Favorite Horror Games by Console - PC: Shivers

 

I've talked about Shivers so many times now, but I'm going to do it again because this is one of my favorite games ever. Shivers is a point and click horror adventure game released for Windows 95 and I still have my copy from 1995. I never lost it or got rid of it because I loved this game so much. Even when I no longer had a PC that was capable of running it, I held onto it. Thankfully, GOG made it available through their website and it will now play on my computer.

In Shivers, you're dared to spend the night locked inside a supposedly haunted museum. Inside, you learn about the disappearance of the man who owned the museum and two teenagers who went missing when they snuck inside. You're tasked with capturing Ixupi, evil entities that will steal your life essence any time you get too close to them. It's not that simple though. You'll have to complete many puzzles, some that are infuriatingly difficult (that I could never have solved without the use of a guide).

Truth? The Ixupi are cartoonish and not scary at all. The thing that still makes me feel so on edge when I play Shivers is the music. There are some tracks that are downright terrifying and I find myself rushing through certain areas so I won't have to keep listening to the music. What I enjoy most about Shivers is the museum itself. It's filled with exhibits based on myths and legends. I always wished a museum like the one in this game existed in real life. Minus the murderous spirits, of course.

This wraps up the month of horror games! Next month I'm going to try to stay on theme with winter/Christmas, but I can't make any promises.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - PSP: Corpse Party

 

Before their friend moves away, a group of kids decide to perform a ritual to ensure that they'll always remain friends. Unfortunately, they screw it up and end up being transported to a haunted school filled with vengeful spirits. Corpse Party is terrifying. The music. The Victim's Memoirs. I think the graphics make it 100 times creepier. You never know which decisions you make will get you killed (because there are a lot of ways to die in this game). And then there's the whole "Run, rabbit, run!" thing which ONE HUNDRED PERCENT caught me by surprise because I was so worried about the other thing instead. Without a doubt, Corpse Party is one of the best horror games I've ever played. There's a lot of reading, but it's not strictly a visual novel. There's still exploration and figuring out where to use key items. This is a game I would highly recommend playing if you're in the mood to be scared.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - PS5: Resident Evil Village

 

I had kind of given up on Resident Evil prior to RE7. I wasn't a fan of RE4/5/6 and the direction the series was going in. Resident Evil 7 was a step in the right direction, but it still felt kind of bland. The enemies weren't very interesting and neither were the locations. But Resident Evil Village? The entire game felt like a dark fairytale. Vampire-like enemies and werewolves? A creepy doll house? Something that looks like it swam out of Innsmouth? This was new and interesting. Each location felt very distinct, so the game never seemed repetitive. Honestly, I hate stalker-enemies so the castle is always awful for me to play through (and it feels the longest because I have to psych myself up to keep going), but it's nowhere near as bad as RE7 was with that. I really hope the series continues in this direction. It still felt a little too action-oriented at times, but it's infinitely better than previous games and I love it.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - PS4: Until Dawn

 

Let me start by saying I don't really enjoy games that are mostly cinematic. Like Heavy Rain. But Until Dawn is one of my favorite games of all time. A group of friends go to the mountains, where they believe someone is trying to murder them. There's so much more to the story, but I don't want to spoil it. Until Dawn does what other games always promise to do, but never actually do--It makes your choices matter. One tiny thing you decide to do in the beginning of the game can affect your chances of survival later on. Character interactions change based on how you treat your friends. Everyone can die or everyone can survive. Any number of characters can live depending on how you play the game. The most anxiety-inducing thing I've ever experienced in a game is the "Don't Move" prompts where if the controller is moved even a bit, you could get caught. I would actually not breathe during those segments (not purposely, I was trying not to move the controller and would notice afterwards), which made the entire thing even worse. Until Dawn has a ton of replayability and it's a really fun horror game with a good story.

Oh yeah. Don't forget to high five Josh.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - PS3: Dead Space 2

 

I spent more time playing Dead Space 2 than I did the other games in the trilogy. Was it as scary as playing the original game for the first time and hearing necromorphs crawling around in the vents? ...Yeah, actually. It was. Dead Space 2 begins with Isaac in a straitjacket, completely defenseless against the necromorphs that are after him and it ends with a Regenerator chasing him around a tiny room that he has to hack his way out of (this is after you have to stab him in the eye with a needle, which was another nightmare to play through). I played on hardcore difficulty because back then, I had the patience to die over and over, and it was a challenge. On the PS3, you're only given 3 saves to complete the game and there are so many areas where you can die to something stupid. And I did. I can't tell you how many times I had to sit through that 10 minute unskippable opening cutscene .(I don't know if it's actually 10 minutes, it felt like an hour and it probably was by the time I reached my first planned save.) Later on, after you get the Contact Beam and you can use its secondary fire, the game becomes a lot more manageable.

It's not just the main campaign that's fun to play though. This is one of the rare cases where I felt the multiplayer was enjoyable, too. It's a 4 vs. 4 match where one team plays as the humans and the other team plays as the necromorphs. Unfortunately, team kills are a thing (and I have a story about this that's unbelievable, but true), so don't be that person.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - PS2: Fatal Frame

 

Here it is! My favorite survival horror game of all time, Fatal Frame. You play as Miku, who is in search of her brother. She travels to Himuro Mansion, the site of a ritual gone wrong, now haunted by vengeful spirits like Blinded and Broken Neck, the source of all my stress and anxiety in this game. Blinded is a nightmare during Demon Tag and Broken Neck's theme scares the hell out of me whenever she shows up somewhere unexpected. (Yeah, random ghosts are a thing if you take too long exploring.) Your only weapon is the Camera Obscura, which can be used to capture ghosts. It's a nice change from shooting things or hitting them in the head with a wooden plank.

