October Horror Challenge - The Rest

I had three movies left to finish the challenge. I've watched them all before so instead of new reviews, just sharing links to them.

The Crow (1994) - This reverse slasher is a classic. 

Clown in a Cornfield (2025) - I really enjoyed this one and it might be one of the few cases in which the movie is better than the book.

Dagon (2001) - Gordon/Yuzna-style Lovecraft movies are my favorite and this is one of the best examples.

I watched a total of 31 horror flicks this season. Half (16) were new to me. I'm sad to see October go, but my spooky season has been extended a bit. I have one more Halloween party on the 7th.

October Horror Challenge - Vampires (1998)

 

Plot

Jack Crow is an orphan that was raised by the Catholic church to hunt vampires. When his team is ambushed and killed by a master vampire, he and his partner team up with a young priest and sex worker that's slowly turning to a vampire to take out the master and get his revenge.

Review

James Wood is a conservative asshole, but damn do I still love this flick. The gore is great, John Carpenter's soundtrack is phenomenal, the characters are memorable. You can read a previous review I did here.

In Your Game 

The movie's Macguffin would be appropriate in We Die Young or Bloodstarved.

Black Cross of Béziers

This ancient relic was forged in a small French town of the same name. It was used in the brutal reverse exorcism of heretical priest Jan Valek. The process turned him into a vampire, rumored by the Church to be the first, though records show this is definitely not true. 

If a priest performs a reverse exorcism, a vampire can be granted the ability to walk in the sun. This ritual involves the blood of a crusader being fed to the exorcised participant. The priest must complete the exorcism by the first light of dawn to completes the ritual.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 27
First Time Views: 16

October Horror Challenge - Tales From The Crypt Presents: Demon Knight (1995)

 Synopsis

Pursued by a charismatic demon, a drifter on a divine mission and a group of outcast must survive the night.

Review

This is such an underrated flick. Billy Zane's unnamed demon is one of the most memorable villains of all time. Also, William Sadler's Brayker is just a great world weary protagonist. I've previously discussed the film a few times, most recently here. Do yourself a favor and watch this one soon.

In Your Game

Minor Demon

Armor Class: 14

Hit Dice: 4
Move: 12
Actions: 1
Attack: Claw (1d6)

Bonuses: +3 to Melee attacks, +2 to Damage

Special: Regenerates 2 HP a turn unless damage comes from a holy source. Immediately destroyed if damage is done to their eyes.

Alignment: Evil

Morale: 10

Madness: 9 (10)
Terror: 12

HDE: 3

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 27
First Time Views: 16

October Horror Challenge - Scout's Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse (2015)

 

 Synopsis

When there town is taken over by zombies, three scouts and a cocktail waitress must team up to save their town.

Review

This is a fun horror comedy. While there aren't many scares, there is some fun gore at times. There are plenty of laughs. Seriously, the physical comedy cracks me up. In what other zombie movie do you have an elderly toothless zombie trying to eat ass, zombie cats, a character hanging on to zombie dick for dear life, and a zombie singing Hit Me Baby One More Time?

The cast is great. Tye Sheridan, Logan Miller, and Joey Morgan put a lot of heart into their portrayal of the scouts. They're friendship feels believable and it's cool to see them grow and make some important revelations about what's important in life. Sarah Dumont plays a great older sister/unlikely mentor character. Finally David Koechner is great as the zombified Scout Leader Rogers.

Despite the juvenile and crass humor, this is a charming and ultimately wholesome zombie flick. Lovable characters learn life lessons and save the day. What more could you want?

In Your Game

You could run a great one-shot based on this movie using SURVIVE THIS!! Camp Blood and SURVIVE THIS!! Zombies!.

Zombie Stripper

Armor Class: 15

Hit Dice: 3
Move: 12
Actions: 1
Attack: Claw (1d4 + infection), Bite (1d4+ infection)
Special: Undead (can Run and dance), toughness +3, appear human, work the pole 
Bonuses: +3 to Melee attacks, +1 to Damage

Alignment: Neutral

Morale: 10

Madness: -
Terror: 12

HDE: 1

Infection: If their bite or claws deal damage, the target must make a Poison Save, or they become infected. If infected, they are at -1 to all attacks & skill rolls, lose 1/2 their Move (rounded up), and lose 1 HP an hour until magically or psychically healed or until they make another another Poison Save attempt. They may try another Poison Save every 3 hours. If they die while infected, they will become a zombie.

Undead: Undead are immune to mind-affecting effects, Poisons, stuns, being sickened, Diseases & Critical Hits.

