Headless Horseman

 

Monster House

 

Rocktober Blood

 

Project Eerie

 

Tales From the Other Side

 

Hayride to Hell

 

Stan Helsing

 

Return of the Scarecrow (2017)

Return of the Scarecrow (2017)

Killer scarecrows have become popular horror villains as the costume is relatively easy to make, and like a clown, scarecrows can be personalized for each movie. A small town lives with a dark secret involving a scarecrow that can be brought to life if disturbed due to an ancient curse. The only way to control it is to send victims its way so it can sleep a few years more. Around Halloween, a group of visiting friends come to town and are lured to this menace after hearing tales in a bar. While some look to scare them with goofy costumes, a few citizens fear that the scarecrow will seek more victims in the community. Return of the Scarecrow has the look of a bloody horror movie, but it is instead more of an 80s-style horror comedy with its bungling characters and goofy moments involving the scarecrow. While it is a low-budget project, the movie has entertaining moments and some decent characters to help carry the film.   

Tales From All Hallows’ Eve

 

Halloween Pussy Trap Kill! Kill!

 

On Halloween

 

Harvest of the Dead

 

Boo! (2018)

 

Hayride

 

The Coven (2015)

The Coven (2015)

After sitting through a lecture on witchcraft, a group of English school girls decide to sneak into Queenswood on Halloween to camp out for the night. Yet, as their celebration winds down, they unwittingly find themselves exploited by a witch controlling their fate. The Coven is an English horror movie directed by John Mackie, featuring Dexter Fletcher. The poster for the movie looks similar to The Craft and suggests a film about a group of girls getting involved with witchcraft. While the plot involves witchcraft, the story takes a different direction than the poster suggests and is more about girls being lost in the woods. While most of the cast are young, they all seem believable as classmates, but the story is disjointed and relies too much on nepotism. The Coven is a spooky Halloween-centric story that misleads its audience into thinking it is ripping off The Craft while it is instead borrowing much of its story from the Blair Witch Project. 

Spine Chiller

 

Cemetery Stories

 

Final Girl: Halloween

 

Creeping Death

 

Truth or Die

 

All Hallows Eve: Inferno

 

Terrifier 3 (2024)

Terrifier 3 (2024)

A horror villain hasn't been as popular since his debut over ten years ago as this silent and deadly menace. With the release of the original Terrifier movie eight years ago, David Howard Thornton's portrayal of Art the Clown has transformed him into the new face of horror, a slasher that fans can't get enough of. Art the Clown has evolved into a horror icon unlike any other in recent years. It has been five years since the deadly night that Sienna and Jonathon survived, and both are dealing with the physical and psychological aftermath. While visiting her family and trying to enjoy the Christmas holiday, Sienna suspects that Art the Clown has returned to finish the job. Still, she isn't sure she can survive another confrontation. What has made Art the Clown so popular in the past decade is the truly creative and sadistic methods utilized by this silent menace. Most slasher killers don't put the effort that Art employs; his kills are brutal, and this franchise has made it popular with horror fans. Terrifier 3 stands out among other franchise films in that this movie isn't merely a vehicle for Art to mutilate more people; the focus on Sienna Shaw and the aftermath of her nearly fatal encounter helps to carry this film into a new holiday season. Lauren Lavera returns as Sienna and delivers an award-winning portrayal, showing why she is now one of the premiere scream queens in this era. Elliott Fullam returns as her brother Jonathan, showing what a great pair they make as screen siblings. Damien Leone has hit a triple with this entry, amping up the gore and creative slays with a new holiday setting, giving Art the Clown a new season of murderous mayhem. Since the first Terrifier release, Art the Clown has become a fixture at fan cons and Halloween events, with David Howard Thornton becoming a fan favorite. Before its release, Terrifier 3 earned some scorn for the intense violence, but fans of this franchise know precisely what they are getting with Art the Clown. 

The Pumpkin Man

 

The Hollow (2015)

The Hollow (2015)

Three sisters travel to their aunt's remote house on a Canadian island in the forest. Once there, they run out of gas and learn that a mysterious creature is hunting down the few inhabitants who remain on the island as a severe storm approaches. The Hollow is a SyFy movie directed by Sheldon Wilson and features Deborah Kara Unger. Like many SyFy television movies, The Hollow is a small-budget creature feature with one celebrity appearing briefly and mostly unknown actresses carrying the film. The isolated setting adds to the tension, which is one of the few pluses of this movie. The creature does look cool, but the CGI doesn't seem consistent throughout the film. The three actresses are probably the worst part of the movie; they spend most of the time screaming at each other while they make poor decisions like separating and running around as the creature kills everyone trying to help them. Outside of the cool monster and poster, this is run-of-the-mill SyFy fare. 

Idle Hands (1999)

Idle Hands (1999)

A teenage stoner and his two friends have an awkward situation when the spirit of a serial killer takes control of his right hand. The murderous desires of the hand make it uncomfortable for his two buddies and new girlfriend as he fights for control as the hand leaves bodies for him to take care of. Idle Hands is a 1999 comedy directed by Rodman Flender, starring Devon Sawa, Seth Green, Elden Henson, and Jessica Alba. Idle Hands is a silly black comedy that works due to Sawa's excellent slapstick-style performance. His comic delivery works well, with the costars Green and Henson providing excellent support as his stoner pals. Idle Hands has become a cult classic and one of the best stoner buddy comedies of the late 1990s, joining the ranks of Friday, Half Baked, and Scary Movie. 

