Here it is, 31 days of horror for October 2024! It is particularly 80’s heavy and slasher-heavy, but does have a mix of modern horror as well as some classics mixed in for fun. All of the movies are freely available to stream and have a link to them in the notes. Most are on Tubi, but some are on YouTube and Roku and Plex and Pluto. But all are free (with commercials on most platforms).
Humongous (1982)
1 October 2024
When a woman is raped at a cocktail party, she is left with a misbegotten child, and since that child was the product of rape, it stands to reason that he would be hideously deformed and a massive mountain of man-like flesh. As such logic goes, a group will become stranded on the island and be picked off by the poor murderous creature. Humongous would not win any awards for its creative story, but as a kid, I absolutely loved it, and some of the scenes still hit pretty hard today. Sure, it is often too dark and it’s hard to tell what is going on in some scenes, but I remember watching this every time it came on cable, and since it was probably picked up for a song, it seemed to play a lot.
The Collector (2009)
2 October 2024
Desperate to steal a precious gem, odd-job day worker sneaks into the house of a guy who paid him extra for a job well done that day. Only once inside, he discovers that there is a masked Collector in there and he has setup deadly booby traps all over the house. As people stumble into them and the impetuous thief tries to escape, the Collector closes in to collect a person for his ultimate collection. In the tradition of You’re Next and Saw, this and the sequel really hit on all cylinders. It is a fun watch, and the sequel is well worth it as well.
Mortuary (1982)
3 October 2024
Mortuary is the tale of a son who is forced to be an embalmer, his suicidal mother, an overbearing father, and the girl he is obsessed with marrying. There are others as well, including a young man who learns of strange rituals when stealing tires for a mortuary warehouse for not receiving a paycheck…. who happens to be the boyfriend of the girl young Paul is obsessed with. and from those simple descriptions, a very strange slasher was born. Mortuary doesn’t make a lot of sense, but it also doesn’t really need to since it is so fun to watch.
Attack of the Beast Creatures (1985)
4 October 2024
If you thought that the Tiki Doll in Trilogy of Terror was scary, then an island full of them will be even more frightening…right? Well, unfortunately not, but Attack of the Beast Creatures is a fun ultra-low budget romp once it gets going. And I mean low-low-low budget. The “beasts” are often taped or sewn onto the costumes so the actors can fling about as if they’re being attacked by them. And there is screaming, so much screaming. And flailing. I thought this film was a fever dream of mine as a kid, so when I found it on YouTube by accident, I was overjoyed because it is truly so bad that it’s good.
The Mutilator (1984)
5 October 2024
Childhood trauma, murdering your mom while cleaning your dad’s guns, your dad going crazy and years later after being an insane survivalist wanting to spend time with his kid, and friends inviting themselves along for the ride sound like a straight-forward good time? Add in an ax and a body count, and you have the very linear plot of The Mutilator. While there are no surprises hidden in the flick, it is a fun and gory romp through a by-the-numbers 1980s slasher. The poster really made this film seem so much bigger and better than it was. But it is still a fun ride. Just a by-the-numbers fun ride.
Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (1985)
6 October 2024
Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker is an Oedipal tale with lots of kills, a homophobic sheriff who believes an evil love triangle between the protagonist, Billy, his coach, and the TV repairman is the impetus for murder. All the while, Billy’s aunt Cheryl is carving up the town. The reveal isn’t too surprising, but the ending comes at you quick and feels pretty good. It’s not feel-good, but kind of feel-good like Texas Lightning was supposed to be before it was cut into a …”comedy”…
Maniac (1980)
7 October 2024
If Frodo scalped…wait, no that’s the new one. That’s cool too. Elijah Wood love all around. Let me start over. If Willi Cicci started scalping women and causing a major panic…would you want to see it unfold? The answer, of course, is a solid YES! This was one of the films that I had trouble renting as a kid because it was brutal and the video store clerks knew it. So I had to find the new guy and rent it from them when no one else was around. Because it was that awesome. Also, includes the famed guerilla-style shotgun kill by Tom Savini where they blew the hell out of a mannequin and ran for the hills before the cops came because they didn’t have a permit. And that head explosion is horror gold!
Basket Case (1982)
8 October 2024
When it comes to movies about carrying your parasitic twin in a box and chastising it when it eats your neighbors, Basket Case is top-tier for me. I haven’t seen a lot of other movies like it to compare it to, so that may not be the best rating scale. But damn is this movie a ton of fun. From the ultra-low budget stop-motion Belial murdering and eating everyone in sight to the twin back-and-forth, it’s a damn fun watch. There should be a Valentine’s Day card about Duane and Belial’s relationship. It’s so sweet in a murderous parasitic twin type of way.
