BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974) AT 50 / SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT (1984) AT 40!!!

BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974) d. Bob Clark (Canada)
SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT (1984) d. Charles Sellier (USA)

**CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE**

It's time to celebrate the Happy HorrorDays with two Christmas classics, both of which are celebrating milestone anniversaries!

Director Bob Clark’s effective (and underrated) holiday thriller BLACK CHRISTMAS (full review HERE) pre-dates the slasher film craze and its influence is felt in Halloween, When a Stranger Calls, and countless others.

UNWRAPPING THE MUMMY!!! (1932, 1959, 1999)

THE MUMMY (1932) d. Karl Freund (USA)
THE MUMMY (1959) d. Terence Fisher (UK)
THE MUMMY (1999) d. Stephen Sommers (USA)

**CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE**

One of the most enduring classic horror archetypes, The Mummy has appeared on film almost since the inception of cinema, with numerous silent efforts preceding Universal's landmark production in 1932 starring Boris Karloff.

THE COFFIN JOE TRILOGY (1964-2008) COMES ALIVE!!!

AT MIDNIGHT I'LL TAKE YOUR SOUL (1964) d. Jose Mojica Marins (Brazil)
THIS NIGHT I'LL POSSESS YOUR CORPSE (1967) d. Jose Mojica Marins (Brazil)
EMBODIMENT OF EVIL (2008) d. Jose Mojica Marins (Brazil)

**CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE**

In 1964, Brazil's democratically elected government was forcefully overthrown, with the new authoritarian regime enacting new laws that stifled freedom of speech and increased censorship of all media. Somehow, this was also the year that At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul, featuring Brazil’s first horror icon, Coffin Joe (played by director/co-writer Jose Mojica Marins), was hurled like a celluloid pipe-bomb into the midst of so much conservatism and religious piety.

HAPPY TURKEY DAY: PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE (1957), HORROR OF PARTY BEACH (1964), and THINGS (1989)!!!

PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE (1957) d. Edward D. Wood, Jr. (USA)
THE HORROR OF PARTY BEACH (1964) d. Del Tenney (USA)
THINGS (1989) d. Andrew Jordan (Canada)

**CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE**

Tonight, we celebrate that special kind of horror film that lurks in the shadows, often feeling put-upon and unappreciated. Some people call them "bad movies" and deride them with such titles as The Raspberry Awards, but we know that really, they just had a rough upbringing and are merely misunderstood. These are the titles that we call... TURKEYS.

THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES (1939) / (1959): A CLASSIC REBORN!!

THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES (1939) d. Sidney Lanfield (USA)
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES (1959) d. Terence Fisher (UK)

**CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE**

Though not the first fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes is arguably the best-known. Over 25,000 stage adaptations, films, television productions, and publications have featured the detective, and Guinness World Records lists him as the most portrayed human literary character in film and television history. Tonight, we’ll be celebrating two film versions of Arthur Conan Doyle’s celebrated sleuth’s oft-adapted tale, The Hound of the Baskervilles.

INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (1994): 30 YEARS OF LESTAT!

INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (1994) d. Neil Jordan (USA)

**CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE**

Anne Rice's celebrated novel, originally published in 1976, took nearly two decades to make it to the big screen. When it finally arrived, amidst a wave of controversy over its casting of Tom Cruise in the pivotal role of Lestat, INTERVIEW fared well with critics and boosted the profiles of co-stars Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas, and 11-year-old Kirsten Dunst as the eternally young and brutal killer Claudia.

SCARE-A-THON 2024 FINAL RESULTS!!!

And that, my mutual minions of mischief and mayhem, brings us to the end of Scare-A-Thon 2024 and yet another OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE!

As always, the Challenge itself is to watch (at least) one fright flick for each of those glorious 31 days that make up the month of October, 16 of which must be first time viewings. I am happy to report that goal has been handily accomplished, banging out 31 different physical media releases, including five different box sets/movie collections!

Along the way, thanks to the generous hearts and minds of fans like you, nearly $5,000 has been raised for the WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ASSISTANCE PROJECT, with additional funds still coming in, making this the third most successful Scare-A-Thon EVERRRRRRRR! (The fundraiser link will remain open for another few months, so if you would like to make a donation, there is still time!)

**CLICK HERE TO DONATE NOW!!**

Thanks to the Box Set Thursdays guests who showed up at all hours from across the globe to chat on the HORROR 101 with Dr. AC YouTube channel, as well as everyone who participated in some way, whether it be making a contribution, liking a Facebook/Instagram post, watching or listening to a partner podcast, leaving a comment, suggesting a movie, or just chatting about what we were respectively watching this month.

