My 31 Days of Halloween Horror Movie Marathon 🎃
Hey guys! So October’s almost here and I’m doing my thing again – 31 horror movies, one every night until Halloween. I swear this time of the year electrofies my writing. I love the creepy season. There’s something about getting into that spooky headspace for an entire month that just works for me. Join me if you want! Tell me in the comments which ones you think are garbage or which ones I absolutely nailed. A lot of these this year are 80s film. That decade just feels like the home of horror for me, but I did mix in a few 70s. .
What’s weird is how much these movies have helped my writing. Like, I never expected that when I started this tradition years ago. But watching Carpenter build tension with basically nothing, or seeing how Cronenberg makes you squirm without showing you everything – it’s all about the craft, you know? These directors were working with tiny budgets and still managed to scare the hell out of people. That’s pure storytelling skill right there.
The thing about horror is it strips everything down to basics. You’ve got to make people care about characters really fast because you’re probably going to kill half of them. You need atmosphere, pacing, knowing when to show the monster and when to keep it hidden. Halloween barely has any dialogue but it’s terrifying. The Thing makes every conversation feel loaded with suspicion. These aren’t just scary movies to me – they’re like little workshops in how to manipulate an audience’s emotions. Plus most of them are just plain fun to watch, which doesn’t hurt.
October 1 – The Shining (1980) Kubrick’s version of Stephen King’s book is just… wow. Jack Nicholson goes absolutely nuts and it’s amazing to watch. Every single shot looks like it belongs in an art gallery or something. The Overlook Hotel is basically this huge, weird maze where nothing makes sense and madness just oozes out of the walls. That kid Lloyd is genuinely creepy as Danny – and don’t get me started on that tricycle scene through the hallways. Gets me every damn time. King supposedly hated what Kubrick did to his story, but honestly? Kubrick got something about horror that most directors miss completely. This isn’t about cheap scares – it crawls under your skin and sets up camp. “Here’s Johnny!” is quoted to death at parties but it never stops being iconic.
October 2 – The Thing (1982) Carpenter absolutely nailed it with this one. Maybe the perfect horror movie? You’ve got Antarctic isolation, total paranoia, and practical effects that are still the gold standard. Once you realize you can’t trust anyone to actually be human, every single conversation becomes terrifying. Kurt Russell’s MacReady is just this regular guy trying not to lose his mind when everything goes to hell. Rob Bottin’s creature work is disgusting in all the right ways – that chest-bursting scene still makes people nope right out of theaters. What’s brilliant is how Carpenter builds all the tension through mistrust instead of just showing you the monster every five minutes. And that Ennio Morricone score? Haunting doesn’t even cover it. I swear this movie hits different every time I watch it.
October 3 – An American Werewolf in London (1981) John Landis somehow made werewolf horror hilarious without completely ruining the scary parts. That transformation scene is still legendary – Rick Baker totally deserved that Oscar. David Naughton really sells the whole “cursed guy” thing, and Griffin Dunne as his rotting best friend is comedy gold. I love how the London setting makes everything feel like a fish-out-of-water story before all the supernatural craziness kicks in. The movie doesn’t try to pick between horror and comedy – it just goes all-in on both. That Piccadilly Circus finale is pure beautiful chaos. Practical effects from the 80s still destroy most modern CGI, and this movie proves it.
October 4 – The Fly (1986) Cronenberg’s body horror masterpiece makes me want to throw up in the best possible way. Jeff Goldblum is absolutely perfect as the scientist who gets way too close to his work. What starts as this cool sci-fi idea turns into a horrifying look at disease and decay. Watching Goldblum literally fall apart piece by piece is brutal and genuinely heartbreaking. Geena Davis keeps the emotional stuff grounded while Goldblum goes full method with all the gross-out effects. Every stage of “Brundlefly” is more disturbing than the last. This isn’t just monster makeup – it’s psychological torture disguised as special effects. Works as straight horror but also hits as a metaphor for terminal illness. Cronenberg doesn’t mess around.
October 5 – Poltergeist (1982) Spielberg proved that evil doesn’t need some Gothic castle – it can show up right in your suburban living room. The Freeling family actually feels like real people, which makes all their supernatural nightmare way more intense. Carol Anne’s “They’re here!” still gives me goosebumps, and that TV static scene is iconic for good reason. What’s so smart is how the movie starts with little weird things and builds up to full-blown ghostly warfare. The pool scene, that tree attack, the face-peeling bathroom bit – all practical effects magic. Zelda Rubinstein steals every single scene as the psychic investigator. The film taps into real fears about home invasion and losing control of your safe space. Jerry Goldsmith’s score is absolutely haunting too.