I know most people consider Fatal Frame 2 to be the best game in the series. And if we're talking about the story, they're right. But Fatal Frame was the first one I played and it will always be my favorite. Plus, the ghosts are scarier. It doesn't actually matter which game is the best though, they're all great and worth being played.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - PS1: Silent Hill

 

Let's start off with something I probably shouldn't admit, but I'm going to anyway. I have no idea what the hell happens in this game. I understand that Harry is looking for his daughter in Silent Hill and that there's a cult. But the entire cult storyline confused me when I played it, so for me, this game is one of the weakest in terms of story. That being said, in my opinion, there are no bad Silent Hill games (I didn't play Book of Memories and as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't exist). Gameplay wise, this is a standard survival horror game. Explore, gather key items, solve puzzles, kill monsters. It's everything I loved about horror games when I first started playing them. It's a classic. And it led to so many other incredible games in this series. So for that, it deserves its place on my list.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - 3DS: Spirit Camera

 

Okay. So here's the deal. As a game, I feel like Spirit Camera is kind of...Barebones. There's not a lot to it. It's a spin-off of Fatal Frame which is awesome, but it's on-rails, so you don't get to explore and on top of that, the story is forgettable. So why is this my favorite horror game on the 3DS? Because it's innovative and it gave me something I didn't know I needed/wanted from the Fatal Frame series. AR. Augmented reality. You see the ghosts in your reality. I used to play this game on my breaks at work. I would hide in the non-fiction stacks and fight ghosts with my Camera Obscura 3DS and I had so much fun seeing them haunt the library. The game itself is unremarkable, but the use of AR was brilliant. I already said it when I talked about Fatal Frame 5, but Nintendo's gimmicks worked really well for the Fatal Frame series. They opened up all these new possibilities for it and I would love a proper Fatal Frame game in AR one day. Or VR. Can you imagine if they remade Fatal Frame in VR? And you had to fight Blinded? Absolutely terrifying.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - DS/DS Lite: Nanashi no Game

 

The Nameless Game was never released here, so I had to cheat a little, like I did with Clock Tower. The plot is basically The Ring, but with a video game. Anyone who plays the game will die in 7 days. (Why even risk it?) There are two parts to Nanashi no Game. The first is the MC's life outside the game, involving exploration and trying to end the curse. The second is the reason I was so interested in the game in the first place--the 8-bit RPG. I really liked the idea of a game within a game and it's even better that they look and play so differently. It offers a really unique experience and I wish developers would take more chances like this.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - Game Boy Color: Resident Evil Gaiden

 

Listen, I'm going to be honest. Resident Evil Gaiden is only here because I've never played another horror game for the Game Boy Color. I don't even know if another horror game exists for it. What I do know is that this game is absolutely ridiculous and I suck at it. But I have been fascinated by it since way back in the day when I used to read plot summaries on GameFAQs (specifically these two) 100 years ago. I remember one of them saying after the events in Gaiden, Leon was "replaced" and I really wanted to believe it. I wanted it to be canon after playing RE4 and having to listen to Leon's one-liners. In my mind, it is canon. I don't care what anyone says, I've accepted it as fact. (Same goes for Agents of SHIELD.)

Gaiden takes place on a cruise ship where, surprise, there's a viral outbreak. What else is new? This BOW can shapeshift and (SPOILERS) at the end of the game, it's revealed that Leon isn't actually Leon, he's the shapeshifting BOW, hence why I like to pretend this game is canon. The gameplay is...I don't even know. Atrocious? I mean, someone might like it, but I didn't. When you're in combat, there's a bar that moves across the screen and you have to attack at the right time to damage the enemies. I'll give Gaiden points for trying something new. It's a handheld game, I think they did the best they could at the time. I also give them credit for trying to get rid of Leon. And I genuinely enjoy the soundtrack, I set the menu theme as my ringtone for a while. So it's not all bad.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - Switch: Yomawari: The Long Night Collection

 

This is technically two games. In the first, Night Alone, you get your dog killed and your sister goes to look for him, thinking he ran away. Then you have to go look for her because you didn't tell her you threw a rock and your dog chased it into the street and got run over. The graphics in this game look cute, but it's actually really creepy. You're chased by weird spirits and your character's heartbeat will speed up as you get closer to them. Some ghosts can only be seen in the light. You have to carefully navigate each area because if they catch you, it's a game over.

Midnight Shadows begins with you throwing a rock AGAIN and your dog getting stranded on a cliff after the board covering the gap falls. Why does this series hate dogs??

These aren't long games and there's not a ton of story to them, but I don't always need a game like Silent Hill, you know? Sometimes a simple game is what my mood calls for and honestly, the shorter it is the better because the older I get, the more stressed out I am when I play horror games. It takes me 5 minutes to psych myself up every time I have to open a door. That's not to say Yomawari isn't scary. These games definitely are and on top of that, they're extremely unsettling because the spirits are so bizarre. If you want to play something creepy and atmospheric, this is it.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - Wii U: Fatal Frame 5

 

I bought a Wii U specifically so I could play Fatal Frame 5. It was worth it. All of the Fatal Frame games involve a ritual gone wrong, resulting in the deaths of many people, leaving hostile ghosts haunting each location. I'll be honest, the first two games are the only ones that have stories I clearly remember, even though I spent a significant amount of time playing the other three games, too. It's like I said though, they all have the same basic premise. I don't mind that, learning about each ritual is always interesting. It just means that I tend to mix them up. So, story aside, the biggest draw to this entry in the Fatal Frame series is the use of the gamepad as the Camera Obscura. I'm not really into gimmicky things, but this was brilliant. As happy as I am that Nintendo doesn't have exclusive rights to the series anymore, I have to admit that everything they did with these games was impressive and innovative. From the motion controls in Fatal Frame 4, the use of the Wii U's gamepad in Fatal Frame 5 and the use of AR in the 3DS' Spirit Camera, it's made me view the series in a completely different way. There are so many things that can be done with this series and I'm really hoping that if there's a Fatal Frame 6, it will be released in VR.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - Wii: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories

 

