31 Days of Horror (Part I of II)

Halloween comes but once a year, but the month of October should be filled with all things spooky. No matter your plans, sitting down and watching some scary horror films will provide you with everything you need to get in the Halloween mood. This week's compiles 31 horror films (bonus weekend double-features) in honor of the most terrifying month of the year. The movies on this list will scare you, set the tone for fall and give you all the legendary iconography representative of Halloween. So without further ado, the 31 Days of Halloween Movie Masterpiece (16 to 31 tomorrow): 

 



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October 1st - The Houses October Built/The Houses October Built 2

Is it fair to have a double-feature be the first and second in a series? Yup! What better way to kick off the month than a movie with October literally in the name? The answer is there isn't. The Houses October Built will set the tone for some truly great scares even if it’s not an insanely complicated film. Perfect way to begin the month.

 

October 2nd - The Babadook

For all the annoyingness that is the child at the center of The Babadook, this film offers plenty of dark tones and creepy scenes that'll leave viewers with nightmare. It's vintage feel and practical effects will make you yearn for Halloweens past and by the film's end, everyone should be left feeling a little more unsettled.



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October 3rd - An American Werewolf in London

Horror during the Halloween season should be all doom-and-gloom. That's why including movies like An American Werewolf in London are a must. Chilly, scary and, at times, comical, this film has everything from a lycanthropic transformation to decaying bodies and is a must on any October horror list.

 

October 4th - The Witch

Perhaps more Thanksgiving than Halloween, The Witch will provide the perfect witchy feeling to Halloween. However, unlike also must see non-horror films like Hocus Pocus, nothing about this movie is sweet and succulent. It's a disturbing and chaotic rabbit hole that'll leave you clutching your babies and your animals a little closer.

 



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October 5th - Friday the 13th                                    

A summer-set classic, but also one that sparked years and years of Halloween costumes, Friday the 13th is a necessary classic. While the slasher at the core of this franchise first ends up not being Jason at all, Friday the 13th is the movie you have to see if you've ever gone out in a hockey mask to collect candy.

 

October 6th - Evil Dead

Players’ choice on this one. Both the 1981 original and the 2013 remake are worthwhile endeavors to get you in the mood for October. Each features plenty of twisting branches, grotesque kills and a curse that you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy.



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October 7th (Weekend Double Feature) - The Orphanage and The Awakening

This night is reserved for a pair of films set in secluded schools and orphanages. For one, orphans make for some scary horror content and sure The Orphanage is more summerset, but it's a spooky Spanish horror film featuring hollow hallways and a masked child that make for an adventure not for the faint of heart. Tack on The Awakening and you have two very accomplished horror films to round out your night.

 

October 8th (Weekend Double Feature) - Insidious/Insidious: Chapter 3 

Insidious is sure to go down as a modern day classic and its absence on any list of Halloween films is a gross oversight. With all the ghoulish figures, jump scares and terrifying haunted house scenes a person could ask for, it is by-and-large one of the scariest movies to come out of the modern film era. For the second movie of the night, skip the shaky sequel and go straight for the underrated gem, Insidious: Chapter 3; a film that has tense, spooky atmosphere and enough jump scares to make your heart stop.

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October 9th - Noroi: The Curse

Often dubbed as one of the scariest horror films ever created, the found-footage Japanese hit, Noroi: The Curse takes the creep factor to the max. More investigative than straight-up horror, Noroi pulls no punches and instead features a number of deaths; disturbing characters and a climax that is, well, scary.

 

October 10th - The Taking of Deborah Logan

The obsession with this movie is borderline obsessive. If there is a list or a category or anything in regards to horror, chances are The Taking of Deborah Logan deserves to be on it. Seemingly coming from nowhere and continuously overlooked, this film is an absolutely terrifying found-footage endeavor. Taking place in cooler months, it'll definitely get you ready for Halloween, all through an old woman more likely to give you hard candy rather than chocolate.

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October 11th - The Last Exorcism

While you'd think naming yourself the last of something would make you, well, last, The Last Exorcism spawned a pretty mediocre sequel and did little to stop the subgenre from moving forward. However, perhaps the quality of The Last Exorcism should have warranted it to be the final nail in the exorcism industry. It’s a terrifying found-footage film taking place in a Podunk town with very questionable religious motives - perfect for the Halloween season.

