Top Ten Picks For Halloween 2021

Wow, October has shot by. It takes too long to get here, and when it's here, it's gone too soon. But we can still enjoy some horror. So the time is here again, for some Halloween picks. 

10) Slaughterhouse Rock (1988)

I remember the VHS box sitting on the video store shelf back in the '90's. Combining the post Elm Street supernatural slasher craze with the brief prison set horror movie fad. The whole rock and roll thing isn't a big part of the film sadly. I was hoping for a rock band vs. demonic killer. But the movie is still a lot of cheesy '80's fun. I dug the movie's look, the Devo score and the killer's backstory.

9) Phantoms (1998)

Back in my high schools days I read the heck out of many Dean Koontz books. Phantoms with it's snowy, isolated, The Thing vibe it has was one of my favorites back then. I hadn't seen the movie adaption since back when it came out. Watching it a few weeks ago, aside from Ben Affleck feeling really out of place, the rest of the movie is a really fun monster movie. Liev Schreiber, Rose McGowan and Peter O’Toole are great. I had such a thing for Rose McGowan back then. Those were the days.

8) A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985)

I didn't like this one as much as the other films in the series when I was a kid. Was too different. Not flashy enough. Too little Freddy. After some re-watches over the years, Freddy's Revenge is my favorite of the Nightmare franchise. Which falls in line with how Halloween 2 and Friday The 13th part 2 are my favorites of those series. Must be a rule of 2 or something.

7) Killer Workout (1987)

It's hard to pick a favorite David A. Prior flick. There's Sledgehammer, Deadly Prey and it's sequel. Some of his best in my opinion. Then there's this and Mankillers. Both excellent, though not on the same level as those other three films. Killer Workout is such a weird mishmash of slasher, murder mystery and low rent action flick. This and the fact that it's filled with so much aerobics action make Killer Workout a pleasure to behold.

6) The Curse of the Living Corpse (1964)

My favorite of Del Tenney's directorial efforts. A mix of Gothic horror and murder mystery. A bunch of bickering assholes in a mansion getting offed by a mysterious (Undead?) black gloved killer. Roy Scheider seems to be playing a drunk Tom Hiddleston and having a blast doing it.

5) Dracula 3D (2012)

This is a weird one I'm come to enjoy more after a couple viewings. Feels like Dario Argento mainlined Jean Rollin and Jess Franco movies before directing. The CGI is hilarious. The score is amazing. Asia Argento is hot. There's a really nice decapitation. The film feels a little to long overall. All the same, I can see this one growing on me.

4) Silent Madness (1984)

Finally, getting the release it deserves on Blu-ray. It's great seeing Silent Madness again after many years. One of those slasher films I rented multiple times back in the VHS days. It's cheesy and very '80's, in other words it's fantastic. That one orderly's prolonged maniacal laugh is ridiculous. Silent Madness contains one of the best horror film sheriff's of all time.

3) Weekly Spooky and Penned In Blood

There's nothing better on Halloween night then settling in for a good horror story. At Weekly Spooky and Penned In Blood you can savor a plethora of terror tales told by a talented group of writers. This is a bit of a plug, because I've written a few stories for both sites.  But don't let that stop you. These guys and gals have weaved a variety of fresh horror epics sure to delight you on Halloween night. And lust in time for Halloween, there's a Volume 2 of collected tales from Penned In Blood along with some all new tales. 

2) The Dungeon of Harrow (1962)

Charming ultra low budget regional horror flick from Texas. Directed by comic artist Pat Boyette, Dungeon is going for the Roger Corman Poe adaption thing, but with a budget of a quarter, 2 dimes and a nickel. Great for a late night viewing.

1) Assignment Terror (1970)

This is a goofy monster mash movie that I would have flipped out for as a kid. There's aliens with a crazy Plan 9 style invasion. Legendary monsters and sexy girls. It's a groovy blend of Universal monster mashes, Euro Spy antics, Paul Naschy werewolf flicks and the plot from Monster Zero. What more could you want?

Top Ten Picks For Halloween 2020

 

This year then any other I can remember we all need some good Halloween scares and cheer to take our minds off how upside down the whole world has become. With that in mind, I'm not going to babble on and on. Let's get to the nitty gritty. Here's my picks for some Halloween fun.

10) Rush Week (1989)

So many pranks. So many red herrings. If the antics of the shits in Nightmare Beach and Slaughter High sent you up a wall, wait to you see the frat douches in Rush Week. I did enjoy the killer's look. The black robe and cheap Halloween mask. Plus he murders people with a battle ax. In fact the film's climax involves a battle ax fight. What other slasher has that? A bonus is the cool soundtrack featuring Devo, The Dickies and The Dead Milkmen.