All right, let's get this out of the way first...The motion controls in Shattered Memories absolutely infuriated me. I love the game so much that I can overlook that though. This was a really imaginative horror game and while some Silent Hill fans didn't enjoy it, I loved seeing a new take on the original game. Shattered Memories was never meant to replace Silent Hill, it was just meant to offer a new experience inspired by the first game and I had so much fun playing it. (I got every ending, something I rarely bother to do unless trophies are involved.) You still play as Harry Mason, who is searching for his daughter, but there is no cult. Instead, there are monsters who change form depending on the actions you take throughout the game. In fact, the entire game will change based on what you do while you're exploring. At the end, you'll even be psychologically profiled. Between Akira Yamaoka's soundtrack, the locations/characters and the different activities you have to complete throughout your therapy sessions, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories feels like a fresh take on something familiar.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - Gamecube: Eternal Darkness

 

Eternal Darkness...My once favorite horror game of all time. The only video game to ever give me nightmares. This game spans centuries, with the Tome of Eternal Darkness detailing accounts of the many people who have encountered it throughout that time, beginning with Pious Augustus. Unknown to him at the time, Pious sets off a chain of events that leads to one of three Ancients being set free (by the end of the game). Many good people die trying to prevent this from happening and you're tasked with summoning another Ancient to try to stop the one Pious has aligned himself with.

Here's the thing with Eternal Darkness. There are two chapters where you have to do something extremely repetitive and tedious. You'll be going through the same areas on multiple occasions, at different times throughout history, so it never really feels boring except for in this one instance (spoiler, it's when you play as Edward and then Alex at the end of the game). If not for that, I think Eternal Darkness would probably still be one of my favorite games because I like how Lovecraftian it is. Having to go through that area twice really ruins it for me now though. But it's still worth playing! This game has a really fun sanity system in place. The more sanity you lose, the more strange things begin to happen, both to your character and you. Your character may sink into the floor or see blood dripping from the walls, while you'll experience your controller dying, the TV muting itself and a blue screen of death. Eternal Darkness is really unique in that way and it makes it fun to play to see how many of the different effects you can get.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - N64: Resident Evil 2

 

Okaaaay...So I never played Resident Evil 2 on the N64, I played it on the Gamecube. It still counts, right? In RE2, you play as both Leon and Claire, in the aftermath of the zombie outbreak in Raccoon City. It's Leon's first day as a rookie cop (talk about bad timing) and Claire is looking for her brother, Chris. Each character has their own puzzles and bosses to fight, creating a timeline that fits together perfectly (unlike in the remake, where you go through the same Birkin fight with both characters). Resident Evil 2 is a fan favorite in this series, and for good reason. With multiple scenarios and extra mini games, plus an interesting story and new characters, the second installment to the Resident Evil series had a lot to offer.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - SNES: Clock Tower

 

I had to cheat a little to play this one, since it was never released on the SNES over here. I believe this was the only survival horror game released on the Super Nintendo (at least, it is according to the Super Nintendo Anthology). It was, however, released in Japan in 1995. You play as Jennifer, an orphan who is adopted by the Barrows family. Throughout the game, you're stalked by a killer known as Scissorman (if you ask me though, the bird is the most dangerous thing in this game, it was the first thing to kill me). Clock Tower's controls don't feel great. This is essentially a point and click game that requires you to run and hide from enemies so it should be a little easier to, you know, point and click. There are multiple endings, giving the game some replayability. Listen...Clock Tower is on this list because it's the only actual horror game on the SNES, but if I'm being really honest, the first person sections in Jurassic Park are 500 times scarier.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - NES: Monster Party

 

I have such fond memories of Monster Party and I don't even know why. I never beat the game when I was a kid, I didn't know what to do. I'm not sure I ever made it past the first level. But it's on this list because I know I spent a significant amount of time on that first level and I never forgot it after all these years. You play as Mark, a boy recruited by a very nice monster named Bert, to help get rid of evil monsters in his world. It's a weird game. Seriously. You fight fried shrimp as a boss. But there's nothing quite like playing through the first stage and reaching a tree, where the entire stage warps into a nightmare realm.

Favorite Horror Games by Console

 This month, I've decided to focus on video games, since last month was all about movies. Each post will be about my favorite horror game on each console I've owned. If I don't include a specific console (like the Gameboy/Gameboy Advance/anything related to Xbox), it's because I either 1. Never played a horror game on that console or 2. I never owned that console. These posts are also going to be shorter/less informative than the posts I wrote for my 31 Days of Halloween posts last month because I've been posting a lot and I'm tired and it's time consuming. I'm writing these posts in advance in October and this month (last month by the time this goes up), Alan Wake Remastered, Corpse Party, House of Ashes and Fatal Frame 5 are all being released, so I'm trying to make sure I leave myself enough time to play all of those games.

Happy Halloween!

 

31 Days of Halloween: Day 31 - The Midnight Hour

When you want to watch the most magical Halloween movie ever made.

Release Date: November 1, 1985

Starring: Lee Montgomery, Shari Belafonte, LeVar Burton, Peter DeLuise, Jonna Lee, Dedee Pfeiffer, Dick Van Patten

Genre: Horror comedy

Plot Summary: On Halloween, a group of friends break into a museum to "borrow" costumes from some of the wax figures. Inside, they find a trunk containing a scroll, and they proceed to recite the curse written on it. The dead return and begin murdering people in the town and the only way to reverse the spell is to seal the scroll with the dust from the bones of a long-dead witch hunter before midnight.

Favorite Scene: The opening of the movie, because it feels so nostalgic and it's so perfectly reminiscent of fall.

Favorite Quote: "This night and forever, he who is touched by evil, shall become evil. He who has died, shall rise again. Life to the dead. Death to the living."

Notable Trivia: This was a made for TV movie that aired on ABC. And maybe notable trivia, but I'm 99% positive the town square in this movie is the same one from Back to the Future and The Monster Squad. I don't know for sure though.

Final Thoughts: I wrote an entire post about this movie last month. It's the greatest Halloween film of all time. It's nostalgic, fun, scary (but not too scary) and it perfectly captures the feeling of Halloween. This is the one movie that, no matter what, I will always make sure to watch on Halloween night.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 30 - WNUF Halloween Special

 

When you're feeling nostalgic.