Brain Damage (1988)
9 October 2024
What if doing drugs made a parasitic drug-induced worm murder people who you coerced into sucking your d…wait, is that what this film is about. Oh, yes. It is. It’s like a Nancy Reagan “Just Say No” fever dream with fellatio-murdering drug parasites. Which is totally what she was going for, I’m sure. Where was I? Oh yeah. If any of that seemed even mildly interesting, then you should totally check this out. It has super cool special effects and it is one wild-assed 80s trip of a drug horror flick.
The Stuff (1985)
10 October 2024
You are what you eat…or at least you can become what you eat in The Stuff. Take our addiction to sweet confectionary items and make it horribly sinister…but with good marketing. And you have the ooey-gooey marshmallow mixture that will kill all of humanity unless Michael Moriarty gets his way.
Street Trash (1987)
11 October 2024
Less damaging to the body than energy drinks, Street Trash weaves a tale about an alcoholic beverage that consumes the consumer. Drinkers might just melt away. Also, it includes the best keep-away scene in the history of cinema when a homeless guy has his penis cut off…and then the rest of the homeless peeps in the junkyard play keepaway from him. It is a thing of pure beauty, especially when he clings to a school bus to ride to the hospital.
From Beyond (1986)
12 October 2024
From Beyond has it all! Cthulhu-inspired story? Check. Barbara Crampton? Check. Jefferey Combs? Check. When a team of scientists create a machine that allows people to see beyond the normal scope of reality into alternate dimensions, things go wonky. And, I mean…really wonky. When I rewatched it, some of the effects were quite goofy, but some of the practical effects are still complete gold. Especially the transformation at the end.
Lifeforce (1985)
13 October 2024
When I heard that Tobe Hooper of Texas Chainsaw fame…and a billion other awesome flicks… was making a movie about space vampires, I had to watch it. I grabbed it from the video shelves as soon it hit them since I don’t think it ever came to my podunk town. I was prepared for special effects and sweet space vampires, but I was totally not expecting Mathilda May to be walking around nude in the vast majority of the film. This was probably one of the single most unexpected benefits of my young life. Mathilda May is an absolutely amazing actress, though in Lifeforce, she was largely a silent, nude enemy to the world unleashing destruction on everyone she met. So, by my teenage scorecard, it was pretty much the most perfect movie ever created. And the true form of the vampire dragon thing at the end that lasts like 5 seconds on screen was also one of my youth highlights.
Demons (1985)
14 October 2024
The lesson from Demons is that if you are invited to a special movie showing, you really, really shouldn’t go. Also, it is a cautionary tale about how a cult classic horror film can drop the lead actor, who is quite impressive in his performances, into a series like Gor. I dig Urbano Barberini, and I have a soft spot for Gor since I watched it so much on cable, but I also feel for his career at that point. It didn’t slow him down, nad he’s making kick ass stuff now. But, still. Anyway: demons overrun a cinema. Gore and hijinx ensue. This is a damn fun flick.
Night of the Comet (1984)
15 October 2024
Do you like sleeping outside and watching astronomical events? Well, you’re about to be turned into red dust, and if you’re not turned into dust, you just might be a zombie. That is the power of a comet’s tail…plus, if Maximum Overdrive it to be believed, giving machines sentience. But in Night of the Comet, a few brave survivors who are not wiped out or zombified will end up ruling the world. And dancing in a department store as sisters are wont to do. Catherine Mary Stewart and Kelli Maroney are, as always, wonderful to watch in this fun little flick.
Slither (2006)
16 October 2024
Before James Gunn pissed DC fans off by trying to make their franchises better and not lose money, he made a movie about alien slugs taking over a town. One part Slugs and one part Society with Nathan Fillion and Elizabeth Banks…oh hell yeah.
Jennifer’s Body (2009)
17 October 2024
NAKED MEGAN FOX!!!! That was pretty much the marketing campaign for this 2009 social horror comedy starring Megan Fox (Jennifer) and Amanda Seyfried (Needy). Bad girl Megan Fox hooks up with a bad who sacrifice her to the devil…with one problem… they needed a virgin and Jennifer was…not. So she becomes a succubus creature who enacts horror on her small town, killing and eating boys in her wake while her BFF Needy tries to stop the mayhem. Well, things take quite a turn in the narrative, and everything gets bonkers. But, spoiler alert for anyone who was hoping to see Megan Fox get nekkid, she doesn’t in this movie. There’s a hint of nudity, but that was what marketing clung to and promoted it as a very different film than it actually was. It wasn’t a sex comedy with a demon. Ok, maybe it was. But not the kind that image normally evokes.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
18 October 2024
Have you ever been to Texas? Have you ever used a chainsaw? Have you ever had a chainsaw wielding maniac chase you across the longest bridge in Texas? Well, this sequel/self-parody is one hell of a ride.