9) Star Crystal (1986)

Imagine if in Alien, during the climax the alien read some bible passages on a computer. Made friends with Ripley and they had sitcom antics till a cheesy '80's song closed out the movie. That's the last ten minutes of the amazing 1986 cheapo Star Crystal. Good stuff.

8) Beyond the Door III (1989)

Beyond the Door III is a bizarre mashup of Runaway Train, Terror Train, Wicker Man and Suspiria. From the director of Iced. Somebody had a real decapitation fetish. There's some really great imagery and plentiful, well done gore.

7) Hocus Pocus (1993)

Over the years, I'd seen bits and pieces on TV, but never sat and watched the film from the start. After watching a cool retrospective on Youtube, I decided to pick up the bluray. Have to say I really enjoyed it. A good way to kick off a Halloween marathon. Lots of great holiday atmosphere. Perfect for some Halloween viewing with the whole family. 

6) Near Death (2004)

I haven't watched this movie since the mid 2000's when I picked up the DVD in a bargain bin. I should have because it's a real treat. Community theater actors screaming their lines "I loved you, andnowImust KILL YOU!!" Some decent looking gore and some very bad looking CGI. Added on fake as hell cobwebs. Porn quality filming. A dude that murders people for only fifty bucks a person. Random close ups of characters sneering. And one very bad looking fake mustache. Bonus points for the film's monsters being ghouls. Ghouls don't get enough love. Near Death is really bad, but really great.

5) Vengeance of the Dead (2001)

This one has been in my collection for years. Glad I finally watched it recently. Way better then I'd expected. Decent little ghost flick about a haunted spoon! Yes my friends, a haunted spoon. Also lots of arson. There's a nice creepy fall atmosphere and the climax takes place on Halloween night.

4)  Madman (1982)

Madman has the perfect atmosphere for Halloween viewing. I never had the pleasure of seeing this entry from the golden age of the slasher film till a few years ago. It was a very informative viewing experience. I learned the legend of Madman Marz. And that Mr. Marz does not take kindly to being called out. I learned that telling said legend to a bunch of wiseacre teens will only lead to tragedy. I discovered that Gaylen Ross (Francine in Dawn of the Dead) is really hot. Also, spinning in a hot tub is a thing people do. Why? Not sure. Madman Marz has one hell of a theme song. It's right up there with the one from My Bloody Valentine.

3) Silver Bullet (1985)

Two of my fondest memories growing up pertain to this movie. The first one indirectly, I remember a warm summer night (My favorite time to read horror novels btw) sitting on my grandparent's porch reading Stephen King's Cycle Of The Werewolf. The second one is watching the movie on VHS with my dad. My parents where weird, I could watch R rated films as long as there was no nudity or sex. Gore? No problem! Silver Bullet for me is one of those films that's a time machine that takes you back to a certain time and place in your life every time you watch it.  Also Gary Busey vs. a freaking werewolf!

2) Weekly Spooky and Penned In Blood

There's nothing better on Halloween night then settling in for a good horror story. At Weekly Spooky and Penned In Blood you can savor a plethora of terror tales told by a talented group of writers. This is a bit of a plug, because I've written a few stories for both sites.  But don't let that stop you. These guys and gals have weaved a variety of fresh horror epics sure to delight you on Halloween night.  

1) Satan’s Blade (1984)

A mere write up can't possibly do this amazing film justice. So I thought I'd list some of it's many trashy nuggets of gold.

1. The bank robbery and "amazing" bank set.

2. Awkward lines and stilted delivery.

3. The mustaches on display.

4. Perfectly cheesy synth score.

5. Mr. Boom mic's cameos. (Take a drink every time he appears. You'll be dead before the movies over.)

6. There's an actor name Ski, playing a character named Ski.

7. Speaking of skiing. Lots of characters talk about doing it. None actually are seen in the act.

8. Marriage Drama!

9. Mercilessly killing off characters.

10. Beautiful snowy landscape.

11. The locals.

12. Some really effective and creepy scenes.

13. A well done fight in shadows in front of a fireplace.

14. Lots of '80's hair.

15. A Jack Daniel's inspired prank.

Top Ten Picks For Halloween 2019

It's back again! Like the rotting corpse of a zombie, newly risen from the grave. It shambles across the countryside. Getting closer and closer. Yes! The time is here once more. Time for a heaping helping of Halloween. And with All Hollows Eve on the horizon, it's also time for my annual picks for some Halloween fun.

10) Blood Massacre (1991)

Massacre is a strange mix of Last House on The Left and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It features a slick scene towards the beginning with a video store robbery. Our ne'er-do-well thieves make a hasty escape and end up at farm house. A farm house hiding some deadly secrets. Blood Massacre is very different then the other Don Dohler flicks I've seen so far. No aliens! It's also way more stylish and polished then his other films I've sampled. There's a couple twists that keep things interesting. One you'll see a mile out and one that is just bizarre and awesome.

