What I Watched in October

As is true every year, October 2020 had me racing through as many horror films as possible before the dawning of the 31st. Most of the new films that I saw this year were streaming on different services and in general were excellent additions to my list of films watched for the month. First and foremost, would be the excellent Shutter documentary HORROR NOIRE (2020) which details the history of black people in horror films. It’s a great overview with a long list of excellent interview subjects and a very detailed look into the highlights and lowlights of black inclusion in the horror genre. I was especially impressed with the work put into detailing what it is that draws a black (or indeed any minority audience) to horror movies.

Blumhouse films seems to have entered into a contract with Amazon Prime streaming to present a number of their lower profile, lower budget horror films that would have gotten a small theatrical release in a normal, non-pandemic year. This is fantastic as in general Blumhouse product tends to be of a higher caliber than general independent productions and the ones that I viewed last month were all above average - I enjoyed each and all. Several of them stray toward the drama / psychological thriller end of the spectrum but were well done enough to make the chills just as effective as any other genre work of modern times. Of these, NOCTURNE (2020) was a well-directed slow-burn that successfully walks the line between possible supernatural demon activity and sibling rivalry induced madness.

Among the Blumhouse features I was also happy to see one of my increasingly favorite horror tropes - the mad scientist - get some prominent placement as well! And, almost as a random addendum to HORROR NOIRE, one of them (BLACK BOX) turned out to be a movie with an almost completely black cast that goes out of its way to never draw attention to the fact that most of the cast is black. It's just a well-written well-directed chilling little horror movie. (Technically I didn’t get to that one until November first but I’m going to include it any way!) 

THE LIST 

THE OMEN (1976) – 9 (rewatch on Blu)

THE HAUNTED PALACE (1963) – 8 (rewatch on Blu) 

THE OPEN HOUSE (2018) – 6 (interesting horror film with a ballsy ending) 

HOLIDAYS (2016) – 6 (anthology horror film – none of the segments are bad/none great) 

SLEEP TIGHT (2011) – 7 (Spanish thriller) 

ZOMBIES ON BROADWAY (1945) – 5 (horror comedy with Lugosi) 

LIPS OF BLOOD (1975) – 7 (Rollin vampire film) 

LISA & THE DEVIL (1973) – 8 (rewatch on Blu) 

THE INVISIBLE RAY (1936) – 7 (rewatch on Blu) 

TRILOGY OF TERROR (1975) – 8 (rewatch on Blu) 

HOUSE OF EXORCISM (1975) – 4 (rewatch on Blu)

THE HUNT (2020) – 8 (excellent horror comedy)

THE BARGE PEOPLE (2018) – 4 (mediocre British monster film) 

BLOOD RAGE (1987) – 5 (slasher that is a bit too unfocused) 

THE INVISIBLE GUEST (2016) – 8 (excellent Spanish thriller) 

THE BINDING (2016) – 6 (Italian supernatural horror) 

BEYOND THE GATES (2016) – 4 (pretty dull low budget horror) 

THE HOUSES THAT OCTOBER BUILT (2014) – 6 (interesting found footage horror) 

HALLOWEEN (2018) – 8 (rewatch on Blu)

VENDETTA (1986) – 5 (women in prison revenge film) 

TALES FROM THE HOOD 2 (2018) – 7 (surprisingly well-done sequel) 

THE SILENCE (2019) – 7 (well made, well-acted apocalyptic monster tale) 

STAGE FRIGHT (1987) – 7 (rewatch) (great Italian slasher) 

PIGS (1973) - 5 (mediocre backwoods horror) 

GARGOYLES (1972) – 6 (rewatch) 

TALES OF TERROR (1962) – 7 (rewatch) 

THE SKULL (1965) – 8 (rewatch on Blu) 

TRICK (2019) – 8 (effective and clever slasher) 

THE BOOGENS (1981) – 8 (rewatch on Blu) 

THE DEATH KISS (1932) – 6 (slight but fun murder mystery with Lugosi, Manner and Van Sloan)

HORROR NOIRE: A HISTORY OF BLACK HORROR (2020) – 9 (excellent documentary) 

NOCTURNE (2020) – 7 (well done horror/drama – a slow, delicate piece) 

CANDYMAN: DAY OF THE DEAD (1999) – 4 (third time fails) 

LA CASA DEL TERROR (1960) - 4 (Lon Chaney in a Mexican film playing a mummy/werewolf) 

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (2014) – 9 (rewatch) 

THE LIE (2018) – 7 (downbeat drama/thriller – how far will a parent go for their child?) 

THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD (1970) – 6 (rewatch on blu) 

I, MONSTER (1970) – 7 (Jekyll and Hyde variation with Lee and Cushing) 

HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER (1958) - 6 (rewatch on Blu) 

HELL NIGHT (1981) – 7 (rewatch on Blu) 

HOCUS POCUS (1993) – 4 (beautiful, unfunny horror/comedy aimed at children) 

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1993) – 10 (rewatch at the Drive-in)