friend, Dennis (John Stockwell), a popular football player is his real support system.
source: Columbia Pictures
As he spends more time with the car, he begins to change, becoming cruel with traits of toxic masculinity. He starts dating Leigh (Alexandra Paul) and both her and Dennis see the transformation, heading warning as Arnie slips from their control. Christine, unlike anything else he has experienced, can restore herself, making her – in some ways – the perfect companion: Resilient and steadfast in her loyalty.
There’s a vibrancy to Christine and a narrative that combines obsession and the need to be seen with the power that comes with achieving it. It’s also a film about high school life and the difficulties that come with growing up.
In the novel, there is more of a possession that takes place. The film takes a slightly different approach though Christine is no less cautionary as a warning for the power hungry.
The film isn’t by any means Carpenter’s best, but it colors this classic novel with gleeful skill. The cinematography and editing is fantastic, along with a great soundtrack.
Christine is an effective horror that’s tense and entertaining, making it another successful vehicle for the talent involved.
Haunt-tober 2024 is here and it’s time to dive into the macabre, the strange and the frightful during this beloved time! Join me as I spend the month discussing new and classic films.
There’s something truly disappointing about a set up that intrigues but has a follow through that falls apart. When you can see the potential a film has, but are left witnessing something inferior, it’s a blow. Enter: The Watchers.
Writer and Director Ishana Shyamalan inherits her father’s curiosity for the strange, but as such with some of his lesser endeavors, she also shows some of his pitfalls.
Troubled young Mina (Dakota Fanning), is haunted by childhood guilt and her estranged sister, Lucy. She works at an Irish pet store and when tasked with delivering a yellow conure named Darwin to a distant zoo, she finds herself in a broken down vehicle, amid a creepy forest.
source: Warner Bros. Pictures
The film begins as a lost in the woods, fable. Mina finds others stuck in a similar fate, as they reside in a small structure, haunted by a presence outside that keeps them stuck. It’s a mysterious set up and a group that inspires curiosity, but from there it doesn’t go too far.
Their knowledgeable leader Madeleine (Olwen Fouéré) teaches them the rules to survival, which must be followed to keep the monsters at bay. Ciara (Georgina Campbell) and Daniel (Oliver Finnegan) are also here, keeping their heads low until Mina decides to push the status quo and find a way out.
It’s a haphazardly told tale that lines up question after question, but the answers that come are either confusing or never fully realized. The writing is, unfortunately, the most disappointing part.
While tonally on point and with cinematography that nails the mood, there is a narrative that is over explained with exposition and remains underwhelming when the twists do come. With suspense that becomes tedious.
The Watchers is an unfortunate dud, underutilizing its strengths and instead plodding on to become forgettable. A supernatural story that doesn’t have enough teeth.
Stay tuned for more Haunt-Tober coverage!
What did you think of The Watchers? Let us know in the comments below!
Haunt-tober 2024 is here and it’s time to dive into the macabre, the strange and the frightful during this beloved time! Join me as I spend the month discussing new and classic films.
As someone who loved the original film I found myself skeptical when a remake came so soon after. This was a film that tested its audience, that reveled in discomfort and made it stick.
It seemed like a movie that didn’t need a remake. And yet, James Watkins does exactly what one should do when taking on such a feat. He changed enough, knowing his audience, but he left the bones of the story intact.
When vacationing in Italy Louise (Mackenzie Davis) and Ben Dalton (Scoot McNairy) and their daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler) meet Paddy (JamesMcAvoy) and Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) and their son Ant (Dan Hough).
The two couples couldn’t be any more different, but they bond over the trip and eventually after returning home get invited to Paddy and Ciara’s for a weekend away. While reluctant at first, they decide to do something out of their comfort zone and spend the weekend away.
source: Universal Pictures
“Out of their comfort zone” is a big part of what Speak No Evil is. As they spend more time together, they experience awkwardness, creepiness and a lack of personal space. Throughout the film they are tested by their new acquaintances to see how much they can take. And, if, they’ll eventually break.
McAvoy is sinisterly hilarious. He shifts between furious and charming artfully. The comedy element is a driving change in this remake, scouring the line between a grimaced laugh and icy fear.
As time goes on things become dire, recognizing the threat they have placed themselves in and wanting out. Mackenzie Davis is especially firey and her steps to protect her family make you want to cheer. This has a fantastic cast, especially the young actors who hold their own in scenes with some very talented seasoned professionals.
This dream vacation gone bad is a suspenseful knot in your gut. While not as horrific as the original, there’s a perceptible dread that keeps your attention peaked, and your stomach, on the floor.
James Watkins‘ direction is spot-on, giving the film the feel of an update rather than a remake, with just the right balance of humor and edge. Beneath the silence and smirks lies a devilish tale, one that will undoubtedly make you question simple acts of kindness.
With fresh twists and enough originality to stand on its own, Speak No Evil is a worthy successor to the 2022 horror film.
