31 Movies for October: Hocus Pocus to Halloween

I like watching horror movies the whole year round, but from about the start of October I like to try and watch at least one horror movie everyday. This list, a movie for every day of October, is not entirely made up of horror movies, we will bend that tradition a little. I am not saying you should watch all of these movies, but you could watch a lot worse movies.

Let's give this a go...starting with the least scary just to get warmed up, hopefully ending with the best.

Day 1.

Hocus Pocus (1993)

Ok, don't scoff, it is a legitimate starting point. It is set at Halloween,  it has three witches and Sarah Jessica Parker is extremely convincing as a witch. Her extremely huge outlandish chin is enough to frighten any adult let alone child. It is suitable for the family but it begins with a child losing their life, and another is turned into an immortal cat. It is, however, fun, silly and entertaining. A movie just to gently move into Halloween and horror. 

Day 2.

Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

A musical, an extremely camp musical with more of a science fiction theme than a horror theme but as I mentioned earlier, we are going to bend the rules a little. It does feature Tim Curry, before he was that scary clown Pennywise, offering kids balloons. And Meatloaf becomes dinner, literally. Its fun, its silly, and it has that song, you know the one. Moving on.... quickly.

Day 3.

Beetlejuice (1988)

Moving up a gear, just about, is this great movie from the 80's, directed by Tim Burton and featuring Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder etc. but forget about them, the real star of the movie is Michael Keaton who is sublime as Beetlejuice. The movie is more comedy than horror, but it is a great movie and has inspired so many Halloween party costumes that it has to be on the list.

Day 4.

Leprechaun (1993)

We are still in the realms of comedy horror, but it is getting a bit more serious, sort of.  Warwick Davis is fantastic as the gold obsessed Leprechaun, his lines are corny but its good fun. A very young Jennifer Aniston also stars, before she got involved in that dreadful show Friends. This is still the best movie I have seen her star in. Well worth a watch as a mostly comedy based movie but this Leprechaun has a mean streak. Why oh why is there not a Chucky vs Leprechaun movie?

Day 5.

The Frighteners (1996)

I really like this movie, but there again as a child growing up in the 1980s I loved the Back To The Future movies, so I am a fan of Michael J Fox. In a Hollywood seemingly full of serial sleazeballs and pompous wind bags he stands out as a genuinely nice guy. This is a great movie, directed by Peter Jackson, all about a serial killer who doesnt let his execution get in the way of his work. Michael J Fox can, unlike everyone else, see ghosts and he has two sidekicks in the spirit world helping him to "exorcise " haunted houses. Jeffrey Combs also features in a very bizarre role.

Day 6.

The Return of the Living Dead (1985)

Now we are starting to get a bit more serious, we have went right from comedy horror to horror comedy, or is that the wrong way round? Regardless, this is a great movie, directed by Dan O'Bannon. Its hilarious particularly if you share my sense of humour. There are laughs, but there is plenty of gore and zombies galore! Featuring two of the worst employees to ever work in a warehouse and that classic zombie catchphrase, "brainzzzz" This movie popularised the concept that zombies eat brains. The zombies look the part, particularly tar man, and the ending is great too.

Day 7.

Braindead (Dead Alive) (1992)

Nearly the 1st week over, and that has seen us move from Hocus Pocus to The Return of the Living Dead, quite the jump! For the last day of the week I have chosen Braindead, from director Peter Jackson (2nd movie so far!) before he began his obsession with hobbits. Said to be perhaps the most bloody film ever made, this movie has enough gore to satisfy any gore fan. If you go to the zoo just make sure you dont annoy the Samatran rat monkey. The scene with Leonards mum and the poor unfortunate German Shepherd still makes me queasy. As does the dinner table scene, poor Leonard!

Day 8.

The Fog (1980)

Some people overlook this movie, that is understandable considering some of the other amazing horror movies John Carpenter has directed. The Fog is, however, a really good horror movie. The beginning of the movie is so atmospheric, so creepy and foreboding. The movie is helped along by great acting from Jamie Lee Curtis and Tom Atkins. The story is one of gold, betrayal and revenge. A great movie from the master of horror.

Day 9.