 

October 12th - Behind the Mask: The Rise and Fall of Leslie Vernon

An indie darling and cult gem, Behind the Mask: The Rise and Fall of Leslie Vernon is the type of cheeky slasher film that'll leave you laughing uncomfortably. It’s a divisive little horror film filled with heart and is sure to put you in the Halloween mood as it satirically rips into the subgenre and brutally attacks our protagonists.

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October 13th - Poltergeist

Without even acknowledging the pointless remake of this horror classic, it must be noted that Poltergeist is an October must. What can be said for this ghoulish flick that hasn't already been talked about? Sure, its graphics may have dated terribly and its acting isn't as strong as some of today's standards, but between the clown toy scene and the bodies in the ditch, Poltergeist is worth your time.

 

October 14th (Weekend Double Feature) - Sinister/Lake Mungo

Mystery swirls around these two films' plots and both have terrifying results. In each, we find characters attempting to unspool a murder, or in the case of Sinister, a series of murders. Is something supernatural going on or is there another, more realistic story? Well, as anyone who knows anything about Sinister can attest to, Bagul certainly isn't human. Lake Mungo on the other hand? That one you'll have to watch to find out. With a much smaller release, this slow-burning horror film is quite the bone chiller.



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October 15^th (Weekend Double Feature) - The House of the Devil/The Innkeepers

Ti West is quite the horror icon. With both The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers, he's proven himself to be an adept director that can balance absolutely terrifying moments with more lighthearted comedy. The two films that work best together are his retro-flavored movies, The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers. Each are perfectly shot masterpieces that deserve even more credit than they're given and both are some of the scarier choices for a fall night in.  

 

 

The Overlook: Howl

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Where has the werewolf subgenre gone to? Sure, an array of attempts have been made to revitalize audiences' interest in these hairy monstrosities - 2010's The Wolfman gave us a weak offer to buy back into the typically period-based movies, but none have permeated mainstream culture in the ways films like American Werewolves in London had. But for fans looking a little deeper, some modern options do exist. Today, it's time to give credit to one of those films; Howl.

Howl quietly came out to relatively good reviews in 2015 and follows a group of train passengers who encounter a terrible beast after the train is halted deep in the British countryside. The film unravels with the passengers being increasingly at-odds as they attempt to survive the night. It's a pretty conventional horror film, but definitely packs a worthy punch in both scares and entertainment. Howl stars a ton of actors as it feeds into the one-by-one conventions of horror films before it. Some of the actors include Ed Speelers (Downton Abbey) as ticket ripper and train employee (?) Joe, Holly Weston (The Collection) as coworker Ellen, Shauna Macdonald (The Descent) as disgruntled businesswoman Kate and Elliot Cowan (The Golden Compass)as Adrian.


This film boasts a pretty large cast, which for fans of a lot of bloodshed, is a great addition. It never makes you care about the majority of the passengers - most of whom are either awful, angry people or sweet and compelling. Their purposes are definitely different, with an older couple that'll draw tears compositionally at end with a number of rude passengers viewers will love to see go. This movie is pretty basic, but it's not a bad basic. There's heroes and villains amongst the group, but all are simply there as entertainment devices to bolster the thrillingly dark and dreary ride.


As noted, Howl offers a ton of strong scares and for a monster movie, some pretty great visuals. It's definitely the type of film that may not scare audiences in the day time, but with enough investment in the shroud of night, this film can be the type of thoughtless, nightmare-inducing thrill ride viewers clamor for. It's action-packed in the style of films like World War Z and easily one of those movies viewers sink their teeth into.


Howl, like many creature features and werewolf films never really found it's footing with a larger audience. As the haunted house subgenre has seemingly built a stronghold - thanks largely to the work of James Wan, it becomes increasingly clear that films like Howl may not be for everyone but are definitely necessary. It's a fun, romping good time with very slim chances of survival for its characters and with adequate visuals, it definitely is a step up from some of the recent fodder that pads the horror section of iTunes.