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
19 October 2024
Silent Night, Deadly Night wasn’t the only killer Santa Clause movie that came out in 1984, but from the public backlash, you sure would have thought it was! Parents were calling for it to be banned. Interestingly enough, the kids who swore they would never be like their parents are also unhappy about Terrifier 3 with Art the Clown dressed as Santa. The more things change, the more they stay the same. But this has a great sledding scene, and a topless Linnea Quigley getting killed with a deer’s antlers. I swear, if Linnea Quigley didn’t take her top off in movies, she wouldn’t get murdered in such creative ways all the time. Of course, that’s one of the reasons she’s been one of my favorites throughout the years. That and she rescues puppies. What’s not to love? Anyway, killer Santa chanting “naughty” while hacking people. Three thumbs up.
Back Road (2021)
20 October 2024
Sometimes movies come along that push the envelope. August Underground, The Angel’s Melancholie, or A Serbian Film, but few of them have the absolute camp and fun factor of Back Road. It is a bloodbath of a film that is a love letter to hillbilly cannibal slasher flicks and it is a fun ride. It is very brutal, though, so you might need to turn your head during some of the scenes.
Night of the Demons (1988)
21 October 2024
Nothing says cheese and sleaze like Linnea Quigley pushing a lipstick tube into her breast. When a bunch of teens decide to party in haunted mansion, demonic shenanigans ensue. It also includes the single smartest horror character of all time: Roger. When confronted with truly freaky things, Roger runs and tries to get away. If he can’t get away, he hides. The rest, as usual, are like, “let’s investigate the super spooky thing that wants to eat us.” Such a fun little flick! Plus, Linnea Quigley!
Click the poster to check out the Night of the Demons page on Nostalgia Drop.
Def By Temptation (1990)
22 October 2024
James Bond III is the writer, director, producer, and star of the 1990 black horror flick Def by Temptation. This crazy flick is about a succubus that is preying on black men in New York City. It is a testament to James Bond III’s vision that it fits together so well and works on all fronts. Plus it is a damn fun watch!
Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)
23 October 2024
If aliens came to earth, of course they would come as Klowns. Everyone loves Klowns, right? No one is afraid on Klowns…erm. So they come and begin capturing everyone and taking them to their spaceship until our intrepid heroes realize their weakness. They can be killed by popping their noses. Yes. That’s right. It’s campy fun, and if you haven’t seen it yet, you need to do yourself a favor!
Sleepaway Camp (1983)
24 October 2024
Sleepaway Camp is a by-the-numbers slasher in pretty much every regard, except for the reveal. And that is the key that people recognize.
The Burning (1981)
25 October 2024
A pretty much by-the-numbers slasher, The Bruning was released in the same window as Friday the 13th, and while that franchise became huge, The Burning became one of those seminal horror moments on the raft. Friday the 13th would have to work on those moments, but the burning still resonates to this day.
Alligator (1980)
26 October 2024
I love big alligator movies, and I think that this is the reason. It starts with the urban legend of a an alligator being flushed down a toilet…and then it becomes a story about an alligator that has grown to massive prooprtions trying to break free from its confines and eat everything in sight. Unfortunately, it does not end well for the alligator. Viva the revolution, my reptilian fiend.
Inside (2007)
27 October 2024
Do you want a baby? Did someone kill your only chance at that in a car accident but also survive and be pregnant? How about stalking them in their flat and trying to take the baby for yours? Sounds like a sane premise. Inside is a grueling film, and I’m making light of the content. But I love the extremity that this film goes to for its resolution. Yeah, there are weird inner moments, but the protagonist and antagonist in it are damn amazing in their roles.
The Blob (1988)
28 October 2024
I hated that a remake of the blob was being made. And that was in 1988 when I was young and dumb. But, damn, this remake is one of the best remakes I’ve ever seen to any movie ever. I watched it with skepticism because I loved the blob flicks and it was one of the big remakes I remembered. And it is a masterpiece of blobby body horror. I so love this movie.
Bad Moon (1996)
29 October 2024
Bad Moon is a werewolf movie that hits just right. It is more of a monster movie that most werewolf movies that would come in following years that had more social elements to them, but it is a lot of fun.
Ghoulies (1984)
30 October 2024
Ghoulies is a guilty pleasure, like Critters. I love these flicks. Even if my hoity-toity horror mentality at the time didn’t appreciate them
Dolls (1986)
31 October 2024
I love a good moral tale, and I love one that makes evil dolls enact violence upon the victims of such horrors. This movie is so much fun. I love it every time I watch it because there is so much to revel in.