Halloween Entertainment Roundup

Boo time scaries for everyone

It’s scary time fun time week and I have a little something for everyone. All of the following with be ordered from least to most scary. Enjoy!

Podcasts

1. Uncanny County

   1. This is super fun and adorable weirdness that is not scary at all.

2. Archive 81

   1. This isn’t scary but it’s dark and interesting and there’s a respectable Netflix show to watch after you’ve listened.

3. The White Vault

   1. A scientific crew. A mysterious snowstorm. Thumps in the night. This show is actually pretty creepy.

Books

1. Mexican Gothic

   1. This is a really beautiful book about a creepy mansion in rural Mexico in the 40s. Not super scary but well written and interesting.

2. Road of Bones

   1. If you don’t know about the Road of Bones I will direct you to Long Way Round featuring the always wonderful Ewan McGregor On A Motorcycle. Then read this book which is creepy and weird and wonderful but actually not super scary. But a little scary.

3. The Death of Jane Lawrence

   1. This book has some moments that just absolutely freaked me out. It’s really creative and fun and you have no idea what is going to happen until it does and then you may not sleep but you will have a good scary time.

4. EVERYTHING STEPHEN KING EVER WROTE BUT ESPECIALLY:

   1. The Outsider

      1. And then watch the show, it’s not terrible. It’s certainly not the worst Stephen King adaptation ever made (looking at you THE STAND).

   2. The Mist

      1. This one is especially good if you’re short on time because it’s tiny.

   3. The Shining

      1. There are few things I love more in the world than this book. Tacos. Robert Redford circa 1969. The Shining. This book is absolutely terrifying. There is a scene in this book that is not in the movie and it is legit so scary that I was almost in tears and could not sleep and luckily my friend Cortney was my roommate because we were in a weird haunted lodge in the woods of Virginia and I thought I would die and was glad she would find my body in the morning. Highly recommend.

   4. Doctor Sleep (The Shining sequel)

      1. I love this book so much. If you read it after reading The Shining you will both be scared but also really love the incredible heartfelt moment with a ghost at the end. No spoilers but read this book.

Movies & TV

1. Hocus Pocus (Disney +)

   1. Not scary at all. Absolute classic. Apparently Hocus Pocus 2 is good but I’m saving it for Halloween so I can’t swear to that.

2. The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror (Disney +)

   1. Is it even Halloween without a Simpsons ToH marathon??? No. No it is not.

3. Death Becomes Her (Paramount +)

   1. Another not scary but excellent and mandatory classic.

4. An American Werewolf in London (Rentable)

   1. This movie broke serious ground in the field of werewolf special effects. It’s probably not scary to anyone anymore but at the time it was terrifying and it’s still awesome.

5. Flanaverse (Netflix)

   1. Midnight Mass

      1. This is not the best of the Flanaverse (nor the worst, looking at you MIDNIGHT CLUB) but it also doesn’t deserve the bad wrap that it got when it came out and if you want to be part of the Flan Fam but can’t handle super scary shows, this is the one for you.

   2. Haunting of Bly Manor

      1. I love this show, the main plot point feels confusing at first and then when you figure it out and realize what’s really going on it’s horrifying on so many levels. It’s actually not super scary but there are a couple of things that are not for the faint hearted.

   3. Haunting of Hill House

      1. The show that made us all fall in love with the Flan. This is scary (I should have done a scary scale. Someone remind me next year.) but gloriously heartfelt and wonderful and every scare is an important part of the plot. I honestly can’t recommend this show enough.

6. Get Out (rentable)

   1. Honestly this movie still scares me.

7. The Exorcist (HBO Max)

   1. I don’t care how bad the special effects are or how old this movie is, it is still terrifying and the fact that I own it says more about me than I want to go into right now.

8. Hereditary (Paramount +)

   1. This should be the last movie based on the scary scale but it’s not because The Shining but I honestly can’t believe I survived watching this and I will never watch it again but it was really good and if you like scary stuff you should watch it.

9. The Shining (HBO Max)

   1. The O.G. The Classic. The Greatest Scary Movie of All Time. My Favorite Bedtime Story. And let’s just get this out now- Jack was right. Wendy has the AUDACITY to ask him HOW THE IS WRITING GOING??? You brought this on yourself Wendy.

That’s the list! Am I missing any? If so, leave a comment because we now actually have readers who aren’t the three people I know so I can’t just say “ping me” anymore. Also if you get through all of these and want the advanced list I obviously have more suggestions. Like I can’t believe I didn’t put Interview With A Vampire in the book and movie list. What was I thinking?