Like slithering monster creepers, we're slowly inching ever closer to Halloween. Yeah, I just called us all slithering monster creepers, what of it? Show some monster solidarity, you guys! Anyway, this week two major horror genres get their due: Stephen King and Zombies! Feast your eyes on these, plus some other spooky highlights.
Stephen King Adaptations:
Christine
Thursday, October 13 at 8pm, Saturday, October 15 at 6pm, and Sunday, October 16 at 12:30pm on AMCWash your car. Maintain your car. Keep the tires filled. Change the oil regularly. Just don't ever trust it to not run you down in a back alley.
Carrie
Friday, October 14 at 2:15am and 5:45pm on AMCExcept for the telekinesis, religious zealotry, public menstruation, and mass murder, I think we've pretty much all lived this story, right? This Brian DePalma classic is basically just a documentary on being a teenager.
Secret Window
Friday, October 14 at 9:45am and Saturday, October 15 at 4am on AMCJohn Turturro just WILL NOT get out of Johnny Depp's yard and Johnny Depp is starting to get TICKED.
Pet Sematary
Friday, October 14 at 1:45pm and Saturday, October 15 at 9am on AMCNative American ghosts turn a dead toddler into a scalpel-wielding problem child.
Dreamcatcher
Friday, October 14 at 8pm and Saturday, October 15 at 1am and 3pm on AMCOne of the most hilarious movies ever made, this thing involves butt-aliens, imaginary hideouts, and the craziest eyebrows Morgan Freeman has ever glued onto his face. Check it out, for real!
Thinner
Friday, October 14 at 11pm, Saturday, October 15 at 1pm, and Sunday, October 16 at 3:30am on AMCA gypsy woman curses a man to lose tons of weight, but he is not as thrilled about it as you might expect.
Graveyard Shift
Saturday, October 15 at 7pm on AMCDefinitely just DVR this and watch it after midnight while doing chores. Now you're involved!
Cujo
Saturday, October 15 at 8pm and Sunday, October 16 at 10:30am on AMCA rabid dog is having a really bad day and some lady and her kid have gotten on his LAST nerve.
Silver Bullet
Friday, October 14 at 12:15am and 11:45am and Sunday, October 16 at 1:30am on AMCCorey Haim chills in a wheelchair for most of this 1985 werewolf movie.
The Shining
Saturday, October 15 at 10pm and Sunday, October 16 at 7am on AMCThis is the original Kubrick masterpiece. But do you remember that awful TV remake from the '90s? Ugh, that miniseries was like a walnut in your Trick-or-Treat bag.
The Dark Half
Sunday, October 16 at 8:30pm on IFCA novelist starts having his life taken over by a fictional alter-ego. Hey speaking of which, it's almost NaNoWriMo! How many novels will you write this time??
Zombies!!
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Thursday, October 13 at 9pm and Friday, October 14 at 5:30pm on SyfyTune in for the stellar first ten minutes, stick around for the unnecessarily good remainder.
Dance of the Dead
Saturday, October 15 at 7:30pm and 11:45pm and Sunday, October 16 at 2:45am on IFCHere's a charming indie flick about a decidedly uncharming phenomenon: PROM. Haha, I bet you thought I meant zombies, but no, I meant prom. Anyway. Yeah. Zombies attack the prom.
The Walking Dead Season 1 Marathon and Season 2 Premiere
Sunday, October 16 at 2:30pm on AMCTelevision's finest show about a zombie apocalypse returns this Sunday at 9pm, but why not get caught up with the entirety of Season 1 beforehand? God bless you, AMC.
Good Things:
Shivers
Tuesday, October 11 at 10:30pm on IFCHere's an early David Cronenberg film involving parasites that make people want to get it on with other people in their apartment complex. No offense to my neighbors, but I would NOT like that to happen.