October 6 – Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) Philip Kaufman’s remake of the 50s classic is paranoid brilliance. Set in San Francisco, it follows humans getting replaced by these emotionless alien copies. Donald Sutherland is fantastic as the health inspector who slowly figures out how bad things really are. What makes this version work is the slow-burn dread – you watch society just crumble from the inside out. The pod people aren’t traditional monsters; they’re us, just completely hollow. That final scene with Sutherland pointing and screaming is one of horror’s biggest gut punches. Works as alien invasion thriller and metaphor for conformity or mental illness or political stuff. Leonard Nimoy’s supporting role adds some scientific credibility.
October 7 – The Evil Dead (1981) Sam Raimi announced himself with this cabin-in-the-woods masterpiece that spawned a million copycats. Five college kids find this ancient book and accidentally unleash hell in the Michigan woods. What it lacks in budget, it makes up for with pure energy and inventive camera work. Bruce Campbell’s Ash isn’t the wise-cracking hero he’d become later – here he’s just trying not to die horribly. That tree sequence is infamous for obvious reasons, and the makeup effects are charmingly gruesome. Raimi’s camera becomes its own character, swooping through the forest like some predatory spirit. This is horror filmmaking at its most raw and passionate. You can feel how much they cared bleeding through every low-budget frame.
October 8 – They Live (1988) Carpenter’s sci-fi satire feels different in today’s political climate. Roddy Piper finds these special sunglasses that reveal alien overlords hiding among us, controlling society through subliminal advertising. Sounds goofy, but the execution is serious social commentary wrapped in B-movie packaging. That five-minute alley fight between Piper and Keith David is absolutely legendary. “I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and I’m all out of bubblegum” – pure gold. The alien makeup is effectively creepy, and those hidden messages (“OBEY,” “CONSUME”) feel way too relevant today. This movie predicted our current media landscape decades early. It’s satire that works as straight horror and action.
October 9 – The Changeling (1980) George C. Scott elevates this ghost story through pure acting power. A composer rents this massive old house after losing his family and discovers he’s definitely not alone. This is old-school supernatural horror – no gore, just atmosphere and psychological tension. The séance scene is genuinely chilling, and that bouncing ball sequence gets me every single time. What makes it work is Scott’s believable grief and the house itself, which feels like it has its own agenda. The mystery unfolds slowly, building to revelations that feel earned instead of manufactured. Proof that horror doesn’t need blood and guts when it has genuine atmosphere and a compelling mystery.
October 10 – Re-Animator (1985) Stuart Gordon’s Lovecraft adaptation is pure mad scientist chaos. Jeffrey Combs is absolutely perfect as Herbert West, the medical student whose glowing green serum brings the dead back to life. What starts as scientific experimentation quickly turns into gore-soaked mayhem. That head sequence is legendary for all the right reasons, and Combs plays West as this complete sociopath who thinks he’s saving humanity. Barbara Crampton brings emotional weight to all the madness, while the practical effects go completely over the top. This is horror comedy that never winks at the audience – it takes its ridiculous premise completely seriously. The result is simultaneously hilarious and genuinely disturbing. Sometimes you need a movie that’s willing to be completely unhinged.
October 11 – The Return of the Living Dead (1985) Dan O’Bannon created the perfect punk rock zombie movie. Medical supply workers accidentally release this toxic gas that brings the dead back to life, and now they crave brains instead of just flesh. The soundtrack is killer 80s punk, and these zombies can actually think and talk, which makes them way more terrifying. Clu Gulager and James Karen are fantastic as the workers trying to cover up their massive screw-up. The Tarman zombie is an absolute icon of practical effects work. What’s brilliant is how the movie goes from workplace comedy to full-scale apocalypse. The characters feel real, which makes their fates hit so much harder. This movie gets that horror and humor aren’t opposites – they’re dance partners.
October 12 – Dawn of the Dead (1978) Romero’s zombie masterpiece uses a shopping mall as both fortress and commentary on American consumerism. Four survivors hole up in the ultimate consumer paradise while the world literally ends outside. What makes this work isn’t just the zombie action – it’s watching the characters adapt to their new reality and slowly lose their humanity. The mall becomes this weird bubble where normal life continues even as civilization collapses around them. Tom Savini’s gore effects are legendary, but the real horror comes from human nature under extreme stress. The film asks these uncomfortable questions about what we actually need to survive and what happens when survival becomes your only goal. Plus, that Goblin score is absolutely perfect.
