Happy October everyone! We are in the thick of the fall season and one of my favorite months as it ramps up to an eerie crescendo with Halloween. To celebrate the month and the holiday, I’ve put together a calendar guide of the perfect movies to watch on which days.
Tuesday October 1st
Hereditary (2018): We’re kicking the month off hot in a scary manner with Ari Aster’s 2018 horror flick, Hereditary. Now, I view this as a horror movie on two fronts. The first being that there’s gore and jump scares that are enhanced by long shots and a sharp score. On the other front, it’s horror movie in dealing with your family. Toni Collette sort of hates her kids and her husband doesn’t get it or see it. Alex Wolff sees into her psyche of how she doesn’t love him, and that’s enhanced by her shouting down at him at dinner one evening. It’s my favorite horror film ever and one that I think everyone should see.
Wednesday October 2nd
I Saw The TV Glow (2024): Ever since I saw I Saw The TV Glow, which is my second favorite movie of 2024, I’ve been unable to get it out of my mind. Some films have that effect on people. This is one of those films. It taps into the human brain and psyche as Jane Schoenbrun examines obsession and gender ideology in this vibrant and trippy horror drama, that is heavily influenced by David Cronenberg and David Lynch. Watching this will make you feel like you’re on a psychedelic escapade into your own mind.
Thursday October 3rd
The Ritual (2017): I can remember watching The Ritual my freshman year of college and loving it. But that was before I really got into movies. A few years later I rewatched that and realized it still rocks to the highest degree. There’s a demonic element, a dudes rock when they are bonding factor and a giant monster that terrified me as an eighteen year old college student.
Friday October 4th
Videodrome (1983), The Substance (2024): The first double feature I’m recommending for the month is a Body Horror Double Feature with David Cronenberg’s Videodrome and Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance. Usually when I watch movies, I like to enjoy some pop corn or candy, but I’d take my advice when I say not to eat anything when watching this double feature. The films are grotesque in nature and will make your skin crawl in the same way the characters skin crawls on the screen. Body horror is difficult to master, but these two films do it the right way and it’s horrifying.
Saturday October 5th
Scream (1996), Red Eye (2005): My goal with this October movie calendar is to cram in as many classics and favorites of mine for you the reader to watch, so on Fridays and Saturdays I’ll be recommending double features. Yesterdays was a body horror one and todays is one featuring two films from the great Wes Craven. Craven directed over twenty five horror films in his career, but his most notable is probably Scream, which kicked off a long winded franchise of slasher flicks. Along with watching the first Scream film, I’m recommending Craven’s 2005 thriller, Red Eye, where Cillian Murphy takes Rachel McAdams hostage on a plane and all hell breaks loose.
Sunday October 6th
Ghostbusters (1984): While Fridays and Saturdays are reserved for double features, Sundays are for taming your nerves, but still staying in the Halloween spirit. The first of my four Sundays recs is the 1984 classic, Ghostbusters. If you haven’t seen it yet, I simply don’t believe you because EVERYONE has seen Ghostbusters. It’s a classic with Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Ernie Hudson, Harold Ramis and Sigourney Weaver at the center of it and there’s a green, glowing slime monster. It’s always a good time to rewatch Ghostbusters, but it’s the best to do it now.
Monday October 7th
The Shining (1980): Despite The Shining invoking a more wintery vibe, I’d be remised to leave one of my all time favorite horror films off the calendar. It’s a slow burn that Kubrick makes into an eerie voyage with dynamite performances from Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall and creepy set designs. It’s a horror classic that everyone should see once in their life time.
Tuesday October 8th
Nosferatu (1922): In the second week of October, I’m recommending three horror classics in a row. Monday is for The Shining and today is for the 1922 vampire picture, Nosferatu. While there are probably more palatable horror flicks to watch during the Halloween season, it’s essential to watch Nosferatu as it was a trailblazing film for what horror films would become. It’s also an awesome time to watch it because Robert Eggers, who we’ll get to later, has his remake of Nosferatu coming out on Christmas this year.
Wednesday October 9th
Rosemary’s Baby (1968): The third classic on the docket is Roman Polanski’s (pig) 1968 psychological horror film, Rosemary’s Baby. While Polanski is an abhorrent individual, I’m separating the art from the artist because Rosemary’s Baby rules. It’s ghostly in the way that it builds suspense, and it’s only enhanced by Mia Farrow’s performance. There’s a new prequel film out on Paramount that looks like absolute dog shit. If you watch that before this, don’t go into it with a tainted mind, please.
Thursday October 10th
Cure (1997): I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, but you shouldn’t let subtitles detour you. Some of the best movies I’ve ever seen are foreign ones, and that includes Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Cure. Kurosawa blends psychological horror with the neo-noir genre, two of my favorite genres, and makes a truly demonic film that molded the way many horror films were made in the 21st century.
