FrightFest 2022

Every October I lay down the law – the family watches nothing but scary movies. That usually means 4 or 5 spooky screenings. But this year we went a little overboard and watched over a dozen. So I guess if you wanted to check out all these before Halloween, you should start...right...NOW!

Ginger Snaps (2000)

Really great, angry, pre-teen feminist entry in the werewolf canon. The two leads were authentic and awesome. I'd put it right up there with Dog Soldiers, which is a near-classic.

Clearcut (1991)

Graham Green is a force of nature in this indigenous  environmental survival thriller in the vein of, I guess, Deliverance? I don't think I realized how many movies I dig (like Ravenous and Bone Tomahawk, for instance) must have been inspired by this one.

Watcher (2022)

Atmospheric slow burn thriller about an American ex-pat living in Bucharest as a serial killer stalks the city, sure the killer is after her and no one will believe her. But once shit starts hitting the fan, it really really works.

Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971)

I heard Edgar Wright on the Pure Cinema podcast mentioning this as one of his underrated gems, and damn if he isn't right. Sleazy, campy Hammer take on the classic with a gender-bending twist, excellent performances, and ingenious, really disturbing makeup effects.

Silence of the Lambs (1991)

I mean, do you need me to explain how awesome this movie is? Was really fun to see it through my kid's eyes, seeing it for the first time. It totally holds up. 10/10, no notes. We watched Manhunter right after, which is still cool but nowhere near as satisfying.

The Descent (2005)

Hadn't seen this gory tale of a group of  girlfriends on a cursed weekend trip cave exploring since it came out in the theaters, and I've spent years telling everyone how scary it was and how much it kicked ass. And I have been right the whole time! A banger from beginning to end and an absolute classic.

Kwaidan (1964)

Is this collection of Japanese folk ghost stories scary? No not really. Is it gorgeous, hypnotic, surprisingly modern and eerie? Yes. Same director who did Harakiri and Samurai Rebellion, both awesome in their own ways. Wouldn't be shocked if Kubrick was a big fan of this one.

The Cabin In The Woods (2012)

Not sure what the current opinion on it is, but this meta-horror take on slasher films is every bit the equal of Scream. Clever, funny, moves super-quick and has a satisfying amount of gore and violence. And an epic finale. Mer-man!

Smile (2022)

Jump Scare: The Movie. This movie is very basic — death curse is spread through smiles. Predictable, a good half hour too long, cool sound design. We saw it in a theater with the rowdiest, dumbest audience I’ve ever seen, nothing but pre-teens screaming at each other and at the screen, which was perfect.

The Black Phone (2022)

Very smart, but just not very scary story of a kid in 1970s Denver taken by a murderous serial killer, and a mysterious phone that may save his life. Solid acting, and a fun ending that tied it all together. But, as the kids say, mid.

Werewolf By Night (2022)

Marvel take on slightly more violent, spooky material, with Gabrial Garcia Bernal slumming it as a monster hunter with a TERRIBLE SECRET. Had its moments, but not all that memorable. I mean, I just watched it, and don't remember much.

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osmont,  I see dead people, you know the drill. This movie is soooo...much...sloooooooower than I remembered, but Toni Collette is more amazing than I remembered,  and still that ending is hard to beat.

Deadstream (2022)

Really legit funny and gory found-footage style ghost story on Shudder of an idiot YouTube streamer trying to spend a night at a haunted house. The jokes all land, the effects are satisfyingly disgusting, and some legit scares.  Two severed witches thumbs with gross fingernails up.

Barbarian (2022)

This nightmare take on the AirBnB economy was interesting for awhile, and then it wasn't, and then pretty cool again in the end. Solid performances (including Justin Long in a lovely turn as a complete asshole who never learns), but overhyped to me.

Nope (2022)

Man I love Jordan Peele. Us was such a great one. But this just did not work. In individual sequences, really well done. He's a craftsman. Keke Palmer is killer. Vaguely comes together by the end, I think.