Halloween Watch-Along 2020: Join Us for Zombies, Giallo, Slashers, and More! – 25YearsLaterSite.com

This Halloween season, er, October, were doing something a little bit different. I used to do one of these with my friends when I was in college, and I thought Id bring it to a slightly bigger scale. Thats right, were doing a Halloween watch-along. All horror, all month long. We pick the moviesyou watch them with us. Pretty simple, right? Let me break it down.

I have personally hand-selected one horror movie per day for each day in October. Each week has its own theme. The first (short) week is kids horror, the second is zombie movies, the third is (unsurprisingly) giallo films, the fourth is movies by A24, and the final week is slashers.

Every day I will live-tweet the films, and I want you to tweet at me when you watch it too, either to my personal Twitter (@agnesvodka) or @HorrorObsessive! However, Fridays are special. Fridays are when we have our Halloween Watch-Along watch parties, via Twitch, at 10PM EST / 7PM PST. Twitch has partnered with Amazon Prime to provide a streaming service with chat where we can all watch a movie together. You must have a Prime account yourself to view these films.

All titles were available at the time this article was written, but we cannot guarantee anyone (*cough* Amazon) wont remove it before the scheduled date. Details are below the calendar.

Now lets break down the schedule. What are we watching?

October 1: Halloweentown

(Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Rental)

How could I not start with Disney Channels most iconic Halloween movie? If youre unaware, this gem follows Marnie (Kimberly J. Brown), a young witch whos just discovered her powers with help of her Grandma Aggie (Debbie Reynolds). Together the two of them must work to save the town. Its pure childhood magic and goodnessa feel-good movie almost anyone can enjoy.

October 2 (FRIDAY): The Addams Family

(Amazon Prime)

This 1991 cult classic is so great I think it speaks for itself. The Addams family encounters a group of con artists pretending that one of them is their long-lost uncle. This movie boasts an all-star cast with the likes of Anjelica Huston, Christopher Lloyd, and Christina Ricci. The humor in this one is so dark and twisted, its hard not to laugh. The Addams Family franchise just screams Halloween to any little kid.

October 3: Coraline

(Amazon Prime Rental)

For the weekends, I wanted to pick the best of the best, and Coraline is easily the scariest childrens horror movie. Other Mother still gives me nightmares to this day. Young Coraline finds a portal to another world in which life is seemingly perfectemphasis on seemingly. This is worth the watch just for the creepiness of Other Mother alone. As her true intentions get clearer, this movie gets creepier and creepier. Not to mention the pure unsettling nature of the stop-motion puppets themselves.

October 4: Hocus Pocus

(Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Rental)

Rounding out the week with the single greatest family-friendly Halloween movie of all time. I am a Hocus Pocus Stan. I feel like I shouldnt even have to explain this movie, but anyways: When a curious teen lights the black flame candle, he inadvertently awakens three witch sisters who make it their mission to suck the youth from the kids around town. Its up to the kids to stop them. Flawless casting, a super fun and funny script, and the best Halloween vibes you could hope for in a film. Need I say more?

October 5: Night of the Living Dead

(Amazon Prime, Shudder, Youtube)

George A. Romeros classic zombie flick that jumpstarted an entire subgenre of horror movies. Everyone knows this film. Im not even going to explain it. You know what it is.

October 6: Zombie (a.k.a. Zombi 2)

(Shudder)

What if I told you giallo master Lucio Fulci made an unofficial sequel to Night of the Living Dead? Now, what if I told you this film contained a zombie fighting a, well, youll see. Dont want to give that away. The plot here is really incidental, but basically a scientists daughter and a journalist go to an island to find out what happened to her father, theres an undead epidemic on the island, and they have to find a cure. This movie is just pure zombie gore and fun.

October 7: Zombie 3

(Amazon Prime Rental)

This film has a pretty interesting origin story. Lucio Fulci recorded about 70 minutes of the script before having a stroke and thusly leaving the production. So the production company handed over the reins to second unit director Bruno Mattei and writer Claudio Fragasso, who then cut it down to 50 minutes and added their own extra 40 minutes. And the film DRASTICALLY changes around that 50-minute mark. Its truly bizarre. A terrorists body is cremated and the smoke from the cremation accidentally spreads the zombie virus all over the island. Some guy complains that his friend is dying and ruining their vacation. There are some really cool effects just like Zombie. Its another fun one from Fulci.

