Movie Recommendations for October '23
I’ve steadily built a library of movie reviews on this site over the years in the horror category. It’s been a natural progression and I’ve realized it’s probably what I should have been doing from the start when I made this website ten years ago.
Having seen my share of horror stinkers not worth reviewing lately, I’ve been driven to watch some of my favorites again to cleanse my palate. As a result, I’ve fallen behind on my typical review writing pattern and don’t have anything new this week. To make up for it, I’ve decided to craft a list of movies I’ve seen that I think are worth watching this spooky season.
Something Scary
I have seen The Conjuring multiple times since it has come out, so my level of fear I might have had the first time I watched it has long since left me. Regardless, it’s undeniable that the film has its influence and charm in the realm of scariness. It was a PG-13 movie that was upgraded to R by the ratings board simply because someone was unable to keep their clothing unsoiled during the screening process. I’m joking, of course, but I’m only joking about the dirty pants; the real reason this movie is rated R is because the people thought it was too scary to let younger viewers see it without a guardian. If you have never seen it, The Conjuring is sure to be worth a watch this October.
Something Funny
Both of these movies fit into the horror genre but manage to deliver a number of laughs for being goofy fun. On one hand, you have Nicolas Cage’s silence in Willy’s Wonderland. On the other, you have the frenetic and loud screaming of the streamer, Shawn, as he runs through a haunted house in Deadstream. Neither movie is scary, but they’re both low-budget fun that manage to entertain without overstaying their welcome.
Something Stupid
If you’re more in the mood for something that is entertainingly bad, I have a few recommendations. Frankenhooker, is a personal favorite of mine because it’s a very on-the-nose exploitation horror/comedy. It’s fun and stupid, but it knows exactly what it’s doing.
The Bloodrayne movies, on the other hand, are not on my shortlist of favorite bad horror movies, but they have their own reasons you might find entertaining. The first Bloodrayne is a mess filled with recognizable actors who should not be there, like Sir Ben Kingsley. It also features one of the most ridiculous sex scenes I’ve ever witnessed in a “serious” movie. The second has a much lower budget with acting so terrible you could make some fun drinking game rules out of what happens, especially with Zack Ward’s weird Wild-West-Transylvanian accent. Both are directed by the infamous Uwe Boll and are a riotously bad time.
Something Not Quite Horror
I do not have enough praise for Dave Made a Maze. Since I’ve seen it, our household has been determined to make sure everyone who isn’t a soulless jerk incapable of smiling sees it too. It’s fun, quirky, unique, and hilarious. It always comes up in horror searches, because characters die in ways that could be considered “violent” if you really stretch the term, but you really could show this movie to kids. Dave Made a Maze is suitable for any season, but Halloween is a good enough justification to watch it again.
Something Mindbending
Shutter Island is one of those movies that gets better with multiple viewings. Subtle imagery and direction help lend to the story that twists and turns in exciting directions. A solid cast, a solid soundtrack, and a compelling story help make this movie worth watching again and again.
Something Gory
I stated in both my Terrifier reviews that the movies fit into a sub-genre of horror that isn’t really for me. I enjoy gory movies when the gore is not necessarily the point of the film, like The Thing or the George Romero zombie films. When the main point of the movie is to shock you with its gore, like something from Eli Roth, I’m much less interested. That being said, both Terrifier 1 & 2 managed to entertain me and earn my respect because they’re low-budget movies that achieve their goals with a bit of charm and grace. Art the clown is a great new antagonist who has already become iconic. If you love gore and you haven’t seen either movie, I’m not sure what you’re waiting for.
Something in a Long-Running Franchise
This article and the other articles contained within were written nearly a decade ago, so I dare not look at how poor my writing was. Nonetheless, I still remember watching all of the Friday the 13th movies in the span of a couple weeks and getting more than my fill of the franchise to the point I’ll never watch some again—you can see which in the article I’ve selected here. At the time of assembling this list, all the films are available on some sort of streaming service, and since there is a Friday the 13th this October, it seems almost mandatory to watch at least one of them this month.
If you’re feeling like getting tipsy, I also wrote a drinking game for it back then too, which should be linked in that article as well.
Something Found Footage
There are plenty of other found-footage movies I could easily recommend, but I’d prefer just to show one that I think still has not gotten as much attention as it should. As Above So Below is a unique little romp into the gates of hell in a way that is both abstract and curiously interesting. There are some things that happen that have bad effects and my suspension of disbelief falters at certain spots every time I watch it, but I still think it manages to be something that stands out from other horror movies. If you also like the claustrophobic tension of the first half of The Descent, then you should enjoy As Above So Below. If not, you should still watch it.
