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We… I… need to start this article with a big apology. A mea culpa. Basically, I stuffed up. When Outposter BlastofSilencejj sent in his first instalment, we waited with baited breath. His rundown of 31 Chills Of Halloween from last year was magnificent, and we were looking forward to where this went. Then we didn’t see anything in the inbox. I just assumed real life or events had taken over, and he had no time to complete.
It turns out they had come in, and they were sitting in another mailbox. One I didn’t check. Like some kind of idiot.
So, now you can all point and laugh as this one is 100% on me, and now we have to make up for lost time. So here we go with a double instalment… now I have to go and think about what I have done.
8. In a Violent Nature (2024)
Director Chris Nash
Hard-core horror fans call it a masterpiece, others call it boring. I say it has one of the sickest kills of all time. A seemingly unkillable boogeyman stalks its way through the woods and kills off campers. The viewer watches from the killer’s perspective as we hear him breathe heavily while he lumbers through the forest, branches cracking beneath his boots, looking for his next victim.
No pounding soundtrack here, just lots of nature sounds, thumping footsteps, and an eerily calming wind rustling through the leaves. This, for the most part, works. It’s short on narrative but abundant in atmosphere. The kills are slow and deliberate, and most are extremely violent. It’s an arthouse slaughterfest. I admire Nash’s effort here. He tried to transcend the genre with In a Violent Nature; I feel like he came close. Never do yoga in the woods near a cliff, kids. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Stream it on Hulu, or rent it on Prime, the Blu-ray looks great too. It’s also usually on sale. A 4k steelbook has been released through Shudder. I can imagine it pops.
9. The Coffee Table (2022)
Director Caye Casas
Jesus and Maria have a new baby. They decide to buy a coffee table. They argue about which table to get, and the table they select will change their lives.
I understand that ugly is in the eye of the beholder, and taste may vary. This film for the most part, has been well reviewed and praised for its ability to make audiences uncomfortable and its assured direction. I didn’t like it. I found the mean-spirited characters unlikable and, more importantly, not at all interesting. Their fates had no impact on me whatsoever. I just wanted to leave their home as quickly as possible. The subject matter for me is the most awful thing to make a movie about. On top of that, it’s considered a “comedy”.
The couple’s bickering genre is something I hate as well. Like with Casino (1996), the incessantly arguing and fighting couple is grating on me. I get to read it in subtitles here because it’s in Spanish. Joy. It’s free to watch on Tubi.
10. Alone (2020)
Director John Hyams
Recently widowed Jessica (Jules Wilcox) is driving on a mountainous highway in Oregon, trying to make a fresh start for herself, when she encounters a bit of road rage from a hostile driver (Marc Menchaca) in a jeep. We’ve all met this jerk who speeds up on a busy road when you try to pass him. Jessica nearly gets hit by a semi truck, but is able to swerve back over in time. The jeep then tailgates her, following closely before finally veering off.
As Jessica makes her way down the highway, this jeep keeps popping back up on her rear view and happens to stop at the same rest stops as her. It’s clear, then, that something sinister is happening. A cat-and-mouse game ensues.
Marc Menchaca is great here. He’s an outstanding character actor and is good in everything I’ve seen him in. He always adds layers to his characters and doesn’t always make the obvious choices when building them. He’s menacing here and yet can switch to nice and normal when it benefits him. The way he needles Jessica while trying to break her is really well done. It’s worth a look. Free on Tubi
11. Night of the Demon (1957)
Director Jacques Tourneur
Dr. John Holden (Dana Andrews) arrives in Britain for a convention set up by Professor Harrington, which was intended to expose a cult. The cult in question is led by the goatee’d Dr. Julian Karswell. In the 50’s if you had a goatee, you were indeed evil! Professor Harrington never arrives at the convention and is found dead. Did the cult get to him?
Night of the Demon has a great monster in it. The film also holds a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with one Martin Scorsese calling it his favorite horror film. It has some well-staged cinematography and is a beautifully made black and white film that dealt with the occult way before the Satanic Panic Era. The 82-minute version is free on Tubi, however, the original British cut is my go-to at 96 minutes. It’s on Blu-ray.
12. Rush Week (1989)
Director Bob Bralver
Hard to beat the charm of an 80’s slasher for Halloween, and Kathleen Kinmont, am I right, fellas? The 1980s, a time when all a guy needed was a saxophone to start playing to get lucky on the dance floor.
Rush Week is the kind of movie that would feel right at home on USA Up All Night. Hot 80’s people are being killed, and student reporter Toni Daniels (Pamela Ludwig) is on the case, while also being distracted by frat house leader Jeff. All of this is happening during the annual rush week ceremonies. The legendary Gregg Allman makes an appearance as a burned-out shaman of sorts, that’s probably how he showed up on set, wardrobe and all.
Director Bralver was an acclaimed stuntman who worked on such classics as Roadhouse, Darkman, and a ton of TV shows. This was his feature directing debut.
Rush Week is a fun movie to revisit. With lots of interesting sets, it moves at a good pace, and there is even a Halloween party in the final act. Perfect for a nostalgic Halloween trip. Vinegar Syndrome gave it a beautiful 2k scan of the 35mm interpositive; it looks great. It’s really cool the love they show these B-movies.
13. Cold Skin (2017)
Director Xavier Gens
A young man travels to the Arctic Circle to carry out his duty as a weather observer on an island post for a year. The man he was sent to replace is not there; instead, he finds a castaway (Ray Stevenson) in the lighthouse post. As the young man settles into a deserted cabin, he is awakened in the night by an invasion of unknown creatures that come from the ocean. After surviving the night, he looks to the castaway for hel,p and an uneasy bond forms out of necessity.
Overal,l this is a pretty good sci-fi action horror movie from the director of Frontiers. Cold Skin would make a great double bill with Robert Eggers The Lighthouse, although some plot holes and iffy CGI keep it from reaching that next level for me. Heavy on allegory and some creepy Lovecraftian themes, the powerhouse acting of the late Ray Stevenson keeps this film interesting enough. Watch it on Prime.
14. Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025)
Director Matt Palmer
From R.L. Stine Netflix presents Fear Street: Prom Queen, a slasher film set in 1988. A masked killer targets the prom queen candidates of Shady Side High on the night of their senior dance.
Although it’s pretty standard fare, I liked this 80’s throwback. Prom Queen has a good soundtrack and a slick neon look. It also has some really funny kills. This is definitely one I will be putting in the seasonal rotation for a fun Halloween flick. Destination Netflix.
15. Gretel & Hansel (2020)
Director Osgood Perkins
As their mother starts losing her mind, brother and sister Hansel and Gretel make their way through the dark woods in search of food and work. They stumble upon some food left outside a house in the middle of the woods. Yes, it is too good to be true.
Oz Perkins can create a creepy atmosphere. He’s one of the better directors at transporting the viewer into his off-kilter little worlds he creates. Instant aura and mood are his strong suits. He packs so much symbolism in his films that it’s sometimes hard to keep up. Watch it on Tubi.
16. The Black Phone (2021)
Director Scott Derrickson
Finney is a shy teen with a cool sister that he’s really close with and an alcoholic father with a short fuse. He gets bullied at school but does have a friend in bully terminator Robin who watches his back. The small town he lives in has a child abduction problem, and Finney’s classmates start to go missing one by one. It is suspected that they have been taken by a man the papers call The Grabber.
I was late to the party on this one. Set in the 1970s, The Black Phone has a great look. The kids are likable and easy to root for, I was immediately sucked into the story. The Grabber is a creepy villain brought to life by a game starring Ethan Hawke. The spooky, ever-changing mask he wears is a nice touch. Stream it on Peacock. The Syfy channel is playing it too this month.
17. Clown in a Cornfield (2025)
Director Eli Craig
Hoping for a new start, Quinn (Katie Douglas) and her dad move to a small town from their home in Philadelphia. Quinn immediately falls in with a group of friends that are known for pranking and scaring the locals with a clown costume. The group films these pranks and posts them online for clicks. Soon a sinister clown appears from a cornfield to stalk the kids and the big red clown shoe is on the other foot.
Based on a book series of the same name, Clown in a Cornfield has a fun approach to it’s scares. Part of the fun is how long it takes the teens to figure out the carnage isn’t just the group pranking each other. Eli Craig and team are really good at injecting humor into the horror genre. They made an almost perfect horror comedy with Tucker and Dale VS Evil (2010). Sadly, this one falls way short of Craig’s earlier film. Clown in a Cornfield has some good moments and establishes it’s characters well early on. As it moves along though, the makeup begins to run and the movie almost falls apart. Don’t expect much here but if you need a slasher, it might work. Watch it on IFC or streaming.
18. VIY (1967)
Director Konstantin Yershov
Goofball Khoma is a seminary student that is asked to sit with the dead body of a landowners daughter in a church for three nights. He reads scripture in order to protect the body from evil spirits. But each night it becomes more apparent that Khoma is the one who will need protection.
VIY is a Soviet, gothic folk horror film. It has atmosphere to spare, utilizing practical effects and interesting visuals. The makeup, costumes, and special effects are all top notch for the era. Lately I’ve noticed that older films seem to be better at conveying sheer joy onscreen than films made today. VIY has a whimsical feel to it throughout but it shows teeth and a sinister side emerges. It also boasts a crazy ending as it throws everything at you all at once with a precision timed set piece that brings it all home.
While I’m here I have to give a shout out to YouTube channel Mosfilm. They have an incredible selection of classic Soviet Cinema free to watch. Check them out.
19. House of Wax (2005)
Director Jaume Collet-Serra
Soon found out, I had a House of Wax This is better than it has any right to be. Yes, it has Paris Hilton in it, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. We are introduced to a group of college-age kids driving to Baton Rouge to watch a football game. They decide to stop and camp in the woods instead of driving through the night. This is where their troubles begin.
While they are sleeping someone cuts the fanbelt in one of the two vehicles. The group then decides to splinter and two of the kids walk into the nearest town only to find it to be abandoned, except for the folks attending a funeral in the church.
As the couple waits for the parts store owner to open up, they walk into the local wax museum. It is made entirely of wax, and something isn’t quite right about this place.
House of Wax has plenty of action and violence and a good rock soundtrack. I was expecting it to be more hokey than it was. But House of Wax plays it straight and punches hard. Also, I have a skin peeling phobia and this made me wince more than once. It’s about 15 minutes too long but not a bad mid 2000’s horror movie.
20. Never Hike Alone (2017)
Director Vincente Disanti
I know, I know, we cinephiles usually do not sully ourselves with fan films. But one can’t help but come away impressed by Never Hike Alone. I didn’t even know this existed until about a year ago. Disanti’s film has some good visuals and, for the most part looks as good as any lower end studio movie.
A vlogger is making a hiking video for his channel. He cuts his way through a roped-off do-not-trespass area. As he continues his hike, he walks upon an old abandoned camp and soon is in for the fight of his life as a masked killer stalks him. Watch it on YouTube.
21. Hell House LLC (2015)
Director Stephen Cognetti
I was pleasantly surprised that this found footage movie emphasized an eerie atmosphere over a brutal one. The film avoids the schlock territory it could have easily fell victim to. Restraint is shown and a good story told.
A group of friends from out of town temporarily move into a creepy hotel to set up a haunted house for the Halloween season. It does not go as planned.
Hell House LLC is the first in a series of movies. It isn’t a household name, but the franchise definitely has a loyal fan base. I liked the presentation overall. This will be a fun series to delve into. It’s on Prime.
22. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
Director Marcus Nispel
Before he directed the Friday the 13th remake, German filmmaker Marcus Nispel tried his hand at another American horror icon in Leatherface.
A group of twenty-somethings are driving to Dallas for a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert. They are also somehow listening to Sweet Home Alabama in 1973 before the song was released in 1974. Maybe they know someone in the record industry. Anyway, they pick up a hitchhiker along the way, and tragedy soon strikes. They end up stuck in a remote town and can’t seem to get help from local law enforcement. To make matters worse, a family of deranged killers is preying on them. The hicks are probably just mad these youngsters heard the Skynyrd song first.
Made for just 9.5 million, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) was a hit at the box office. It raked in 107.3 million worldwide. Mixed reviews didn’t dampen the black hearted spirits of horror audiences craving a violent over the top new take on the old classic. The success of the film ushered in, for better or worse, a new wave of slasher remakes.
This is one rancid, bleached out, brownish gray, dirty piece of filmmaking. Watching it now, it is definitely a product of its time. The cast is up for it ,though, highlighted by the legendary R. Lee Ermey as Sheriff Hoyt. Final girl Jessica Biel accentuates her positives and while her acting isn’t award worthy, she delivers a solid physical performance. I like the Friday the 13th remake more than TCM but like the rickety Zipper at a county fair, it’s still a grimy ride I’ll take again someday. Watch it on IFC or BBC America.
23. Late Night with the Devil (2023)
Directors Cameron Cairnes and Colin Cairnes
Host Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian) is trying to bring in more views to his failing late night show by bringing in some good old-fashioned controversy to his Halloween special. The broadcast goes increasingly off the rails as it slips into occult chaos.
Utilizing different frame rates and aspect ratio’s to create the aesthetic of different footage types, Late Night with the Devil has a refreshing unique look and the 70’s setting is recreated nicely. David Dastmalchian is outstanding as the lead here. He looks both hopeful and desperate at the same time as his Jack plays devils advocate on air while behind the scenes trying to keep the show on the rails. He appears calm and cool in front of the live audience but slowly starts to crack as pressure builds during commercial breaks. The theatrics at the end feel somewhat out of place here after the directors set up such an authentic premise. This is my only complaint. Rent it on Prime.
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