October 13 – The Blob (1988) Chuck Russell’s remake proves that updating 1950s B-movies can totally work when you commit completely to the concept. A meteorite brings this flesh-eating organism to small-town America, and the results are spectacularly gross. The practical effects are absolutely insane – this thing consumes people in the most creative and disgusting ways possible. Kevin Dillon makes for an unlikely action hero, and the government conspiracy angle adds some paranoid depth to all the monster mayhem. What impressed me is how the movie builds genuine suspense around what’s essentially a giant space booger. That theater sequence is pure nightmare fuel, and the sewer finale is claustrophobic horror gold. Sometimes you just need a movie about a really gross monster eating people.
October 14 – The Fog (1980) Carpenter’s ghost story proves that sometimes simple is way better. This mysterious fog bank rolls into the coastal town of Antonio Bay, bringing vengeful spirits seeking revenge for some century-old crime. The minimal plot gives maximum space for atmosphere, and Carpenter builds tension through radio broadcasts, eerie visuals, and that incredible synthesizer score. Adrienne Barbeau anchors everything as the late-night DJ who becomes our eyes and ears for the supernatural invasion. The ghosts are genuinely creepy when they show up, and the fog itself becomes a character – this creeping wall of supernatural menace. What makes it work is the slow build and this sense that the entire town is paying for the sins of its founders.
October 15 – Prince of Darkness (1987) Carpenter’s apocalyptic horror gets weird in the absolute best way. A priest and quantum physicist team up when this ancient canister of liquid evil gets discovered in a Los Angeles church basement. What follows is part possession movie, part cosmic horror, and completely unhinged. Donald Pleasence is fantastic as the priest trying to prevent the literal apocalypse, while the possession sequences are genuinely unsettling. Those dream transmissions from the future are brilliantly creepy, and that mirror sequence still gives me chills. This is Carpenter at his most philosophical, asking big questions about good, evil, and the nature of reality while delivering solid scares. The ending suggests that evil might be inevitable, which is delightfully bleak.
October 16 – Evil Dead II (1987) Raimi’s horror-comedy masterpiece is basically a remake of the first film with a bigger budget and Bruce Campbell completely unleashed. Ash Williams becomes the ultimate horror hero, battling deadites with his chainsaw hand and shotgun combo. This movie figured out how to be scary and hilarious at the same time without undercutting either element. Campbell’s physical comedy is legendary – that sequence where his own hand becomes possessed is pure slapstick gold. The cabin becomes this surreal funhouse where literally anything can happen, and usually does. Every practical effect is perfectly executed, from the laughing deer head to the flying eyeball. This is horror filmmaking as pure kinetic energy, never stopping long enough to let you catch your breath.
October 17 – Fright Night (1985) Tom Holland created the perfect vampire comedy by taking teenage paranoia seriously. Chris Sarandon is absolutely magnetic as Jerry Dandridge, the vampire next door who’s both charming and genuinely threatening. William Ragsdale sells the hell out of being the teenager who discovers his neighbor’s secret, while Roddy McDowall steals scenes as the washed-up horror TV host forced into real monster hunting. What makes this work is how it balances genuine scares with clever humor. The vampire mythology feels fresh, and the suburban setting makes everything feel grounded despite all the supernatural elements. That club sequence is pure 80s atmosphere, and the finale delivers both emotional weight and spectacular effects. Sometimes the best horror comes from taking silly premises completely seriously.
October 18 – The Howling (1981) Joe Dante’s werewolf film runs neck-and-neck with American Werewolf for best lycanthrope movie of the 80s. Dee Wallace gives a great performance as the news anchor recovering from trauma at this remote retreat that harbors some seriously dark secrets. The transformation scenes are incredible – Rob Bottin and Rick Baker created some truly memorable werewolf effects. What sets this apart is Dante’s satirical edge and how he builds genuine tension around the isolated community. The werewolves feel like a real threat, and the film doesn’t shy away from the violent implications of the curse. That campfire transformation scene is absolutely iconic. The movie works as straight horror but also as commentary on media, therapy culture, and the thin line between civilization and savagery.