Something Different
I didn’t know what to expect with Barbarian and I was pleasantly surprised by everything when the credits rolled. There were plenty of surprises throughout the movie with some great acting, writing, direction, and photography in the first half-hour to set the stage. As I continue to believe the best way to experience it is to not know much about it, I won’t say much more than “Barbarian goes places.”
Something of a Remake
Evil Dead purists out there are probably ripping their skin off seeing the 2013 remake listed here, but hear me out. What was the last horror remake that was half as good as this? Evil Dead is still the horror franchise that probably has the best track record of any that has more than three movies in its library. I know that there is no Ash or Sam Raimi present in this movie, but I think it still manages to hit a lot of the same disturbing notes that made the first movie so special. It’s gory, intense, and captivating. I don’t think it’s better than any of the original trilogy, but I think it is well-deserving of the name.
Something Original
I love The Ritual. It’s a great blending of psychological and cosmic horror using very simple tricks of the genre to tell its story and keep things tense. As I tell everyone I recommend this movie, it breaks one of my cardinal rules in that it shows “the thing,” which usually ruins the horror and mystique of everything. The Ritual breaks this rule and I’m glad it does, because it’s so cool and interesting as a result! It still could probably work if you don’t see “the thing,” but the fact that it does is commendable. There are some crazy moments in this movie, so watch it if you haven’t.
Something Weird
Both Men and The Lighthouse have qualities about them that I really enjoyed. Both, however, have qualities that make me unsure if I’ll ever watch them again. They’re unique, stylized films that have a lot of drama around their protagonists to keep you engaged in what’s happening. They just happen to get a little weird as time goes on and become less and less recommendable to people. If you are curious about either of them, just strap yourself in beforehand.
Something Stop-Motion
Mad God is not a movie that I can say will hold your attention the whole time unless you are into stop-motion animation. It’s something of a journey through The Divine Comedy without words or a plot, so there’s something there worth viewing, just not easy to follow. As I said in my review, it might be best to just put it on the TV in the background with some spooky or metal music playing, or while you have people over, rather than focus on what’s happening and trying to understand the meaning behind everything.
Something Cosmic
The Void and John Carpenter’s: The Thing are both fantastic examples of how effective practical effects are at making the horrors of something other-worldly truly disturbing and shocking. There are, of course, interesting characters and sub-plots in both that will hold your attention between the horrifying visuals. While The Thing is in my top-3 horror movies of all time, The Void is a decent modern film that manages to elbow its way into the same sub-genre and deserve to be there.
Something Half-Good
Both of these movies are pretty flawed, but both have some fantastic moments that make up for a number of those flaws. Neither is an easy recommendation, as I often try to tell anyone who hasn’t seen them to set their expectations low, but I think they are both worth a watch for any horror nut. Silent Hill gets annoying in some parts and really would be best if you turned the film off right after the “nurses” scene. The Exorcist III is a long, slow-burn film that has a decent serial killer mystery in the first half, and a generally-okay possession story in the second half that is elevated by the intense and brilliant performance of Brad Dourif. If he were not in this movie, it would be a mostly forgettable mystery. Thankfully, Brad is, as Macho-Man Randy Savage would say, “the cream of the crop!”
Something B-Grade
The Birds is Alfred Hitchcock’s attempt at a B-movie, which still puts it above most other films because he was so good at his craft. I think there are many other, better Hitchcock movies, but there is some cheesy fun to be had here. Big Ass Spider is on the other end of the spectrum when it comes to the intellectual artistry of filmmaking, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t smart or funny. I personally wish this movie blew up in popularity instead of Sharknado as I find it way funnier.
Something I Love
If there’s one movie I keep going back to whenever I just don’t know what to watch, it’s my childhood favorite, Jaws. As a kid who was obsessed with sharks, Jaws was my favorite film in elementary school, even though I found certain sections of the movie terrifying. If you have never seen Jaws, you’re doing yourself a disservice of having never witnessed the movie that invented the summer blockbuster. It’s also partially responsible for overfishing of sharks in the waters because people were so scared after watching it. Don’t let the deaths of countless sharks go to waste.
Something I Hate
Maybe you don’t agree with my tastes. Maybe you come to DagonDogs.com just to see the what irritates me and revel in my misery. Fortunately, there have been a few movies lately that have rubbed me the wrong way. I could certainly go deeper and pull others out of the archives, but here’s a short carousel of crap for your viewing pleasure.