October 8: Train to Busan

(Netflix, Amazon Prime)

This is probably one of the best zombie movies ever made. In this Korean horror, a zombie virus breaks out and the passengers on the train struggle to survive amongst the epidemic. There is a sequel to this called Peninsula coming to Netflix next year, so if you like this, keep an eye out for a sequel. Unlike the last two more fun-in-a-gross-way films, this one is more on the scary side of things. Just a really solid zombie movie, and one of the best horror movies of the decade.

October 9 (FRIDAY): Zombeavers

(Amazon Prime)

Hear me out, okay. This is my favorite zombie movie, for a multitude of reasons. Its from 2014 but it uses real animatronic zombie beavers as the antagonists. This movie is filled with awesome practical effects, giving it the feel of a real old school horror movieno CGI crap. Basically, a group of youths go to a cabin in a swamp thats infested with beavers who got into some radioactive stuff. I highly recommend this film and cannot wait to see your reactions. Oh, and theres an entire jazz song written about the film that plays over the credits.

October 10: Anna and the Apocalypse

(Hulu)

This is my favorite Christmas-themed zombie musical, and thats not just because its the only Christmas-themed zombie musical. A couple of high schoolers have to survive a zombie apocalypse together, and they sing throughout. Its not cheesy or lame at allits actually kind of cool. Which I know, how can a musical be cool? I promise this one is. Halloween isnt the only holiday thats allowed to have zombies.

October 11: Evil Dead 2

(Hulu)

Ash is back for even more excitement in round two. I feel like this is another one that you guys know inside and out. You love it, I love it, lets watch it together. Cmon, you cant have Halloween without a little Bruce Campbell. Also, I chose 2 mostly because the first one isnt free to stream anywhere, and I want this to be as accessible as possible. But youre more than welcome to pay Amazon to rent the first one as well. After all, it is a Sunday.

October 12: Cat O Nine Tails

(Amazon Prime, Shudder)

A classic giallo by Dario Argento in which a newspaper reporter teams up with a blind puzzle-maker played by Karl Malden, yes THAT Karl Malden, to solve a string of killings. The killings have something to do with a top-secret project at a pharmaceutical company, but the true secret of the experiments is whats really fun about this film. Its easily one of the most iconic gialli to exist, and essential viewing for both new and old fans of the subgenre. A great primer for the week ahead.

October 13: The Love Witch

(Amazon Prime)

While not a traditional giallo purely based on the fact that it was made in 2016 instead of the 70s, The Love Witch is still worth adding to the watchlist. Its basically a love letter to the genre. You could also argue that its not really a giallo because of the supernatural witch stuff, but Dont Torture a Duckling contains a witch too so hush. As you can assume by the title, a modern-day witch uses love spells to lure men into her deadly trap. Its super empowering as a woman, honestly, and thats why I feel its an important film to watch in a genre that often exploits women.

October 14: Dont Torture a Duckling

(Amazon Prime, Shudder)

Three young boys are found dead, and all signs point to the town witch in this classic giallo. Honestly, theres not much to say on itits another classic giallo, probably Fulcis most famous. Yes, that Fulci from Zombie. If you watch it for no other reason, watch it for his signature gore. There are some truly gross moments in this film and an unforgettable final scene.

October 15: Deep Red

(Amazon Prime, Shudder)

This is probably Argentos most well-known giallo. A psychic is reading the minds of audience members when she picks up on a killer and is later found dead in her apartment. Another audience member, a jazz pianist, decides to team up with a journalist to get to the bottom of it. Each new lead is met with a new murder, so they must figure it out before the killer destroys their next clue. Featuring some grisly murders, this is another excellent giallo thats really true to the genre. The cinematography in this is just phenomenal. Oh, and theres a creepy doll.

October 16 (FRIDAY): Blood and Black Lace

(Amazon Prime)

While this is not the first giallo in existence (that honor would go to Mario Bavas The Girl Who Knew Too Much a.k.a. The Evil Eye), this filmalso by Bavareally put the genre on the map. Blood and Black Lace tells the story of a series of murders of models from a fashion house owned by Countess Christina Como. The masked killer with black gloves and a fedora-style hat became the hallmark of the genre. This is the king of all the gialli.