Stay tuned for more Haunt-Tober fun!
What do you think of Speak No Evil? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Haunt-tober 2024 is here and it’s time to dive into the macabre, the strange and the frightful during this beloved time! Join me as I spend the month discussing new and classic films.
This also means… giveaways!
Each Sunday (and then Halloween) we will be giving away a prize! 5 winners will receive an exclusive gift!
Follow us on Instagram for up to date winners and news!
We are also interested in hearing from you! If you have some scary stories or film/TV show that you want to write about, let us know!
How to enter:
Fill out this form to enter for a chance to win! Last year was a blast and we couldn’t do it without you!
Prizes to be announced soon but they will include movies, horror board games from Stop the Killer and more!
When I started the giveaway I put a question on the submission form that I thought would be a fun way for us all to collaborate. As the final names were drawn I started working on this mutation of words/thoughts that had nothing to do with one another. It was fun, but also – a lot. It wasn’t an easy task and the result is truly like a Frankenstein Mad Lib! But here it is! I didn’t change anyone’s sentences, and I did my best to add cohesion.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for this wonderful past month. ❤ This giveaway meant a lot to me and I hope everyone who won loved their gifts. I’m sorry I couldn’t give everyone something, but if anyone is interested- I still have some small items left over (like fit in an envelope size) that I can mail out. Send me an email! Kristy@wonderfullyweirdandhorrifying.com. Thank you all again, be well beasties!Once you receive your gift, please leave feedback here.
“Maven Manor” written by the Haunt-Tober 2023 entrants:
I’m going to tell you a story. It wasn’t mine alone, but all who dwelled in Maven Manor, all matter of creature. To speak these words is to tell a secret, to share a soul. This isn’t done so lightly. For: “If you ain’t first your last.”
We’re all bats in an electrical storm.
Once upon a time, in an abandoned mansion, there was a ghoul. This ghoul, however, was like none other, it had an incredible sense of its surroundings.
As the moonlight flickered and shadows danced across the decrepit hallway, a chilling whisper echoed, “You’re not alone in here.”
The woman sat up in bed, daring the darkness. She awoke from her bed to hear scratching-clawing sounds coming from under her bed.
She went to wipe the sweat from her forehead but when she pulled back her hand she saw it wasn’t sweat that coated her face, but blood.
A creak came, as loud as a battering ram.
She crawls out of bed in a daze, not knowing where the creaking sound came from. In a flash, a red door appears in front of her with whispers beckoning her inside, one’s that she cannot say no to. She held her breath in her palms so no one would steal it from her.
“Who is there?”
The ghoul could only watch as the woman walked closer to the door. A fog poured out, beckoning her.
Through the mist a dark figure began to emerge. She could feel her heart pounding and her breath quickening.
“Turn back.” The ghoul warned.
She listened, but her body froze in place.
She hesitated to turn around, with the irrational hope of a child that if you can ignore something you can make it stop existing.
She looked around to a disfigured shadow in front of her, but it couldn’t have been her own.
A creature arose, eyes bright like cinders. It didn’t look her way but went through the open door. She felt compelled to follow. The floorboards creaked below her feet. She slowly moved forward, one creak at a time.
Her hands still soaked in blood she stumbled against something at her feet.
The body on the floor was surrounded by blood. All of the tacos were gone. The monster had never been there at all. She had been alone the entire time. It was all nonsense.
And then as it crept through the hallway the creaking of the floorboard snapped her awake from a deep sleep.
“That was weird.” She spoke aloud, relieved to have been taken by a nightmare.
She stood and looked outside. Moonlight painted the forest in an alluring delicacy. Something was calling her.
“Please stay inside. Nothing is safe in nature. Nature is here to kill you!!” The ghoul screamed, but she couldn’t hear it.
“BooOOoOoOOoo.”
The wind whispered a word. Within the trees she could make someone out. A woman, her long nightgown trailing behind her. Much like the one she wore now…
The eerie screeching slowly got louder as the door creaked shut.
It was time.
As Mrs. Esther house pulled into her driveway, she recalled with the utmost certainty that she left all the lights in her house on. But they were all off. In the window she saw the woman, sometimes she would show and sometimes she wouldn’t. The ghosts didn’t bother her much, as long as they stayed out of her way. She kept to the guesthouse and let them live their tales, over and over again, as time wore on her and they remained the same.
The first time she saw her she often recalls to her friends “Taking my pup for a late night walk through the peaceful senior citizens housing development where I live, and smelling the aroma of fallen leaves and hearing the rustle of them under my feet, suddenly my pup stopped and gave a low growl. I looked to see what he saw and couldn’t believe my eyes!!!”
Now she could. And she knew: death repeats.
40 years earlier.
A group of teenagers sit around a campfire. They pass a bottle between them and take turns telling ghost stories. A young girl, Mirial, was enveloped in her tale, her eyes barely a glow near the warm fire on this crisp autumn night.
