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, with all of the 31 official Scare-A-Thon movies being FTVs as well as being released (wide) between 2020 and 2022. (Call it the year of "catching up." Thanks, Chicago Public Library!!)
Along the way, thanks to the generous hearts and minds of fans like you, over $6,000 has been raised for the WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ASSISTANCE PROJECT, with additional funds still coming in, making this the most successful Scare-A-Thon EVERRRRRRRR!
Thanks to the 17 (!) 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 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.
Thanks to the 17 (!) 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 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.
The October Challenge can actually be pretty lonely work at times, but such was not the case this year and I'm deeply grateful for all the connections made and shared. Extra Special Thanks to Gert Verbeeck for his tireless efforts in creating video thumbnails, testing out AV equipment, and countless other favors. I owe you one, amigo!
Below are the 31 "official" features viewed (with links to full-length reviews), as well as 15 additional horror and horror-adjacent titles "just for fun". 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: BONUS STATS:
Below are the 31 "official" features viewed (with links to full-length reviews), as well as 15 additional horror and horror-adjacent titles "just for fun". 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: BONUS STATS:
TOTAL TIME: 4403 min (73.4 hours)
AVERAGE MOVIE LENGTH: 95.7 min
LONGEST MOVIES: Bram Stoker's Dracula (128 min), Last Night in Soho/Peninsula (116 min)
SHORTEST MOVIES: Saint Maud, Bloodthirsty, Evil Dead II, Censor (all 84 min)
OLDEST MOVIE: The Vigil (2019)
NEWEST MOVIE: The Black Phone (2022)
MOVIES WATCHED ALONE: 5
MOVIES WATCHED WITH OTHERS: 39
NON-HORROR MOVIES: 1 (Surge)
COMMENTARY TRACKS: 2 (Evil Dead II, The Descent)
SOURCES:
Chicago Public Library: 33
Chicago Public Library streaming: 6
Personal Library 4
Other Streaming Platforms: 1
Borrowed from Friends: 1
Cinema: 1
Blu-ray review screeners: 0
FAVORITE DISCOVERIES:
Antlers, The Vigil, My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To, In the Earth, Titane, Anything for Jackson, Werewolves Within, Son, The Dark and the Wicked
FAVORITE REVISITS:
Evil Dead 2, The Thing, The Descent, Poltergeist, Twins of Evil
MOST VIEWED DIRECTORS:
James Wan (3) Insidious, Insidious: Chapter 2, Malignant; Simon Barrett (2) Seance, V/H/S/94
MOST VIEWED ACTORS:
Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson (4) (Insidious series) Andi Matichak (2) (Halloween Kills, Son)
COUNTRIES REPRESENTED: 10
Ireland, South Africa, South Korea, Russia, UK, USA, Belgium, France, Canada, Italy
SUBGENRES:
Psycho Killers: 11
Ghosts/Hauntings: 11
Science Gone Awry: 7
Monsters: 3
Animals Attack: 0
Psychic Powers: 2
Vampires: 3
Killer Kids: 1
Zombies: 1
Aliens from Space: 3
Cannibals: 1
Werewolves: 2
Scary Clowns: 0
Anthologies: 1
Witches: 0
Occult/Religious Horror (Satan/possession/demons/cults): 4
Mummies:0
Big Bug Movies: 0
Based on Videogames: 1
Based on Real Events: 0
Documentaries: 0
Sequels: 14
Remakes: 2
1. ANTLERS
2. THE VIGIL
3. SAINT MAUD
4. MALIGNANT
5. CANDYMAN
6. V/H/S/94
7. SPIRAL: FROM THE BOOK OF SAW
8. MY HEART CAN’T BEAT UNLESS YOU TELL IT TO
9. OLD
10. CENSOR
11. PENINSULA
12. WE’RE ALL GOING TO THE WORLD’S FAIR
13. COME TRUE
14. IN THE EARTH
15. DON’T BREATHE 2
16. TITANE
17. ANYTHING FOR JACKSON
18. BLOODTHIRSTY
19. THE BLACK PHONE
20. HALLOWEEN KILLS
21. GAIA
22. GODZILLA VS. KONG
23. POSSESSOR
24. SPUTNIK
25. WEREWOLVES WITHIN
26. THE FOREVER PURGE
27. A QUIET PLACE PART II
28. SO COLD THE RIVER
29. SON
30. LAST NIGHT IN SOHO
31. THE DARK AND THE WICKED
AND THE REST!
