This year, I have decided to expand my usual #31DaysofHorror watching to a pandemic-inspired #61DaysofHorror.  At 5:00AM every morning, I sit down with my coffee and my dogs to watch a horror film.  Some were new, and some old classics.  Some were great, others not so much.  After watching a film, I posted a few words about it to Twitter.

Here are the first 30 days…

Day 1 — “Color Out of Space” [2019]

This otherworldly tale is sometimes a bit too slow and muddled, but it’s the best adaptation of this #HPLovecraft story to date. Cage lays it on thick, as usual.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5073642

Day 2 — “Anything For Jackson” [2020]

Sheila McCarthy and @JulianRichings are fabulous as elderly Satanists in over their heads but with their hearts in the right place.

#WorldPremiere @FantasiaFest

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12137964

Day 3 — “For Sake of the Vicious” [2020]

An intense thriller from directors Gabriel Carrer and @ReeseEveneshen. Brutally violent but with purpose. I couldn’t look away.

#WorldPremiere @FantasiaFest #Fantasia2020

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11014390

Day 4 — “An American Werewolf in Paris” [1997]

Embarrassingly laughable. Far from funny. Certainly not scary. With a silly plot, poor dialogue, and characters that are too inane to be worth the bother.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118604

Day 5 — “The Rental” [2020]

Terribly disappointing script. Unlikable characters. Stupid choices. No tension or terror. Not even a cheap jump-scare.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10003008

Day 6 — “You’re Next” [2011]

A family reunion turns bad when the home is invaded by masked killers. A decent home invasion flick. Twists were predictable. Sharni Vinson stole the show.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1853739

Day 7 — “Baba Yaga: Terror of the Dark Forest” [2020]

A visually-interesting but an ineffective reimagining of an ancient Slavic demon strips the folklore of all it’s real terror.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8006374

Day 8 — “Annabelle: Creation” [2017]

This deep-dive into the origins of Annabelle starts out well but fails to consistently deliver tension and scares.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5140878

Day 9 — “Annabelle” [2014]

Some genuinely creepy moments can’t completely save this tale of a terrifying doll and the demon that likes to play with it.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3322940

Day 10 — “Annabelle Comes Home” [2019]

An initially strong concept with some genuinely creepy moments is let down by the whole of the film. Suffers from sequel fatigue.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8350360

Day 11 — “Sinister” [2012]

A fresh approach to mystery/crime/thriller genres with an eerily effective descent into the world of obsession, near madness, and dream-like horror.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1922777

Day 12 — “The Hunt” [2020]

Not really horror as classified on @IMDb. Much more a socio-political satire highlighting the ridiculousness of extreme positions. And an action flick. Enjoyable fun.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8244784

Day 13 — “A Horrible Way to Die” [2010]

This slow-burn tale that twists and turns is compelling, even if all the parts don’t always work.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1617620

Day 14 — “Malicious” [2018]

A bland and spiritless paranormal horror. It’s been done before and done much better.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6197494

Day 15 — “Malevolent” [2018]

Siblings running a paranormal scam find out some ghosts are all too real. An interesting premise falters with a messy third act.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2386237

Day 16 — “Lifechanger” [2018]

A murderous shapeshifter sets out on a blood-soaked mission to make things right with the woman he loves.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7188978

Day 17 — “Train to Busan” [2016]

Heartfelt drama wrapped in an interesting take on the zombie genre. Highly recommended.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5700672

Day 18 — “Peninsula” [2020]

Ramps up the action and the chaos of a world gone mad. However, it loses a lot of the heart that excited me about the first film. Still a fun flick.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8850222

Day 19 — “Host” [2020]

A short film, but still too long for the format at 57 minutes. Drags with the introductions to the characters. Last half has some effective jump scares.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12749596

Day 20 — “The Lawnmower Man” [1992]

I enjoyed this movie back then. It hasn’t aged well. Was that really cutting-edge CGI in 1992?

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104692

Day 21 — “Relic” [2020]

A slow-burn, art-house horror. No jumps-scares here, just persistent creeping dread. An allegory for dementia and its impact. Impressive directing debut for Natalie Erika James.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9072352

Day 22 — “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” [1973]

A young couple. An old house. Tiny basement demons. A trauma-inducer from my youth. Doesn’t really hold up now.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069992

Day 23 — “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” [2010]

A reboot of 1973 film. The incredible production design is hobbled by a terrible screenplay and uninspired direction.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1270761

Day 24 — “It” [2017]

Skin-crawlingly creepy. A wonderful adaptation of the first half of Stephen King’s classic novel.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1396484

Day 25 — “It Chapter Two” [2019]

Not as effective as the first chapter. Nonetheless, a fitting follow-up to wrap up Stephen King’s classic novel.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7349950

Day 26 — “Housewife” [2017]

What the absolute fuck? Disjointed. Emotionless. Pretentious. Pointless. Lovecraft it’s not.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6464678

Day 27 — “Lyle” [2014]

Awkward. Dull. Rhythmless. The protagonist’s choices are erratic and confusing. At 61 minutes, this story is still too long.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3333968

Day 28 — “The Stylist” [2020]

A hairstylist becomes too obsessed with her clients. Boldly told. Hauntingly sad. Incredibly tense. Wonderfully realized. Bravo.

Hat-tip to director Jill Gevargizian.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11056910

Day 29 — “Grave Encounters” [2011]

A found-footage film that is late to this trend and feels like a tired retread of a narrative gimmick that has never really worked for me.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1703199

Day 30 — “Grave Encounters 2” [2012]

Faux found-footage fiasco. Documentary pretense investigates the veracity of the first film. Falls further into tired tropes in this narrative-limiting sub-genre.

#61DaysOfHorror #horrorfilm #horror #Halloween

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2231554/

What horror films are you watching for the 2020 Halloween season?  Let me know.