“For the second time that night, the man could have sworn that he had locked the front door already, not noticing that his closet door was now ajar and creaking slightly as he lumbered off to bed.
As he began to fall asleep a sound jolted him awake. He was on the street, scared and confused.
How have I gotten here?
The man screeched as a large bird with beady eyes lunged out from underneath his car.
It bit and clawed at his legs which screamed with hot pain.
He crept and crept and crept until his legs collapsed and they got their wish. It was over him, its mouth open, drooling.
The monster chomped down on the citizen’s arm, swishing its blood in between its teeth. Then it slashed at his chest.
He spluttered as his chest became a meat fountain. Black blood spilled from the gaping hole that once held his heart.
Death crept into the veins, pooling blood weighing down the body.
All the street lights suddenly turn off.
He wanted to scream, but couldn’t. Then a loud thumping noise began.
The bird’s body broke apart, revealing something inside… a man?
It was a strange man pounding on a battle drum, but he slowly realized this was just a dream.
As he jolted awake, frozen, he realized the sound was from someone knocking on the front door, not urgent but methodical- over and over in a rhythm. His first thought was- how long had they been doing so before he had awoken.
He grasped at his chest, thrilled to be alive. Sweat beaded on his forehead. A knocking came at the door and he reached under his pillow to grab the knife.
Seeing her photo on the bedside table, a relic of her late love, a past life, her heart wrenched with the agony of what they might have had.
He slunk across the room, toward the door, palming the kitchen knife as he prepared to face the one person who could possibly know he was there.”
“Wait, what?”
One of the other kids, Susan, interrupts the story.
“Can you let me finish?” Miriam pleads. The other faces aren’t convinced.
“I just get annoyed, Especially when said character does this!” Susan adds.
“If you don’t let me finish, you’ll be cursed.” Miriam says it fast, regretting it instantly.
One of the others, Tommy, jokes, “Don’t you put that evil on me Ricky Bobby!”
She laughs but continues.
“He went outside, knife in hand. Ready. Time seemed to pass, and suddenly he was on his knees, the knife bloody.
His mind was suddenly flooded with scenes of the bloody massacre accompanied by the shrill screams of anguished victims. “It couldn’t have.. there’s no way it was me” he said, mostly to himself though he wished the maimed bodies lying about him would hear. One body was half buried, nearly almost decomposed. “Impossible,” he said.
It’s hands grabbed the soil around it and pulled itself forward.
The corpse sprung from its now-vacant tomb and lurched up a gaggle of cockroaches onto the ground.
It crawled toward him and all he could do was let it take him, accept his fate. After all, “Your worst sin is that you have destroyed and betrayed yourself for nothing.”
The next youngster, Tommy, was ready, aiming for his opportunity to frighten.
“I’ve got one. A couple is walking alone at night…”
“I thought they all had to do with the haunted Manor?” Susan interrupted.
“It does! Anyway…”
“They walked up the dark driveway and there stood an old Victorian mansion. He looked at his wife with hesitation, should we go inside?”
“See. Told you.” Tommy stares Susan down.
They wait for him to continue. He holds the lantern near his face.
“The door was open and the silence was deafening. They could hear their heartbeats in their ears. A fog rose from the marble floor. The darkness enveloped the couple, the cooling fog slithering around their ankles. They knew they had to run before it was too late, but they found themselves frozen in place.
The dark room, only lit by the moonlight, revealed several small carvings on the wall.
It read:You are no more.
And they felt it. They felt it leaving them, their soul, their lifeforce. Their bodies slithered down into the mist and evaporated. Their eyes met, but it was too late.
The youngest member, Jack, jumped up excitedly.
“My turn!… In the eerie village of Frightmore, a bumbling vampire, Count Crunchula, accidentally orders garlic-flavored donuts and unleashes chaos as his cravings turn the town’s residents into snack-hungry zombies. Now, the only way to survive is to outwit a clumsy bloodsucker and his crispy, undead minions.”
“No. no, no. Something else.” Tommy waves him
off.
“Fine…” He points to him, the obnoxious one. “We need a hot glue gun for this one.”
“Alright…
A young family found their dream home, the Maven Manor. They couldn’t wait to move in. But…
As the unsuspecting family stepped over the threshold of their new home, they saw a shadow in the kitchen but there was only silence.
The noise was coming from the dank and scary basement and there was no way we kids were going down to check what was down there….. so we sent the dog, he was the bravest of us anyhow.
The stairs creaked as they made their way down to the basement.
Around the corner, in the dank and dreary basement a noise came from the back where no light shone.
Did he want to go down into the basement to checkout what those noises were?
He made is way down, where a set of lockers seemed to thump with life. One began to open slowly. “Dad?” His son and wife followed down. “No!” He yelled, but they didn’t listen.
The goop squelched and squirmed as it left the locker.
It was alive. The others opened and more crept out. Their eyes were watching from the walls.