The Curse of Halloween Jack (2019)

The Curse of Halloween Jack (2019)

After a deadly encounter with local law enforcement, a cult of druids has summoned the spirit of a serial killer who comes back as a vengeful scarecrow. The sequel to 2018's The Legend of Halloween Jack offers nothing more than an excuse to resurrect Halloween Jack. While the scarecrow creature is pretty cool, the rest of the movie offers nothing more than some police getting taken out by the villain. It is a shame to see such a great villain idea wasted on such a terrible movie, and that this sequel will make audiences wonder how these terrible movies even get made. 

The Jester (2023)

The Jester (2023)

During the Halloween season, two estranged sisters are brought together following the funerals of their father, but the reunion only brings more tension between them. They soon find themselves stalked by a mysterious jester figure who leaves several dead bodies in his path as both sisters must band together to fight back. The Jester is a 2023 holiday slasher directed by Colin Krawchuk and stars Lelia Symington and Delaney White. At first glance, this movie looks like a Terrifier copycat, and it is not difficult to think as much when you watch the silent Jester behave in a manner that Art the Clown is known for. Despite these similarities, The Jester is not a mere copycat, as the movie is less sadistic than Terrifier. The Halloween setting heavily factors in the plot as the dark comic style of The Jester is in full display with its often unique methods of mayhem.

V/H/S Beyond

 

Halloween Night (2006)

Halloween Night (2006)

Asylum Studios is better known for its mockbuster movies, so seeing a traditional slasher from the studio behind Atlantic Rim and Transmorphers is surprising. A Halloween costume party goes south when a poorly staged prank disrupts the drunken fun. This event distracts the partygoers from the disguised killer who uses his convenient mask to murder folk one at a time. Halloween Night is a by-the-book slasher film that checks off all the boxes you expect with an 80s-style slasher. Despite being an Asylum movie, this is one of their better efforts, as the film is pretty bloody, has a cool villain, and plenty of the usual horny teens breaking all the rules of slasher movies. While it is derivative of Halloween and Friday the 13th, October Night is a fun throwback to the age of 80s slashers and won't disappoint if you are looking for a bloody, stabby, slashy movie.  

Halloweentown (1998)

 Halloweentown (1998)

Marnie is a 13-year-old girl who longs to celebrate Halloween with her friends but finds that her mother strictly forbids this with her siblings. When her grandmother pays a visit, she is encouraged to embrace her love for Halloween, and when she sneaks out, she learns that her family has a magical secret. While Disney is better known for its cartoons, it also has a rich tradition of live-action action on holiday fare, and Halloweentown has emerged as one of the most believed Halloween films. Featuring a cast that includes Hollywood legends Debbie Reynolds and Judith Hoag and introduces Kimberly Brown as Marnie. Halloweentown is a delightful film that celebrates family and the cast to help deliver a spooky, fun time with great characters and a story that isn't too scary for younger audiences. While the film's special effects might seem rudimentary compared to bigger-budget movies, Halloweentown delivers a story that has made it one of Disney's best Halloween family movies.   

Amityville Scarecrow

 

Halloween Horror Tales (2018)

Halloween Horror Tales (2018)

A lady dressed in white presents four dark tales in this anthology that, despite its title, does not involve Halloween. The first story involves an escaped lunatic who dresses as a clown; the second tale focuses on an actress being interviewed by a horror personality; the third involves a deadly sunflower, while the last one features a detective investigating some murders. Halloween Horror Tales was released in 2018 and directed by Jeff Kirkendall, a fixture in Mark Polonia's micro-budget movies. While the stories span from creative to outright silly, the movie overall reflects the low-budget style that Mark Polonia movies are known for. The sets are simple, the props and effects cheap, and the actors are little known outside Polonia's movies. Overall, this movie suffers from a cheap look, and the stories suffer as a result; it also seems misleading to have the Halloween title as there is not one reference to Halloween in any of these segments.   

Autumn Road (2021)

Autumn Road (2021)

Two brothers who run a local haunt attraction have to relive the events of a tragic night when a young friend disappeared years before. This event resurfaces when her sister returns after a tragedy, which brings her back to her hometown, exposing the brothers' rift and some dark secrets. Autumn Road is a 2021 indie horror film directed by Riley Cusick and starring Lorelai Linklater, Riley Cusick, and Lar Park Lincoln. Unlike other haunt movies that have been released in recent years, Autumn Road focuses more on the troubled relationship of the two brothers and how it has shaped their lives. While the film is set during the Halloween season, it is more a psychological thriller than a slasher, as viewers might suspect. The brothers are portrayed by a single actor who effectively portrays both roles, but it follows the trope of a good and evil brother often seen in other horror films. Autumn Road is a bit slow, but the best parts are the contrasting roles of the two brothers and how easy it is to forget that there is only one actor.