The Wicker Man (1973)
Wednesday, October 12 at 12:30am on IFCThis is the original version (sorry, Nicolas Cage-camp fans!). In my opinion, more horror films should feature a mystical musical number halfway through.
Zodiac
Wednesday, October 12 at 9:30pm on IFCNot officially a horror film, but scarier than most horror films? Dang, Zodiac is scary, you guys!
Signs
Friday, October 14 at 12am on TBSAgain, not a horror film, but this movie has some of the most terrifying scares in cinema. Too bad about the ending. And the director's follow-up films. But still, that videotaped birthday party scene! So good.
Sweeney Todd
Saturday, October 15 at 5pm & 9:15pm and Sunday, October 16 at 12:15am on IFCWhat's Halloween without a big-budget Tim Burtonstravaganza?
The Last House on the Left (2009)
Sunday, October 16 at 10pm on SpikeI agree with people who bemoan the state of modern horror and how it's been mostly ruined by remakes, but I don't object to this film. I actually might prefer it to the essentially unwatchable Wes Craven original (it's so unpleasant, you guys). Plus, hey look, it's Jesse Pinkman!
Bad Fun Things:
Virus
Tuesday, October 11 at 11am on AMCDo you remember this movie? A space virus from hell infects an ocean vessel, incorporates the body parts of corpses, and then fires a shotgun at Jamie Lee Curtis. Merchant-Ivory did some truly remarkable work in the '90s.
Clive Barker's Book of Blood
Wednesday, October 12 at 3am on SyfyIt's no Hellraiser, but, you know, what is?
Freddy vs. Jason
Sunday, October 16 at 9am on SpikeDirector Ronnie Yu took an insanely obvious premise and managed to make it pretty dang fun. The best scene is definitely when Kelly Rowland tells Freddy Krueger off (see photo above). MORE movies should have that scene.
The Unborn
Sunday, October 16 at 8pm on SpikeFinally, practitioners of the Jewish faith got their own Exorcist! Unfortunately it was this thing. On the upside: Cam Gigandet! Or is that a downside? Not sure anymore.
What scary movies are YOU going to watch this week?
No Salems Lot? WTH?
I'll be watching The Changeling (George C. Scott) and Constantine this weekend. Either are way better than anything (well, except maybe for Zodiak) than anything listed here. You want good scary movies this Halloween? Do yourself a favour and hit the imdb.com top 100 horror movies
Will enjoy the Stephen King and zombie films. I was hoping to see Midnight Meat Train from Clive Barker make the list, still Book of Blood is a decent one too. My only complaint, are these movies just as good with the tv editing? I think I'll just dust off my dvd collection and watch that way...
All the Stephen King movies, of course!
Attention Criminal Minds fans; catch Joe Mantegna as mobster Richie Ginellie in the Steven King movie 'Thinner'!
it's a Stephen King movie -so there !
Your movie list will be my guide for the next few weeks (I'm a Dreamcatcher fan), but in addition, this review is great ... I love it!
I may watch the Walking Dead marathon.
And I have to agree with the Signs blurb. That birthday party scene is one of favourite scenes from a 'horror' movie.
I'll try watching lots--especially Carrie! But my hands will be over my eyes....lol
Shivers is good but I'll take Cronenberg's Scanners over it...it's so hard on the mind to watch...;)
The Walking Dead. thank you Amc!
Dreamcatcher is great because of the cast. However, I am looking forward to watching The Last House on the Left... mainly because I want to check out Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul)!
I love horror movies and there are some great ones on this list. I am looking forward to watching a bunch of these. Stephen King movies never really live up to his books, but they are usually pretty good anyway. :)
I agree, they never live up to the books. However, there's always some good adaptions like Carrie, Cujo and Christine. The Shining, while it is a classic horror film and it's great is really different from the book.... I actually liked the film better
You've just named my favorite Stephen King movies :-) Other favorites are Stand by Me and The Shawnshank Redemption but those aren't horror films... :-D