Insidious (2010) d. James Wan (USA) (2nd viewing) (106 min)
Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) d. James Wan (USA) (1st viewing) (106 min)
Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015) d. Leigh Whannell (USA) (1st viewing) (97 min)
Insidious: The Last Key (2018) d. Adam Robitel (USA) (1st viewing) (103 min)
I had only seen the first film and found it mildly engaging if lousy with aural jump scares, and so never bothered with the rest. Until Jon Kitley and I found ourselves giving a series of lectures at the Chicago Public Library, one of which dealt with ghost stories and haunted places. Seemed like it was time to finish the job. They're... fine. Good on them for giving veteran actress Lin Shaye her own horror franchise.
Seance (2021) d. Simon Barrett (USA) (1st viewing) (92 min)
Whilst Adam Wingard was off playing with kaiju pixels, his screenwriting wing man decided to try out the director's chair himself. Unfortunately, the script is the weakest part of this not-really-supernatural slasher flicks set in a girls school.
Sinister 2 (2015) d. Ciaran Foy (USA) (1st viewing) (97 min)
Again for the CPL gig, it made sense to catch up with this sequel to one of my favorite fright flicks from the 2010s, despite the fact that I had not heard much good about it. I crossed my fingers, being a big fan of director Foy's 2012 flick Citadel. It didn't help. No bueno.
The Thing (1982) d. John Carpenter (USA) (8th viewing) (109 min)
When your buddy Christopher rents out a movie theater to screen one of his favorite movies for Halloween weekend and invites you to be part of the mix, you know you're moving in the right circles.
CIVILIAN:
Surge (2020) d. Aneil Karia (UK) (1st viewing) (95 min)
Ben Whishaw (aka Q from the recent 007 movies) delivers a terrifying central performance as an airport security agent slowly losing his mind. Despite the fact that I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, the film never goes THERE enough to warrant a "horror" rating. Still highly recommended.
KICKING THE SEAT:
The Lost Boys (1987) d. Joel Schumacher (USA) (6th viewing) (97 min)
BIRDCAST OF 10 TERRORS with Chad the Bird and Lucille Ba'al
TRICKS, TREATS, BIRDS, AND BA'ALS with Chad the Bird and Lucille Ba'al
REEL EARLY podcast with Larry Sternshein
BILL REBANE'S HOLLYWOOD MIDWEST Exhibit in Merrill, WI
TERROR TUESDAYS at the Chicago Public Library
That’s it. See you next year!!!
.
AVERAGE MOVIE LENGTH: 95.7 min
LONGEST MOVIES: Bram Stoker's Dracula (128 min), Last Night in Soho/Peninsula (116 min)
SHORTEST MOVIES: Saint Maud, Bloodthirsty, Evil Dead II, Censor (all 84 min)
OLDEST MOVIE: The Vigil (2019)
NEWEST MOVIE: The Black Phone (2022)
MOVIES WATCHED ALONE: 5
MOVIES WATCHED WITH OTHERS: 39
NON-HORROR MOVIES: 1 (Surge)
COMMENTARY TRACKS: 2 (Evil Dead II, The Descent)
SOURCES:
Chicago Public Library: 33
Chicago Public Library streaming: 6
Personal Library 4
Other Streaming Platforms: 1
Borrowed from Friends: 1
Cinema: 1
Blu-ray review screeners: 0
FAVORITE DISCOVERIES:
Antlers, The Vigil, My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To, In the Earth, Titane, Anything for Jackson, Werewolves Within, Son, The Dark and the Wicked
FAVORITE REVISITS:
Evil Dead 2, The Thing, The Descent, Poltergeist, Twins of Evil
MOST VIEWED DIRECTORS:
James Wan (3) Insidious, Insidious: Chapter 2, Malignant; Simon Barrett (2) Seance, V/H/S/94
MOST VIEWED ACTORS:
Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson (4) (Insidious series) Andi Matichak (2) (Halloween Kills, Son)
COUNTRIES REPRESENTED: 10
Ireland, South Africa, South Korea, Russia, UK, USA, Belgium, France, Canada, Italy
SUBGENRES:
Psycho Killers: 11
Ghosts/Hauntings: 11
Science Gone Awry: 7
Monsters: 3
Animals Attack: 0
Psychic Powers: 2
Vampires: 3
Killer Kids: 1
Zombies: 1
