Recent Additions to our Halloween Watchlists
In case it wasn’t obvious, we here at ScreamInn love Halloween about as much as we love movies. So naturally we have our Halloween watchlists ready to go once October (or, let’s be honest, September) hits.
The thing is, there’s a shit ton of movies out there. And while playing the classics (Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Nightmare Before Christmas, etc.) is essential, there’s always room to add more. And today, as we unfortunately near the end of October, we figured we share some recent additions to our watchlist with you guys.
Admittedly, I felt I didn’t have enough additions to do this list right for you guys. So I fortunately got some much needed help from an even bigger Halloween/horror enthusiast: the co-host of Fear Freaks (a weekly horror movie podcast that you can check out on Braden’s Youtube channel) herself, Destiny Faulkner. In case that wasn’t enough credentials for you, here’s more: as of today, October 21st, Destiny has seen 55(!) movies this month so far. She doesn’t fuck around.
So here they are, our recent additions to our Halloween watchlists. Some of these are movies that came out in recent years, and some are ones that may be regarded as Halloween classics that we only recently discovered (things slip through the cracks, it happens). But what they all have in common is it enhances that spooky Halloween feeling that we personally crave. Let’s get into it:
The Batman (2022)
“Thursday, October 31st. The city streets are crowded for the holiday. Even with the rain. Hidden in the chaos, is the element, waiting to strike like snakes.
And I’m there too…watching…”
It really doesn’t take much for the latest Batman outing to really get you into the Halloween spirit. And the best part is, it only gets better from there. Add along an intense Batman, the scummiest Gotham to grace the silver screen, genuinely creepy villains, and a mood and atmosphere that only enhance that dark moody feeling that some horror movies don’t even give you, and you got a superhero movie that feels right to play around this time of year. Give me ten more of these.
Deadstream (2022)
I really could just make an article about how Shudder is all you need for this time of year, and maybe that will happen. But for now I’ll tell you about this little gem. When an obnoxious YouTuber (played to perfection by Joseph Winter) is on the brink of losing everything due to his toxic ways, he decides to livestream a night in a supposed haunted house to win over his followers. What he encounters is territory that, granted, is familiar for horror veterans, but is nonetheless creepy and hilarious (including one of the funniest demons in recent memory). A fun addition to the haunted house genre that’s fun to watch with a group. This one got Destiny’s seal of approval.
Evil Dead Rise (2023)
How cool is it that all of the Evil Dead movies are perfect to watch around this time of year? Evil Dead Rise, and its fully committed cast, brings you everything you’ve come to expect from the iconic franchise, while still adding its own ways of making you laugh but also squirm in your seat. Groovy.
Ghostwatch (1992) - Destiny
This was a recent one for us and Braden and was a super fun watch. To add some context: this “movie” was apparently broadcasted live on BBC back in Halloween of 92 and had many people convinced they just watched something really scary take place in real time. From Destiny:
“What starts off as a slow, seemingly normal news special turns sinister due to an evil force. I unfortunately missed the first airing (and thinking it’s real), but that being said this added another haunted house story that’s perfect for October.”
House II: The Second Story (1987)- Destiny
One that I personally haven’t seen but has shot up my list off that title alone. From Destiny:
“House II: A Second Story is a silly horror comedy that finds a couple of friends and their silly antics while trying to locate a skull for a guy’s reanimated grandpa…seriously. What’s not to love here? You’ve got dinosaurs, a caterpillar-dog, and Kane Hodder in a gorilla suit! If you need something to turn your brain off…all the way off…this is the one for you!”
John Wick (2014)
Alright hear me out!
As we near this awesome movie’s ten year anniversary (it came out October 24th), I began to notice its somewhat horror elements to it. Keanu Reeve’s John Wick is basically action-movie-Michael Myers. A perfect killing machine that cuts through the High Table bullshit if it means it brings him closer to his targets. As Killa put it so eloquently in the fourth installment: he just won’t die. In fact, if you change the perspective on this movie, it could be a horror film. A couple of naive punk kids decide to steal a man’s car and, even worse, kill his dog. They soon learn that this was no ordinary man, but the Boogeyman himself (or even worse, the man you send to kill the fucking Boogeyman). And one by one they’re picked off. A reach on my part? Probably. But I love action movies. And I love John Wick. So it’s on my list.
Night of the Creeps (1986) - Destiny
Of all the ones I’ve personally haven’t seen, this might be the one I’m most ashamed of. From Destiny:
“A throwback to 50s b-horror movies, Night of the Creeps basically has something for almost everyone. It’s a creature feature, slasher, revenge story, love story, all mixed with 80s cheese and characters that’ll make you laugh but also make you feel sympathy towards. Easily my favorite Tom Atkins movie (out of a lot of really, really great ones!)”
Hell of a sell right? I should watch this finally…
Trick ‘r Treat (2007)
Has enough time passed for Trick ‘r Treat to be regarded as a classic? I think so, but it’s still recent enough though to put on this list. That’s an excuse to show love for this one (a favorite from Braden, Destiny, and I). Where some of the movies on this list specialize in something specific, Trick ‘r Treat is one of the rare ones that truly have it all. Crazy stories, hilarious spooky, and gross moments, and the adorable little shit that is Sammy. I don’t care, I would take care of him.
Van Helsing (2004) - Destiny
Hard to believe this one is twenty years old. If you know Braden, you know that this is his shit too. From Destiny:
“What’s not to love about Van Helsing? You have a seriously attractive cast, various classic Universal monsters, fun action set pieces, some bad CGI…oh right. Besides obviously being from the early 2000s, this movie is a fun period piece that’s a great addition to my October rotation!”
Like our recent picks to our Halloween watchlist? Let us know, along with your personal additions to your Halloween watchlists. Special thanks to Destiny for sharing her picks. If you want more horror recommendations, or horror movie talk in general, be sure to check out her and Braden on Fear Freaks!
