Category Archives: horror

31 Days of Horror: The Lost Boys (1987; R; 97 mins.)

Posted on October 29, 2026 | Leave a comment

This cult classic from the ’80s has always been high on my list of favorite movies, with a “killer” soundtrack, fantastic cast, humor, and storyline with heart and horror elements. I’ve recently rewatched it (for the umpteenth time) and was delighted to see it held up well against more modern fare.

When recently divorced mother Lucy moves to a California seaside town with her older teen son Michael and early teen son Sam to live with her oddball father, the newcomers’ summer nights are spent in the carnival atmosphere on the boardwalk practically draped with “Missing” fliers. Soon Michael sees the beautiful Star there (Jamie Gertz with hair to die for), but when he seeks her out, realizes she is with David, a punk-rocker looking motorbike rider who leads a small group of similar “lost boys” who are often causing trouble. However, Star is sending mixed signals, plus David has invited Michael to join them at their literally hidden-inside-the-cliffs beachside home, so he accepts reluctantly in order to be near Star. Meanwhile, stylish city-boy Sam has discovered a boardwalk comics book store, where he encounters two other young teens who insist he take home and study a comic book about vampires, and Lucy has found a job working in one of the boardwalk stores, where her boss Max has also asked her out.

As Michael’s ties with David, his minions, and Star grow deeper, his life changes in many ways–ones he is not ready for and doesn’t want. Soon, Sam and his friends are trying to save themselves and rid the small town of Santa Clara of vampires–by trying to find and destroy the unknown head vampire–as Lucy and Max grow closer and Grandpa continues to be a clueless doddering old Hippie. The tension builds, more people go missing, Michael convinces Sam to help him while falling deeper for Star, and the whole thing builds to a crescendo on one fated night.

Top Scare: Dog scene

Heartbeats: 2 1/2 out of 5

Gore Factor: 1 3/4 out of 5

Scare Factor: 1 3/4 out of 5

Recommended for: 15 and up

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Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, Halloween, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, Reviews, scary movies, Streaming, Teenagers, Undead, Vampires

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31 Days of Horror: Extinction (2018; TV-MA; 95 mins.)

Posted on October 18, 2026 | Leave a comment

I’m always up for an alien-invasion movie, so I was excited to find this 2018 Netflix outing I had somehow missed. Overall, I’d say this is worth your time, if you don’t mind getting through the first half hour of very slow storybuilding, annoying character decisions, and whiny kids. Did I just lose you? I try to be truthful here, so that had to be stated, but do hold on, because things do kick up several notches and then the real fun begins.

In this story, set in an undated future filled with sharp-dressed people and angular buildings, Peter has been having nightmares involving aliens attacking his town, home, and family. His wife Alice has gotten pretty fed up with his nightly wakenings and erratic behavior, and his daughters–teenage Hannah and younger Lucy–have given up on his keeping his word regarding outings and family time. Even Peter’s boss has gotten tired of Peter’s mistakes at work and suggests he visit a health and wellness clinic. E–vent–tual–ly though, otherworldly pods and their inhabitants DO actually invade, and Peter suddenly isn’t seen as cuckoo anymore. As many of those around him are falling, he strives to save his family and get them to safety, which he considers to be the large futuristic place where he works. However one particular pod inhabitant is on his trail, and the race is on. This is when the movie becomes so much more than a simple alien invasion story and acquires a deeper storyline, with themes of family, futures, limitations, and much more.

Top Scare: Alien Scene

Hearbeats: 2 1/2 out of 5

Gore Factor: 3 out of 5

Scare Factor: 2 out of 5

Recommended for: 14 or 15 and up, due to gore

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

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31 Days of Horror: Nope (2022; R; 130 mins.)

Posted on October 9, 2026 | Leave a comment

Sometimes a movie comes along that defies, um, logic/explanation/reviewability, and I’m not quite sure how to proceed (or even exactly how I feel about said movie). This is one of those times.

