Category Archives: haunting

31 Days of Horror: Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre (2023; TV-MA; 12 Episodes)

Posted on October 6, 2025 | Leave a comment

Sometimes I’m looking for something completely different in my 31 Days of Horror, and boy, did I find it! My grown daughter introduced me to this adult animated series from the “horror manga maestro” Junji Ito, featuring some of his most bizarre tales. Bizarre, creepy, odd, disturbing…the list goes on.

For example, in “Hanging Balloon,” a beloved young idol is found hanging outside a building. Suicide? Murder? The fans and world are grieving, especially her boyfriend. When a local school girl hears rumors of the idol’s head floating in the sky as an apparition, she doesn’t believe it. But when the boyfriend, whom she knows, calls her and says yes, it’s true, come see, she does. There she witnesses the boyfriend climb a tree to be closer to the apparition, only to have a dangling rope with a noose on the end capture/kill him. Soon, the entire town is full of balloons floating with dangling nooses, each with the face of a townsperson it is meant to capture. The school girl hides, along with her friends and family, but how long can they hold out? Will they make it? Will she?

Besides creepy death balloons, other tales involve ice cream trucks, ancient burial sites, mold, tombstones, and many more topics, each turned into the twisted and macabre. In some, animated gore abounds. So if you are looking for something to watch in short bursts, while expanding your horror horizons, consider this unusual–but beautifully illlustrated–series from a master.

Top Scare: Different for each Episode

Heartbeats: Varies

Gore Factor: 3/5+

Scare Factor: Varies

Recommended for 16 and up

Leave a comment

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, Ghosts, Halloween, haunting, horror, Netflix, Paranormal, Reviews, Streaming, Television

Tagged , , , , , ,

31 Days of Horror: We Have a Ghost (2023; PG-13; 126 mins.)

Posted on October 14, 2024 | 1 comment

Billed as a supernatural horror comedy, I thought this would be a fun addition to my 31 Days of Horror. And it was, though I’d say it was more drama than horror, a heartfelt story with fun thrown in and great acting from Jahi Di’Allo Winston as Kevin and David Harbour as Ernest the Ghost, along with Jennifer Coolidge and a for-once-not-annoying appearance by Tig Notaro.

When the Presley family-Frank, Melanie, and teens Fulton and Kevin-discovers a great deal on an enormous old house (does this ever bode well?), they snatch it up and move on in. But when Kevin explores the attic, he’s soon “scared by” a bowling shirt-wearing, middle-aged ghost with a comb over named Ernest (at least, that’s the name on the shirt). Except Kevin laughs instead of screams, leaving Ernest befuddled. The two soon begin to communicate (though Ernest can’t talk), and Kevin tries to help him figure out why he’s stuck in the house and who he really is. But big brother Fulton soon uncovers Kevin’s secret friend, and his video of Ernest goes viral (a montage of various social media reactions is hilarious and incredibly on point). When Frank, who has a history of bad business decisions, decides to try to cash in on the notoriety, it draws the attention of not only the world, but a government paranormal scientist (Notaro) as well.

As Kevin and his neighbor Joy work to help Ernest find his answers, and seemingly the entire world works against them, shenanigans ensue in which Ernest gets to have fun being a classic ghost, doing classic ghost antics. But will they be able to solve the mystery before the government catches Ernest to study him? Will Ernest ever find out who he really is and why he’s stuck here as a ghost? And most of all, will Ernest ever find the lasting peace he wants, or is he doomed to walk through walls for eternity?

  • Top Scare: First Contact
  • Heartbeats: 1 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 1/2 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 1 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 12 or 13 and up

1 Comment

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Comedy, Entertainment, Halloween, haunting, horror, Horror Movie, Humor, Movies, mystery, Paranormal, Reviews, scary movies, Streaming, Teenagers, Thriller

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

31 Days of Horror: Apollo 18 (2011; PG-13; 86 mins.)

Posted on October 8, 2024 | Leave a comment

I’m a big fan of found-footage horror movies, but had never heard of this one, so I thought I’d give it a go. However, the shaky, grainy black and white footage is just one of the issues making this film fall short of my (outerspace) dreams. Add in a plot that’s not too exciting, ho-hum scenes occurring mostly inside a poorly-lit spacecraft or on the surface of the moon, and under-developed characters, and this horror movie turned out to be more of a “naaah” than an “aaaaah!”.

It’s 1974 and the Space Race is still going strong. When the DOD decides to reboot the previously cancelled Apollo 18 flight, three astronauts set off for the moon on a secret two-day mission. Almost immediately upon landing near a large crater, audio interference begins, along with creepy sounds, blinking lights, and the discovery of an empty Russian spacecraft, among other unexplainable things. When the mission ends, the astronauts are more than ready to head home. But something is preventing their escape, something not quite of our world. Or is it? Who is really in control here? And what is the reason for everything that is happening to the astronauts?

