20 Horror Films For Halloween (10/29/25)

Posted on October 29, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here’s 20 suggestions, some of which are obvious and some of which are not.

The Essentials

What would Halloween be without watching Halloween (1978)? And, just to make clear, I’m talking about the John Carpenter Halloween and not any of that David Gordon Green crap. John Carpenter’s Halloween continues to be one of the most effective horror films ever made and it’s also the rare example of a slasher film in which the victims are just as memorable as the killer. I love Donald Pleasence’s performance as Dr. Loomis. Halloween can be viewed on Shudder.

Halloween II (1981) picks up right where the first Halloween ended. Jamie Lee Curtis doesn’t really do much in this version, other than spend her time limping through the hallways of Haddonfield’s nearly deserted hospital. However, that just means that we get to spend more time with Dr. Loomis! Halloween II is nowhere near as effective as the first film but it still introduced some really interesting ideas, like Samhain and Laurie being Michael’s sister. David Gordon Green decided all of that unnecessary. I disagree. Halloween II can be viewed on Peacock.

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) does not feature Michael Myers or Laurie Strode or even Dr. Loomis. However, it does feature the Silver Shamrock theme song, Tom Atkins yelling like a badass, and Don O’Herlihy explaining the true meaning of Halloween. “….and Happy Halloween.” Halloween III can be viewed on Peacock.

The Exorcist (1973), William Friedkin’s masterpiece and the first horror film to ever be nominated for Best Picture, is one of the few horror film to remain frightening even after repeat viewings. I will add that you don’t have to be Catholic to get The Exorcist but it definitely helps. The Exorcist can be viewed on HBOMax.

Suspiria (1977) remains Dario Argento’s best film, a dizzying masterpiece of horrific pop art that mixes blood, ballet, witches, music, and names that start with S. From the moment that Jessica Harper (giving a great performance) steps into the rainy night to the shocking double murder at the red apartment building to the mind-bending climax, Suspiria is a brilliant mix of suspense and horror. Do not see the remake. (What is the deal with pretentious schmucks remaking brilliant horror films?) The original is all you need. It’s on Tubi.

Inferno (1980) is one of Argento’s more unfairly overlooked films. A loose sequel to Suspiria, Inferno is a masterpiece of both horror and paranoia. Irene Miracle’s opening swim is one of Argento’s most haunting set pieces. The killer kitties are adorable. The ending features effects work from none other than Mario Bava. Sadly, the making of Inferno was not a happy experience for Argento and it temporarily soured him on working in America. This brilliant film is on Tubi.

After his bad experience with Inferno, Argento returned to his giallo roots with Tenebrae (1982). A series of murders in Rome are connected to an American writer. Argento reportedly did not get along with star Anthony Franciosa but he still got a good performance out of him. The wonderfully quirky supporting cast includes John Saxon, Daria Nicolodi, Christian Borromeo, John Steiner, Lara Wendel, Ania Pieroni, and Giuliano Gemma. This film features several frightening and suspenseful set pieces. The relentless dog still freaks me out. Tenebrae can be viewed on Tubi.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) — again, the original and not the remake — holds up surprisingly well. Whenever I watch it, I’m shocked to be reminded of just how scary Freddy Krueger actually was in his first film appearance. This Wes Craven shocker is available on HBOMax.

Poltergeist (1982) — the original, not the remake — also holds up well. JoBeth Williams finding the strength after being thrown around her room to limp down that ever expanding hallway to save her children continues to be both horrifying and inspiring. Craig T. Nelson’s over-the-top delivery of “YOU LEFT THE BODIES!” continues to make me smile. Poltergeist can be viewed on HBOMax.

It’s not Halloween without Bruce Campbell and Evil Dead (1981) — the original, though the remake isn’t bad — is available on Tubi. Though it lacks the humor of the sequels, the first Evil Dead holds up very well and one can definitely see why not only Bruce Campbell but also Sam Raimi went on to have active and successful career afterwards.