9) The Mummy Lives (1993)

Originally set to star Anthony Perkins, who died before filming started. Then Christopher Lee, who turned down the lead at the last moment. So producer Harry Alan Towers went with Tony Curtis. Curtis is insanely miscast here. He fluctuates between giving no fucks to hamming it up. The story is the usual reincarnated lover back from the dead. This Mummy is a bit slow  at times and there's not enough of the decent looking mummy on screen. Most of the gore comes from Omen style kills. But there's a certain charm to the film. And every Halloween needs a mummy or two. So if you've seen all the other mummy flicks, give The Mummy Lives a try. Besides does any of the others feature a mummy cat coming back to life?

8) We Are Still Here (2015)

House of The Devil mixed with House by the Cemetery. With a little The Fog thrown in. We Are Still Here has a great retro setting. There's even a J&B sighting. Burnt pissed off ghosts are not to be messed with. Great little haunted house flick with a touch of a Italian horror vibe.

7) The Mysterious Monsters (1975)

Documentaries from the '70's about UFO's, ghosts and Bigfoot are like potato chips for me. I just can't get enough of them. They can be equal parts creepy and ridiculous. This one does both very nicely. The reenactments have a good creepy vibe. A lot of the evidence is questionable. The experts are overbearing and the witnesses are sincere. Peter Graves is the host for this excursion into the paranormal. Throughout, all I could think of was his role in Airplane. I was hoping he'd get to ask Bigfoot if he'd seen any gladiator films.

6) The Flesh Eaters (1964)

A down on his luck charter pilot, a alcoholic actress and her assistant make an emergency landing on a small island after getting caught in a tropical storm.The island's only inhabitants are a shady marine biologist and a horde of flesh eating sea creatures.
Written and story-boarded by one of the creators of the Doom Patrol. This '60's creature feature is a blast from start to finish. With a band of quirky characters. A unique monster, some early graphic gore effects and one very groovey beatnik make for a fun B-movie.

5) Exorcismo (1975)

Paul Naschy’s answer to a little horror film that came out in 1973. While it doesn’t have the deeper themes of the Exorcist, it’s a pretty wild ride. With plenty of 70’s Satanic action. There was a giallo vibe to parts of Exorcismo that I dug. With a masked killer running around offing a few folks during the goings on. I also really enjoyed possessed Leila. Her crazy antics are great fun and her makeup is well done and creepy. Naschy’s Father Adrian, is one of his cooler non-monster roles. Hippies, possession, bad clothes, facial hair aplenty. Everything I crave in a 70’s horror flick.

4) The Walking Dead (Comic Book)

Having only seen the first season of the show and a handful of scattered episodes from later seasons, I can't judge the overall quality of the show versus the comic. That said, I do greatly prefer the comic. While the comic can sometimes  fall back on "Let's have a sex scene." I like how the characters react to the world of zombies and the day to day of surviving in such a world. The world feels way more brutal as well. Where the show can only get away with so much. Rick of the comic feels very human while still being a total badass. Lori though, she's still annoying.

3) Eko Eko Azarak: Wizard of Darkness (1995)

Last year I watched the Eko Eko Azarak set from Tokyo Shock. Having only seen Wizard of Darkness before. I highly recommended this and it's follow up: Eko Eko Azarak 2: Birth of the Wizard to anyone who enjoys Japanese horror films or horror based super heroes. There's a good amount of gore and a creepy atmosphere to both films. The third film in the series, which features a different actress and director then the first two is okay.

2) Out-Of-Body Experience By Dante Tomaselli

Wouldn't be right if I didn't include something from friend of the blog and cool dude Dante Tomaselli on the list.Whereas his previous CD albums felt like descents into madness or journeys through hellish landscapes. His new album is like experiencing on of those '70's paranormal documentaries. It envelopes you in it's creepy synth goodness and transports you to another plain.

1) The Living Skeleton (1968)

I'm conviced John Carpnter saw this film. Living Skeleton feels more then a little like a precursuer to Carpnter’s The Fog. Both feature maritime ghostly vengeance. So much creepy atmosphere in this baby. There's a ton amazing shots. The use of shadow here is perfect. And the music is moody and memorable. Living Skeleton is what would happen if Mario Bava made Black Sunday in Japan. A Gothic, haunting film that’ll imprint it’s images on your mind’s eye.