Work the Pole: These insidious zombies still look mostly human (perception related rolls to identify them as zombies are made with disadvantage). They also retain their flexibility and fluid movement and can be quite distracting. If alone when encountering survivors the zombie will initially start doing an erotic dance. After two rounds of this those witnessing must make a Mental saving throw or toss an item of value to the zombie. This will cause the zombie to be distracted for one round after which it will attack. These zombies can also be distracted for one round by throwing cash, even when pursing prey.

Zombie: They will continue to try to eat the living until they are reduced to 0 HP and their brain is destroyed. If the brain remains intact, they will fight no matter how negative their HP gets. They can be incapacitated by destroying their legs or body.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 26
First Time Views: 16

October Horror Challenge - Trailer Park Shark (2017)

  

 Synopsis

When their trailer park is flooded a group of rednecks face off with a corrupt businessman and an electrified shark.

Review

I found this one while down in Louisville for the Goatman Festival. It looked awful, but I had to have it. I passed it up my first day down but went back to get it the next. I joked with Josh and Eric that SURIVE THIS!! Trailer Park Shark should be their next game. Honestly if I can make a short scenario out of it, I just might.

This isn't going to be a long review. Trailer Park Shark is your typical cheesy low budget shark flick. It's not great. Hell it's not even close to being good. In general, the acting is amateurish, but charming. I liked the lead, Thomas Ian Nichols, though I've never seen him in anything else. While she's given the spotlight on the case, Tara Reid only appears in the film briefly and is forgettable. There is a nice "wink wink" moment that references Sharknado. The only other actor I recognized was Dennis Haskins, who played Mr. Belding in Saved By The Bell. The shark is looks ridiculous as most CGI sharks do. It does have a nice twist, having been infused with electricity and being able to stun those in the water. 

As far as bad shark movies go, this is actually one of the better ones. You can watch it on Tubi where it's listed as it's boring alternate title Shock Shark. 

In Your Game

Shock Shark (Beast) 

Armor Class: 12

Hit Dice: 30 (7 HD)
Move: 20 (Swim)
Actions: 1 

Attack: Bite (2d6) or Shock (1d4, all creatures within 20', Critical saving throw or be stunned and lose next turn)
Special: Blood Frenzy, Electrified, can leap up to 10 feet out of water

Bonuses: +5 to melee attacks, +5 to melee damage

Alignment: Unaligned

Morale: 10

Madness: -
Terror: 12

HDE: 5

Blood Frenzy: The smell of blood will cause a shark to frenzy, giving it advantage on attack rolls, but giving it a -2 AC penalty. 

Electrified: Any creature that makes a successful melee attack against a shock shark must make a Critical saving throw or be stunned (losing their next turn). 

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 25
First Time Views: 16

October Horror Challenge - Clayface (2026)

 

 Synopsis

Matt Hagen is an up and coming actor from Gotham who's life is destroyed when he sleeps with the wrong woman. When an experimental treatment seems like a miracle cure, Matt's trauma soon proves that it's actually a curse.

Review

I didn't know I need a DC body horror/psychological thriller, but I'm glad James Watkins (with writing from Mike Flanagan and Hosssein Amini) gave us one. The greatest strength of this film are the performances of Tom Rhys Harries and Naomi Ackie. I don't know that I've really seen either in anything else, but I'm looking forward to seeing more of their performances.

Tom Rhys Harries plans Matt Hagan. He's a vulnerable, handsome, and charismatic lead. Hagan is a truly likable lead. Yeah, his downfall might have been because of a moment of pride, but he's a good man that didn't deserve what happened to him. The characters trauma and fall are truly heartbreaking. His obsession with getting his life back is understandable. Even as the bodies start piling up, honestly you don't really judge him for what he does. Of course evil leads to more evils, so by the end Hagan has a broken his psyche.

Naomi Ackie's Dr Caitlyn Corr is the other big standout. Her nano-treatment is the catalyst for Hagen's transformation into Clayface. She's a dedicated scientist that created a treatment to change the world for the better. She's persuaded by Matt's tragic story and decides to help him. While comments are made about her bluntness, she's a charming character and her relationship with Matt grows. 

There are some nice nods to the great DC universe in the film. The two that really stuck out to me are in-universe movies. The first is One Bad Day and the second is No Man's Land. Both are iconic Batman stories. Coast City also appears, appearing to be the Hollywood of DC. 

As far as horror goes, in general this doesn't do too many new things. We've seen some twisted transformations in the past and this doesn't really tread new ground. There's some nice ick though. in particular the air place scene is pretty jarring. I know I downplayed the body horror, but this is the most frightening version of Clayface I've seen. The character's flesh is malleable clay right? Not in this movie. It's (nano-cell infused and cloned) flesh. Finally, the director definitely has visuals that homage the French classic Les Yeux Sans Visage.

