EIGHT SCARY HALLOWEEN CHOICES!

In honor of Halloween this week I give you a short list of movies & books with which to scare yourself!

1. Cooties released in September 2015 stars Elijah Wood and Raiin Wilson. This is story of a group of teachers who become trapped in the school they teach at by their students. It seems the children have become very ill with a food born virus. They have contracted the virus from eating contaminated chicken nuggets offered in the school cafeteria. Uh Oh! No wonder my mom always packed my lunch. Whatever this virus is has given them a taste for human flesh. I really enjoyed this film and you will too if you enjoy your horror with some comedy. It had gore, giggles, and genuine suspense. The kids were horribly mean and vindictive. They were some real little shits! The moral of the story is if you let your kid eat cafeteria nuggets they will turn into murdering bastards.

2. I Spit On Your Grave:Vengeance is Mine stars Sarah Butler and is a direct sequel to the 2010 remake of the original film. This movies finds Butler back in her role as Jennifer but having made a fresh start with a new identity. Jennifer joins a rape survivor group and makes a new friend. When her friend turns up murdered by her rapist and abusive ex boyfriend Jennifer starts to lose her grip. Her anger starts to grow when the cops don’t have enough evidence to prosecute the ex-boyfriend. If you enjoy rape/revenge movies you should check this movie out. The murders are not necessarily any more graphic than the previous films but the motive is different. There are moments where I felt the movie may have gone a bit too far with the revenge aspect. Perhaps there are women who react like this to being beaten and gang raped.

3.The Final Girls was released this month and stars Taissa Farmiga and Nina Dobrev. There is not much I can say about the plot without spoiling it. Five kids become trapped in an 80s horror film and must find their way out while trying to avoid being murdered. This movie reminded me of Scream in that it was self aware. I also enjoyed the 80s teens meeting up with today’s teens and they must work together to defeat the killer. The Final Girls has heart as well, which I loved. If you are an 80s kid this is a must see!

4. Creep stars Mark Duplass and was released in June 2015. Josef has brain cancer so he wants to make some videos so that his unborn son may someday know him. Aaron is the poor unfortunate that answers Josef’s ad to record these memories. I say this because Josef is not remotely who he seems or claims to be and when Aaron finds this out he will wish he never answered that ad. I don’t know what the budget for this movie was but it had to have been almost non existent. This didn’t matter because the movie was totally character driven and Duplass carried the film. He was so creepy in a subtle way that he instills in the viewer an overwhelming feeling of dread and unease. While Josef is not overtly threatening you know something is very very wrong with him. There is no nudity in this film. There is also no blood or gore. There is suspense and for all intents and purposes this is a slow burn.

5. Old 37 released this month stars horror fan favorites Kane Hodder and Bill Moseley. Old 37 tells the tale of two twisted brothers who intercept 911 calls with their old beaten up, broken down ambulance. Trust me you don’t want these guys showing up at the scene of your accident! NOT Good. There is a story behind these boys so it is not just murder for the sake of murder.This movie has plenty of gore and one set of fake  boobs that become the victim of an attack. If you are a fan of Kane and Bill, this is worth a watch.

6. Bloody April Fools is a slasher style horror film from Spain released in 2013. This movie is short at a 65 minute run time. It packs a punch in that short time. A group of kids spend the night in an abandoned hostel. One by one they are picked off by an unknown killer. There is no shortage of blood and gore in this movie and several pairs of boobs!!! I really enjoyed it pfor its slasher formula of stupid kids being creatively knocked off in blood soaked kills. If you like slasher films and don’t mind subtitles, Bloody April Fools is worth an hour of your time. My favorite thing about this little gem is what has to be the most disturbing masturbation scene I have ever come across in any movie.

7. Birdbox by Josh Malerman is a recent read of mine. This book tells the tale of an apocalyptic event that changes the world as we know it forever. The main character, Mallory, has just learned she is pregnant by a man who even under normal circumstances may not have been a responsible father. Unfortunately, Mallory also has to deal with the fact that she can no longer leave her house. People all over the world are seeing something that is turning them homicidal or suicidal. The only recourse is to stay in your house, cover all your windows, and hope for the best. When something happens that forces Mallory to leave her home and seek refuge elsewhere she realizes it is up to her to save herself and her unborn child. Birdbox is not a zombie book but it is about survival in a new world. I really enjoyed this book. It is the first book that has scared me in a very long time. It is super suspenseful and really does leave you on the edge of your seat.

8. The Consultant by Bentley Little will be released on October 31, 2015.  Craig Horne’s employer, Compware, is not doing well. They have had some financial setbacks. The owner has decided to hire a consultant to give the company an analysis on how to cut costs and get back on track. There is something not quite right about the consultant, Mr. Patoff, and the company he works for, BFG. Mr Patoff it seems likes to cross the boundaries between the work and personal lives of his client’s employees. He asks inappropriate questions of the employees, sends hundreds of emails a day,  shows up at their homes announced, or worse. If you have ever worked in an office especially during the most recent recession you will definitely get a kick out of this tale of workplace horror!

I hope my picks provide you with some thrills and chills during this Halloween season.