What to Watch on Halloween
For a good scare or a good laugh or sometimes both
October is the Alaska of months: It’s easily the best. It is not only my birthday month, but also the month when The Shining is on every channel at least once a day. Huzzah. For your viewing pleasure, I give you what to read and watch and read and watch this spooky holiday season.
Read
The Hacienda- A Gothic haunted house story that also teaches you about the Mexican Revolution? Yes please.
Road of Bones- It’s already the most terrifying and haunted road on Earth. How are there not a million spooky stories set here?
The Death of Jane Lawrence- This is probably the scariest book I have read since The Shining. It’s also incredibly beautiful.
Revelator- Spooky and set in the Appalachians. Grab some moonshine and dig in.
Watch
I’m still mad at Netflix and clearly Mike Flanagan heard me because he packed up his Flanaverse and took it to Amazon but while we wait for his first Bezos-approved release, pretend you’re not on Netflix and rewatch his classics, especially the absolutely perfect Haunting of Hill House and Fall of the House of Usher.
An American Werewolf in London- This is what I watch every Halloween and probably always will.
The Nightmare Before Christmas- Is it a Halloween movie? Is it a Christmas movie? I prefer to think of it as both, so I can watch it in twice as many seasons.
Blacula- This is easily the most fun Blaxploitation movie and a great chaser to Werewolf.
The Exorcist- Obviously.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch- Netflix again but, I have to, this show is so good and not at all the safe for kids version of the Nickelodeon show of our youth.
The Terror- One of the few shows that is immeasurably better that than the book, which is so, so, so boring.
Late Night with the Devil- THIS MOVIE IS SO GOOD. And kind of scary at moments but not hide-under-your-bed-with-a-teddy-bear scary.
The Barbarian- This movie is hide-under-your-bed-with-a-teddy-bear-and-cry scary. Oh my god. Only watch this if you want to be truly horrified and scared absolutely to death and back again. But it’s really good.
Read & Watch (for my fellow binge lovers)
The Shining & Dr. Sleep- The Shining will forever be the most terrifying book every written. Dr. Sleep is not nearly as scary but a truly lovely sequel. The film will never not be an absolute banger.
Salem’s Lot- Love the book, and I truly believe that Lot, which was released in 75 and Interview with the Vampire, which was released in 76, are responsible for the vampire resurgence that hasn’t ended in 50 years. Also, people have been making Stephen King books into movies FOR 50 YEARS. How is he not the richest man on Earth? Watch the new Lot on HBO but also the old one, which is on there, too. They’re both great. Return to Salem’s Lot is hilariously weird.
Interview with the Vampire- Read. Watch. Watch the new AMC series which is fantastic.
Choose the Bear- This week’s episode features the fun and fabulous J. Kelly Hoey, one of my oldest and dearest humans who is also a networking expert and she has the book to prove it. Tune in today!
Did I miss any great scary books or movies? Let me know!