It leaped out and grabbed their legs, pulling them into the lockers. It wrapped around the mother’s mouth as she tried to let a scream loose and it covered the son’s eyes as he sobbed. The father did his best to fight, but it wrapped around him like an anaconda. They were all slurped up, eaten by the puss-like ooze until their skin was coated and they were snapped shut in the locker.”
“That was pretty good. But I think we should call it a night.” Miriam yawned.
“Scared of the curse?” The boy teased.
Mirial wasn’t, but had started to wonder about something she was once told by her Grandmother, about how power can be put into things to make them real.
“Ph, No way.”
The others walk ahead of her even as she calls, her own lantern is fading and she can’t see them.
“Hey! Wait up!”
Suddenly. She’s alone.
‘Look straight ahead. Don’t look back.
She felt something brush against her leg walking through the dark forest.
A well was up ahead and the light cast from the moon seemed to draw her in. She moved closer.
She stared down into the well as she heard a splash of water echo against the walls.
Then a loud growl.
She slowly walked around the corner to seek out what could have made that haunting sound that she had never quite heard before. Was that an animal? A person? She was terrified to find out but her feet pushed her forward anyway.
She came across a cabin as rain began to drop. She ran to it for shelter and slammed the door shut, feeling as if she was being chased.
As she sat with her back to the wall, she could hear the faint scratching of fingernails dragging up and down the other side of the wooden door. She looked around to a disfigured shadow in front of her, but I couldn’t have been her own. Right?
She heard water and the cabin seemed to be unending, cavernous. It was somehow connected to the well, she was sure of it. A baseball bat leaned against the wall, she grabbed it, her fingers white with fear.
The cavern was silent except for the sound of lapping water, but the waves seemed to vibrate with an unseen presence.
The Shape moved like a Great White Shark. It was a force of nature yet unnatural. it wasn’t guided by instinct but by pure evil.
As the sound and shape grew closer she swung the baseball bat wide, connecting with the beast’s face for the second time.
It didn’t work and it grabbed her by the shoulders, holding her into the air, letting out the worst sound imaginable. It leaned it and bit her neck, a deep, penetrating wound.
20 years earlier
I never stopped thinking about that night, it haunted my waking and sleeping life. I was an older woman now, but those childhood stories never leave you.
That cabin, those woods… The rain crashed against the cabin with the strength of the tides of the ocean. The wind roared and thrashed me around in all directions but still unmistakably guided me towards the front door. Even though I knew I should stay here. I was lost. I looked into a mirror, there were so many, knocking to the ground, sending years of bad luck my way. I just saw my reflection blink. Then…
My eye is being torn out with a melon baller I can feel every excruciating nerve ending ripping apart as my screams drown out the horrid fleshy sound.
But when I feel my face, I’m fine.
I hear something growl behind me and I run out.
—-
Awoken in the middle of the night by a thud, I look around at the shadows of my room and find glowing, inhuman eyes staring at me.
It speaks, a scratchy whisper. “You need to come with me.”
In this part of the story, I am the one who dies.
Maybe I always was.
I followed it to the tree line, my nightgown blowing in the cool night breeze.
It happened every ten years. Last time I was walking late at night, when I noticed someone walking behind me. I wasn’t sure how to react.
Deep in the forest, I saw a shape shifter standing 20 feet away from me. I couldn’t speak or move but just stared at it vanishing into the dark night. I knew it was the same one. My monster.
Ever since, Under the red moon, I feel an insatiable thirst.
I spoke to the air as if it would respond. Part of me always knew it would be back.
“I … I thought I’d never see you again….”
The same beast was back, I knew it would be. It bit into my thigh and I relished it, euphoria running through me.
Depravity overwhelmed my sensibilities, the only difference between myself and the filth in which I lived was the blood pouring out of my leg. Unable to move, I sat in the darkness and lost track of time, waiting to be consumed by pain and wishing for death that would never come.
“We all turn into mycelium in the end.”
When you choose the lesser of two evils, always remember that it is still an evil.
The ghoul watched. It had always known that it was always going to end like this…
The end result was unpalatable.
And the ghoul knew.
More would come.
The final winners of Day 31 and our digital prizes:
While horror movie watching is a year-round event, this is that time of year when all of us can flourish, embracing the weird.
So, come one, come all, beasties unite! It’s Haunt-Tober time!
On the submission form for the giveaway (that is sadly coming to a close) I asked the question “What made you fall in love with horror?”
It’s a personal question, and I loved each and every response! I wanted to share with everyone what some of those were and also invite you all to our discord. Here’s the invitation. Join the horror community, it’s really such a wonderful one!
From specific movies, creators, familial connections and general experiences, here’s this year’s Haunt-Tober’s answers for:
What made you fall in love with horror?
What I appreciate about horror is the lengths that it can take you in such different ways. There are films with gore, no gore, all in the dark, in the light, and so many other avenues that it can take you. The mind is such an imaginative and creative place, and i feel like horror is the perfect example of that at its best.
