SHOCKtober: 92-69

We are closing in on the end of SHOCKtober, folks. Kind of hard to believe, isn't it? But it's true, and I'll tell you how I know. You might be thinking "Uh, you looked at the calendar?" and yes, that's one way how I can tell. But there's another way, and that's that late last night I came around a dark corner of my building and was startled by my neighbor standing there, dressed like a candy corn. You might be thinking "Don't assume to know all of your neighbor's proclivities!" and while that's certainly good advice, I can say with confidence that he was dressed as a candy corn because of the fast-approaching holiday, not exclusively because of some kink. (I can't say for sure whether or not that played a part in it, of course--I don't know him that well.) So yes, not to boast but I know SHOCKtober is almost over because of the date on the calendar and also because my obviously superior powers of deduction.

But we've still got movies to go before we sleep, including these, for which eight votes was enough!

92. The Brood – 1979, David Cronenberg

91. The Birds – 1963, Alfred Hitchcock

90. Shaun of the Dead – 2004, Edgar Wright

89. Salem's Lot – 1979, Tobe Hooper

88. Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror – 1922, F.W. Murnau

87. Misery – 1990, Rob Reiner

86. Longlegs – 2024, Osgood Perkins

85. Lake Mungo – 2008, Joel Anderson

84. Jennifer's Body – 2009, Karyn Kusama

83. Hell House LLC – 2015, Stephen Cognetti

82. Creepshow – 1982, George A. Romero

Aw yiss it's so fine to countdown films with votes numbering nine. (Sorry.)

81. The Ring – 2002, Gore Verbinski

80. The Innocents -- 1961, Jack Clayton

79. The Blob – 1988, Chuck Russell

78. Re-Animator – 1985, Stuart Gordon

77. Phantasm – 1979, Don Coscarelli

76. Nope – 2022, Jordan Peele

75. Let's Scare Jessica to Death – 1971, John D. Hancock 

74. Incantation – 2022, Kevin Ko

73. Ginger Snaps – 2000, John Fawcett

72. Audition – 1999, Takashi Miike

Ten votes each! Ten votes each!

71. The Omen – 1976, Richard Donner

70. The Invitation – 2015, Karyn Kusama

69. The Changeling – 1980, Peter Medak

• FUCK YEAH INCANTATION! Man oh man, Incantation got me good. I love found footage movies that play with your expectations of the genre and can still surprise you--even better when they're absolutely terrifying to boot. It's a favorite of mine for sure for sure.
• A reader on Misery: "Kathy Bates as depressive 'blues' Annie is just as mesmerizing as manic 'cliffhanger' Annie. Paul Sheldon is just smug and condescending enough."
• It's amazing how much Jennifer's Body has been reconsidered and appreciated in recent years. It didn't place at all the first two times I did this list thang (2010 and 2017), but it had a really solid (under #100) showing in 2020 and 2024. She's come a long way, baby!
• Speaking of Karyn Kusama, here's a reader on The Invitation (which has also been steadily climbing the SHOCKtober charts): "An inescapable dinner party where everyone tries to sell me on their culty MLM is already my #1 horror scenario. And THEN you add in the murder."
• Seeing OG Nosferatu and OG Mr. Barlow listed side by side has my brain doubling down on that vampire royal rumble idea I had earlier this month...
• A reader on Re-Animator, sharing a sentiment I think we all can agree with: "Barbara Crampton should be in every movie."
• Sometimes I think Creepshow might be my all-time #1 because nothing else really hits me in the ways it does. It is scary and funny and gross and comforting, making me feel like I'm all snug and cozy in a velour tracksuit like Leslie Nielsen. The cast is 1000% perfect top to bottom, and the fact that Adrienne Barbeau didn't win 50 Oscars for her performance is a crime. I love it so much! Should I ever have a firstborn I will name her Creepshow.