October 19 – Creepshow (1982) George Romero and Stephen King’s love letter to EC Comics is pure fun from start to finish. Five horror tales presented in vivid comic book style, complete with panel transitions and bold colors. Each story has its own flavor – from the vengeful zombie in “Father’s Day” to the meteor-spawned plant growth in “The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill.” King himself shows up as the hapless farmer in that segment, and he’s surprisingly effective. The wraparound story with the kid and the voodoo doll ties everything together perfectly. What makes this work is how seriously everyone takes these ridiculous premises. The practical effects are top-notch, and each story builds to a satisfying twist ending. This is horror as pure entertainment.
October 20 – Hellraiser (1987) Clive Barker’s directorial debut introduced horror to concepts most films wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole. The Cenobites, led by Doug Bradley’s iconic Pinhead, represent this dimension where pain and pleasure become indistinguishable. The plot involving Frank’s resurrection through blood sacrifice is genuinely disturbing, while the puzzle box becomes one of horror’s most memorable artifacts. What sets this apart is Barker’s literary background – this isn’t just shock value, it’s carefully constructed mythology about desire, suffering, and transcendence. Clare Higgins is fantastic as the stepmother drawn into Frank’s web of resurrection and murder. The practical effects are beautifully grotesque, creating images that stick with you long after the credits roll. This movie redefined what horror could explore thematically.
October 21 – Near Dark (1987) Kathryn Bigelow’s vampire western reimagines bloodsuckers as nomadic outlaws roaming the American Southwest. Adrian Pasdar’s farm boy gets bitten and falls in with Bill Paxton’s vampire family, leading to one of the most unique takes on vampire mythology ever filmed. The cast from Aliens (Paxton, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein) brings serious acting chops to what could’ve been standard monster fare. That bar scene is absolutely brutal – Paxton’s vampire is charming and terrifying in equal measure. The film works as romance, western, and horror simultaneously without shortchanging any genre. The practical effects are excellent, particularly the vampire deaths in sunlight. This proves that familiar monsters can feel fresh with the right approach and atmosphere.
October 22 – The Monster Squad (1987) Fred Dekker’s kids-versus-monsters adventure is basically The Goonies meets Universal Horror, and it works perfectly. A group of young horror fans must save their town when Dracula teams up with the Wolfman, Mummy, and Frankenstein’s monster to take over the world. What makes this special is how seriously it takes both the kids and the monsters. The young actors feel like real friends, and their horror movie knowledge actually matters to the plot. Duncan Regehr makes for a genuinely threatening Dracula, while Tom Noonan’s Frankenstein monster has real pathos. The film earns its emotional moments through character development rather than manipulation. This is the rare kids’ horror movie that doesn’t talk down to its audience.
October 23 – The Lost Boys (1987) Joel Schumacher turned vampires into rock stars before anyone knew they wanted that. The Santa Carla setting becomes a character itself – this sun-soaked California beach town hiding a dark secret. Kiefer Sutherland leads a vampire pack that feels genuinely dangerous, while Jason Patric and Corey Haim anchor the human side as brothers drawn into the supernatural conflict. The film perfectly captures 80s MTV culture while delivering solid scares. That saxophone guy on the beach is peak 80s excess, and the comic book store scenes ground everything in recognizable reality. The vampire mythology gets updated for the Reagan era – these bloodsuckers are more interested in partying than traditional Gothic romance. Plus, that amusement park finale is pure visual spectacle.
October 24 – The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988) Wes Craven ventured into voodoo territory with this fact-based thriller about Haitian zombie powder. Bill Pullman plays the anthropologist investigating reports of people being buried alive and returning as zombies, only to get caught up in Haiti’s political turmoil. What makes this work is how Craven treats the supernatural elements seriously rather than as exploitation. The voodoo ceremonies feel authentic, and the political backdrop adds real-world weight to the horror. That buried alive sequence is pure nightmare fuel, and the hallucination scenes blur the line between reality and supernatural intervention. Paul Winfield is excellent as the antagonist who may or may not have genuine magical powers. This is horror grounded in cultural reality rather than pure fantasy.
October 25 – Waxwork (1988) Anthony Hickox created this clever anthology where college students get trapped in wax museum displays that transport them into classic horror scenarios. Each exhibit becomes a mini-movie – vampire castles, werewolf hunts, zombie mayhem. What’s brilliant is how the film uses the museum concept to pay homage to multiple horror subgenres while maintaining an overarching plot about good versus evil. The young cast takes everything seriously, which helps sell the outrageous premise. The practical effects vary from exhibit to exhibit, creating this grab bag of horror movie moments. That final battle in the museum is pure chaos, with every monster imaginable joining the fight. This is horror filmmaking as pure fun, celebrating the genre’s diversity while delivering genuine scares.
