61 Nights of Halloween (2025 Edition)

[Lily Adler]

I watch some of the game, and just think "I gotta try to get through Fatal Frame again".

Crimson Butterfly may be the most well known of the series, but Miyo is annoying.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

 

[Sithborg]

Crimson Butterfly may be the most well known of the series, but Miyo is annoying.

I've only tried Maiden of the Black Water. Its just, that first chapter was... depressing.

 

[CaptainWagner]

1. Fear Street 1994 (2021)
2. Fear Street 1978 (2021)
3. Manhunter (1986)
4. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
5. Hannibal (2001)
6. Red Dragon (2002)
7. I Saw the TV Glow (2024)

8. Over the Garden Wall (2014)

Kick off the official start of Fall with this every year. The perfect tradition, I just wish the weather would match it instead of giving us Second Summer.

9. Fallen (1998)

Denzel really should have done more horror. His effortless cool is used to maximal effect here, because when HE gets spooked, you know things have gone really, REALLY wrong. This is criminally underrated, with a high-anxiety demonic villain that works remarkably well, even if the "demon vision" gimmick gets a little excessive at times. John Goodman is also expectedly brilliant. My favorite part may be the use of music. "Time Is On My Side" is one of the best examples of "upbeat song made creepy" I've experienced, and the last needle drop over the final moments I won't give away, but is just a perfect closing shock to the system.

And, most importantly, it's the source of one of our most iconic Denzel gifs

10. Severance (2004)

Not an Adam Scott in sight! (Though if this were to be remade today, there's no way he wouldn't be in the cast.) Also couldn't find a single gif, which I guess makes sense for something random the HBOMAX algorithm churned up for me. A kinda horror-comedy about corporate arms dealers on a staff retreat gone wrong. When it remembers it's a comedy, it's actually pretty fun, but those moments are few and far between, scattered into a painfully dry, un-scary horror plot that makes no sense.

 

[Drizzle]

Getting back on the spooky season wagon, last night I watched Heretic.

I've never been much of a Hugh Grant fan but I have to admit he's pretty good in this, as were Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East.

 

[Link]

September 26th:
The Inugami Family (1976)

The Inugami Family kickstarts Kon Ichikawa's six-film streak of horror-tinged detective stories, all based on Seishi Yokomizo's long-running book series. It's a classic detective story — but instead of the unassuming charm of Miss Marple or the refined flair of Hercule Poirot, this one stars a guy who's styled like he owns a hentai bookstore.

Kosuke Kindaichi (Kōji Ishizaka), the master detective, mostly stays on the sidelines during the investigation. He's a maladroit gentleman, but ultimately crucial to the solving of the case, and a welcome presence with his silly antics.

The story revolves around a large family dealing with inheritance squabbles, wartime trauma, and countless secrets. Ichikawa's direction is deliciously experimental: from the untamed editing to the insanely stylish flashbacks, The Inugami Family feels as fresh visually as it does narratively. There's almost a slasher-edge to the second half of the film with fleshy kills, beautifully executed prosthetics and makeup, and enough blood to fill the Nile.

Yuji Ohno's evocative score is the cherry on top of a spectacular cake that's easily the best whodunit I've watched this year. I can't wait to experience more Kindaichi mysteries — I feel like I've stumbled onto something genuinely special.

September 27th:
Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

I'm rather particular about my musicals. I love The Rocky Horror Picture Show, I tolerate Little Shop of Horrors, and Phantom of the Paradise falls somewhere in the middle. I picked those three for comparison not just because they share a certain aesthetic, but because I don't really care about the music in any of them. Sometimes I can overlook that if the staging overcomes my displeasure. (Hell, I think Cats is wretched, but I had a good time seeing it on stage with a great cast and magical staging.)

Phantom of the Paradise doesn't quite get there, but I adore Brian De Palma's singular vision coming to life so boldly. I wish it was longer, honestly. It's a scathing critique of entertainment executives and even fan culture, but I just wanted more of that — and less singing, which is a hilarious thing to say about a musical.

Poor Beef, too. The audacity of the Phantom to cook him well-done. Unforgivable.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Night 27

62. Scream (2022) dir. Tyler Gillet & Matt Bettinelli-Olpin

Bite-Sized Review: Anora did nothing wrong!

***1/4

63. Scream VI (2023) dir. Tyler Gillet & Matt Bettinelli-Olpin

Bite-Sized Review: The movie is too long. But it feels more like the directors' work then the first and that's a good thing. And yes I will be judging any of you that pay to see 7 in theaters.

***3/4

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Tonight...

A very special Shudder Sunday.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

The Wednesday s2 finale actually did this.

Spoiler

 

[Luigi]

Scariest scenes from CBMs:

Billy's screams turning into shrieks is still nightmare fuel.