Aliens from Space: 3
Cannibals: 1
Werewolves: 2
Scary Clowns: 0
Anthologies: 1
Witches: 0
Occult/Religious Horror (Satan/possession/demons/cults): 4
Mummies:0
Big Bug Movies: 0
Based on Videogames: 1
Based on Real Events: 0
Documentaries: 0
Sequels: 14
Remakes: 2
THE OFFICIAL SCARE-A-THON FILMS
(with links to reviews)
1. ANTLERS
2. THE VIGIL
3. SAINT MAUD
4. MALIGNANT
5. CANDYMAN
6. V/H/S/94
7. SPIRAL: FROM THE BOOK OF SAW
8. MY HEART CAN’T BEAT UNLESS YOU TELL IT TO
9. OLD
10. CENSOR
11. PENINSULA
12. WE’RE ALL GOING TO THE WORLD’S FAIR
13. COME TRUE
14. IN THE EARTH
15. DON’T BREATHE 2
16. TITANE
17. ANYTHING FOR JACKSON
18. BLOODTHIRSTY
19. THE BLACK PHONE
20. HALLOWEEN KILLS
21. GAIA
22. GODZILLA VS. KONG
23. POSSESSOR
24. SPUTNIK
25. WEREWOLVES WITHIN
26. THE FOREVER PURGE
27. A QUIET PLACE PART II
28. SO COLD THE RIVER
29. SON
30. LAST NIGHT IN SOHO
31. THE DARK AND THE WICKED
AND THE REST!
Insidious (2010) d. James Wan (USA) (2nd viewing) (106 min)
Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) d. James Wan (USA) (1st viewing) (106 min)
Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015) d. Leigh Whannell (USA) (1st viewing) (97 min)
Insidious: The Last Key (2018) d. Adam Robitel (USA) (1st viewing) (103 min)
I had only seen the first film and found it mildly engaging if lousy with aural jump scares, and so never bothered with the rest. Until Jon Kitley and I found ourselves giving a series of lectures at the Chicago Public Library, one of which dealt with ghost stories and haunted places. Seemed like it was time to finish the job. They're... fine. Good on them for giving veteran actress Lin Shaye her own horror franchise.
Seance (2021) d. Simon Barrett (USA) (1st viewing) (92 min)
Whilst Adam Wingard was off playing with kaiju pixels, his screenwriting wing man decided to try out the director's chair himself. Unfortunately, the script is the weakest part of this not-really-supernatural slasher flicks set in a girls school.
Sinister 2 (2015) d. Ciaran Foy (USA) (1st viewing) (97 min)
Again for the CPL gig, it made sense to catch up with this sequel to one of my favorite fright flicks from the 2010s, despite the fact that I had not heard much good about it. I crossed my fingers, being a big fan of director Foy's 2012 flick Citadel. It didn't help. No bueno.
The Thing (1982) d. John Carpenter (USA) (8th viewing) (109 min)
When your buddy Christopher rents out a movie theater to screen one of his favorite movies for Halloween weekend and invites you to be part of the mix, you know you're moving in the right circles.
CIVILIAN:
Surge (2020) d. Aneil Karia (UK) (1st viewing) (95 min)
Ben Whishaw (aka Q from the recent 007 movies) delivers a terrifying central performance as an airport security agent slowly losing his mind. Despite the fact that I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, the film never goes THERE enough to warrant a "horror" rating. Still highly recommended.
KICKING THE SEAT:
The Lost Boys (1987) d. Joel Schumacher (USA) (6th viewing) (97 min)
***CLICK HERE TO WATCH***
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) d. Francis Ford Coppola (USA) (3rd viewing) (128 min)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) d. Francis Ford Coppola (USA) (3rd viewing) (128 min)
***CLICK HERE TO WATCH***
Watch Me When I Kill (1977) d. Antonio Bido (Italy) (1st viewing) (96 min)
Watch Me When I Kill (1977) d. Antonio Bido (Italy) (1st viewing) (96 min)
BIRDCAST OF 10 TERRORS with Chad the Bird and Lucille Ba'al
TRICKS, TREATS, BIRDS, AND BA'ALS with Chad the Bird and Lucille Ba'al
REEL EARLY podcast with Larry Sternshein
BILL REBANE'S HOLLYWOOD MIDWEST Exhibit in Merrill, WI
TERROR TUESDAYS at the Chicago Public Library
That’s it. See you next year!!!
.
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