Friday October 11th
The Thing (1982), Christine (1983): In the back-to-back years of 1982 and 1982, John Carpenter released two horror bangers with The Thing and Christine. The Thing is a monster flick that doubles as a whodunnit style thriller and makes you question every character that you encounter on screen. Then, Carpenter adapted the Stephen Kings novel Christine where we again see a monster at work. This time it’s a supernatural Plymouth Fury. This isn’t the last you’ll see of Carpenter on this list and for good reason.
Saturday October 12th
The Witch (2015), The Lighthouse (2019): I mentioned Eggers earlier and right before I wrote this I watched the new trailer for Eggers’ Nosferatu film and it ROCKS. His gothic style of film making is vivid and calls back to the great horror film makers of the past. For the Eggers double feature, I’m recommending his first two feature films, The Witch and The Lighthouse. Both are slow burns with somber sentiments and strong horror elements that are brought on by tension he builds.
Sunday October 13th
Little Shop of Horrors (1986): To unwind from the terror that Eggers and Carpenter have brought to your psyche, I’m recommending the 1986 horror musical comedy, Little Shop of Horrors. With a cast of Rick Moranis, Steve Martin, John Candy, Jim Belushi, Christopher Guest and Bill Murray, you get truly great humor elements to go with light horror components to keep you in the Halloween spirit.
Monday October 14th
Signs (2002): Whether you love or hate M. Night Shyamalan, you have to acknowledge he’s a genius filmmaker. My personal favorite and the film I’m recommending for today is Signs. It’s an awesome alien flick that has bizarre looking CGI extraterrestrials and features two awesome performances from Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix. If you ask any movie fan their favorite M. Night movie, the answers will be all over the place, but I think Signs is his best movie.
Tuesday October 15th
Silence of the Lambs (1991): Kind of like Ghostbusters and The Shining, I’d be shocked if you haven’t already seen Silence of the Lambs. When it’s discussed, the first thing mentioned is the greatness of Anthony Hopkins’ performance, but it should be looked at in a grander scope. The entirety of it makes for possibly the best serial killer film ever from the high minded attitude of Lecter, Fosters tact and the anxiety inducing cat and mouse game approach.
Wednesday October 16th
The Exorcist (1973): Last year I got to see The Exorcist on the big screen for its fiftieth anniversary and it was an out of body theatrical experience. In a shorter phrase: it fucking ripped. Seeing green, demonic vomit spew across the big screen was life changing, and while I know you probably won’t be able to catch it in theaters this year, watching it at home also rules. It is one of, if not the finest film of William Friedkin’s career and should be seen by all. Maybe if you’re feeling like you want to explore more of the Exorcist universe, stop after the third film. All of the modern remakes and legacy sequels stink.
Thursday October 17th
Eraserhead (1977): There are a lot of David Lynch films I could recommend this month, and if you have the time to do so, you should watch Blue Velvet or Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me or Inland Empire, but my main recommendation is Lynch’s first feature film, Eraserhead. A lot like Hereditary, Eraserhead is a two front horror film where it’s terrifying with its suspense and tone, but also makes any man fear the idea of being a father.
Friday October 18th
The Evil Dead (1981), Evil Dead II (1987): Nowadays, if you bring up Sam Raimi’s name, he’ll be known as the Spider-Man or Dr. Strange director, but he started off as a barebones horror director and created two of the best horror films of the 1980s with The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II. You get to see a young, strapping Bruce Campbell running around the woods in a comedic manner and it absolutely rules. If you want to get ambitious and you have the time, you could make this Friday evening a triple feature with Army of Darkness.
Saturday October 19th
Sleepy Hollow (1999), Beetlejuice (1988): Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! Okay, it’s not real. Thank God. I wanted to test out that little trick before I gave my recommendations for the Tim Burton double feature. With the recent release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, there isn’t a better time to rewatch the grotesque and vulgar original Beetlejuice film. Couple that with Sleepy Hollow, a spooky and gothic supernatural flick set in the ghoulish and foggy town of Sleepy Hollow, New York.
Sunday October 20th
Gremlins (1984): I love Gremlins. Love, love, love it. And while I get that, sort of like The Shining, it invokes a wintery vibe, it’s a cuddly movie, but still possesses its edge due to its gremlin monsters. Seeing these little, green creatures run around like gangsters is fun for the entire 106 minutes you’re in front of the TV.
Monday October 21st
28 Days Later (2002): Correct me if I’m wrong (I know you really can’t), but I don’t think there’s a ton of amazing zombie films in the 21st century. The one stand alone, besides Shaun of the Dead which isn’t a horror film, is 28 Days Later. Seeing the vast, vacant landscape of London with the idea of the undead lurking around corners is frightening. When you pair that with Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris operating at a high level, you’ve got a dynamite zombie horror film.