Top Ten Picks For Halloween 2018

Here we go again. Another year, another Halloween list. How long have I been doing these anyway? Wow! Since the blogs beginning it appears. How time files. This year since I end up recommending so much other stuff besides movies and TV shows every year, I’m retitling the sucker. So, here we go. 2018’s Halloween picks.

10) Dick Briefer's Frankenstein

Artist Dick Briefer who worked with the likes of Will Eisner on some of the earliest comic books created a weird, macabre version of the Frankenstein monster in the 1940’s. Putting a unique spin on Mary Shelley's creation. Updating his origin to the ‘40’s and having the monster climb the Empire State building in one issue and in another Victor Frankenstein makes a crocodile man to fight his rampaging creature! This collection collects the more straightforward horror run with the monster and the later comical Charles Addams style run. And some later ones where Briefer returned to straight up horror. If you dig comics from the golden age, classic horror comics or the antics of the Addams Family, dig this monster up!

9) Prom Night (1980)

Pure 80' slasher goodness. This is one of those films I always end up watching a couple a times every year. There’s a crazy amount of ‘80’s hair style action in this sucker. You get a pretty cool killer. A extra funky disco number that has to been to be seen to be believed. There's also a snazzy soundtrack. The stalk n' slash scenes are excellent. Stand outs are an attack on the van of a couple of pot smoking post-coital teens. And an extended case scene though the school, as the "evil bitch" character tries to escape the killer. There's also a good assortment of red herrings on hand.

8) Witches by Dante Tomaselli

There was a time way back when Disney used to put out creepy sound FX records. Witches is like the sound FX of someone’s descent into madness and damnation. Filled with spine tingling synth music and strange soundbites. Witches is perfect for a chilly October night spent in a candlelit rooming reading horror stories or making your own.

7) Baron Blood (1972)

A creepy old castle with a well stocked torture chamber, a fog ensconced countryside and a badly deformed undead evil Baron. Plus a really groovy score and psychic shenanigans. Some very red blood. And the sexy Luciano Pigozzi! I mean Elke Sommer of course! This is classic Mario Bava.

6) Norm Breyfogle’s Batman Run

This year we lost a great artist, Norm Breyfogle. His run on the Batman titles is a personal favorite. His style was moody, gritty and had a hint of the exaggerated style Todd McFarlane would use. His run leaned more towards detective stories and straight up horror. Introducing villains like Ventriloquist, Ratcatcher, Jeremiah Arkham, Mr. Zsasz and the intro of the third Robin, Tim Drake. Amazing work. Amazing talent. Gone too soon.

5) The Chilling (1989)

The tale of nice girl Mary. Hard luck security guard Vince. And the doberman he saves from the frozen dead. Finding time along the way to pantomime Freddy Kruger. Throw in a drunk husband out of a Lifetime film. And there’s also one of the worst bank robberies ever filmed. To sweeten the pot (Like I have to) the film takes place on Halloween. It’s all fairly cheesy and I love it.

4) Tomie (1998)

Much like Tomie's severed head this film has grown on me over the many years. She nothing like all The Ring clones out there. Tomie is her own monster. Not a long haired ghost but a living breathing women who's only love is for herself. Tomie's franchise like her will not die. There seems to be a new one every few years or so. And that's just fine by me.

3) The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)

Very few horror films are able to make me tense. The first time I watched Poughkeepsie Tapes I wasn’t quite sure how far they're going to go. I've watched plenty of horror films over my lifetime, rarely though do I worry what's going to happen to a character. There's a couple moments here where I was thinking to myself "Go! Get out of that damn house!" Having seen the horrible fate of a few of the killer's victims by the time a couple girl scouts show up at the killer’s selling cookies your skin will be crawling.

2) The Varrow Mission (1978)

Aliens, a haunted house, a Halloween haunted house contest and '70's teenagers. All the ingredients for a quirky low budget good time. This one is a real oddity. A fun watch if you can find it.

1) Halloween II (2009)

With a new Halloween out. Another Halloween II (sort off) I felt like it was right to have something from the franchise to the list. Usually it’s Halloween II or III. This year I’m going with the follow up to Rob Zombie’s much maligned remake. Zombie’s take on Halloween wasn’t bad. Yes it was tad too long. And had too much redneck nonsense. Why was Michael Myers’ family white trash?
The sequel free of all the origin shit focused on a new story. We got to see the aftermath of his return home. Laurie suffering PTSD and Loomis using the murders to sell books. I don’t mind the arty dream sequences. Nor Mountain Man Michael. The soundtrack for this one is damn good. Nights In White Satin baby. And this film might have old MM’s most brutal and gory kills. Brad Dourif, Danielle Harris, Scout Taylor-Compton and Angela Trimbur are all excellent. Dourif and Harris the standouts. I freaking love this one.


There you have it. Have a safe and spooky Halloween folks!