October 17: All the Colors of the Dark

(Shudder)

Finally, we get to my all-time favorite giallo. This film opens like a David Lynch fever dream, complete with stunning visuals and a crazy sex cult. But, its just a dream, or so she thinks. When these dreams become reality Jane (played by the queen of giallo herself, Edwige Fenech) has to figure out who the man in her dreams is before its too late. All the Colors of the Dark completely blew me away the first time I saw it. Not only is it gorgeous, but the plot also keeps you on the edge of your seat, and Fenechs performance hypnotizes you. I will caution you: there is an animal death in this that may upset some (but because this is pre-CGI Italy, its very obvious its a stuffed animal).

October 18: The Bird with the Crystal Plumage

(Amazon Prime Rental)

Before I recently saw All the Colors of the Dark, this was my favorite giallo. Another Argento, this one is a more classic black-glove slasher killer than the other two. A killer is on the loose after an attempted murder at an art gallery, and an inspector enlists the help of an American ex-pat writer who witnessed it to help him figure out who this serial killer is. Whats different about this one is that the killer is stalking the writer. How many times can I say a giallo is visually stunning before you get bored of me?

October 19: High Life

(Amazon Prime)

Im not gonna lie, I havent seen this one. Prime took away mostly A24 movies when they removed a bunch of titles suddenly last week, so I had to look to my team for suggestions, and this was one of them. Space is probably one of my biggest fears, so a sci-fi space survival movie seemed appropriate. Also, Im sorry, who forgot to tell me Andr 3000 was in this?

October 20: Midsommar

(Amazon Prime)

If you know me, you know my feelings on this film and Ari Aster in general, but Im not gonna lie and say this isnt an objectively good A24 horror film. A group of Americans travel to Sweden for the local Midsommar festival. After imbibing on some, uh, special tea, things dont quite go according to plan, and there might be a cult involved. Florence Pughs performance is worth the watch alone. If you liked Hereditary and somehow still havent seen this, youll like it. For the rest of you who know and love it, lets GO.

October 21: The Lighthouse

(Amazon Prime)

A.K.A. Willem Dafoes bodily functions: the musical. This movie teaches you that you do not mess with a seagull. Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe play two seamen stationed at a, you guessed it, lighthouse, where they slowly drive each other mad. The Lighthouse is a pure descent into madness. And whats Halloween without a little madness?

October 22: Green Room

(Netflix, Amazon Prime Rental)

NAZI PUNKS F*CK OFF! This film could not be timelier if it tried. In one of Anton Yelchins best performances, a punk rock band witnesses a murder at a show at a neo-Nazi skinhead venue and are then forced to fight for survival. Basically, its a bunch of punk rockers fighting Nazis. Sounds about right for 2020. I dont expect you to pay the, what, $3 or $4 for it on Amazon Prime, but I can promise you its worth it if you do.

October 23 (FRIDAY): Slice

(Amazon Prime)

I genuinely cannot wait to watch the reactions of you guys seeing the most underrated A24 film. They really tried to bury this movie, but I wont let them. Its about a killer whos knocking off pizza boys one of which is Zazie Beetz, a werewolf played by Chance the Rapper, and a town full of actual ghosts. Like the ghosts are real and look like dead humans. With a supporting cast of Chris Parnell, Paul Scheer, Hannibal Burress, and Joe Keery, is anyone shocked that this film is downright hilarious? Its seriously one of the best horror comedies Ive seen in a long time, on par with What We Do in the Shadows. Please watch this film, if you watch any from this entire list.

October 24: The VVitch

(Amazon Prime Rental)

How could I do A24 Halloween and not include The VVitch? Thats right, thats how its spelled, and no I will not be taking any criticisms at this time. Another rental, I know, but this is easily A24s best and most iconic horror movie. It would be a sin not to include it. Get it, sin? Because its Puritanical 1630s America where anyone who sins is called a witch. When the familys newborn son Samuel goes missing, the lives of the family delve into chaos, witchcraft, and possession. A truly terrifying tale of black magic appropriate for any Halloween.