Below are the 31 "official" features viewed (with links to the episodes), as well as additional horror titles viewed in October. Before we get to that, however, there is the usual assemblage of useless factoids to ponder while you're thinking ahead to next year's costume.

Have fun!

CHALLENGE STATS:
Total Movies Watched: 60
First Time Views: 32
Total Scare-A-Thon Donations: $4,845

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984) TURNS 40!!!

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984) d. Wes Craven (USA)

**CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE**

Horror Hall-of Famer Wes Craven created this hugely successful fright flick, which spawned multiple sequels, launched New Line Cinema, and introduced the moniker of “Freddy Krueger” into pop culture consciousness. Heather Langenkamp plays a teenager plagued by dreams of a horribly scarred figure wearing a distinctive red-striped sweater, battered fedora, and a glove with knives attached to the fingers. Robert Englund, in the role he would forever be identified with, creates an original and frightening villain in Freddy, an executed child-murdering psychopath who has found the means to keep up his gruesome work by entering his prospective victim’s dreams.

A BUCKET OF BLOOD & THE WASP WOMAN: CORMAN QUICKIES IN 1959!!!

A BUCKET OF BLOOD (1959) d. Roger Corman (1959)
THE WASP WOMAN (1959) d. Roger Corman (1959)

**CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE**

The year before he became the American rival to Hammer Studios in the Gothic Horror department with The Fall of the House of Usher (1960), Roger Corman was the reigning "King of the B's" at the drive-ins across the USA, delivering thrills and chills to teenagers young and old. Tonight, we celebrate two prime slices of black-and-white low-budget fare that still manage to deliver the goods: A Bucket of Blood (starring "That Guy" Dick Miller) and The Wasp Woman (with Susan Cabot), both from 1959!

LET SLEEPING CORPSES LIE (1974): ZOMBIES FROM SPAIN!!!

LET SLEEPING CORPSES LIE (aka THE LIVING DEAD AT MANCHESTER MORGUE) (1974) d. Jorge Grau (Spain/Italy)

**CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE**

A hidden gem overshadowed by the myriad flesh-eating flicks that followed in its wake, director Jorge Grau took his given assignment of creating a spiritual sequel to George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead and conjured a minor classic all its own. Blending social commentary (environmentalism) with shocking moments of jaw-dropping gore, Let Sleeping Corpses Lie, The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue (or whatever title you happen to discover it under) remains a worthy entry in the undead canon.

HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1959) / THE TINGLER (1959) AT 65!!!

HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1959) d. William Castle (USA)
THE TINGLER (1959) d. William Castle (USA)

**CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE**

Words like "Emergo" and "Percepto" may not be common knowledge for younger horror aficionados, but for classic horror fans, they instantly bring a smile to our faces as we remember the first time we heard the names of producer/director William Castle and actor Vincent Price. Both approached their work with a boundless sense of gusto and enthusiasm, and the results were astonishing and have endured for over six decades.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2007/09) CELEBRATES 15 YEARS OF TERROR!!!

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2007/09) d. Oren Peli (USA)
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 (2010) d. Tod Williams (USA)
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3 (2011) d. Henry Joost/Ariel Schulman (USA)
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (2012) d. Henry Joost/Ariel Schulman (USA)
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE MARKED ONES (2014) d. Christopher Landon (USA)
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE GHOST DIMENSION (2015) d. Gregory Plotkin (USA)

**CLICK TO WATCH FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE**

Paramount’s plucking of this microbudget feature from obscurity and its nimble (some might say omnipresent) word-of-mouth marketing scheme will undoubtedly go down as one of the biggest Cinderella stories in horror history. Shot for a paltry $11,000, writer/editor/producer/director Oren Peli’s first-person account of a young couple plagued by inexplicable happenings in their new suburban home works surprisingly well under its own limitations, or perhaps because of them.

25 YEARS OF TAKASHI MIIKE'S AUDITION (1999)!!!

AUDITION (1999) d. Takashi Miike (Japan/S. Korea)

**CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE**

After seven years of mourning and encouraged by his teenage son to find a new wife, widower Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) seeks the advice of a colleague within the film company for which they both work. Together, they hit upon the perfect plan: Staging an audition for actresses, ostensibly for a new feature project, but in reality hoping to find the new ideal woman to share Aoyama’s life. While interviewing a series of candidates, the lonely widower becomes enchanted by Asami (Eihi Shiina), a quiet, young woman, who is immediately responsive to his charms. The two seem to instantly fall for each other, but things take a very dark and twisted turn (or three) as we discover Asami isn't all she seems to be...

SCARE-A-THON 2024: THIRD TIME'S A CHARM

Greetings, my allies in autumnal adulation! It’s that time of year again, when tricks and treats trade beats with greets on the streets....