In Jordan Peele’s Nope, a California family that supplies horses to Hollywood has hit hard times. The patriarch has passed in a freak event, so the son OJ is trying to keep the ranch afloat. When his (extremely annoying) sister Emerald arrives for a visit, the two realize something has set up shop near their ranch, something otherworldly. VEEEERY slowly, the plot progresses as they talk to a nearby ranch owner Jupe–who experienced a morbidly odd event as a child star featuring a live monkey who went rogue and viciously attacked Jupe’s sitcom family it supposedly lived with as Jupe hid nearby watching–and install cameras to capture the phenomena with the help of a local sales clerk, all in an effort to get on Oprah and become rich.

Little by little, glimpses of the visiting craft are given, as are moody shots of the (gorgeous) land, various (beautiful) horses that spook, Emerald being more annoying, and OJ barely talking, until the visitors kick things up a notch or five and try to get what they’ve come for while OJ et al try to capture it all on film. Can they figure out how to outsmart this predator? Will they be able to capture it on film after trying and failing SO. MANY. TIMES? Why the gory monkey throwback scene? How patient can one brother be? And why is this considered a horror movie? All great questions and ones you can try to figure out if you have the desire to sit in a catatonic state of boredom for two-plus hours. My recommendation: NOPE.

Top Scare: None

Heartbeats: 1/2 out of 5

Gore Factor: 1 1/2 out of 5

Scare Factor: 1/2 out of 5

Recommended for: 15 and up due to language and some gore

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

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31 Days of Horror: The Silence of the Lambs (1991; R; 118 mins.)

Posted on October 6, 2026 | Leave a comment

When I realized I hadn’t yet reviewed this classic from the early 90s, I was shocked. I’ve viewed this movie probably twenty times at least, and it’s a touchstone for so many horror fans, including myself. With fantastic performances by Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster (I’ll never NOT watch something she’s in!), Ted Levine, Brooke Smith, and Anthony Heald, this Serial Killer vs. FBI Profiler 101 class-in-action checks all the boxes and more.

When FBI cadet Clarice Starling is called upon by her Behavioral Science mentor Jack Crawford to interview the cannibalistic serial killer/psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter–who is being held in a prison’s dungeon-like cell–the ultimate hope is of gaining insight into the currently uncatchable serial killer Buffalo Bill, a previous patient of Dr. Lecter’s who is abducting, starving, then skinning his victims. The creepy prison warden, Dr. Chilton, is angry the FBI won’t share their research on Dr. Lecter, but allows Clarice to talk with Dr. Lecter as long as she follows a strict set of rules. However, Dr. Lecter refuses to help Clarice unless she also shares information with him: personal information about her past, which she does even though she knows it’s against the rules. Meanwhile, a new victim has been snatched, a senator’s daughter named Catherine, and is being held in an underground well-like structure by Buffalo Bill.

As the clock ticks quickly foward, Clarice receives clues from Dr. Lecter which she must follow and reveals to him her early memories, Catherine pleads for her life and plots an escape, a clue is found on a previous victim, the serial killer’s motivations are slowly revealed, Dr. Chilton tries to take command of the hunt for the serial killer with deeply unexpected consequences, Dr. Lecter’s true psychoses are shown, and Clarice must face her fears while using her knowledge and skills in a final showdown in order to survive.

Top Scare: Basement

Hearbeats: 4 1/4 out of 5

Gore Factor: 3 out of 5

Scare Factor: 3 3/4 out of 5

Recommended for: 16 and up due to nudity, gore, themes

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31 Days of Horror: Send Help (2026; R; 113 mins.)

Posted on October 2, 2026 | Leave a comment

I was looking for Horror Lite to start my 31 Days of Horror, so I thought this Dark Comedy/Psychological Horror movie would fit the bill nicely. Boy was I wrong! With a slogging storyline, almost laughable special effects, a romcom feel for much of the movie, and only a couple jump scares and a couple more gory animal-related scenes to qualify it for horror, this was more like Horror Not-Quite.