  • Top Scare: Face
  • Heartbeats: 1 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 1 1/2 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 1 1/2 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 13 and up

Leave a comment

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, aliens, Entertainment, Halloween, haunting, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, Outer Space, Paranormal, Reviews, scary movies, Streaming

Tagged , , , , , ,

31 Days of Horror: No One Will Save You (2023; PG-13; 93 mins.)

Posted on October 24, 2023 | 3 comments

No One Will Save You

If you are looking for an atmospheric, creepy/eerie, sci-fi horror movie, look no further–No One Will Save You has it all and brains to boot! With an incredible performance by Kaitlyn Dever (as Brynn), which is not always easy with so little dialogue and working with special effects, this Hulu-streaming movie sucks you right in and never lets up. And as Stephen King himself said after its release, it’s “brilliant, daring, involving, scary…truly unique.”

Brynn is an anxious young woman living alone in a rural farmhouse, basically exiled from the nearby town after an undisclosed event involving her childhood best friend. Nevertheless, she works as a seamstress, and has a rich inner life and unique throwback style. One night, an invader enters her home, and she soon disovers it is an alien. She is able to fight it and flee, only to discover her neighbors weren’t so lucky and have been possessed by the aliens. As Brynn tries to escape, fight, or outsmart the increasingly scary invaders, her past returns to intertwine with her present in unexpected ways.

  • Top Scare: First Invader
  • Heartbeats: 3 1/2 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 1 1/2 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 4 out of 5
  • Recommended For: 13 and up

3 Comments

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, aliens, Entertainment, Faves, Halloween, haunting, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, Outer Space, Paranormal, Reviews, scary movies, Streaming, Television, Thriller

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

31 Days of Horror: Vikingulven (Viking Wolf) (2022; TV-MA; 97 mins.)

Posted on October 22, 2023 | Leave a comment

viking wolf

This Norwegian movie streaming on Netflix caught my eye as it’s been a good while since I’ve seen a decent werewolf flick. All in all, I liked the atmospheric setting and lead teenager Thale, but could have done without about half the gore and blood, which was extreme.

In Viking Wolf, Thale has recently moved to town with her family, including her mother Liv who is a police officer. When Thale attends a party one night, she witnesses another teenager being brutally attacked by some “thing” and is scratched as she tries to intervene to help. The teen ends up dying, while Thale begins having unusual visions and is oddly affected by the moon. Hmmm.

When a grizzled hunter shows up in town to suggest the beast attacking townsfolk is a devil werewolf he has been hunting for a long time, and that the only way to kill it and its bloodline is with silver bullets, Liv continues investigating. Will she find the creature? Will she be able to kill it? And most importantly, can–and will–she stop the bloodline from continuing?

  • Top Scare: Outdoors
  • Heartbeats: 2 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 4 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 2 1/4 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 16 and up, due to violence, gore, and brief nudity

Leave a comment

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Blood, haunting, Hell, horror, Movies, Reviews, scary movies, Streaming, Werewolf

Tagged , , , , , , ,

31 Days of Horror: Scream VI (2023; R; 122 mins.)

Posted on October 16, 2023 | Leave a comment

scream 6

One of my favorite franchises, Scream always keeps me guessing, “Who is Ghostface?” and “Why is he/her/they killing all these people?” right up until the end. This installment was no different, and even delivered a couple good jump scares as well as solid reminiscing opportunities as it looked back over previous installments in a plot-fun way.

Living now in New York City after having survived Ghostface’s latest Woodsboro killfest, the four survivors (Sam, her sister Tara, Mindy, and Chad) are trying to get on with life, looking out for each other as they do. But it isn’t long before the phone starts ringing with calls from that unique voice, letting them know Ghostface is baaaaack and once again seeking revenge for some unknown transgression. Luckily, others are back too: Gale Weathers as the intrepid journalist and Kirby Reed, now an FBI agent who may or may not be helpful in the long run.

As Ghostface attempts to reach the “Core Four,” others in their lives must die gruesome deaths first (of course), the terror increases, possible suspects and motives as well as new “Franchise Rules” are spelled out, and plenty of opportunities arise for screaming to the screen, “Watch out behind you!” (a new drinking game, perhaps?). In the end, the twists and turns once again surprise, the survivors leave us to wonder how on earth people can survive so much stabbing, and viewers like me are chanting, “Scream VII, Scream VII, Scream VII!”

  • Top Scare: Subway
  • Heartbeats: 3 1/2 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 4 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 3 1/2 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 16/17 and up due to violence, gore, language

Leave a comment

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Blood, Entertainment, Faves, Halloween, haunting, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, Reviews, scary movies, Scream, Streaming

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

31 Days of Horror: House of the Witch (NR; 2017; 90 min.)

Posted on October 30, 2020 | Leave a comment

If you read my review yesterday of The Gallows, you’ll know I like the teen horror flick trope if it’s done well. In this SyFy outing, unfortunately, what could have been a decent flick suffered from so-so acting, directing, and editing, making it fall short of expectations.