October 26 – Christine (1983) John Carpenter’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novel about a possessed 1958 Plymouth Fury proves that any object can become terrifying in the right hands. Keith Gordon is perfect as the nerdy teenager whose life changes when he buys the classic car, while Alexandra Paul provides the emotional anchor as his girlfriend who recognizes the danger. What makes this work is how Carpenter treats Christine as a character – the car has personality, jealousy, and murderous intent. The restoration scenes are genuinely eerie, watching the car repair itself through supernatural means. The practical effects work is incredible, particularly the scenes of Christine crushing and burning her victims. This is vintage Carpenter, building tension through character development before unleashing automotive hell.
October 27 – Wolfen (1981) Michael Wadleigh’s urban horror film presents wolves as ancient spirits defending their territory against human encroachment. Albert Finney investigates a series of brutal murders in the Bronx that may be connected to Native American legends about shapeshifters. What sets this apart is the serious treatment of indigenous mythology and the urban decay setting. Those wolf’s-eye-view sequences are technically innovative and genuinely unsettling. The film works as both creature feature and social commentary about gentrification and cultural destruction. Edward James Olmos provides gravitas as the Native American construction worker who understands what’s really happening. The wolves themselves are filmed in ways that make them feel supernatural rather than just animals. This is thinking person’s horror that respects both its monster mythology and real-world issues.
October 28 – Aliens (1986) James Cameron transformed Ridley Scott’s claustrophobic haunted house movie into a full-scale war film, and somehow it works perfectly. Sigourney Weaver returns as Ripley, now facing an entire hive of xenomorphs alongside a squad of colonial marines. What makes this sequel work is how it changes genres while respecting the original – this is action-horror rather than pure terror. The marines feel like real soldiers, and their gradual decimation by the aliens builds genuine tension. Bill Paxton steals scenes as the panicking Hudson, while Michael Biehn grounds everything as the competent Corporal Hicks. The alien queen is an incredible practical effect that still looks better than most CGI today. Cameron understands that horror sequels need to go bigger while maintaining what made the original special.
October 29 – Friday the 13th Part 3 (1982) A group of friends at a lakeside cabin encounter the now-legendary killer in this 3D sequel that basically cemented Jason’s place in horror history. While the plot is standard slasher fare, the film delivers exactly what fans want – creative kills, memorable characters, and that mask reveal that turned Jason into an icon. The 3D effects are obvious but charming, with objects flying at the camera in classic early-80s style. What makes this entry special isn’t innovation but perfection of the formula. Jason becomes the unstoppable force of nature that would define the character for decades. The final girl Dana Kimmell gives it her all, and the lakeside setting provides perfect atmosphere for slasher mayhem. Sometimes the best horror comes from giving audiences exactly what they expect, executed perfectly.
October 30 – Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) The black sheep that everyone initially hated but now secretly loves. No Michael Myers here – just pure 80s weirdness involving killer Halloween masks, ancient Celtic magic, and corporate conspiracies. I’ll admit it took me years to appreciate this one, but now I think it’s brilliant. Tom Atkins is great as the doctor investigating the mystery, and that Silver Shamrock commercial will be stuck in your head for weeks. “Eight more days till Halloween!” It’s like They Live meets The Twilight Zone, and honestly? Sometimes that’s exactly what horror needs. Don’t go in expecting slasher mayhem – this is straight-up science fiction horror.
October 31 – Halloween (1978) Ending with the granddaddy of slashers! This is where it all began, folks. Carpenter knew exactly what he was doing when he created Michael Myers – pure evil in a jumpsuit and William Shatner mask. What gets me every time is how simple yet effective this movie is. No backstory needed, no explanation required. Just a guy who won’t die stalking Jamie Lee Curtis around suburban Illinois. The synth score still gives me chills, and that opening POV shot? Revolutionary stuff. Fun fact: they shot this thing for practically nothing, but it feels bigger than most modern horror blockbusters. If you’ve never seen it, what are you even doing with your life? The perfect way to end Halloween night!
Hey guys thanks for reading my list. I am so excited for Halloween this year, and watching a horror movie a day gets my writing all jazzed up for horror. I love the fall and the spooky season. In the comments let me know of some movies you love watching for Halloween. Make sure to include your favorite horror movie, maybe next year it will be on the list.
I have also debated people about watching movies making your writing better. I think it does. You can debate that in the comments too. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this list. I’m dying to hear your choices, and Happy Halloween!
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