Release Date: October 18, 2013

Starring: Paul Fahrenkopf, Aaron Henkin, Nicolette le Faye

Genre: This is its own thing, I wouldn't even know what to classify it as. (And I mean that in a good way.)

Plot Summary: On Halloween night, a reporter for WNUF investigates the Webber House, where two people were murdered. Because the house is rumored to be haunted, he brings two paranormal investigators along with him, as well as a priest.

Favorite Scene: It's not really a "scene," but I love the commercial for High Pike Farms. It makes me want to go pumpkin picking.

Favorite Quote: "Tonight the vortex of Hell opens. Witches, goblins and heathens are united to praise the prince of darkness." That's my kind of party.

Notable Trivia: This film had a $1500 budget.

Final Thoughts:  Okay, first of all. Spoiler again, the cat dies and it's terrible. As far as everything else goes, this was a really unique movie. It's filmed as if someone recorded a Halloween news broadcast straight from their TV, commercials and all. It definitely felt nostalgic for me because I have a VHS tape my dad recorded of all these old Halloween specials (Tom and Jerry's Halloween Special, Disney's Halloween Treat, DTV Monster Hits, The Halloween That Almost Wasn't, Witch's Night Out, Halloween is Grinch Night) and all the commercials are on there, too. So WNUF Halloween Special reminds me of that VHS tape. As for the movie itself, it's fun, until the cat dies (good thing I reread these posts before I hit "publish" because I forgot to add "until" to that sentence). I was done with it when that happened. The ending is pretty predictable, too. The movie was definitely imaginative though and it captured the feeling of that time period really well.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 29 - Arsenic and Old Lace

 

Good, old fashioned Halloween fun.

Release Date: September 23, 1944

Starring: Cary Grant, Priscilla Lane, Peter Lorre

Genre: Dark Comedy

Plot Summary: Newlyweds Mortimer Brewster and Elaine Harper return home to inform their families that they've been married. Upon their arrival, Mortimer learns that his aunts have been poisoning lonely men and burying their bodies in the basement. In addition to his aunts' hobby, he has to contend with Teddy, his brother who believes he's Teddy Roosevelt, and his other brother, Jonathan, a murderer who resembles Boris Karloff due to a plastic surgery performed while his doctor was drunk.

Favorite Scene: Mortimer listens in while his aunts debate whether or not they've buried 11 or 12 bodies so far.

Favorite Quote: "Here's $10. Go out and haunt yourself a hotel."

Notable Trivia: Boris Karloff played Jonathan Brewster on Broadway.

Final Thoughts: Cary Grant may have thought his performance in Arsenic and Old Lace was over the top, but I think his reaction to Mortimer's aunts poisoning people was completely justified. This is a classic film that you can enjoy with your entire family.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 28 - The Monster Squad

 

One last chance to traumatize your children.

Release Date: August 14, 1987

Starring: Andre Gower, Duncan Regehr

Genre: Horror comedy

Plot Summary: After obtaining Van Helsing's diary, a group of kids discover that Count Dracula is searching for an amulet that will open a hole between dimensions and send the world into darkness. With the help of Frankenstein's monster, they'll need to defeat Dracula, the Wolf Man, the Mummy and Gill-man to save the universe.

Favorite Scene: When the kids are leaving Scary German Guy's house and Horace comments that he knows a lot about monsters. It's an extremely serious, emotional scene and it's a standout for me.

Favorite Quote: "You sure know a lot about monsters."

"Now that you mention it, I suppose I do."

Notable Trivia: There's a scene where Frankenstein's monster approaches Phoebe, who is sitting by the water. This was inspired by a scene in Frankenstein, although the outcomes are very different.

Final Thoughts: This is a very 80's movie and it's definitely not politically correct. If you're going to let your children watch it, maybe have a talk with them afterwards about why some of the things in this movie aren't okay to say. Also, the movie could potentially be very frightening to some kids, so if your children scare easily, this may not be the best movie for them. I've posted about the movie before if you want to know a little more about it.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 27 - Us

 

When you're not sure if you want to be scared or if you want to laugh.

Release Date: March 22, 2019

Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke

Genre: Horror. Deeply unsettling horror.

Plot Summary: Years after a traumatizing experience at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Adelaide returns there on a trip with her husband and children. One night, the family notices a group of people outside the house they're staying in...And they look exactly like them.

Favorite Scene: Red's ballet scene, when "Pas De Deux" is playing.

Favorite Quote: "Once upon a time, there was a girl. And the girl had a shadow. The two were connected, tethered together. When the girl ate, her food was given to her warm and tasty. But when the shadow was hungry, she had to eat rabbit, raw and bloody. On Christmas, the girl received wonderful toys, soft and cushy. But the shadow's toys were so sharp and cold, they sliced through her fingers when she tried to play with them. The girl met a handsome prince and fell in love. But the shadow, at that same time, met Abraham. It didn't matter if she loved him or not. He was tethered to the girl's prince, after all. Then the girl had her first child, a beautiful baby girl. But the shadow, she gave birth to a little monster. Umbrae was born laughing. The girl had a second child, a boy this time. They had to cut her open and take him from her belly. The shadow had to do it all herself. She named him Pluto, he was born to love fire. So you see, the shadow hated the girl so much for so long. Until one day, the shadow realized she was being tested by God."

Notable Trivia: There actually is a tunnel system under the boardwalk.

Final Thoughts: I saw this movie in a Times Square theater when it first came out (I posted about it here) and I remember a LOT of people laughing and I just kept thinking...You would not be laughing if this were happening to you right now. Yes, parts of the movie are genuinely funny. But other parts are downright scary. On the train ride home that night, I bought the soundtrack on iTunes and listened to "Pas De Deux" on repeat for an hour until I got to my station.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 26 - Teen Witch

 

When you just want something cute for a change.

Release Date: April 23, 1989

Starring: Robyn Lively, Zelda Rubinstein, Dan Gauthier, Dick Sargent

Genre: Romance/fantasy

Plot Summary: On her 16th birthday, Louise receives magical powers that she uses to make herself the most popular girl in school, as well as making her crush fall for her. But it turns out popularity isn't everything she thought it would be.