In my previous entry, I listed several Vincent Price/Roger Corman collaborations. Somehow, I failed to include The Masque of the Red Death (1964), which is the best of them all. Vincent Price is wonderfully evil. Roger Corman’s direction is appropriately intense. Nicholas Roeg’s cinematography is beautifully ominous. It can be viewed on Tubi.

The Wolf Man (1941) — the original, even though I like the remake — is one of my favorite Universal horror films, even if it does leave me wondering how Lon Chaney, Jr. could possibly be the son of Claude Rain. In future films, Larry Talbot would become a bit too whiny for his own good. In this one, your heart breaks for him and his father. The Wolf Man can be viewed on Peacock.

White Zombie (1932) is considered to be first feature-length zombie film. It’s a bit creaky but it does feature one of Bela Lugosi’s best performances. One should see it for its historical significance, if nothing else. It can be viewed on on Tubi!

Odds and Ends

One can debate whether or not Targets (1968) should be considered a horror film or a thriller but it features what is perhaps Boris Karloff’s best performance, playing an aging horror star who fears that his old movies can’t compete with reality. For once, Karloff is the hero, bravely confronting a madman who starts shooting at the people attending a showing of one of Karloff’s old films. Targets can be viewed on Pluto TV.

The Dead Pit (1989) is a personal favorite of mine. An amnesiac (energetically played by Cheryl Lawson) finds herself in an insane asylum where she spends a lot of time running around in her underwear while a doctor performs experiments and the dead rise. Lawson’s committed performance and director Bett Leonard’s atmospheric direction elevate the entire film. This is 80s, low-budget horror at its best and it’s on Tubi.

Night of the Demons (1988) asks the question, “Is it really a good idea to have a party in a deserted house?” Night of the Demons is enjoyable in its shameless and demented way. Linnea Quigley and Angela Kinkade throw themselves into the role of the two girls throwing the party. The film is energetic, surprising, witty, and occasionally even scary. It can be viewed on Tubi.

From the same director as Night of the Demons, Witchboard (1986) is the ultimate film about why one shouldn’t mess with a Ouija board. I relate to Witchboard because it’s about a redhead who never curses. Beyond that, though, this is a good horror film that features Stephen Nichols getting upset when everyone fails to take his Ouija board seriously. This film actually has its share of very real jump scares. It can be viewed on Tubi.

Wishmaster (1997) is well-remembered for Andrew Divoff’s creepy intensity as the Djinn but the cast is actually a who’s who of horror royalty. Robert Englund, Tony Todd, George “Buck” Flower, Kane Hodder, Reggie Bannister, Joe Pilato, they all made appearances. I like the fact that no one ever chooses their words carefully when speaking to Wishmaster. The film is on Tubi.

Dead and Buried (1981) features strange things happening in a coastal town. This film feels like a particularly gruesome episode of The Twilight Zone and features a strong performance from Jack Albertson as the coroner with a secret. It’s on Tubi.

Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) has a terrible reputation that is largely deserved but I have to admit that I find it to be strangely fascinating. It’s such a misfire that you really can’t look away and it takes an all-star cameo approach to its story that feels so wrong that it leaves you wondering whether John Boorman was intentionally going for a parody or not. Richard Burton doesn’t waste any time with being subtle. See if you can figure out what’s going on during the flashback scenes. It’s on Tubi and I dare you to watch it.

Click here for the weekend’s list!

Scenes I Love: Bruce Campbell in Army of Darkness

Posted on June 22, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to the one and only Bruce Campbell!

A true American success story, Bruce Campbell first met and befriended Sam Raimi when the two of them were high school students in Michigan. Campbell first gained attention in Raimi’s Evil Dead films and he’s been a mainstay in Raimi’s films ever since. He’s also been a favorite of the Coen Brothers, Don Coscarelli, William Lustig, and scores of other director. Few actors can balance both drama and comedy with the adroitness of Bruce Campbell.