It’s time for SCARE-A-THON 2024.

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF SAW (2004)!!!

SAW (2004) d. James Wan (USA)
SAW II (2005) d. Darren Lynn Bousman (USA)
SAW III (2006) d. Darren Lynn Bousman (USA)
SAW IV (2007) d. Darren Lynn Bousman (USA)
SAW V (2008) d. David Hackl (USA)
SAW VI (2009) d. Kevin Greutert (USA)
SAW 3D (2010) d. Kevin Greutert (USA)
JIGSAW (2017) d. Michael Spierig / Peter Spierig (USA)
SPIRAL (2021) d. Darren Lynn Bousman (USA)
SAW X (2023) d. Kevin Greutert (USA)

**CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE**

Before there was “The Saw Franchise,” there was just SAW (full DVD review HERE), a relatively low-budget thriller from a pair of Australian horror kids who wanted to make a good impression. Strapped for cash but no shortage of imagination, the duo of actor/screenwriter Leigh Whannell and director James Wan whipped up a short-film scenario that could take place in a single room. The movie, shot in a mere 18 days, exploded at the box office in October 2004 to become one of the most profitable horror features of all time, much to the surprise of its participants and creators. The rest, as they say, is history.

SHATTER DEAD (1994): SOV ZOMBIES... WITH REAL BRAINS!!!

SHATTER DEAD (1994) d. Scooter McCrae (USA)

**CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE**

When the Angel of Death impregnates a mortal woman, people stop being able to die. Instead, they linger endlessly on this mortal coil, not hungry for human flesh or brains, but simply for a place in a world that has no place for them. They walk, they speak, they have preferences and ideals, and their numbers are growing every day. As the living human population dwindles, the line begins to blur as to which is considered the dominant race and who are the monstrous aberrations.

FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER (1984) ROUND TABLE!!!

FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER (1984) d. Joseph Zito (USA)

**CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE**

One of the most influential modern horror films, 1980’s surprise hit from producer/director Sean S. Cunningham, Friday the 13th, spurred a spate of sequels and imitators, launching an entirely new genre: the American slasher film. Unlike its most immediate influence, Halloween, where emphasis was placed on spine-tingling suspense punctuated by scenes of violence, here the body count was everything and audiences flocked to witness the mayhem.

GODZILLA REBORN: GODZILLA (2014) / GODZILLA MINUS ONE (2023) ROUND TABLE!!!

GODZILLA (2014) d. Gareth Edwards (USA)
GODZILLA MINUS ONE (2023) d. Takashi Yamazaki (Japan)

**CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE**

Join AC and his awesome panel of guests (Dan Caffrey, Barry Kaufman, Michelle Kisner, Mark Matzke, Lee Price) for the second half of our special TWO-PART EPISODE celebrating 70 years of Godzilla!

GODZILLA REBORN: GOJIRA (1954) / SHIN GODZILLA (2016) ROUND TABLE!!!

GOJIRA (aka GODZILLA) (1954) d. Ishiro Honda (Japan)
GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS (1956) d. Ishiro Honda/Terry Morse (Japan/USA)
SHIN GODZILLA (2016) d. Hideaki Anno (Japan)

**CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE**

It’s impossible to approach this episode’s subject with any objectivity, so I’m not even going to try. My childhood infatuation with this Tokyo-stomping behemoth first piqued an interest in monster movies, from which my passion for horror cinema followed. Granted, my gateway encounter was a far cry from the dark and imposing figure introduced to Japanese audiences in 1954 – by the time I met Godzilla in the mid-’70s, he had evolved into a rambunctious, bellowing, drop-kicking superhero, defending humankind from the evils of pollution, alien interlopers and the like.

40 YEARS OF THE TOXIC AVENGER (1984)!!!

THE TOXIC AVENGER (1984) d. Lloyd Kaufman/Michael Herz (USA)
THE TOXIC AVENGER PART II (1989) d. Lloyd Kaufman/Michael Herz (USA)
THE TOXIC AVENGER III: THE LAST TEMPTATION OF TOXIE (1989) d. Lloyd Kaufman/Michael Herz (USA)
CITIZEN TOXIE: THE TOXIC AVENGER IV (2001) d. Lloyd Kaufman (USA)

**CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE**

There are Hollywood big-budget blockbusters. There are edgy exploitation flicks. There are scrappy independent films.

And then there are TROMA movies.

Neither celebrated for their subtle nuance nor held in high regard by the critical cognoscenti, Troma managed to carve out an indelible place in cinema history, with its 1984 flagship production featuring the “first superhero from New Jersey,” The Toxic Avenger, co-directed by the Troma Team of Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz and scripted by Joe Ritter and about a dozen other people.