Favorite Scene: "Popular Girl" because I wanted Louise's hair and wardrobe. I wanted to be her (I still do). I wanted to be every redhead, honestly.

Favorite Quote: "My life is a walking, talking tragedy."

Notable Trivia: There's a musical version of Teen Witch!

Final Thoughts: This movie is so good. The best. It has great music and great outfits that I would still, to this day, sell my soul for. I wanted to be Robyn Lively in this movie. You can definitely watch this with your kids, although there are some questionable moments. Like Louise and Brad going into that abandoned house...I don't think they slept together, but some clothes came off and the whole scene was weird and awkward and I used to make fun of it with my cousin all the time.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 25 - Silver Bullet

 

If you want to see one of the greatest films ever made based on Stephen King's work.

Release Date: October 11, 1985

Starring: Corey Haim, Megan Follows, Gary Busey, Everett McGill

Genre: Horror

Plot Summary: After a series of murders in town, a young boy discovers a werewolf is responsible for the deaths. He and his sister have to convince their uncle to help them catch the werewolf before it comes after them next.

Favorite Scene: The church nightmare. It absolutely terrified me when I was younger.

Favorite Quote: "I understand that my niece and my nephew are sending little love notes to the local minister suggesting that he gargle with broken glass or eat a rat poison omelet."

Notable Trivia: Silver Bullet is based on Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King.

Final Thoughts: This is probably my favorite movie based on any of Stephen King's stories. There are scenes that are so scary, but it's balanced out by Gary Busey's comedic relief. 

31 Days of Halloween: Day 24 - The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

 

When you want to see a beautiful example of German Expressionism in cinema.

Release Date: February 26, 1920

Starring: Conrad Veidt, Werner Krauss

Genre: German Expressionism

Plot Summary: At the town fair, Dr. Caligari holds an exhibit for Cesare, the somnambulist, who will answer any question asked of him. At the same time, a series of murders are being investigated. Could they be connected to Caligari and Cesare?

Favorite Scene: All of them. Seriously. I love the sets in this film, they're a work of art.

Favorite Quote: "Ladies and gentlemen, Cesare the somnambulist will answer all your questions. Cesare knows every secret. Cesare knows the past and sees the future."

Notable Trivia: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is considered to be the first movie with a twist ending.

Final Thoughts: I really enjoy German Expressionism in film and I think The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is one of the best examples of it. The sets are so bent and bizarre, it gives the entire movie a very surreal feeling.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 23 - In the Mouth of Madness

 

When you don't want to sleep at night.

Release Date: February 3, 1995

Starring: Sam Neill, Julie Carmen, Jurgen Prochnow, David Warner

Genre: Lovecraftian horror

Plot Summary: John Trent, an insurance investigator, is hired to look into the disappearance of horror writer Sutter Cane. His investigation takes him to Hobb's End, a town that can't be found on any map and only appears to exist in Cane's books. Once he arrives, he realizes that Cane's novels may be more than just fiction.

Favorite Scene: Trent and Styles debate whether or not Sutter Cane's stories are scary on the drive up to Hobb's End.

Favorite Quote: "It's not real from your point of view and right now reality shares your point of view...A reality is just what we tell each other it is. Sane and insane could easily switch places, if the insane were to become the majority. You would find yourself locked in a padded cell, wondering what happened to the world."

Notable Trivia: In the Mouth of Madness is part of John Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy.

Final Thoughts: In my opinion, this is the best movie John Carpenter has ever made. I love that there isn't a clear ending and you're left to decide if the events in the movie really happened, or if John Trent has gone insane. If you'd like to hear more about the movie, I have a post about it here.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 22 - Corpse Party

 

When you're in the mood for something over the top.

Release Date: August 1, 2015

Starring: Ikeoka Ryosuke, Ikoma Rina, Yoko Kita

Genre: Video game/J-horror

Plot Summary: After performing a friendship ritual that goes horribly wrong, a group of students are transported to a school that was closed years ago due to a series of murders. To escape from the malevolent spirits that inhabit the building, they need to find a way to reverse the ritual.

Favorite Scene: The infirmary. But I think that's mostly because the infirmary was one of the creepiest parts of the game.

Favorite Quote: "Don't look. Don't look. Don't look. Don't look..." Again, related to one of the creepiest parts of the game.

Notable Trivia: The music from the game is used in the movie.

Final Thoughts: This movie won't be for everyone. It's kind of campy. It's extremely gory. However, I think this is the best video game movie ever made. Movie adaptations of video games are known for being awful. (And yes, Silent Hill was pretty bad and the sequel was even worse, though they're still significantly better than the Resident Evil movies and whatever Uwe Boll has ever made.) This one was decent. And I love the game, so I was excited to see they made a movie based on it.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 21 - Werewolves Within

 

When you need something to psych you up for your first day at a new job.

Release Date: June 25, 2021

Starring: Sam Richardson, Milana Vayntrub, Cheyenne Jackson

Genre: Comedy

Plot Summary: When Finn Wheeler arrives in Beaverfield to settle into his job as a forest ranger, he gets more than he bargained for. A blizzard knocks the town's power out, the generators are all destroyed and the villagers are being murdered.

Favorite Scene: The first scene in the bar that apparently only plays 90's music.

Favorite Quote: "I don't know what men do, I try not to hang out with them too much."

Notable Trivia: Based on the game Werewolves Within (which is based on Werewolf, a Mafia-style social deduction game).

Final Thoughts: Okay, let's start with the most important thing because if you're anything like me, you'll want to know. The bad news is, the dog dies. The good news is, you don't see it happen. I also want to note that this movie replaced 1408 on my list. Not necessarily because it's a better movie, but because it's fun and sometimes I prefer that. Anyway, final thoughts. I love social deduction games and my favorite game is One Night Ultimate Werewolf. So I was really excited when I saw that this movie is based on Werewolf. I could see elements of Werewolf towards the end of the movie, but I was expecting...More. I don't know. I wanted a scene where everyone in town sat around a table arguing over who they thought the werewolf was and why. I guess they did that, to an extent, but to be totally honest, this could have been any werewolf movie. I would never have guessed it was inspired by the game if I didn't read that it was, you know? Still, it was cute and I enjoyed it.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 20 - Shaun of the Dead

 

When you need a good laugh.