Campbell, of course, is best-known for his performance as Ash Williams, the S-Mart store clerk who lost his hand while spending the weekend at a cabin, spent some time in the past, and later earned the right to tell us all to say “hail to the king, baby.” Campbell’s ability to do often violent slapstick comedy, along with his ability to deliver the most absurd of dialogue with a straight face, came together to make him into a true pop cultural icon. Though Campbell has since announced his retirement from playing Ash (saying that, at his age, he can no longer physically spends hours a day getting beaten up), he remains a beloved actor to horror fans everywhere.

Today’s scene that I love comes from 1992’s Army of Darkness and it features Bruce Campbell at his best. All Ash has to do is remember three simple words and say them before taking the Necronomicon from its place. Of course, Ash being Ash, things don’t quite work out that simply….

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special 1981 Edition

Posted on June 8, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!

Today, we pay tribute to the year 1981 with….

4 Shots From 4 1981 Films

Christiane F. (1981, dir b Uli Edel, DP: Justus Pankau and Jürgen Jürges)

The Beyond (1981, dir by Lucio Fulci, DP; Sergio Salvati)

Escape From New York (1981, dir by John Carpenter, DP: Dean Cundey)

Evil Dead (1981, dir by Sam Raimi, DP: Tim Philo)

Film Review: Evil Dead Rise (dir by Lee Cronin)

Posted on December 4, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

In the latest Evil Dead film, an earthquake hits Los Angeles, shaking an apartment complex, destroying the fire escape, and screwing up the elevators. It also leads to a part of the basement parking lot collapsing, revealing a previously concealed chamber. Three siblings — teenagers Danny (Morgan Davies) and Bridget (Gabrielle Echols) and their younger sister, Kassie (Nell Fisher) — enter the chamber. Danny finds several vinyl records and a book that is bound in human skin.

Now, personally, if I found a book that was bound in human skin, I would not pick it up. I mean, that’s just creepy! Honestly, the only reason why someone would bound a book in human skin would be to let the world know that the book is something evil. But Dany is stupid, so he takes the book back to the apartment where he and his siblings live with their mother, Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland). Danny not only opens the book but he also plays the records. The second record features a priest reciting an incantation and soon, all Hell breaks lose. It doesn’t take long before Ellie is dead and then possessed by the Deadites. Soon, the entire building is full of possessed people and it falls to Ellie’s wayward sister, a “groupie” named Beth (Lily Sullivan), to protect the children from the demon that is inhabiting their mother’s body.

Evil Dead Rise has been described as being the “second Evil Dead film without Bruce Campbell” but that’s not quite true. Along with Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell served as an executive producer on the film and he also provided the voice of one of the people heard on the vinyl record. As Campbell is heard telling the priest not to read the incantation, it’s totally probable that the voice on the record is meant to be belong to Ash Williams. Evil Dead Rise definitely takes place in the same cinematic universe as the previous Evil Dead films. This isn’t like one of David Gordon Green’s snooty Halloween films. Evil Dead Rise is not ashamed of its heritage and, indeed, it’s full of visual references to the previous Evil Dead films. Yes, an eyeball is swallowed. Yes, there is a huge amount of blood spilled in the film, with the film’s main characters literally getting drenched in it. Yes, a boomstick is fired. And yes, there is some chainsaw action towards the end of the film. Beth says, “Come get some,” at one point and it’s a crowed-pleasing moment. The characters are all named after people who were involved in the previous films. At a time when so many sequels and reboots seem to resent the films that came before, Evil Dead Rise does not hide its heritage.

That said, while watching Evil Dead Rise, it was hard not to miss the slapstick anarchy that Raimi and Campbell brought to Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness. Evil Dead Rise plays up the horror of the Deadites and it is one of the rare horror films where you truly do come to feel like any character, regardless of how innocent or likable, could die at any moment. But, to be honest, the Deadites aren’t that interesting without Sam Raimi’s hyperactive visuals and Ash’s over-the-top mix of machismo and stupidity. Without the humor and the destructive glee of Raimi and Campbell, the Deadites are just another group of mean-spirited demons. Without Ash and Raimi’s kinetic camerawork, the film focuses on the Deadites and the film sometimes feels a bit generic as a result.