I enjoy horror because while it is scary, most films have a moral attached to them call that call to mind issues larger than the monsters themselves. The creatures or scary themes in the film are usually symbolic of more realistic aspects of people’s lives that terrify them. For instance, many Stephen King adaptations like Children of the Corn or The Shining call to mind issues like mob mentality and complex family dynamics. I love how horror scores are so iconic because when inserted into the right eerie environment, they can drive the fearful and tense mood of the scene. For instance, The Exorcist theme on its own is a unique rock piece, but when used in the context of a possessed girl, it gives audiences chills.
I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie, so I have always loved horror because it gives an eerie, thrilling experience. One of the first movies that drew me in was Child’s Play.
I think growing up with things that scared me. I used to hate things like Goosebumps and Spider-Man 3 that made me terrified to sleep in my own bed. But with that fear came obsession. I started to enjoy the feeling of being scared, and especially the craft of it. I also appreciate that women are often central characters of horror films who are often more fleshed out than in other films. This is what drew me to become a horror filmmaker.
To put it simply, good old fashion Scooby Doo! I adored the 60s cartoon as a kid and it just went from there.
Coraline was actually the first movie I ever saw when I was younger that scared the lights out of me. When I got a bit older, I realized horror as a genre was incredibly fascinating and getting to read, watch and hear different stories made me want to become a writer! For me, the balance of fear and moving plot is the recipe for success (no hate to anyone that loves jump scares, I just love the story portion too!).
Seeing all sorts of horror films growing up was a major factor into me loving this genre. Since 2017, I love to watch horror films during October! I had seen some prior but that year was when I started taking this seriously. Since then, it’s been a tradition
One of my earliest memories of watching a horror movie was when my older cousins showed me The Babadook when I was a kid. I couldn’t tell you very much of what happens in the final act of the film because I was so scared that I covered my eyes for pretty much the entire climax. Later that night I remember having nightmares and asking if I could sleep in the same bed as my cousin because I was afraid the Babadook would “get me.”
Over time I have learned to respect and admire these kinds of visceral effects horror movies can give me. When I was much older, around 16, I was starting to take film more seriously and write about it for fun on an old Instagram account. One of my earliest “”reviews”” was for Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, and I knew after watching it for the first time that it was the best movie I had ever seen. At that point, no movie had made me think more about how it was put together and how it achieves its oppressively frightening atmosphere like The Shining did. Not only did this film make me love horror, it essentially rewired how I view cinema as an art form and what it is capable of.”
When I was in second grade, I was incessantly reading horror under my desk. All of the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, a book on horror stories from around the world (some that have stuck with me to this day), anything I could get my hands on and inevitably get in trouble for. In third grade, I switched schools and when I went to the library I discovered novelizations of Universal monster movies, particularly Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Since then, I never looked back, always reading horror stories or comics, watching films new and old, playing games where we pretended to be vampires. Of course, the Goosebumps and Fear Street books were ravenously devoured, as well as everything Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. From there, I became interested in the real-world macabre, learning about serial killers and wanting to study sociology and behavioral science, even briefly becoming a funeral arranger. Now, I tend to keep my horror to fiction, but am currently fascinated with the history of Paris’ infamous Grand Guignol theater.
Always been fascinated with scaring people, the chills that it would give me watching movies, the creepiness etc. Still trying to find that one thing that tops it all.
I grew up really loving post-apocalyptic books and movies, so by way of the zombie genre kind of found my way to post apocalyptic horror then horror from there. Also horror is the best genre to watch with your friends, so many good memories watching good (and bad, which is arguably better) horror movies together.
When I was growing up my sister and I would stay at my aunts on the weekends and she was big into horror films. So she would put them on at night and we would sit in the living room and eat cookies and cream ice cream and watch them together. The first horror movie I remember was Salem’s lot. It forever scarred me from looking out any window at night, because I would be afraid to see the dead boy floating at my window scratching on it for me to let him in. Also, “It” was another one that scared me to the point that I woke up one night and I thought I saw him on my sisters bed. I still remember screaming my head off and yelling for my mom!
I fell in love with horror when I was about 5 years old the movie that hooked me was Poltergeist and my love for all things horror sprang from there. As a teenager I did a lot of reading and found Stephen King. A really awesome thing I like to tell people is that I grew up in Harmony Maine and I remember when Graveyard Shift by Stephen King was filmed here in town. In about 2018 I actually became employed at the mill where Graveyard Shift was filmed. I feel like after all these years of watching horror movies a lot does not surprise me anymore though lol. Halloween is absolutely hands down my favorite holiday I get so excited when all the spooky dark decor comes in the store (some of the items do stay up in my home all year) Another horror show that I really enjoy is American Horror Story anything that has to do with witches, hauntings and mysteries I get right into them
I am not a daring person so I like reading/watching others who are scared. I live vicariously through them.
In 8th grade my English Teacher wanted us to do a free write and try and write a short horror story. We did one or two of these and I fell in love with telling scary stories. I then started watching lots of horror films. I started with the cult classics like Halloween and Friday the 13th. Then throughout the years I watched more and more horror films. I loved the stories and then I started falling in love with the devices used to tell the stories. Makeup and special effects are some of the first things that will catch my eye when watching a horror film.
The horror stories I like the most are ones that touch on morality and the consequences of forgoing/renouncing principles. For me, these stories (and the horror stories I want to create) serve as cathartic cautionary tales on how not to handle situations in life. For me, the film “Ginger Snaps” epitomizes this by showcasing how one girl, Ginger Fitzgerald, uses lycanthropy as an unhealthy outlet to express her anger and rage with her peers, only to destroy herself, her peers, and her relationship with her sister, Brigitte.
My go-to genre is always comedy, and people often overlook the similarities between horror and comedy. Both genres involve subverting an audience’s expectations and trying to catch them off-guard. I’ve always been fascinated by things that scare me, but Hereditary was the movie that made me fall in love with horror. I had never seen grief explored through horror, and it inspired me to make my own horror short film.
I fell in love with the Scream movies, and soon thereafter a whole bunch of slashers and crazy 80s B-movies. It made me realize that horror is a genre that is able to explore the dark side of us that we can’t explore in real life — either our trauma or our dark impulses. I also love how much it stays true to itself as a genre; that there are people who are only famous within horror groups and certain tropes that only exist in horror movies. I love how simultaneously schlocky and deep it can be, and I feel like it’s peak genre cinema.
Growing up I always loved the Halloween decorations during October. While all the kids would flock to each house and quickly grab the best candy, I’d stand behind to oogle at the spooky ghosts and skeletons. Soon I became obsessed with Scooby Doo which also managed to the scaring the living daylight out of me. For awhile horror would truly terrorize me, but something kept pulling me back. Eventually, I conquered my fears and exposed myself to the classic horror films ranging from American Werewolf in London to The Lost Boys. My passion only got stronger and stronger the older I got.
Watching Candyman when I was way too young to see such a movie. Wrecked me for weeks.
Watching Bob Wilkins Creature Features on channel 2 (Oakland/San Francisco area) when I was 5 years old! 🙂 It kick-started my love of the genre!
I used to be absolutely terrified of the horror genre until I started reading Stephen King books which led me to fall in love with a lot of his movie adaptations IT, Gerald’s Game, and Carrie. Being obsessed with these movies really opened me up to horror as a whole and it is now my favorite genre!
I really liked Scooby doo as a kid and that just kept growing
Scary but fun!
As a kid it was a way for me and my mom to connect to each other.
The thing that made fall in love with horror was the inventiveness of the rules and the variety of what you can do in a horror film. For example, Gremlins for the first third is a Spielbergian coming of age story about a biy and his pet. Then, the rest of the movie turns into a monster fest with the titular characters, complete with one of them getting microwaved to death.
Best way to access buried emotions, and get a fun thrill doing it
I love campy horror the most because it’s just so fun during the fall, which is my favorite season. It started with Stranger Things when it first came out, and I loved the nostalgic feeling and the 80s setting so I started watching things like the Scream movies. My favorite more modern horror movie is Hereditary.
I’ve been in love with horror since the best era of horror occurred 1980’s. I grew up watching them all thanks to my awesome late mother for turning me into the biggest horror fan ever.
I’ve always loved horror! I saw The Ring at age seven and a movie had never affected me so much. I was scared for aged! I thought it was incredible that media could have that effect, and I quickly fell in love with all things horror.
The feeling of being scared.
Watching horror movies from the age of 5 (Sometimes between fingers).
My Father was big horror fan so growing I played with Jason, Freddy Krueger, and Michael Myers action figures.
While part of me enjoys being scared and looking for something to top that fear, horror movies are like warm blankets. Nothing beats settling into a warm house at night while images of abject terror fill your television screen.
Growing up in a haunted house in New England I always gravitated to horror! Reading spooky stories always made me feel better.
I think for me, my connection to the horror genre was its celebration of those who didn’t fit in within our society. My favorite horror films are mostly from the 30s as it celebrated outcasts. We fear Frankenstein’s monster just as much as my sympathize with him. Count Dracula is both extremely charming and very creepy. These films showed audiences the complexities of life, while also scaring them at the same time. What we can take away from them is a crucial but important fact: darkness exists everywhere, but so does light. Horror is a way for us to address that darkness that exists around us and even within all of us, for better and worse. FRAKENSTEIN/DRACULA
I grew up with horror, my mom is the biggest fan. So I was born with it in my guts. Fear is such a strong emotion. One of the hardest to ignore and overcome, Having a good scare reminds you you are alive.
My dad would take us to movies when he was in town and not working, so we would go and enjoy all types of films but we dug the horror movies the best.
The beauty and thrill of being scared especially with films that used lighting, sound, etc to ratchet up tension and didn’t reveal too much. Knowing that what mine can conjure up is far scarier than what can be put on screen!
Watching Scream with my family.
The old folklore and myths connected to my families Eastern-European history.
Horror is one of THE BEST moviegoing experiences. Add to that it’s one of the best shared experiences. One can have in a darkened room, filled with strangers, the visceral thrill of it all in an audience, screaming together, jumping together, and covering their eyes together, and when it’s all said and done, you’re able to get up and go home unlike many of the characters in the movie and a good horror movie will stay with you for me it’s horror, movies, such as Halloween, The Exorcist, John Carpenter’s The Thing, Alien just to name a few! They’re movies that evolve as I evolve aka get older! Thats why I LOVE horror movies! Demetri Panos
Creating an actual sense of horror is so hard, and people don’t appreciate it enough! There’s so much craft to it, and when done well, is amazing cinema.
My favorite kind of horror is psychological/ cultish horror. Those films really give me thrills!
I remember the first time I saw a horror film with an audience — all prior viewings consisted of a laptop, a dark room, and no company. It was a screening of Texas Chain Saw Massacre on my university campus. The sound and image were terrible, but the film was thrilling. Many had already seen the movie, though there still many hushes, audible gasps, and more than one chuckle at the expense of the delightfully ignorant protagonists. More than any other genre, horror has the ability to unite an audience because it creates a shared experience; the viewers must endure the story together. That night when the lights came on and everyone breathed a sigh of relief, we all sat there with meek smiles because we survived as a group. As contradictory as the idea seems, horror builds communities.
I think horror can explore societal and psychological issues in a very visceral and unique way.
When I was a wee lad, I was terrified of horror. If other kids were dressed up as GhostFace for Trick-or-Treating, I refused to go out. Even if it were a horror commercial, I’d be on the verge of tears. That all changed when I was 12 years old and decided to watch Jeepers Creepers because it was on the TV in some random Florida hotel. (even though the director is a dirtbag) Something about the movie struck a chord with me, and suddenly, I wasn’t afraid of horror movies anymore. All through my teens, I watched movie after movie, franchise after franchise, and really began to appreciate horror as an art form. I started branching out to international horror, I went to visit horror landmarks, and it just became a staple of my life. I’m so happy to talk about horror at any time, and I’m always down for a good scare
Watching Evil Dead 2 at a friend’s house on VHS as a teenager.
Getting a rec list from this random person named Kristy.
The natural rush of being jumped!
It’s terrifying lol.
My aunt used to watch tons of horror movies when i was a kid. So i would watch all the vhs tapes she recorded with my cousins.
Stephen King.
My brother. He took me to movie theaters in Bangor where horror movies often played in the 50s. I was 10 or 11and when the movie was over we would walk to our nearby home. Sometimes he would run ahead of me and when he was far enough away he would stop and turn around, where I would be running as fast as my short legs could go and he would call out, in a scary voice, “”Run faster! It’s going to get you!!”” Tho I was scared to death, the next time a horror movie would be showing, I couldn’t say ‘no’ to his invitation!! I think he was too scared to go alone!!!
My older brother influenced me.
Stephen King books
I think I always was in love with horror, my mother constantly renting the Disney “horror” films like watcher in the woods and various made for TV horrors. I also loved the macbre, Beetlejuice, Addams Family etc soft launches early on. Poltergeist was the first film that truly made me terrified – that and X-Files. But as scared as I was, I always came back for more diving deeper into the genre with each watch. I think the final and biggest push was Scream. I wasn’t allowed to see the film, but all my classmates some how did (it was fourth/ fifth grade). Listening to them describe the body slit from groan to navel, guts spilling out and hung from a tree – I was fascinated. My poor mother was forced to start watching so many horrors after this, telling me the fast forward was to hide the violence, when in truth it was because she was so scared herself.
To be scared and knowing it’s a movie. The thrill!
The campy/cheesiness of some of them the 90s!
The Devil AKA Satan or Lucifer, bringer of light
I used to be terrified of Ghostface and Pennywise from the original It TV series as a child but somehow always loved Halloween. It fueled my love and appreciation for horror movies and that’s why Scream is my favorite horror franchise.
Watching Dawn of the Dead(original) for the first time when I was a kid.
Since watching Alien in middle school, I’ve learned that Horror doesn’t have to be straight slasher gore that it’s advertised as on TV. I’ve gradually watched more and found my way to the Thing, The Babadook, and various other horror films.
The scares!
I’m slowly diving into the world of horror 😅 but I love the suspense and monsters/creatures!
I didn’t like horror until extremely recently, for so long I held myself back from horror because I was scared to sit through that discomfort. However, I found Scream which mixed horror, comedy, and self-awareness of the genre. It’s the essential horror film for me and the perfect gateway to the genre.
The idea of telling a story about a worst and almost impossible case scenario is very intriguing to me.
The villains. Knowing that they were meant to represent something more than just a killer – often reflecting society back at itself – makes me appreciate how horror is more than a physically terrifying experience.
I’m always looking for strong emotions within cinema and art more broadly. Horror most often elicits the strongest reaction from me, whether it’s horror or humor:
I love how it can explore the limits of human madness and creativity.
Ever since I was young I always loved spooky things. Halloween was my favorite holiday, I had a little devil baby from Spirit Halloween that I took care of as an actual doll instead of a cute one, I always wanted to watch spooky movies. I loved everything that was creepy. I remember when I was really young I caught a glimpse of the 1989 Batman and became obsessed with not only the spooky Tim Burton aesthetic but also Jack Nicholson. While not a horror movie, Batman made child me obsessed with Jack Nicholson to the point where I was in preschool carrying around a Jack picture with me everywhere I went. When I was in elementary school, I was determined to watch The Shining because it was one of Jack’s most famous roles. My parents, a little apprehensive, agreed to watch it with me. Instead of being scared, I fell in love with the film and the genre of horror and have never looked back.
The Shining now remains my favorite film and I have been consuming horror content ever since. I loved that I was never scared of horror like my friends and family members were, I was only intrigued. I have come to love the way horror takes our social anxieties and represents them in strange ways like The Ring or creates innovative traps like Saw.
I am now a senior in college, majoring in film and gender studies and am currently writing a senior thesis on the role of sacrificial motherhood in horror films because there are not enough horror classes taught and I crave them! I love horror and talking about and watching it and love that I have found this website and community of fellow horror lovers. <3″
I love the creation of the SFX and VFX of horror. The creation of the characters and villains, whether it be virtual or special effects made me love getting into watch horror movies. Horror is a unique medium to create things that don’t exist, a major thing about visual effects that I love and what made me interested in VFX. Seeing all the new ways this is in horror movies made me fall in love with horror.
Not a big fan!🙈
I fell in love with horror because of my dad. We used to sit and watch a horror movie every night once my mom went to bed — scaring ourselves to sleep. We speak in horror language, asking each other about what the other has seen recently or about spooky encounters we’ve had in the past. When my parents divorced, I found that my dad and I were able to connect through these films despite our distance. Doctor Strange is one that we keep going back to! It’s a comfort genre for me; one that I have passed on to my friends and watch in my dark living room when only my dad and I remain awake.
The scary jumps, gore, and the cinematics.
The thrill of the unexpected.
Stephen King movies growing up, such as Pet Sematary.
Halloween.
My mom is a huge horror fan specific Stephen King though so I have grown up on horror.
While horror movie watching is a year-round event, this is that time of year when all of us can flourish, embracing the weird.
So, come one, come all, beasties unite! It’s Haunt-Tober time!
Reader’s Stories are an opportunity for YOU to share your strange occurrences. We want to know what you hear or see in the dark! Submit here.
This comes from a submission from one of our readers, Ron Oliver:
Back in 2000, while on the job (at the time, I was a grounds keeper for an apartment complex). It was around 11:50 am, a nice clear day…I was pushing my supply cart back to the work shop and enroute, about thirty to thirty five feet in front of me, I had noticed an odd looking individual (or so I thought, at that brief moment) that appeared to have moved really quickly in front of me between the apartment complex carport areas, it was moving from one carport area going across to the back end of the apartment building. It looked as though it was actually floating, almost sliding close to the ground rather quickly, it definitely wasn’t walking fast! It was all black (like a black shadow) and it looked as if it had a hood over its head. It looked really strange, the figure was humanoid, but I couldn’t see any facial features, arms or skin, etc.The best way to describe what I saw was a black shadowy being, a three dimentional silhouette. It did however, have two legs…but I didn’t see it’s feet…maybe that explains why it was floating/sliding along the ground and not walking. I quickly ran up to where it had passed (out of curiosity) and it vanished and nothing was there.This encounter had taken place really quick, it lasted just a few seconds…then it was gone! Just like that! The carports were all empty, there were no cars or people in the carports…everyone was gone. To this day, I still don’t know exactly what it was that I saw. But it was a really freaky encounter for me with the unexplained/paranormal. And I will never forget it. I saw this shadow being in broad daylight and for me, it will forever leave a lasting impression in my life. The shadow being that I saw looked as though it could’ve been a deceased hooded monk in spirit form, or maybe a demonic presence. But I’m thinking it was a spirit of an ancient monk or something akin to that. I didn’t feel any sense of dread or fear from seeing it. Though that’s not to say that it was a good guy so speak, either. Truthfully, I think shadow beings could be deceased humans that are bound to only a certain realm or realms in the afterlife. Many near death experiencers say that there are multiple realms, some say 7 layers or realms. All I know, is that I find it truly amazing! I do believe in a life after our mortal death hear on earth. Many believe that when we die, it’s just our natural human body that dies. The true part of us, our essence, our souls live on in celestial form, whether in orb form, celestial humanoid form, or mist-like form…maybe we transition from one form to another, depending on what realm we may enter when we depart from our current plane? Something to think about.
Wonderfully Weird & Horrifying 