#31in31 – “The She-Creature”

Posted on October 19, 2024 by Denise

“Men like Lombardi put hypnosis back 25 years.”  (Um, a lot further than that…)

Story: Creepy side-show psychic Carlo Lombardi uses the young Andrea Talbot (get it?) as his unwilling assistant, for the “delight” of paying customers. That is, when Lombardi isn’t predicting murders by a hideous “she-creature”. Dr. Erickson, “one of the leading exponents in psychic research”, thinks something’s fishy. Little does Erickson know, things are fishier than anyone could have supposed…

Scares: It’s a 1950s horror movie. So, only for the extremely faint of heart.
Splat Factor: A few dead bodies, but violence is tempered by the black-and-white visuals.

Subgenre: Classic Man-in-Suit Monster Mashes
Year Released: 1956
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: A Samuel Z. Arkoff original

Trick or Treat?: Creature is one of the best monster movies Sam Arkoff ever produced. It’s wonderfully campy, with over serious dialogue played 100% straight. It’s glorious. 

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#31in31 – “Immaculate”

Posted on October 18, 2024 by Denise

“Suffering is love.”

Story: Cecilia is a novitiate from Michigan coming to Italy to take her final vows, and devote her life to serve elderly and terminal nuns “before their transition to heaven.” But as she adjusts to life as a nun, she quickly realizes that it’s not the life of service she thought she’d signed up for. It’s a whole lot worse.

Scares: Suspense, not scares
Splat Factor: Gloriously gory moments, though this one’s not a bloodbath

Subgenre: 21st Century Nunsploitation
Year Released: 2024
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: Original

Trick or Treat?: Immaculate got dumped into the early March dump for feature films, and that’s a shame. While this would never be a blockbuster, it’s a damn fine bit of horror that’s a fun mix of 70s Nunsploitation and modern-day art house horror. The title hints at what’s in store, but the third act of this devilish horror has a few twists up it’s habit.

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#31in31 – “Stopmotion”

Posted on October 17, 2024 by Denise


“All I want to to do is finish this film before I die. Is that such a BURDEN?”

Story: Ella’s mom is a famous stopmotion artist. Ella’s mom is a horribly abusive See You Next Tuesday. When mom has a massive stroke in the middle of yelling at Ella, Ella decides to finish the film she’d been coerced into helping her mother with. Ella goes bonkers, and dies. Spoiler alert or whatever.

Scares: Creepy and indelicately horrifying
Splat Factor: Body horror grossness, delivered realistically

Subgenre: Disappointing Films With Good Buzz
Year Released: 2024 (2023 festival circuit)
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?:

Trick or Treat?: Don’t bother with this one. Sure, writer/director Robert Morgan is adept at his craft. I’m sure if the subject matter was different, I’d be fascinated. But as a survivor of childhood abuse, I can’t in good conscience recommend this to anyone who isn’t into watching an abused person spiral into destruction and death. Full stop.

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#31in31 – “Needful Things”

Posted on October 16, 2024 by Denise

“You’re disgusting. I like that in a person.”

Story: The quiet town of Castle Rock (ahem) gets a new store; Needful Things, an antique store/curiosity shop run by an eccentric older gentleman named Leland Gaunt. Seems this place has everything, and the prices aren’t that bad. Just a small favor. A prank, really…

Scares: A few bits, but mostly suspense.
Splat Factor:  This was originally a TBS miniseries, so no, not much.

Subgenre: Miniseries That Are Slashed To Bits Into Multiplex Format
Year Released: 1993
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: Based on the Stephen King book of the same name.

Trick or Treat?: “Needful Things” is one of those King stories that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough as it deserves. It’s “the last Castle Rock story”, and a fitting farewell (kinda) to the town we all got to know over the decades. But by turning the original miniseries adaptation into a feature film, director Fraser C. Heston (yes, Charlton Heston’s son) does a disservice to the story, and the miniseries itself.

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#31in31 – “Old Fashioned Halloween Candy & the First Halloween Party” from Tasting History with Max Miller

Posted on October 15, 2024 by Denise

Max immediately got 5 stars from me for referencing one of my all-time favorite films Meer Me in St. Louis. Yes, I like genres other horror. I contain multitudes.

While the real horror would be me in a kitchen with boiling hot sugar? This candy sounds pretty interesting. I like salt water taffy, so vinegar candy is probably a cousin. The way Max “pulls” this candy is super cool, and reminds me of summers at the beach, watching pros make delicious salt water taffy.

Max Miller’s channel is wonderful for foodies, history nerds, and folks like me who aspire to both. Here, Max also talks about the history of Halloween here in the States, and how immigrants in the 19th and early 20th century began to resemble our modern day traditions.

All this, in twenty minutes? Now that’s a treat.

Score: 5 out of 5 pumpkins


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#31in31 – “Villains”

Posted on October 14, 2024 by Denise

“Who the hell deadbolts their front door? This is a good neighborhood!”