Release Date: April 9, 2004

Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Bill Nighy, Dylan Moran, Penelope Wilton, Peter Serafinowicz

Genre: Horror comedy

Plot Summary: I mean...They pretty much summarize the entire plot for you in the movie. "Take car. Go to mum's. Kill Phil. Grab Liz. Go to the Winchester, have a nice cold pint and wait for all this to blow over."

Favorite Scene: Shaun and Ed go home after a night of drinking and blast music, which infuriates Pete and leads to the "Sort your fucking life out, mate" line that is my favorite quote in the entire movie.

Favorite Quote: "Sort your fucking life out, mate." (I say this to myself 12 times a day. And I really love Peter Serafinowicz because he's a huge Dark Souls fan.)

Notable Trivia: Shaun of the Dead is the first film in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, which also includes Hot Fuzz and The World's End.

Final Thoguhts: I love Shaun of the Dead, it's brilliant. It isn't a campy horror comedy, this is a well written, smart film and I could watch it a million times and never get tired of it. I've said before that I'm not usually a fan of zombie films, but this is a great one.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 19 - Kairo

 

When you're feeling lonely because you spend all your time online.

Release Date: February 3, 2001

Starring: Haruhiko Kato, Kumiko Aso, Koyuki, Kurume Arisaka

Genre: Supernatural/J-horror

Plot Summary: I really can't do the plot justice, my understanding of it isn't great. Ghosts are invading our world through the internet, but I never really understood how. I know it doesn't sound like much, but this is a fantastic film. I'm not sure what the intentions were behind it, but 2001 was around the time when the internet became really popular and I always felt like maybe it was a metaphor about people withdrawing and spending a lot of time online (and I say this as an introvert who did exactly that).

Favorite Scene: Yobe enters the door sealed with red tape.

Favorite Quote: "Would you like to meet a ghost?" Okay, so it's not exactly a quote, but I'm counting it anyway.

Notable Trivia: Not at all notable, but there's an American remake of this film and I highly suggest skipping it because it doesn't capture the tone of the original at all.

Final Thoughts: I have a post about Kairo (and Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum) here, if you want to read a little more about my thoughts on the film. I'll be honest, I've seen this movie so many times and I still think I just barely understand it. The real reason I love it so much is because it does such a great job of getting the feelings of loneliness and despair across. It really left an impression on me the first time I saw it.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 18 - Suspiria

 

When you want to listen to a really unsettling soundtrack.

Release Date: February 1, 1977

Starring: Jessica Harper

Genre: Supernatural horror

Plot Summary: Suzy Bannion goes abroad to Germany to study at a prestigious dance academy. When she arrives, there's a series of gruesome murders and Suzy takes it upon herself to investigate the school and its staff.

Favorite Scene: The opening of the film. It's suspenseful and extremely creepy.

Favorite Quote: One that will spoil the entire movie, so I'm not including it.

Notable Trivia: Sound was rarely recorded while filming, instead being dubbed afterwards.

Final Thoughts: For me, the main thing that makes Suspiria scary is Goblin's soundtrack. The movie itself is interesting, until you find out what's actually going on at the school. I was disappointed in that revelation and it took Suspiria from being a great movie to an okay movie. Still, I recommend watching it at least once for the soundtrack and the film's brilliant use of color.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 17 - The Whisperer in Darkness

 

When you're craving a black and white horror film that was actually made in 2011.

Release Date: May 19, 2011

Starring: Matt Foyer, Andrew Leman, Stephen Blackehart

Genre: Lovecraftian horror

Plot Summary:  Albert Wilmarth travels to Vermont to investigate the appearance of strange creatures in the water.

Favorite Scene: The debate over folklore vs. reality.

Favorite Quote: "The whole reason to study folklore is to help us understand how and why we create myths." 

Notable Trivia: The Whisperer in Darkness was filmed using "Mythoscope" to give it the appearance of a 1930's horror film.

Final Thoughts: You know...I think I'm a bigger fan of the work the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society does than I am of Lovecraft's actual work (on account of him being extremely racist, kind of ruins most of his stories). I'm a lifetime member of the HPLHS because they release so many fun adaptations of Lovecraft's work, from radio plays to movies. The Whisperer in Darkness isn't my favorite story, but I love how the HPLHS made it as if it were filmed in the 30's. It was such an imaginative way to go about adapting it into a movie and because of that, I really enjoyed it.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 16 - The Halloween Tree

 

If you secretly hate your kids and want to traumatize them.

Release Date: October 2, 1993

Starring: Ray Bradbury, Leonard Nimoy, Alex Greenwald

Genre: Animated fantasy

Plot Summary: On Halloween, in order to save their friend, Pip, four children have to travel across the world and through time, learning the origins of Halloween and the meaning behind each of their costumes.

Favorite Scene: When the children visit Stonehenge.

Favorite Quote: "All dressed up for All Hallow's Eve, but you don't know why, or what, or even from where!"

Notable Trivia: Ray Bradbury, who wrote The Halloween Tree, narrated the movie.

Final Thoughts: The Halloween Tree is a story of friendship and sacrifice. It's also a great way to educate children on the history of Halloween and the way it's celebrated around the world. Just be aware that there are some genuinely creepy moments that could scare your kids if they frighten easily.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 15 - 13 Ghosts

 

If Gonjiam was too scary for you, but you still want to watch a movie about ghosts.

Release Date: August 5, 1960

Starring: Rosemary DeCamp, Charles Herbert, Margaret Hamilton, Jo Morrow, Donald Woods, Martin Milner

Genre: Supernatural horror

Plot Summary: Cyrus Zorba inherits his occultist uncle's house, and all the ghosts that come with it, after he dies. Using a special pair of glasses, the family is able to see each of the 12 ghosts occupying their new home. The ghosts can't rest until they find a 13th ghost to join them.