When nerdy, overworked and overlooked analyst Linda Liddle is passed over for a promised promotion by her new boys’ club boss Bradley, she still insists on joining all of the “club members” for a business trip to Bangkok. Of course, the plane mysteriously crashes near Thailand, and Linda–a wannabe Survivor contestant–survives and helps the only other survivor, badly injured Bradley, to find food, water, shelter, etc. on the deserted island where they wash up with jackets and slip-on loafers intact. As days turn into weeks, Linda and Bradley must find a new way to work together to survive, one that may not be what each of them is hoping for, and the power dynamics, devious plans, and scheming take dark and darker turns until a final showdown of meh proportions.

Top Scare: On beach

Heartbeats: 1 out of 5

Gore Factor: 2 out of 5

Scare Factor: 1 1/4 out of 5

Recommended for: 16 and up due to gore, themes

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Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Comedy, Entertainment, Halloween, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, Reviews, scary movies, Streaming, Thriller

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31 Days of Horror: Weapons (2025; R; 128 mins.)

Posted on October 30, 2025 | Leave a comment

I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with this movie, but I’m so glad I gave it a chance. A great blend of horror, mystery, the supernatural, comedy, psychology…all backed up by fabulous acting, great storytelling, and tension throughout.

When an entire classroom of children–except for one child and the teacher–disappear one night at the same time, the town is quick to point fingers at the young teacher, calling her a witch. However, the teacher is just as confused and lost, trying to figure out where her beloved students went. As she begins to investigate, we learn a bit more before changing to another townperson’s perspective of events, with some overlap before the story continues on. Bit by bit, as this form of storytelling continues, we learn more details, yet it’s two steps forward, one step back, when what affected the missing children spreads out to others too. In the end, it’s a race against time and circumstances and otherly powers…who will figure out the answers and who will be too late?

Top Scare: Dream

Heartbeats: 3 3/4 out of 5

Gore Factor: 4 1/4 out of 5

Scare Factor: 3 1/2 out of 5

Recommended for: 15 and up due to gore, language

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Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, Halloween, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, mystery, Paranormal, Reviews, scary movies, Streaming, Supernatural, Thriller

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31 Days of Horror: Host (2020; NR; 57 mins.)

Posted on October 28, 2025 | 3 comments

I was looking for a short horror/supernatural movie, and stumbled upon this Lockdown-era gem. Set in the online Zoom world we’ve all come to know so well, this surprisingly tense and creepy movie really got my heart rate going once the stage had been set.

When Haley hires a medium and gets five of her friends to join her for an online seance, the friends are mostly skeptical, ready to play drinking games and laugh it off. But when one friend goofs off and accidently invites an evil spirit into the group–one which can access each of their homes–and they lose contact with the medium, they can only watch as one by one each must battle to stay alive. Will anyone survive the literal meeting from hell? Will they be able to send the spirit back to where it came from? Or will the timer on Zoom–and their lives–run out first?

Top Scare: End of Movie

Heartbeats: 3 3/4 out of 5

Gore Factor: 2 3/4 out of 5

Scare Factor: 3 1/2 out of 5

Recommended for: 15 and up

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Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, Halloween, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, Netflix, Paranormal, Reviews, scary movies, Streaming

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31 Days of Horror: V/H/S (2012; R; 116 mins.)

Posted on October 22, 2025 | 4 comments

As a fan of found-footage horror movies, I’ve wanted to watch this one for quite some time. My head is still spinning and I’m researching how to scrub my eyeballs as I type.

In this very shaky, under-lit gore-fest designed to appeal to young men, a group of this target audience who smashes, bashes, and harrasses while filming themselves to make money agrees to search an abandoned house in search of a VHS tape for a supposedly big payoff. Once they arrive, they split up after seeing that the home has various stashes of tapes: while some search here or there, one stays in a kind of media room to watch tapes to see if it’s the one they’re looking for. What follows are fifteen to twenty-minute mini stories which have all been taped over bits of other content on various VHS tapes. Each story features young folks, mostly men, behaving very badly (think misogyny to the nth degree, depravity, drugs, questionable sexual escapades, etc.) and paranormal happenings (with extreme blood/body parts and excessive nudity).

