There’s a surprising dearth of wide-release horror movies coming out this month, but between rentals, special event screenings, on demand and streaming, there are a whole lot of ways to get your horror fix leading up to the 31st.
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| Looking for horror on your small screen this season? "The Walking Dead" is in its second season on AMC |
Here’s our list of suggestions, whether you’re staying at home, toughing it out at a midnight screening or looking to murder a Friday night with something on Netflix streaming.
In theaters
The only wide-release horror movies out this month are “The Thing,” a prequel to John Carpenter’s 1982 classic of the same name, and “Paranormal Activity 3,” the latest (and not likely final) entry in the popular series.
“The Thing,” now in theaters, has been mostly panned by critics, but it has its defenders. It takes place at an Antarctic research facility, where scientists have discovered an alien in the ice. The alien can assume the shape of any living organism and uses this skill to kill off the humans slowly. Like the 1982 version, this “Thing” splatters gooey gore galore.
“Paranormal Activity 3,” which opens Friday and will play at advance 10 p.m. and midnight screenings Thursday at The Grand, is a better bet if you’re looking for something scary. This one’s a 1988-set prequel to the first two films, taking us back to when doomed sisters Katie and Kristi were little girls and the evil entity that plagues them was just getting started. Early reviews are solid. Sure, it’s more of the same -- but the same is pretty terrifying.
If you’re wanting something a little more retro, you could go to one of The Grand Theatre’s Fright Fest Film Series movies. The haunted house flick “The Amityville Horror” will play at 10 p.m. Thursday, and the “my doll’s a serial killer!” classic “Child’s Play” will play at 10 p.m. Oct. 27.
The Grand also will screen “Ghostbusters” at 7 p.m. Thursday and Oct. 27. It's not strictly a horror movie, but those demon bear things are pretty scary.
Even the Ross is getting into the season. The Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln University Program Council will screen a double feature of George A. Romero’s 1968 zombie movie, “Night of the Living Dead,” and the 1964 film “The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb” at 8 p.m. Wednesday. The double feature is free for UNL students and $5 for faculty, staff and the public.
And I’m sorry to mention this, but Omaha’s Dundee Theatre is holding Friday and Saturday night midnight screenings of “The Human Centipede II." Dundee tweeted that it’s “sure to be one of the nastiest films ever shown in this theater.”
To rent
The biggest horror movie released on DVD this month is Kevin Smith’s “Red State,” a “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”-like story about a group of fundamentalist Christians who kidnap, torture and kill those they consider to be wicked. It’s a funny, brutal, sometimes incredibly disturbing movie.
“Scream 4” also was released this month and might be more to the taste of those wanting light and fluffy. The movie brings back the three principal characters for more running, screaming and stabbing. It’s not very successful at being scary, witty or culturally relevant, but it certainly has its moments.
Those looking for some good ol’ low class couldn’t get much lower than the new-to-Blu-ray movies “Basket Case” and “Maniac Cop.” In 1982’s “Basket Case,” a guy carries around a mysterious wicker basket that holds his disfigured and homicidal brother. In 1987’s “Maniac Cop,” Bruce Campbell plays a rookie cop who finds himself marked for death by a murderous police officer.
For something more high-brow, you could try either of the new Criterion Collection releases of the classic horror films “Island of Lost Souls” or “The Phantom Carriage." “Lost Souls” (on DVD and Blu-ray Tuesday) is a tale of science run amok adapted from H.G. Wells’ “The Island of Dr. Moreau.” “Phantom Carriage” follows the last person to die on New Year’s Eve, condemned to take the reins of Death’s chariot and collect fresh souls.
On demand
You can order a few still-in-theaters movies on demand through Amazon Instant, iTunes, Vudu or Time Warner’s on-demand services.
One of them is “The Human Centipede II,” which, well, we're not going to print the synopsis of in a family newspaper. The other is “Tucker and Dale vs. Evil,” a hilarious slasher goof about a couple of friendly rednecks (Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk) on vacation in their cabin in the woods who get mistaken for psycho killers by a group of preppy college students. It’s a fresh send-up of a tired genre, and, if you’ve got the right sick sense of humor, you’ll laugh hysterically.
Streaming
Netflix Instant has a hordes of horror movies streaming this month. These include “The Thing,” “Scream,” “The Exorcist,” “The Last Exorcism,” “Paranormal Activity” and “Paranormal Activity 2,” “Black Death,” “The Human Centipede” and even several old Vincent Price movies.
On TV
In addition to several ghost-hunting shows like SyFy’s “Paranormal Witness” and “Ghost Hunters," cable TV has three bona fide horror series (not counting “The Vampire Diaries”).
“Supernatural,” now in its seventh season, is on Friday nights on The CW and is about two brothers who fight, well, supernatural stuff.
“The Walking Dead,” now in its second season, is on Sunday nights on AMC; the series follows the survivors of the zombie apocalypse as they fight brain-eating shamblers (and one another).
Last and least is “American Horror Story,” a new show that plays Wednesday nights on FX. From the creators of “Glee,” “AHS” is a dreadful and stupid but not entirely unlikable series about a family terrorized by ghosts and leather-clad gimps.
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