The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

From another master of horror, this time its The Hilks Have Eyes directed by Wes Craven. This is a gritty movie, not unlike The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Similarly both movies feature crazy cannibal families. This time a family stray off course and end up stuck in the desert but that will be the least of their worries. This is very much a film about the will to survive, the ability of seemingly mild mannered people to do the unthinkable. The movie is also about revenge, not just for the human victims, but for a German Shepherd who is not going to let anyone get away with killing his partner. A great movie, I loved the way a dog became so central to the story. 

Day 10.

Quatermass and the Pit (1967)

Quatermass and the Pit is a bit of a change from the gore fests that have proceeded it in the list. In my opinion this might not be the best movie Hammer ever made but it was their most original. I really like the premise of this movie, it starts as an archaeology dig, almost becomes a ghost hunt as they figure out the historical significance of Hobbs End, only to throw a curve ball that left me going, WTF? The acting is the usual high standard of Hammer films despite not starring Cushing or Lee, but unfortunately the special effects really just were not adequate to convey the movies premise in the end. Put that to one side and if you haven't seen it, check it out.

Day 11.

Evil Dead 2 (1987)

I have to admit I was torn between Evil Dead 1, Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness. I think they are all great movies, but in the end I opted for Evil Dead 2. This picks up at the end of Evil Dead 1 with Ash being the only survivor, minus one of his hands of course. The acting talent of Bruce Campbell and his delivery of lines helps lend a little more comedy to demon possession than usually would be the case. Sam Raimi directed one of the greatest horror movies ever.

Day 12.

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

The first movie on the list to have Halloween in the title and the entry that will probably cause a lot of people to go, wtf? Yes, I know the movie is not regarded as a "good" movie but I like it, so it goes on the list. Perhaps it is nostalgia for Halloween past, this being one of the few movies that was shown on the main tv channels in the UK back in "the day" . I like the fact that Michael Myers is not in this movie. He was dead by the end of Halloween II and perhaps should have stayed dead, allowing a different focus for each Halloween movie. Regardless, this is an underrated movie. This is also a bold movie, much more so in some ways than Halloween. This is a movie that breaks the norm, a child is murdered in this movie, by a very sadistic Irish-american mask manufacturer. I really don't understand the lack of recognition this movie receives.

Day 13.

Friday the 13th (1980)

I am a great fan of the Friday the 13th movies, I really like part III for some reason, but I acknowledge the best of them was of course the first. The characters in this movie are all quite likeable, unlike some modern films that churn out hateful bland victims that you either hate or have total apathy for their fate. You also get to see a very young Kevin Bacon putting in a decent performance. Betsy Palmer steals the show as Mrs. Voorhees. A great example of the slasher horror done right, and an iconic ending. Still makes me nervous knowing what is about to happen and I have seen it countless times.

Day 14.

Dawn of The Dead (1978)

Finally a George Romero film, and in my opinion the best of them, but it is close between Dawn and Day of the Dead. Both are fantastic films. I acknowledge that Night of the Living Dead was the birth of the modern zombie movie. But I stand by the opinion that Dawn is the better movie. Again Tom Savini is involved in helping to create this masterpiece of a movie. I like the deeper meaning that for me involves alienation and loss of belief in anything other than the worship of things, commodities placed within the modern capitalist version of a church, the shopping mall. The Society of the Spectacle. The zombies are us, we are the zombies as we shuffle in death like we do in life around the mall looking for fulfilment in things that we don't need. Just my interpretation, or you can just see it as a great zombie movie. The remake was one of the few I have thought was good but there is no beating the original, 

Day 15.

Deep Red (1975)

I couldn't have a list of 31 movies without a Dario Argento movie and this is my favourite. The imagery, the lightning and attention to detail produce a beautiful movie. But this is also a brutal movie, a sophisticated slasher style giallo movie. It begins with a brutal murder and the movie ends in equally brutal terms. The ending certainly surprised me. The male lead actor reminds me of a younger Paul McCartney, but he puts in a good performance.

Day 16.

Black Christmas (1974)

This movie is underated and a little over looked. This film predates Halloween by four years yet it contains many of the elements of what would become the slasher genre. There is the strong female who will do what it takes to survive. The killer in this movie is truly insane, a psychopath and he has a blood lust.  Set at Christmas there is little cheer as victim after victim is murdered but who is the killer? How is he able seemingly at will to kill the members of the sorority house. This is a must watch, if you haven't seen this movie you really need to check it out. 

Day 17th.

Zombi 2, (Zombie Flesh Eaters) (1979)

America might have Dawn of the Dead but Italy had Zombi 2 and the most epic zombie vs a shark fight ever. Come to think of it, I don't think i have ever seen another zombie vs shark fight. Lucio Fulci is regarded as the poor mans Argento, but who gives a crap, this is an epic movie. The cinematography is great, the beginning with the unmanned boat drifting into New York York harbour is so amazing. There is more than enough gore to keep gore fans happy. The zombies are also epic, some of the best you will see. Of course this is an Italian movie, so you get to see the most skimpy ladies diving attire you will ever see, think dental floss.

Day 18.

The Descent (2005)

This is a great horror movie, don't worry too much about what the critics might say. The monsters are epic, when the lady potholers first encounter them I was actually surprised how effective they were, particularly as i am so jaded from constantly watching horror movies. That said, what actually really creeped me out was the sense of confinement, the lack of space, the fear of being trapped. There is also plenty of gore, and a strong female lead. But can she truly escape this nightmare? You have to watch this movie.

Day 19.

Jaws (1975)

I usually like fish, they fascinate me and they are so relaxing to watch, this movie on the other hand made people terrified to go into the water for fear of being devoured by a great white. The movie is iconic, the sound track is ingrained in our collective consciousness. The acting performance of the three male lead actors was genuinely stunning. When Clint smashes the radio you truly believe he has lost his mind. When the boat starts to sink you truly believe they are doomed, no need to suspend your disbelief, this is immersive. A truly amazing movie.

Day 20.

Re-Animator (1985)

Probably the best adaptation of a Lovecraft story but also the least Lovecraftian. Regardless, this is a great movie, starring Jeffrey Combs, an actor that I am a fan of. In this retelling of the Lovecraft story a brilliant, if somewhat unethical medical student, Herbert West, has invented a serum that can bring the dead back to life. Unfortunately they don't come back quite the same, and the results are bloody and brutal.

Day 21.

Nosferatu The Vampyre (1979)

What an epic opening scene to begin any movie. So eerie and atmospheric, the mummified remains of young and old, men, women and children, all victims of the vampire, nosferatu. This is Werner Herzogs take on the classic Nosferatu silent movie. The performance of Klaus Kinski as Nosferatu is intense, the scene where Jonathan cuts himself and nosferatu persues him was so intense. The movie of course can provide deeper meaning, with the decline of the metanarrative, of our faith in science, represented by van helsing who is weak, ineffective and ultimately too late to act. It is the faith of a lady, her sacrifice that ends the curse of the vampire, or does it?

**When Jonathan is in the village inn, he tells them he is going to the castle, watch as one of the peasants swings around and his pet duck literally ducks out of his way. Cracks me up every time.**

Day 22.

Videodrome (1983)

I was very tempted to put Scanners on the list, there is no doubting the genuis of Chroneberg, but I think Videodrome has aged better and is more relevant to the current state of Western societies. This is a very strange movie, on face value it is quite bizarre, but there is meaning to be found but isn't there always?

Back in the 1980s television reigned supreme, it was the opiate of the masses, a means for the power elites to manipulate our minds. Once upon a time families would gather in a room called a living room and sit and watch television, yes that really did happen. (Ignore my hyperbole) Back to the movie, life is a simulacrum, what is real? Who knows. Brian O'blivion?

James Wood is a great actor, and he gives a commanding performance. Strangely Debbie Harry is also good in the role she played. It is a disturbing movie.

Day 23.

Phantasm (1979)

Barry Norman didn't care for this movie, so it must have something good going for it. If you like your horror to be a dream within a dream then Phantasm should be an easy choice. The movie give us one of the great monsters of horror, the Tall Man. Angus Scrimm is truly immense in his role of the grave robbing being from another dimension (or planet?). Also features one of the most iconic cars of horror, the black 71 Cuda. Even if the movie was awful, its not, I would watch it for that car. The movie was also very inventive, with those flying spheres drilling into their victims.

Day 24.

The Shining (1980)

Now we are truly bringing out the heavy hitters of horror with this Stanley Kubrick directed epic. I am going to be controversial, like a lot of people growing up in the 1980s I read Stephen King books, but I confess I am not a fan anymore. There is, however, no denying he is an amazing writer. I like the movie by Stanley Kubrick because it departs from the book quite a bit from memory. The movie is one of fantastic cinematography and powerful imagery. Everyone who has seen The Shining has the corridors flooded with a gushing river of blood ingrained in their minds .Equally the twin girls are stuck like superglue. A masterpiece. And in my opinion Jack Nicholson does not overact, I sometimes think he is actually really a bit unhinged, those eyes.

Day 25.

Hellraiser (1987)

From Hocus Pocus to Hellraiser, how did we end up here? This is definitely not one to let the kids watch. As a child this movie, directed by Clive Barker, genuinely scared the crap out of me. I really shouldn't have been watching it, but like that first hit of your drug of choice, I will never feel like that again ever no matter how much horror I consume. Doug Bradley gives a truly terrifying performance as Pinhead, a cenobite summoned by a puzzle box who will rip your soul (and flesh) apart. Are the cenobites from another dimension , are they from hell? Either way they are equally scary and disturbing. Clive Barker directed, and what a film, he really nailed it (pun intended).

Day 26.

White Zombie (1932)

White zombie is the great, great granddaddy of the zombie horror movie family tree. Back when zombies where portrayed in much the same way as the cases of real life zombies that manifested in countries such as Haiti. Yes zombies are real, it always seems to make people scoff, but it is none the less true. Bela Lugosi was a great actor, he might be remembered for playing Dracula but his performance in White Zombie is what I think of when he is mentioned.  He is the voodoo master, using his zombies to work in his sugar mills and to serve as his personal army. He wants, however, to possess the lead lady, the white used to represent her purity is no doubt part of the attraction. White Zombie may seem tame compared to the modern horror movie where nothing is left to the imagination. But I dont need the movie to tell me what his plans are for her, I know what he has done, or at least plans to do, and he is truly the monster, not the zombies.

Day 27.

Bride of Frankenstein

Only fitting to have a movie with Lugosi followed by a movie with Karloff. Apparently they were never enemies, despite what has been said. This film picks up where the old one left off. Frankenstein is still alive despite his fall, and makes a full recovery, however, the monster is also still very much alive, falling into a flooded section under the mill. This is quite a strange movie in ways. The scene with Doctor Pretorius and his little people in jars genuinely made my jaw drop, truly a wtf moment, but a good moment. Karloff is commanding as the monster, no one has managed to portray the monster as well as him, and probably never will. The monster of course is not the real monster, that role is taken by Doctor Pretorius who is a very, very memorable villain.

Day 28.

Alien (1979)

I have to admit I was very critical of Alien Covenant but there is no denying Ridley Scott directed one of the best horror movies ever when he directed Alien. This movie, like Hellraiser, genuinely terrified me when I was a child. The iconic scene when John Hurts chest bursts outwards, revealing perhaps the ultimate horror movie monster is seared into my memory forever. The xenomprph is truly the stuff of nightmares, only clowns provide more nightmare fuel. Sigourney Weaver is the very definition of the strong resourceful female. A role she reprised in Aliens, which could and perhaps should have been in this list.

Day 29.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Gritty and disturbing, Tobe Hoopers movie is and remains one of the greatest horror movies ever. I can only imagine the impact upon audiences back in the 70s. The movie is still truly disturbing and has lost none of its gritty goodness. Gore fans will, however, be rather disappointed as despite popular misconception there is relatively little gore. The movie uses some of the behaviours of notorious murderer Edd Gein as inspiration. For example, the mutilated corpses removed from their grave and funiture made from human remains.

Day 30.

The Thing (1982) (Halloween eve)

I was tempted to leave this to last but decided against it, this is my favourite John Carpenter movie, and quite possibly my favourite horror movie. The movie is as close to perfect as any horror movie will possibly ever achieve. Cinematography is excellent, atmosphere and pacing are perfect. The plot is solid, and the acting is excellent, particularly Kurt Russell. So many iconic scenes in this movie, but for me the best is the blood test scene. Even though I have seen this movie countless times that scene makes me nervous and it still has the power to almost make me jump. Such a good movie, with fantastic special effects, back before CGI became omnipresent. The movie starts strong, never bores, and the ending is perfect.

Day 31.

Halloween (1978)

The last movie, and yet another John Carpenter movie. A timeless horror classic, much imitated but never equalled. The cinematography is great, the pacing is perfect, the characters believable and the acting is great too. No need for unnecessary back story, no need for some sort of rationalisation of the killers actions and I could care less what his home life was like. 

From Hocus Pocus to Halloween.

The end.