Which is not to say that Evil Dead Rise is not an effective survival horror film. The apartment building is an appropriately claustrophobic location and the sibling rivalry between Ellie and Beth brings an interesting subtext to the film’s story. When the possessed Ellie taunts Beth, it’s obvious that Beth is hearing everything that she’s always suspected her sister thought about her. Defeating her possessed sister is as much about Beth conquering her own insecurities as it is about defending Ellie’s children. Even if it’s not quite to the level of Raimi’s films, the blood-drenched finale achieves a horrific grandeur that bring to mind the best of Lamberto Bava’s Demons films. Evil Dead Rise is a well-made if occasionally generic chapter in the Evil Dead saga, though it’s impossible not to miss Rami and Campbell while watching the film.

Horror Scenes I Love: Bruce Campbell in Army of Darkness

Posted on October 4, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 Shots From 4 Films: Horror Remakes (Evil Dead, Maniac, The Fly, The Thing)

Posted on February 15, 2019 by Arleigh

4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking.

Been awhile since I did one of these. Time to get back on the horse, so to speak.

Today’s edition of “4 Shots From 4 Films” is all about horror remakes. Not just any horror remakes since those are as common as the cold. I’m talking about horror remakes that are good to great. Sometimes, the remake even surpasses the original.

4 Shot From 4 Films

Evil Dead

Maniac

The Fly

The Thing

Everyone Else Is Talking About The “Evil Dead” Remake, So I Guess I Will, Too

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Ryan C. (fourcolorapocalypse)

Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat — first-time director Fede Alvarez’s new remake/”reimagining” of Sam Raimi’s 1981 classic The Evil Dead (this time going out minus the article at the beginning of the title, so it’s just Evil Dead, thank you very much) is not, as its ad poster claims, “the most terrifying film you will ever experience.” That’s actually a gutsier tag line than it sounds on first reading, since it’s essentially promising that not only is this flick scarier than anything you’ve already seen, it’s scarier than anything else you’re ever going to see for the rest of your life. It can’t live up to that, period — and truth be told, it’s not even very scary at all.

Which isn’t to say that it’s bad or anything. In many key respects — eschewing CGI for “real” special effects, not even trying to cast somebody new in the role of Ash since absolutely anyone would suffer in comparison to Bruce Campbell (who, along with Raimi, is on board as at least an air-quote producer on this one) — Alvarez and his cohorts (including, it pains me to say, co-screenwriter Diablo Cody, who I was fairly certain was going to fuck things up here in some way, shape, or form but, pleasingly, doesn’t) get a lot of what they’re trying to do here right. The film is gory beyond belief, moves at nearly the same breakneck pace as its ’81 template, there’s a sublimely wrong tree-rape (yes, you read that correctly) scene, the script provides a believably updated reason for why our five protagonists are getting together in a remote cabin in the woods — that looks very much like the original, might I add — in the first place ( I won’t spell it out too specifically but it gives new meaning to the old “withdrawal’s a bitch” cliche), and the performances are, on the whole, fairly solid.

They’ve also wisely chosen not to mess with the whole “haunted book inked in human blood and bound in human skin that releases untold evil onto the world” premise, so points all around for not only not messing with what worked in the original, but also for not trying to catch lightning in a bottle twice by hewing too closely to it. Alvarez seems to have gone into this one knowing what he should and shouldn’t play around with, and that puts him a step ahead of your average horror remake director.