October 25: Hereditary

(Amazon Prime)

Toni Collette. Thats all. No, Im kidding, but her performance is really stand-out in this film and honestly Oscar-worthy. When the family experiences a devastating loss, strange occurrences become increasingly more disturbing, culminating in something that you just truly have to see to believe. A stunning debut from Ari Aster, this film is not one to miss. And for those of you who are already huge fans, A) Im sorry if you bought that poorly printed book, and B) I better see you Tweeting about this today! Im probably going to Tweet my worst Hereditary opinion on this day, so watch out for that one.

October 26: Black Christmas (1974)

(Shudder, Amazon Prime Rental)

This slasher is what inspired me to begin writing slashers and is probably one of my favorite slashers of all time, which is saying a lot. The plot is pretty basic: creepy phone caller who wont stop calling, sorority girls getting stalked and going missing over Christmas break, casual abortion subplot. Just your run of the mill slasher stuff. Its a classic for a reasona tried and true slasher movie thats perfect for getting in that creepy Halloween mood.

October 27: Terror Train

(Amazon Prime)

Our first Jamie Lee Curtis of the week, this one sees a group of college kids board a train for a New Years Eve party only to find out theres a masked murderer on the loose. After a prank gone awry three years prior to the setting of this film, its hard to guess who the killer might be. With a special appearance by David Copperfield (yes, the magician David Copperfield, and yes, he does magic in the film), this one is not to be missed. Its a bit of an odd premisewhy would college kids pick a train ride for their New Years Eve celebration? But it somehow works. Plus, did I mention, it stars the scream queen herself?

October 28: Sleepaway Camp

(Shudder, Amazon Primefree with ads)

Oh boy, what do I say about this film? It has the most insane plot twist Ive ever seen in a film. Felissa Rose is an absolute legend. One summer, a shy girl is sent to a summer camp, and when she arrives, other campers begin to meet increasingly violent ends. Though, sometimes the killings are justified. I wont elaborate on that, but I hope you root for the killer as much as I do. Another classic that cannot be missed.

October 29: Prom Night (1980)

(Shudder, Amazon Prime Rental)

You could say Im on a Jamie Lee Curtis kick this week, and you would be correct. An absolute classic from the scream queen, the Halloween heiress, empress ofIm out of clever names. You get the picture. Honestly, the premise is extremely similar to Terror Train. Some teens are stalked by a masked killer at their senior prom after accidentally causing the death of a classmate some years back. Actually, its basically Terror Train but no train and no David Copperfield. I swear its actually good though and you should definitely watch both films. Oh, and this one has Leslie Nielsen.

October 30 (FRIDAY): Slumber Party Massacre II

(Amazon Prime)

This is another one where I cant wait for newcomers reactions, but I know fans will also absolutely love. Its just simply the cheesiest slasher of all time. Completely pivoting from the first installment of the series, Slumber Party Massacre II features a guitar/electric drill, the drilltar, if you will, as a weapon, wild dance sequences, animated food, the grossest pimple in existence, and all of the good 80s vibes you could ever want. Plot is incidental to this film, but if you must know, the little sister Courtney (Crystal Bernard) from the first movie is now the target of a cool rock-and-roll slumber party stalker. I cannot emphasize enough how cool this movie is. If thats not enough to convince you, this is a female-directed horror movie!

HALLOWEEN: HALLOWEEN (1978)

(Shudder)

How could I not show Halloween ON Halloween? Come on. Nobody doesnt know Halloween. Michael Myers. Jamie Lee Curtis. Another masked killer (come on Jamie!). Except this one is indestructible. The classic to end all classics. John Carpenter is the horror master, and this is his masterpiece (yes I said Halloween is better than The Thing, dont @ me). Whether or not you attempt to marathon every single one of them in one day is up to you. Not sure if its possible, but you can try! Let me know how that goes.

And thats it! Join us on Twitter for the conversations @agnesvodka and @HorrorObsessive. See you there! Save us some popcorn!

See more here:
Halloween Watch-Along 2020: Join Us for Zombies, Giallo, Slashers, and More! - 25YearsLaterSite.com

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero