Good morning,
It’s the time of year to stock-up on candy for Trick-or-Treat. If you want your house to be the most popular on the block, I’d double down on Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. The candy was the most popular in America, followed by M&Ms and Snickers. If you want to know the best horror to watch in Spooky Season, read on…
🩸TODAY’S TERROR — THE UNEXPECTED DOORBELL RING
You're home. You're comfortable. You're wearing something you wouldn't answer the door in if the house were on fire.
Then it happens.
DING-DONG.
You freeze.
You're not expecting anyone. You haven't ordered anything. And everyone who knows you understands that showing up unannounced is a violation of the Geneva Convention.
You wait.
Maybe they'll go away.
DING-DONG.
Now you're creeping toward the front door like a character in a horror movie. You peek through the blinds, careful not to move them. There's someone on the porch. You don't recognize them.
Worse, they're looking directly at the window.
Did they see you?
You duck.
Your phone buzzes. A text from your neighbor.
"There's someone at your door."
Thanks, Gladys. Very helpful.
You retreat to the kitchen, where you remain perfectly still until you're certain the coast is clear.
Ten minutes later, you finally open the door.
There's a flyer on the mat.
"WE BUY UGLY HOUSES."
Today's Terror: In a horror movie, the terror has to break into your house. In real life, he just has to ring the doorbell.
🩸RECENT HORROR NEWS
Kevin Bacon Is Summoning More Trouble
The upcoming supernatural thriller Summoner has added Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Daniel Ings (The Gentlemen) to its cast alongside Kevin Bacon. The project continues to assemble an intriguing lineup.
Kevin Bacon in another horror movie? At this point, the man has spent so much time around monsters, he should qualify for hazard pay.
Video Games Are Becoming Hollywood's New Haunted Houses
The episodic horror game series Fears to Fathom is being developed for film and television adaptations. The games are known for turning ordinary, recognizable situations into deeply unsettling experiences.
It seems Hollywood has discovered that everyday anxiety makes excellent horror. Oh? Then explain why nobody's optioned my last trip to the DMV. Yet.
Seth Rogen Has High Praise for Curry Barker's Next Nightmare
After the attention surrounding Obsession, filmmaker Curry Barker is already generating buzz for Anything But Ghosts. Seth Rogen has praised the new project as even better than Barker's earlier film.
For horror filmmakers, that's the kind of endorsement you dream about. Unless you're a horror filmmaker. Then you probably dream about finding financing.
Mike Flanagan Is Taking The Exorcist Somewhere Darker
The new trailer for The Exorcist: Martyrs suggests that Mike Flanagan's approach to the franchise may lean into the atmosphere of a grim investigative thriller. Scarlett Johansson and John Leguizamo headline the film.
I guess demonic possession wasn't stressful enough. Now they're adding police procedural energy. Somebody get the detective a crucifix and a donut.
🩸ON THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL — HALLOWEEN HORROR STORY
Want to see something really scary? Give me four minutes and I’ll tell you about the horror Eldin, encountered in New York’s Central Park.
🩸NEWSWORTHY NUMBER
4.8 million
That's a lot of witches! 🧙♀️
According to the National Retail Federation, an estimated 4.8 million Americans plan to dress as witches this Halloween, making it one of the season's most popular costumes.
That's 4.8 million witches roaming the streets on Halloween night.
Somewhere the Wicked Witch of the West is demanding royalties.
Name the movie below
Name the movie. Answer at the bottom ⬇️⬇️⬇️
🩸HORROR IN THEATERS
Crawlers — (Oct. 16th) Quarantined residents of an infested apartment complex find themselves in a fight for their lives against deadly, venomous spiders rapidly spreading throughout the building… There’s a joke in here about how many spiders you eat in your sleep, isn’t there? Just watch the trailer.Trailer
One Eye Open — (Oct. 16th) A recent college graduate housesitting for her ailing grandfather, is caught in a deadly cat-and-mouse with burglars who become haunted by a supernatural force protecting her and the mansion… Home Alone for Halloween.
Other Mommy — (Oct. 9th) A grieving family encounters a sinister maternal presence that has very specific ideas about who should be raising the children… Even demons have strong opinions about parenting. Trailer
She Saw Us — (Oct. 9th) Four friends, trapped in a remote house haunted by the lingering presence of a vengeful witch and her terrifying creation—a two headed doll… Annabelle’s evil-er twin?
Ghost In The Cell — (Oct. 2nd) Limited Release. In this Indonesian horror/comedy a malevolent spirit spreads terror through a brutal prison, slaughtering inmates in gruesome fashion. The escalating horror forces rival gangs and corrupt guards to unite for survival… A prison movie where getting shanked may not be your biggest problem. Trailer
Coming Soon
You Can’t Leave — (Oct. 22nd) From the team that brouight us Iron Lung: a young man searches for answers behind his sister's mysterious disappearance. Trailer
Clayface — (Oct. 23rd) Body horror film based on the character from DC Comics… DC is now doing horror? Hmm.
Human — (Oct. 23rd) A dark, violent splatter-horror/thriller film about a woman's night of digital distraction turning into a surreal nightmare… This one sounds right up T-Bone’s alley.
Keep an eye out for
Breeder — (Oct. 28th) An eccentric poodle breeder lures a broke college student to her remote ranch with a promise of research funding… Poodle breeding horror. Allrighty then.
Stiletto — (Oct. 30th) An exotic dancer named Lyric who seeks revenge and protects her community from a masked serial killer on the one-year anniversary of her sister's murder.
Christmas at The Kringles — (Oct. 30th) Holiday horror/comedy about the Severson family who move to a suburban neighborhood where their next-door neighbors, the Kringles, celebrate Christmas year-round… The perfect movie to end Spooky Season and welcome in the holidays.
🩸 FOUNDERS — THE GREAT DEBATE
Patty McCormack
The wife and I were talking about our favorite classic horror movies. Since we’re both OGs, we really go back. I said, Rosemary’s Baby, but the wife hopped into the Wayback and went even further. She said: The Bad Seed. That’s a good one. I was a kid when I first saw the movie on TV. Yes, they let children watch that stuff back then. Ah, the good old days.
Eight-year-old Patty McCormack was the perfect horror villain. I just checked and homegirl is still kicking. She’s 81. Hat’s off to Patty McCormack.
Email me and let me know your favorite classic horror movie. I want to start a dialogue here, so please email me: [email protected].
Have you seen The Bad Seed? What do you think of it? What’s in your top 10 of horror classics? I have no biases here. Let’s just share, and I’ll share your share. And if you hate something—say you hate it. Opinions matter. We’ll pick this up next week. If you haven’t seen The Bad Seed, it’s available on Netflix in most but not all regions.
🩸HORROR TO WATCH ON STREAMERS
What’s Worth The Watch — a mix of hidden gems, buzzy titles, comfort horror, underseen picks, and classics worth revisiting
“Halloween Just Got Apocalyptic!”
Hallowarrior — Streaming On: Shudder
The last girl on Earth faces a gang of violent raiders on Halloween night. She's outnumbered, outgunned, and armed with candy. In other words she’s trick-or-treating in a really bad neighborhood.
“Something to Make You Nervous!”
Jitters — Streaming On: Shudder
A fresh addition to Shudder's October horror lineup. With a name like that, we're assuming relaxation isn't part of the viewing experience.
“The Family that Seances Together”
Ouija — Streaming On: Netflix
Netflix just added this. A widowed mother and her daughters run a phony séance business in 1960s Los Angeles. Unfortunately, when they add a Ouija board to the act, they accidentally invite something very real into their home. Mike Flanagan delivers a surprisingly effective supernatural chiller that proves there's one business rule you should never break: Don't summon anyone you can't fire.
“Dance Like Nobody's Watching. Except the Witches!”
Suspiria (2018) — Streaming On: Prime Video
A prestigious dance academy hides something unspeakably sinister. Beautiful, disturbing, and proof that some extracurricular activities really should require a background check.
Comfort Horror Pick of The Week
“Now You See Him. Now You're Screwed!”
The Invisible Man (1933) — Streaming On: Prime Video
Claude Rains plays a scientist whose breakthrough in invisibility comes with a slight personality problem. Wickedly funny, wonderfully atmospheric, and a reminder that the Universal Monsters still know how to put on a show.
🩸 BAD DECISIONS NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD
Whether you're sipping something suspicious, reading something sinister, or wearing your questionable judgment right across your chest, The Grudge Shop has you covered.
T-shirts, mugs, and other little necessities for people who prefer their humor dark and their coffee darker.
Shop The Grudge. Because good taste is overrated. 💀
🩸FINAL SIP
Halloween is almost here. Here is my number one rule for dealing with trick-or-treaters: If a kid shows up at your door wearing a hockey mask, give him the full-size candy bar.
Especially if he's six-foot-three and carrying a machete. 🎃
Horror Movie Trivia Answer: Beetlejuice. A Halloween season family favorite
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We read your emails. Questions, comments, things we can improve, or a nice pat on the back: email us at: [email protected].
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