Shocktober 2023: 31 Nights Of Frights

September is over!  Finally, for you die-hard frightening flick fans, the month of Shocktober is upon us!

And just what is Shocktober? Well, for you newbies and non-horror movie goers, it’s the 31-day horror filmfest many of us enjoy, beginning tonight!  It has other forms of celebration, but this is the party I’m attending!

So once again, continuing my annual movie mayhem marathon from days of old (but posting it here only since 2019). Here is my list of “one movie a day” fright flicks.  I try to keep it fresh and watch/suggest movies that I haven’t mentioned in the past, but as you know, every now and then you’ll get a repeat of one or two (definitely one).

That being said, I’m sure you realize that if you come at me for not posting cult classic movies X, Y & Z, know that it’s probably been listed already.  To see past lists, click here to read Shocktober selections for 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.

But enough of all that.  Let’s get to it, shall we?  Here are my personal suggestions and viewing plans, beginning tonight!

Shocktober 2023: 31 Nights Of Frights

1. The Meg (2018) A group of scientists exploring the Marianas Trench encounter the largest marine predator that has ever existed – the Megalodon.
2. Meg 2: The Trench (2023) A research team encounters multiple threats while exploring the depths of the ocean, including a malevolent mining operation.
3. X (2022) In 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in rural Texas, but when their reclusive, elderly hosts catch them in the act, the cast find themselves fighting for their lives.
4. Pearl (2022) In 1918, a young woman on the brink of madness pursues stardom in a desperate attempt to escape the drudgery, isolation, and lovelessness of life on her parents’ farm.
5. The Pope’s Exorcist (2023) Follow Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican’s leading exorcist, as he investigates the possession of a child and uncovers a conspiracy the Vatican has tried to keep secret.
6. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) The Wolf Man tries to warn a dimwitted porter that Dracula wants his brain for Frankenstein monster’s body.
7. The Nun 2 (2023) 1956 – France. A priest is murdered. An evil is spreading. The sequel to the worldwide smash hit follows Sister Irene as she once again comes face-to-face with Valak, the demon nun.
8. Body Bags (1993) Three short stories in the horror genre: the first about a serial killer, the second about a hair transplant gone wrong, and the third about a baseball player.
9. Prophecy (1979) A government health inspector is dispatched to assess the damage a logging company is causing to a patch of forest claimed by Native Americans, and comes face to face with true terror wreaking havoc in the woods.
10. Scream (2022) 25 years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, Calif., a new killer dons the Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town’s deadly past.
11. Scream VI (2023) In the next installment, the survivors of the Ghostface killings leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter in New York City.
12. Puppet Master (1989) Psychics find themselves plotted against by a former colleague, who committed suicide after discovering animated, murderous puppets.
13. Puppet Master 2 (1990) The puppets return and hunt paranormal researchers in an attempt to take their brain fluid for their master, Andre Toulon.
14. The Blackening (2022) Seven friends go away for the weekend and end up trapped in a cabin with a killer who has a vendetta. Will their street smarts and knowledge of horror movies help them stay alive? Probably not.
15. Evil Dead (1981) Five friends travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release flesh-possessing demons.
16. Evil Dead 2 (1987) The lone survivor of an onslaught of flesh-possessing spirits holes up in a cabin with a group of strangers while the demons continue their attack.
17. Army Of Darkness [Evil Dead 3] (1992) A sardonic hardware store clerk is accidentally transported to 1300 A.D., where he must retrieve the Necronomicon and battle an army of the dead so he can return home.
18. Evil Dead (2013) Five friends head to a remote cabin, where the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads them to unwittingly summon up demons living in the nearby woods.
19. Evil Dead Rise (2023) A twisted tale of two estranged sisters whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.
20. Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954) A strange prehistoric beast lurks in the depths of the Amazonian jungle. A group of scientists try to capture the animal and bring it back to civilization for study.
21. Creepshow (1982) Six grisly tales about a murdered father rising from his grave, a bizarre meteor, a vengeful husband, a mysterious crate’s occupant, a plague of cockroaches and a disgruntled boy.
22. Creepshow 2 (1987) Three macabre tales from the latest issue of a boy’s favorite comic book, dealing with a vengeful wooden Native American, a monstrous blob in a lake, and an undying hitchhiker.
23. Creepshow 3 (2006) This second sequel to Creepshow (1982) features five new tales of horror: “Alice”, “The Radio”, “Call Girl”, “The Professor’s Wife”, and “Haunted Dog”.
24. Creepshow (2019) The fictional Creepshow comic books come to life in this anthology series of terrifying tales hosted by the silent Creepshow ghoul.
25. What Every Happened To Baby Jane (1963) A former child star torments her paraplegic sister in their decaying Hollywood mansion.
26. Dracula (1931) Transylvanian vampire Count Dracula bends a naive real estate agent to his will, then takes up residence at a London estate where he sleeps in his coffin by day and searches for potential victims by night.
27. Talk To Me (2022) When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.
28. The Blob (1958) An alien lifeform consumes everything in its path as it grows and grows.
29. The Blob (1988) A deadly entity from space crash-lands near a small town and begins consuming everyone in its path. Panic ensues as shady government scientists try to contain the horrific creature.
30. Needful Things (1993) A mysterious new shop opens in a small town which always seems to stock the deepest desires of each shopper, with a price far heavier than expected.
31. Halloween (1978) Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again.

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And that about does it for this year’s lineup!  If you’re looking for any of these titles but can’t find them, check your local library or search your Netflix, Hulu, Max, Peacock, Prime, Paramount+ and any other streaming services to see what’s available.

…and be sure to watch it with a friend.

That being said, have a Happy Horrifying Halloween!

Got movies you intend to see? Share them in the Comments section below.  I might add them my 2024 roster.  And be sure to sign up at the bottom for email notification of future posts from Kenny’s Camera, Cooking & Crazy Confessions at ZootsBlogSpot!