Here’s the rub, though — whenever you’re trying to update the look and feel of a $375,000 production on a budget of $14 million, something’s bound to get lost in translation, and no matter how hard it tries, Evil Dead circa 2013 just can’t capture the grittiness, the grime, the immediacy and, dare I say it, the heart of its progenitor. Alvarez is definitely going for an old-school approach here, and I commend him for that, but it’s still (and obviously) not old-school in actuality. Once you poke beneath the paper-thin surface, it becomes fairly obvious that any successes the new film has are more or less of the cosmetic and superficial variety. It looks good, sure — but it still feels kinda wrong, even though it’s doing its level best to cover that up by, again to its credit, not giving you too much time to think.

I mentioned before that I by and large liked the cast — Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas, Elizabeth Blackmore and, especially, Jane Levy as our doomed (or is she?) central “heroine,” Mia — all do a nice job. But none of them especially stand out, either, which isn’t too bad a mini-metaphor for the movie itself as a whole — it’s thoroughly competent in terms of its execution, but there’s not much extra “spark” to the proceedings. Alvarez seems to understand the essential ingredients for making a solid, respectful, won’t-piss-you-off updating of a classic, but he’s got some way to go before he can create a genuine classic from whole cloth himself.

In some respects, there’s really not a whole lot he can do about that — The Evil Dead was shot in a remote Tennessee cabin while Evil Dead constructed its own location in New Zealand that set out to ape the look and feel of middle-of-nowhere USA as best it can — but that’s just endemic of the greater problem at work here, namely that this is a story that just plain not only doesn’t need a so-called “upgrade,” but literally can’t survive one with its celluloid soul intact. I give Alvarez all the kudos in the world for trying, and for at least understanding the surface elements of what made the original the undeniable classic that it’s rightly hailed as, but so much of what made Raimi’s flick the singular triumph that it was can never be duplicated. Hence, I guess, why I just referred to it as a “singular” work. In short, while we’re still talking about the first one some 32 years after its release, I’ll be damn surprised if people are talking about this remake very much even a year from now.

Still — they did what they could here, I suppose. I had an exchange with a couple of friends on facebook earlier today about the endless stream of remakes in general that we’re forced to navigate, and it made me realize that at some unspecified, silently-arrived-at point, I went from going into these things thinking “I hope they get it right this time” to “dear God I hope they don’t fuck this one up.” It’s a subtle shift, sure, but it certainly speaks volumes about the general performance of the studios’ big-budget-remake machine. I’m pleased to say that Alvarez et. al. don’t fuck this one up (and whatever you do, hang around until the credits are over — you’re guaranteed to leave with a smile on your face even if you don’t actually like the film at all), but it is what it is. The Evil Dead 1981 was a product of blood, sweat, tears, determination, and — weird as it may sound — love, put together by folks who didn’t always know what they were doing but were always giving it more than their best effort. Evil Dead 2013 is, for all its attempts to duplicate the trappings of its predecessor, a professionally-executed Hollywood production. You tell me which is gonna be better.

Hell — tell me which has to be.

Trailer: Evil Dead (Full Red Band)

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Arleigh

Remake. Remake. Remake.

I can hear the howls now. Not another horror remake and one of a classic in the genre that many fans consider one of the holy grails of horror cinema. Guess what I say to those people. SHUT THE FUCK UP!

With the complete blessing from both Sam Raimi and Bruce “Who is God when he wants to walk amongst his creations” Campbell and them back but in the role of producers and mentor to the remake’s director, Fede Alvarez, and the young ensemble cast I have much more faith with this particular horror remake than others of its kind.

The trailer itself looks to go on the far extreme on the horror side of the original. I didn’t get a sense of much of the black humor of the original film (and it’s subsequent semi-remake), but I think that’s a good thing. Why remake a classic beat for beat when one can go their own way and explore something even the original never did.

One thing I can say about this full red band trailer that has me jumping up and down like a horror fan on bath salts…

VIOLENTLY AMOROUS TREE: Check!

LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF BLOOD: Check!

GRAPHIC DISMEMBERMENT: Check!

CHAINSAW: Check!

DEADITE POSSESSIONS: Check!

FACE-EATING (or Extreme GIRL-ON-GIRL MAKE-OUT SESSION: Check and Check!