Looking to play a prank in an abandoned mansion which is purportedly haunted, a group of teens full of the usual hubris soon realize they are trapped inside and won’t be going anywhere. As one after another meet the witch and her wrath, using their cell phones for flashlights only since they cannot receive a signal inside to call for help, the movie meanders with blah dialogue and not-so-special effects. IMHO, the scenes with the witch herself could have been decently scary with better camera angles and cut-aways, but alas, this was not the case. In the end, this movie has a few jump scares, but is only worth your time during your 31 Days of Horror if you are short on alternatives.

  • Top Scare: Witch-related
  • Heartbeats: 2 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 3 out of 5
  • Suspense Factor: 2 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 15 and up

Leave a comment

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, Halloween, haunting, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, scary movies, witches

Tagged , , ,

31 Days of Horror: The Gallows (R; 2015; 81 min.)

Posted on October 29, 2020 | Leave a comment

Remember when horror movies required a cast of teenage characters, a plot set in or around high school, and a big body count à la Carrie? The Gallows harks back to this tried and true formula without being formulaic, all while offering up some good scares, suspense, a few laughs, and a nice twist or two along the way.

Featuring “found footage” and set twenty years after a horrific accident during a school’s play starring a boy named Charlie and a noose on a platform (can you guess the accident?), the main characters are part of a drama group which is honoring the victim by re-staging the same play in the school’s auditorium (hmmm….not sure how that one got past the school board). When one of the leads gets cold feet, he and his friends decide to break in and destroy the set the night before the show opens, so that the show can’t go on. But there are forces at work behind the curtain (seemingly) trying to exact revenge for Charlie’s death, and no one (seemingly) is safe in the (seemingly) endless hallways and backstage/basement rooms in which the teens (definitely) seek safety.

  • Top Scare: Involves Cassidy (Gifford, of Kathy Lee fame)
  • Heartbeats: 3 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 1 1/2 out of 5
  • Suspense Factor: 3 1/2 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 16 and up

Leave a comment

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, Ghosts, Halloween, haunting, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, scary movies, Teenagers

Tagged , , ,

31 Days of Horror: Wounds (R; 2019; 95 min.)

Posted on October 29, 2020 | Leave a comment

When a movie starts off as slow as this one does, one can only hope there is a slow buildup happening, picking up speed as it hurtles you toward a cool theme, some nice scares, or even just something to make you think a little. Wounds delivers none of these things.

Set mostly in a bar and apartment, the movie meanders along with very little plot, except that of a bartender Will (Armie Hammer) who drinks too much, has a not-so-secret crush on a regular yet is living with another gal named Carrie (Dakota Johnson, following her Fifty debacle and still with only one facial expression), and a dropped cell phone he finds following a bar brawl. When he opens the phone and discovers disturbing images, he begins to see cockroaches everywhere (these disgusting critters show up for the rest of the movie), grows angier and angrier, spends literally 1-2 minutes looking at the occult/wound tie-in, tries to alternately save and leave Carrie…it hurts too much to go on. Let’s just say, save yourself from Wound‘s painful existence and find some good scares elsewhere.

  • Top Scare: Zero scares
  • Heartbeats: 1/2 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 1 1/2 out of 5
  • Suspense Factor: 1/2 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 15 and up, if you absolutely must

Leave a comment

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Halloween, haunting, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, Paranormal, scary movies, Streaming

Tagged , ,

31 Days of Horror: The Invisible Man (R; 2020; 124 min.)

Posted on October 21, 2020 | Leave a comment

This is one of those movies that some love and some hate. Me, I’m right down the middle. What started as an intriguing horror-movie premise involving two main characters, eventually turned into a weird sci-fi-ish thriller involving way too many, weakening the scares and horror cred.

In The Invisible Man, the always amazing Elisabeth Moss plays Cecilia, an abused woman who escapes Adrian, her young, genius, tech-wizard millionaire husband (a character that is quickly turning into a trope), only to find out he has committed suicide two weeks later. However, she–and only she, of course–thinks he’s really still alive and stalking her using his invisibility invention, trying to exact revenge and frame her for many things, including murder. As she tries to convince those around her she’s not crazy while simultaneously fighting off Adrian, she realizes she must get smarter. Soon, her efforts start to work and entire police forces (okay, hospital cops, but still) are trying to take him down, yet only Cecilia can ultimately make Adrian SEE that he’s messing with the wrong woman.

  • Top Scare: In a house
  • Heartbeats: 2 1/2 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 2 1/2 out of 5
  • Suspense Factor: 3 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 16 and up

Leave a comment

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, Halloween, haunting, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, psychosis, scary movies

Tagged , , , , ,