Favorite Scene: Buck discovers the lion in the basement.

Favorite Quote: "You really are a witch, aren't you?"

"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies."

Notable Trivia: Another William Castle gimmick, "Illusion-O," was used in theaters. Movie-goers were given a viewer to watch the movie through. The red side would allow them to see the ghosts, while the blue side would hide the ghosts, in case anyone was too frightened to watch.

Final Thoughts: I watched this movie when I was a kid...I watched a lot of these movies when I was a kid, because my dad liked them. I think it's a fun movie. Not too scary, not too campy. It's a unique ghost story, too.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 14 - Stay Alive

 

If you love video games, but you're tired of bad video game movie adaptations.

Release Date: March 24, 2006

Starring: Sophia Bush, Adam Goldberg, Milo Ventimiglia, Jon Foster, Samaire Armstrong, Frankie Muniz, Jimmi Simpson

Genre: Supernatural horror

Plot Summary: After the death of his friend, Loomis, Hutch receives the video game he was playing the night he died. A group of his friends come over to play the game, Stay Alive, and discover that before it will start, they have to recite an oath, which turns out to be a curse. If they die in the game, they'll die in real life. To survive, they need to find the body of Elizabeth Bathory and destroy it.

Favorite Scene: When the group of friends first start the game up and we get to see them play it. (The game is the most interesting part of the movie.)

Favorite Quote: "Bitch, that's cheating! I'm not dead yet!"

Notable Trivia: Steve Zahn was originally cast as Miller. (I love Steve Zahn, but I can't imagine anyone but Adam Goldberg playing that part.)

Final Thoughts: I love the edited version of Stay Alive. The uncut version is absolutely atrocious though. If I had seen that first, I would have hated the movie. Is this a great film? No. Is it a fun movie about a video game that would be awesome to play (assuming it didn't curse you)? Absolutely. It's also the reason I got into the Fatal Frame and Silent Hill series, they were both mentioned in Stay Alive. (Also, the only reason I knew who Elizabeth Bathory was is because I used to own a board game called Nightmare.)

Halloween Decor Part 3

 Okay, this is only two last minute items (it was supposed to be three, but my last item was cancelled and I'm kind of sad about it because it was really cute), but I really liked them and wanted to mention them. They're both from HomeGoods. I really wasn't going to buy any more Halloween decorations, but I was looking for decorative shelves and they also had pet stairs (Bogart is getting older and it's not as easy for him to jump on my bed anymore), so I figured while I was at it...I would pick up these last couple things. Especially since I planned on making one an all year decor piece.

First is this Night Sky Pumpkin by Neck of the Woods ($24.99). It's 14 inches, so it's a good size for a pumpkin. They also have it in an almost turquoise color. Personally, I don't really like blue for Halloween, but that's just me. I really like this pumpkin because first of all...It's so cute with the bat and the moon and the stars. But also because I don't really like carving pumpkins. I mean, I have one here that I probably will carve, but I'm not good at it. And I also really hate touching everything inside the pumpkin, so this is a nice alternative because I don't have to do anything and it's already cute.

And lastly...Unless I'm able to find the other item that got cancelled...I bought this Skull Table Clock by GTS ($29.99). When I ordered this, I stupidly assumed this was going to be a tiny clock that I could fit on the shelves in my room, with all the other skull decor. When I took it out of the box, I was shocked and I immediately thought, "What can I take a picture of this with to show how big it actually is?" There was only one option.

An accurate depiction of my two personalities.

If you've ever seen a PS5 in person, you know those things are ridiculously big. Obnoxiously big. This clock is bigger than my PS5. So it doesn't fit on my shelves. It doesn't really fit anywhere, actually. I have no idea where I'm going to put it. I love it, it's beautiful. It's heavy, the detail work is nice, it has glitter on it (I know some people hate glitter, but I'm not one of them). I just don't know what to do with it.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 13 - My Boyfriend's Back

 

If you want to see what Matthew Fox, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Matthew McConaughey were up to in 1993.

Release Date: August 6, 1993

Starring: Andrew Lowry, Traci Lind, Edward Herrmann

Genre: Romance/dark comedy

Plot Summary: In a misguided attempt to win over the girl he has a crush on, Johnny stages a fake robbery at Missy's job. Not realizing an actual robber is holding the store up instead of his friend, Johnny is shot and killed. He revives as a zombie, a test to see what he'll do with a second chance at "life." Johnny wants to stay in one piece long enough to take Missy to the prom, but without eating human flesh, he'll begin falling apart.

Favorite Scene: SPOILER - Johnny and Missy dance to "Hanging On For Dear Life" by the MMC at the prom.

Favorite Quote: "You know, son, your mother and I and the ambulance driver and the coroner and the embalmer were all pretty much convinced that you were dead."

"I got better."

Notable Trivia: When Johnny and Missy are at the movie theater, the scene in the cemetery is from The Midnight Hour (the best Halloween movie ever made).

Final Thoughts: I love everything about this movie. I love Andrew Lowry. I love the plot. I love the script and the music. This is not one of those "it's so bad, it's good" movies, it's genuinely good and cute and fun.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 12 - Horror Hotel (aka City of the Dead)

 

If, for some reason, you're looking for a historically inaccurate film about witches in America.

Release Date: September 1960

Starring: Christopher Lee, Venetia Stevenson, Dennis Lotis, Patricia Jessel, Betta St. John, Valentine Dyall

Genre: Good old witchy horror

Plot Summary: When his sister, Nan, doesn't return home after going to the town of Whitewood to research its history of witchcraft, Richard travels there to investigate her disappearance.

Favorite Scene: Nan ventures outside in Whitewood, which is covered in fog, and all the townsfolk stop and stare at her. It's genuinely unsettling.

Favorite Quote: "Well, I don't believe that somebody in Chicago can die of a heart attack because some woman in New Orleans sticks a pin in a wax doll."

"Maybe you don't, but practitioners of voodoo claim otherwise."