I thoroughly enjoyed Clayface. I genuinely cared about the characters, the visuals were great, and the movie is a great stand alone tale.

In Your Game

These stats are for Matt as he appears in the film and not later on when he's a hulking villain.

Matt Hagan aka Clayface

Medium Humanoid, Chaotic Neutral

Armor Class 14             Initiative +2 (12)

Hit Points:  75 (10d8+30)

Speed 30 ft.

                    MOD SAVE                                     MOD SAVE  

STR  16        +3     +3                        INT 12          +1    +1

DEX  16       +3      +3                       WIS 12         +1    +1

CON  16       +3      +3                       CHA 18        +4    +7   

Skills Deception +7, Intimidation +7, Performance +7, Perception +4, Stealth +6

Vulnerabilities Lightning

Resistances Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage.

Immunities Poison, Poisoned

Senses Passive Perception +4

Language: English

CR 4 (XP 1,100; PB +3)

Traits

Regeneration. Clayface regains 5 Hit Points at the start of each of his turns. If Clayface takes Lightning damage, this trait doesn't function on Clayface's next turn. Clayface dies only he starts his turn with 0 Hit Points and doesn't regenerate. 

Actions

Multiattack. Clayface can make two Slash attacks. 

Slash. Melee Attack Roll: +7, reach 10 ft. Hit: 8 (2d4+3) Slashing damage.

Unsettling Visage (Recharge 6). Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 12, each creature in a 15-foot Emanation originating from Clayface that can see him. 

Failure: The target has the Frightened condition and repeats the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. After 1 minute, it succeeds automatically.

Bonus Actions

Shape-Shift. Clayface shape-shifts into a Medium or Small Humanoid, or returns to his true form. His game statistics other than his size, are the same in each form. Any equipment he is wearing or carrying is transformed with him.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 24
First Time Views: 15

October Horror Challenge - Five Nights At Freddy's 2 (2025)

 Synopsis

Dealing with the aftermath of the first film, Abby deals with the loss of her friends and Mike and Vanessa do their best to be normal. 

Review

As a casual FNAF fan, this one did a good job of explaining the character variations. For example, I just assumed Freddy and Toy Freddie were the same character. Personally I find the lore of these flicks fascinating and the Easter eggs and references to the game fun. I understand that not everyone will feel that way though. Like the first, there isn't a lot of blood in this one. Though there are a few deaths, the gore isn't really scene other a bit of blood. This was done to keep the flick PG-13, but honestly just because we don't see things, doesn't make the events less horrific. There's a fun meta aspect to the movie, given the town's obssession with Freddy's.

Once again, Piper Rubio, is fantastic. She is the real star of show. She's a young actress with a lot of talent. Josh Hutcherson's Mike is a great likable lead too. The lore for Elizabeth Lail's Vanessa deepens in this story and honestly, I feel Mike is completely justified in his distrust. Skeet Ulrich joins the cast as Henry, William Afton's partner. Speaking of William Afton, despite being killed at the end of the first film he appears in visions. in the sequel. Considering how sweet and whole he is IRL, Matthew Lillard makes a chilling villain. Speaking of villains, Megan Fox voices Toy Chica. 

Like the first, this isn't for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. Can't wait for the third. 

In Your Game

The Marrionette (Undead) 

Armor Class: 14

Hit Dice: 3
Move: 12, Fly 12
Actions: 1
Attack: Claw (d6) or Possession
Special: Immune to mind-affecting effects, Madness, Poisons, Being Sickened, Diseases, and Critical Hits, Wall Crawling

Bonuses: +3 to hit, +4 to Melee damage

Alignment: Evil

Morale: 10

Madness: NA
Terror: 12

HDE: 4

Possession: Target must make a Magic saving throw or be controlled by the Marionette. While possessing a body the Marionette can only take damage from psychic or holy sources. A body possessed in this way gains the ability to fly and wall crawl.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 23
First Time Views: 14

October Horror Challenge - Five Nights At Freddy's (2023)

 Synopsis

Struggling to keep custody of his little sister, Mike, takes a night time security job at a defunct pizza restaurant.

Review

Since I've plan on watching the sequel I figure I'd rewatch the first. You can check out my initial review here. Upon second viewing, I still think this is a good FNAF movie. As much as I traditionally hate jump scares in movies, the game is known for them and the movie needs them. 