Night 27

62. Scream (2022) dir. Tyler Gillet & Matt Bettinelli-Olpin

Bite-Sized Review: Anora did nothing wrong!

***1/4

63. Scream VI (2023) dir. Tyler Gillet & Matt Bettinelli-Olpin

Bite-Sized Review: The movie is too long. But it feels more like the directors' work then the first and that's a good thing. And yes I will be judging any of you that pay to see 7 in theaters.

***3/4

Amber wouldn't have put up with Vanya's BS.

 

[Luigi]

1. Together (New)
2. Fear Street: Prom Queen (New)
3. Scary Movie
4. I Know What You Did Last Summer
5. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
6. Him (New)
7. I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (New)
8. The Strangers: Chapter 2 (New)
9. The Long Walk (New)

The Strangers: Chapter 2

Gotta give credit where credit is due, Madeleine Petsch is totally committed to this. Just a shame that it's for this film. Cant say that I've ever seen a cliffhanger this anticlimactic before.

The Long Walk

Excellent adaptation of the source material, with many of the original lines still in there. That guy David Jonsson is going places, talented actor. Hell, the whole group was solid, you really felt for all of them.

 

[Sithborg]

Well, finally started a bit.

1. Until Dawn (2025)

Yeah, I understand why the fans of the game were pissed, but I found it a fairly enjoyable horror movie. Probably needed a slightly longer montage of various deaths, but other than that, fairly entertaining. And oh boy, the reaction I had when I finally found out why Megan's actor was triggering something from my memory....

 

[Lily Adler]

Well, finally started a bit.

1. Until Dawn (2025)

Yeah, I understand why the fans of the game were pissed, but I found it a fairly enjoyable horror movie. Probably needed a slightly longer montage of various deaths, but other than that, fairly entertaining. And oh boy, the reaction I had when I finally found out why Megan's actor was triggering something from my memory....

 

[Lily Adler]

The Wednesday s2 finale actually did this.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Anagrams are fun, Darth. Why do you think The Da Vinci Code was so popular?

 

[Lily Adler]

 

[Link]

It's Halloween Monday, and we've arrived at the Rob Zombie films. I'm excited to watch more Halloween that I haven't seen, but I'm afraid I won't be a big fan of these two, based on everything that I've heard about them. I'm open-minded, though! We're doing the director's cuts.

 

[Drizzle]

Well, finally started a bit.

1. Until Dawn (2025)

Yeah, I understand why the fans of the game were pissed, but I found it a fairly enjoyable horror movie. Probably needed a slightly longer montage of various deaths, but other than that, fairly entertaining. And oh boy, the reaction I had when I finally found out why Megan's actor was triggering something from my memory....

I was actually going to watch this one a few weeks back but Netflix hit me with this nonsense:

I'm already tolerating ads, do those monsters really need more money?

 

[Lily Adler]

I was actually going to watch this one a few weeks back but Netflix hit me with this nonsense:

View attachment 149575

I'm already tolerating ads, do those monsters really need more money?

I had to rent Across the Spider-Verse because of this nonsense.

 

[Drizzle]

I had to rent Across the Spider-Verse because of this nonsense.

That's on you for not owning a copy of ATSV in the first place.

 

[Lily Adler]

That's on you for not owning a copy of ATSV in the first place.

I just wanted to watch it at home on a random day. I don't need the sass.

 

[Drizzle]

I just wanted to watch it at home on a random day. I don't need the sass.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I was actually going to watch this one a few weeks back but Netflix hit me with this nonsense:

View attachment 149575

I'm already tolerating ads, do those monsters really need more money?

I did not know Netflix started doing this. That's some BS.

 

[Lily Adler]

I did not know Netflix started doing this. That's some BS.

Also why people are opting to pay Netflix only one month out of the year. I know I am.

 

[Drizzle]

I did not know Netflix started doing this. That's some BS.

And it's not just newer movies like Until Dawn, which, while still a foul move I could at least understand the reasoning behind putting new movies like that under a limited time ad-free plan only wall for a month or two before making it available across the whole platform as a way of going "if you want to see it right away you have to pay up". But they do it with older movies too. For example, the other week I was looking for There Will Be Blood and saw that even though it's not currently on Netflix, it's still a movie that you can't watch on the plan with ads:



Sometimes you just have to be a pirate.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

And it's not just newer movies like Until Dawn, which, while still a foul move I could at least understand the reasoning behind putting new movies like that under a limited time ad-free plan only wall for a month or two before making it available across the whole platform as a way of going "if you want to see it right away you have to pay up". But they do it with older movies too. For example, the other week I was looking for There Will Be Blood and saw that even though it's not currently on Netflix, it's still a movie that you can't watch on the plan with ads:

View attachment 149581

Sometimes you just have to be a pirate.

I'm guessing they justify it for movies they have for limited time through studio deals. Still horse crap.