Notable Trivia: No one was burned for witchcraft in the United States. I've always thought that because this was a British film (set in the U.S.), and witches were burned in Europe, that that was the reason for the error. But let's be real, how many movies/shows/books have you seen/read where this error was made? A lot.

Final Thoughts: Clearly, I'm bothered by the fact that they burn witches in this movie. But that aside, I love it. I think this is one of the darkest, creepiest older films I've seen.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 11 - Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum

 

If you're thinking of exploring a rundown, supposedly haunted building.

Release Date: March 28, 2018

Starring: Wi Ha Joon, Yoo Je Yoon, Park Ji Hyun, Oh Ah Yeon, Moon Ye Won, Park Sung Hoon, Lee Seung Wook

Genre: Found footage/supernatural horror

Plot Summary: A group of people are chosen to explore and livestream Gonjiam, a rundown asylum rumored to be haunted. Once inside, they begin to experience things that can't be explained and realize the rumors were actually true.

Favorite Scene: The blob jump. Because that's one of my favorite things they've ever done on Running Man.

Favorite Quote: "Is this a horror club or an extreme sports club?"

Notable Trivia: Gonjiam Asylum really was one of CNN's 10 Freakiest Places Around the World. It was torn down around the time of the movie's release.

Final Thoughts: Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum is the best found footage film I've ever seen. I bought it just based on the fact that it was a found footage film about a group of people livestreaming their exploration of a haunted asylum. It sounded like it would be fun. And it was! But it was also so scary and unsettling. Ghosts normally do nothing for me, but I was on edge the entire time I was watching this movie. I have a post dedicated to it here.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 10 - Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

 

If The Wolf Man left you feeling sad, don't worry, he's sort of okay.

Release Date: June 15, 1948

Starring: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, Glenn Strange, Lenore Aubert

Plot Summary: Baggage clerks Chick and Wilbur are recruited by Larry Talbot to destroy Dracula, who is attempting to revive Frankenstein's monster.

Favorite Scene: After locking Talbot inside his room, Wilbur realizes Talbot forgot his suitcase and goes to return it to him.

Favorite Quote: "It's only a dummy."

"Dummy nothing. It was smart enough to scare me."

Notable Trivia: Vincent Price has a cameo at the end of the film as the Invisible Man.

Final Thoughts: This is one of the first movies I ever remember watching and I still love it to this day. I'm a big fan of monster mashups and I credit Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein for that.

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

 

When Vivi finds out Rhys knew his father was arranging a marriage for him with another witch, she breaks up with him. She's completely heartbroken, so her cousin suggests they curse Rhys. It's just a joke, right? "I mean...We were just goofing around. None of that was real curse magic. That candle came from Bath & Body Works, I think." Turns out, the curse is very real because 9 years later when Rhys comes back to town, everything that can go wrong does, including unleashing dark magic on the entire town. Together, Vivi and Rhys have to find a way to lift the curse before he dies and any more toy skulls come to life.

The Ex Hex is a hate to love romance, my favorite kind. It's also a second chance romance which really isn't my thing, but it works when the ex couple can't stand each other before getting back together. And one that takes place in October? When everything is decorated for Halloween? Check, check, check. Listen. This book is a little smutty, but most romance novels are, so be aware of that.

One of my favorite things about The Secret Circle series is that they discuss the uses for different herbs and crystals. They talk about the meaning of each colored candle. I wish they had done that in this book instead of keeping everything very surface-level, like making things float and conjuring up whatever they want. Also, cursing people is against the rules, so it's kind of strange that two witches would even jokingly do that. You aren't supposed to harm others (and no, that isn't something that was just made up for The Craft). But we all do stupid things when we're heartbroken and I can see how this mistake could be made.

That being said, there are a lot of good things about this book, too. The characters were really likable, which is nice because I've read romance novels where the main couple is awful and it makes it hard to get through the book. There's a conversation between Rhys and his father where Rhys corrects his use of the word "warlock" and tells him men are witches, too. (This is true, "warlocks" are not a thing.) The ending felt a little rushed, but I still enjoyed the book. Enough to order a copy of it, even (I originally read a library copy on my Kindle). To be honest though, I think the main reason I decided I want to own this book is because it does take place in October and there's a lot of Halloween fun in it. It really put me in a festive mood.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 9 - Transylvania Twist

 

When you want to watch a Lovecraftian comedy, but you hate Reanimator as much as I do.

Release Date: 1989

Starring: Steve Altman, Teri Copley, Robert Vaughn

Genre: Lovecraftian horror-comedy

Plot Summary: Dexter Ward (haha) is tasked with locating the Book of Ulthar, which can be used to raise The Evil One. He goes to meet Marissa, the daughter of the man who was last in possession of the book, only to find out her father has died. Together, they travel to Castle Orlock in search of the book. When Dexter and Marissa arrive in Transylvania, the locals have a very strong reaction to hearing her uncle, Byron Orlock, is back. Luckily they meet Victor Van Helsing, a vampire hunter. He accompanies them to Castle Orlock, where they meet three of Marissa's cousins (who just happen to be vampires), as well as her uncle Byron. While watching (yes, watching) her father's will, they're given a clue about the location of the Book of Ulthar. Byron is also after the book and it's a race against time to see who can get to it first.

Favorite Scene: The very start of the film, where a seemingly helpless woman, walking in the woods at night, is pursued by Leatherface, Jason and Freddy (whose knives have been replaced by various other objects, including a can opener).

Favorite Quote: "For 40 years, I've been responsible for the world's largest collection of books on witchcraft and the black arts."

"That's what I call job security."

Notable Trivia: Boris Karloff makes an "appearance" in the film.

Final Thoughts: You'll notice a theme throughout the month where I'm not sure if I enjoy movies because of nostalgia or because they're actually good. This movie is the perfect example of that. I love it, but I watched it when I was a kid, so I have good memories of it. Is it going to be for everyone? Maybe not. If you do watch Transylvania Twist, go into it with an open mind and know that it's all over the place. It's a fun movie though. That being said, there's a fair bit of gore (don't watch it while you're eating) and I wouldn't recommend letting your children watch it (even though I watched it as a kid, but my parents were pretty questionable).