Tuesday October 22nd
Night of the Living Dead (1968): Fans of the undead should pump their fist right now with back-to-back zombie movies. George A. Romero’s independent zombie film strikes fear into the viewer and I attribute a lot of that to the black and white color grading. Something about black and white horror movies makes me spine shiver. Romero, aka the Godfather of the Dead, has so many great films in his repertoire, I just think this is his best one.
Wednesday October 23rd
I Saw The Devil (2010): I watched I Saw The Devil for the first time this year and the whole time I watched it, my stomach turned. There’s nothing supernatural about it. Nor are there “monsters”, but the two men pitted against each other are monsters. One operates under the guise of power. The other under the osposis of revenge. So much unfolds in this 2 hour and 22 minute movie that will make you ill, but when the final credits roll, you will understand why it’s a modern masterpiece.
Thursday October 24th
Jacob’s Ladder (1990): When I mention Tim Robbins, what role do you think of? Is it The Shawshank Redemption or Mystic River? Maybe it’s The Player. But what you should think of is Jacob’s Ladder, a film where Robbins plays a veteran dealing with PTSD in New York City, but as the film progresses, not all of what you’re seeing is what you think it is. I don’t want to spoil anything, but talking about this movie excites me.
Friday October 25th
Get Out (2017), Nope (2022): Around the same time, Ari Aster, Robert Eggers and Jordan Peele all broke on the scene as great horror directors. I’ve acknowledged and recommended Aster and Eggers so far. Now it’s time to give Peele his flowers. His first film, Get Out, is a thriller with sci-fi elements that challenges your thinking on race. I’m skipping Us, because I don’t love it and jumping to Nope. Nope is one of, if not the best sci-fi film of the 2020s decade as Peele addresses past trauma through his characters with familial dynamics and a humungous alien monster.
Saturday October 26th
The Fly (1986), The Dead Zone (1983): David Cronenberg was apart of the first double feature, The Body Horror Double Feature, and he’s also getting his own double feature because he’s one of the coolest stylistic horror directors of all time. The Fly, another body horror adjacent picture, and The Dead Zone, a psychic thriller with Christopher Walken in the lead, are my two other Cronenberg recommendations. Both of them are different in many ways, but have still flaunt the Cronenberg flare that I adore.
Sunday October 27th
Frankenweenie (2012): Right before the month ends, Tim Burton is sneaking in again for the final Sunday of lighter hearted Halloween movies. Frankenweenie is cute. I’ve got a soft spot for dogs and seeing an adorable stitched pup in a stop motion thriller makes me happy. There’s a lot of Burton I’m not overly high on, but I love Frankenweenie.
Monday October 28th
Carrie (1976): When you think of Brian De Palma films, your mind immediately jumps to Scarface or Mission: Impossible, but one of his earliest movies is the 1976 supernatural horror film, Carrie. The Stephen King adaptation centers on a shy teenage girl who is wronged by her peers in a bloody manner and gets her revenge due to her paranormal powers. It’s a movie that absolutely rips and is crucial to watch when getting into horror movies.
Tuesday October 29th
Psycho (1960), The Birds (1963): I know I said that double features would be reserved for the weekend, but with it being the final week of October, we’re going BUCK WILD! This double feature is going to celebrate one of the godfathers of horror, Alfred Hitchcock. This year I secured a five film box set of Hitchcock films and fully dove into his filmography. The two Hitchcock classics that you’re going to watch are Psycho, which features one of the best twists in cinematic history, and The Birds, which is a wildly brilliant spin on the horror genre.
Wednesday October 30th
The Rocky Picture Horror Show (1975), Suspiria (1977): While the night before Halloween isn’t as climatic as Christmas Eve, we should go all out with a terrifying double feature. The first film I’m recommending is The Rocky Picture Horror Show, a film that’ll be playing at many theaters on Halloween night. The musical horror comedy blends multiple genres together to make a near perfect film that’s great for the season. My second recommendation is Suspiria. You could watch the 2018 remake from Luca Guadagnino, which is okay, but I’m steering you in the direction of the classic 1977 version from Dario Argento. It’s witches in the world of dance with epic supernatural elements. Don’t say a word. Just nod your head and fire these two flicks up and have a good time.
Thursday October 31st
Halloween (1978), Halloweentown (1998): Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened. The month has come to a wrap and that means my movie recommending escapade does too, but not before we celebrate Halloween in proper fashion with a double feature of John Carpenter’s Halloween and Paul Bernbaum’s Halloweentown. I could try to get fancy and suggest more niche horror films like I did last year for the holiday, but why try and reinvent the wheel when you can watch two classics: one horrifying slasher picture and a kid friendly, seasonal flick. Enjoy the day, eat a lot of candy and get into the Halloween spirit!