Story: Mickey talks his girlfriend Jules into “one more score”, but forgets to fill the gas tank of their getaway car. But they found a gorgeous house; the owners have to have a car, right? Well, they’ve got a more than that. And the owners want to keep exactly what they’ve got a secret. From everybody.

Scares: None.
Splat Factor:  People get shot. A tongue ring gets removed the hard way, but all you see is the blood.

Subgenre: Break-in Predicament Horror Comedies
Year Released: 2019
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: Boringly original.

Trick or Treat?: Looking at the poster for this film, I figured it’d be a cool subversive horror, or a throwaway one. Sadly, it’s the latter. Villains is the worst thing a horror movie can be; uninteresting.

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#31in31 – “Hell Hole”

Posted on October 13, 2024 by Denise

“When I strangled him…”
‘As one does with the French…’

Story: When a group of French soldiers in Serbia, circa 1841, find that they’re hungry, a horse is delivered…but modern day frackers in that area had wished they’d left that horse alone. Or at least not found the lone survivor of that day. Wait. Is there something…COMING OUT OF HIS BUTT???

Scares: More fun and freaky than spooky.
Splat Factor: People literally explode. So yeah, that’s a 10-4, good buddy.

Subgenre: Fiendishly Fun Monster Madness
Year Released: 2024
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: Original, but the “Who Goes There” vibes are strong.

Trick or Treat?: A mix of The Thing, Dreamcatcher, and Viral, this subversively silly body horror is from the same folks who gave us Hellbender. Like that film, John Adams and Toby Poser write, direct, and star. Hole is more comedic than the family dynamics horror/drama of Hellbender, and it’s a great new addition to the horror comedy genre.

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#31in31 – “Oddity”

Posted on October 12, 2024 by Denise

“Hey, guess what? We. Are. Connected!”

Story: Dani and her psychiatrist hubby Ted are refurbishing an absolutely amazing home in the middle of nowheresville, County Cork, Ireland. But when Dani is the victim of a horrific murder at the house, her twin sister Darcy tries to figure out what happened. Did I mention Dani owns a shop called Cabinet of Curiosities? I’m sure that won’t come into play at all. Hey; what’s in that trunk hidden in the store’s back room?

Scares: Yes.
Splat Factor: The few times it’s onscreen? Yes.

Subgenre: Grim Ghostly Mysteries
Year Released: 2024
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: Breath-of-fresh-air Original

Trick or Treat?: I’d heard very good things about this film when The Overlook Film Festival picked it as one of it’s main presentations earlier this year. It’s worthy of all the hype. Oddity is definitely one of the best horror films of 2024, and after a year that’s brought us so much incredible goodness? That’s high praise indeed.

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#31in31 – “Humane”

Posted on October 11, 2024 by Denise

“We’re a fucking FAMILY!”

Story: Years into a “catastrophic ecological collapse”, the Athens Accords plot out worldwide population reductions each country must meet with a year. Can a group of self-absorbed siblings deal with these reductions when the reality of the situation comes to their door? Y’know, before dessert?

Scares: More uncomfortably comedic than spooky, though echos of real life issues can be chilling.
Splat Factor: Some well done stabs and other types of bloody mayhem.

Subgenre: Dark AF Dystopian Satire
Year Released: 2024
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: Original, though you’ll definitely see parallels to our current climate crisis.

Trick or Treat?: David Cronenberg is a horror legend, directing outrageous, incredible films like Videodrome, Rabid, and 1986’s The Fly. His son Brandon has recently crafted horrors Antiviral, Possessor, and Infinity Pool. Now daughter Caitlin Cronenberg has stepped up to the directorial plate with Humane, a darkly comedic look at what the world may come to if the human population takes too great a toll on our ever-dwindling natural resources. Humane has vibes that echo other recent satirical horror, like Ready or Not, and 2015’s The Invitation, but with one difference. This film purposefully hits very close to home. Y’know, if we continue to be dicks about our planet.

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#31in31 – “The Last House on the Left” (2009)

Posted on October 10, 2024 by Denise

“So, what are you guys doing out here anyway? I mean, this is kinda out in the middle of nowhere.”

Story: The Collingwood family – John, Emma, and daughter Mari – head up to their lake house for some r&r. But instead of hanging out with the ‘rents, Mari meets up with townie friend Paige. But the two girls get a whole lot more than they bargained for when a hangout with a boy they just met turns into meeting his family. His very violent family. Meanwhile, John and Emma are kicking back at the house, when a storm breaks. Knock knock, who’s there? Trouble. But for who?

Scares: Horrifying rather than terrifying at first, then comes…
Splat Factor: …the gross out.

Subgenre: Grindhouse Remakes
Year Released: 2009
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: Remake of 1972’s The Last House on the Left

Trick or Treat?: The OG The Last House on the Left is infamous for it’s over the top horrific sequences of violence. It was thought of as one of those Can’t Make This Nowadays films. But as the aughts were big into the “torture pørn” subgenre, a remake of this chiller seemed tailor made. And while grindhouse purists may turn their noses up at this new take, it’s got a lot to recommend.

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