As the mini stories continue, we also are seeing things occur in the house around the group of guys. Of course, they are recording, and so it’s all caught on tape as well. When these occurrences begin to ramp up, so do the scares. Eventually, the mini stories, current timeline, and a past event connect via the VHS tapes, with a nicely done finale full of tension and fear. The question for viewers is: do you want to wade through the rest to get there?

Top Scare: On a video

Heartbeats: 3 1/2 out of 5

Gore Factor: 5 out of 5

Scare Factor: 3 3/4 out of 5

Recommended for: 17 or 18 and up, due to excessive gore, cussing, nudity, sex, and drugs

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Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, Halloween, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, Paranormal, Reviews, scary movies, Streaming, Supernatural

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31 Days of Horror: Sinners (2025; R; 137 mins.)

Posted on October 17, 2025 | Leave a comment

Wow and wow and wow again. Sometimes there is a movie that is so incredibly well done that you want to watch it again just to revel in its perfection. That’s how I felt about Sinners, the long but worth it 1930s-era story of twin brothers who leave trouble behind in Chicago, returning to their southern hometown to open an R&B hall for dancing and drinking and gambling.

Taking place over the course of two days, the first half follows the brothers as they buy and fix up the old building, round up their music players (guitar, harmonica, etc.), spread the word in town, and kick off their opening night. But some unusual events soon converge to change the course of the night and the lives of all those involved in a way I never saw coming. With strong atmospheric storytelling; deep and dark historical, racial, and spiritual themes; and, eventually, true horror, this movie deserves a top spot in your 31 Days of Horror.

Top Scare: Door

Heartbeats: 3 out of 5

Gore Factor: 3 out of 5

Scare Factor: 2 3/4 out of 5

Recommended for: 16 or 17 and up

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31 Days of Horror: Viral (2016; R; 85 mins.)

Posted on October 14, 2025 | Leave a comment

Watching a virus-themed movie that was made pre-Covid when it’s five years post-Covid, some of the wearing-masks-as-bras, quarantine-breaking-parties, and yay-no-school jokes land a bit differently. But, this is a teen flick, so I didn’t have super high hopes anyway.

When Emma and Stacey, along with their teacher/virus expert dad Michael, move to a new town (their mom is flying in soon), Emma is slowly making new friends. Annoying older sis Stacey, with an attitude the size of the surrounding cliffs, has already found a plus-one, CJ, and is trying to set Emma up with neighbor Evan. News reports suddenly surface of a mysterious China-based outbreak. Soon, Emma’s only friend is infected, and Michael heads to the airport to retrieve their mother, leaving the girls with two very important instructions: no fighting and no boys. Hmmm. I would have thought the virus expert teacher would have said something about staying inside and washing their hands.

When the town is quarantined almost immediately, the girls are on their own. But don’t fear: within hours, supplies are airlifted to each and every household, including masks, food, flares, and other essentials! However, the girls are bored, so of course they head out to a local party. Connections are made. Friendships (and more) blossom. Mask bras are worn. That is, until an infected teen begins ravaging everyone there and the girls, along with CJ and Evan, must escape. With nearly 1/2 the movie left, of course they do, but are we sure they’re all still, um, pure? No, not in that way. As in, uninfected?

As the neighbors are taken over by the worm-like “things” and the military seizes control of the area (even forcing the girls to strip down for a check at one point), the teens continue to make questionable decisions (that pesky un-developed frontal lobe!). Will they escape the virus? Will Emma and Evan ever kiss? Is Stacey destined to always be the worst big sister ever? Will their parents ever make it back from the airport? Tune in to find out…if you dare care.

Top Scare: Infected’s Sudden Appearance

Hearbeats: 1 1/2 out of 5

Gore Factor: 2 out of 5

Scare Factor: 1 1/2 out of 5

Recommended for: 15 and up

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Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, Halloween, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, Reviews, scary movies, Streaming, Teenagers, Thriller, Virus

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