In Your Game

Animatronic, Possessed Fazbear (Construct)

Armor Class: 10

Hit Dice: 4+3
Move: 12
Actions: 1
Attack: Bite (d6)
Special: Immune to mind-affecting effects, Madness, Poisons, Being Sickened, Diseases, and Critical Hits, Toughness +2, electricity stuns for d4 rounds

Bonuses: +2 to hit, +4 to Melee damage, +4 to Dancing,  +5 to Art & Music

Alignment: Neutral 

Morale: 10

Madness: NA
Terror: 11

HDE: 3

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 22
First Time Views: 13

October Horror Challenge - Ernest Scared Stupid (1991)

 

 Synopsis

Ernest P. Worrell unwittingly unleashes evil troll on children of his unsuspecting town. With the help of a local hermit (played by Eartha Kitt) and his dog, Rimshot, he most stop the troll and save the kids

Review

This is my favorite Halloween flick. Yes I love it even more than I love Trick'r'Treat and Tales of Halloween. It's just such a good wholesome movie. I loved it as a kid and might love it even more as an adult. You can check out more of my thoughts on the film in this review.

In Your Game

Here are Trantor the Troll stats for SURVIVE THIS!!. If you want them for your Cinematic Unisystem game you'll find those here.

Trantor the Troll (Humanoid)
Armor Class: 14

Hit Dice: 30 HP (6 HD)

Move: 10

Actions: 1
Attack: Punch (d4) or by weapon

Special:  Toughness +4, Fearless, Curse, Regeneration, Voice Mimicry, Spells, A Mother's Love, The Heart of a Child 

Bonuses: +3 to Melee attacks

Alignment: Evil

Morale: 10

Madness: 2 (8)

Terror: 10
HDE: 4

Items: dirty troll clothes

Curse: Trantor can call upon dark powers to lay generational curses.

Dendrology: Trantor can use his action to make nearby trees and greenery grow and twist. He can even use it to grapple.

Regeneration: Trantor regains 1 hit points at the end of every turn even if reduced below 0 HP

Dollification 1/day: Duration: Instant Range: Touch - Child must make a Mental (or Magic in other ST games) saving throw or be transformed into a small wooden doll.

A Mother's Love: All trolls of Trantor's species take 2d6 points of damage when the come in contact with milk. This ignores his toughness.

The Heart of A Child: The only way to permanently defeat Trantor is to give him enough unconditional love (aka the heart of a child). It is possible for truly whole adults of Good alignment to give this.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 21
First Time Views: 13

October Horror Challenge - Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010)

 

 Synopsis

Because of preconceived notions and misunderstandings two good natured rednecks face off with some college kids.

Review

This is one of my top five fav horror movies of all time. It's just such a charming story with a fun twist. You can read my thoughts on it here. The movie had a Korean remake in 2024 called Handsome Guys. I'm still trying to find a subtitled version, though if you want to watch a dubbed version it's currently on Tubi.

In Your Game

The antagonist, Chad, would an interesting foe to send up against a party of locals in a Bloody Appalachia game.

Chad (Humanoid)

Armor Class: 13

Hit Dice: 36 HP (4 HD) 

Move: 12

Actions: 2

Attack: Knife (d4-1)

Special:  allergic to Chamomile, outsmart (1/day), Toughness +3

Bonuses: +2 to Melee attacks, +3 damage to hillbillies, +2 to Initiative, +4 to Stealth

Alignment: Evil 

Morale: 10

Madness: 8 (12)

Terror: 8
HDE: 2

Items: Knife

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 20
First Time Views: 13

October Horror Challenge - Deathgasm 2: Goremageddon (2026)

 Synopsis

Ten years after the events of the first film Brodie is a single loser living with Giles (who survived having his arm ripped off in the first film). To win back Medina and pay his bills he uses pages from the Black Hymn to bring Zakk and Dion back as zombies. Of course nothing could go wrong with this plan...

Review

I was extremely excited for this movie and ended up thoroughly fucking disappointed. The first film had charm. The characters were high school outcast, but there hearts were in the right place. This film straight up commits character suicide on Brodie, Giles, and Dion. Brodie and Giles become the useless metal-head losers everyone. Instead of a hero, Brodie is an awful person who doesn't care how many innocents are killed via his dangerous (and stupid) plan. Giles is a clueless asshole that tortures his zombified best friend, which turns said zombie into the villain of the film. Ultimately all the people that judged our protagonists in the first flick were right.

Beyond the above mentioned character assassination, this film has a mean streak too. There's a definite anti-woke slant that wasn't as funny as the film tries to make it out to be. Also the one genuinely good, not traumatized character gets killed off to be the butt of a stupid joke. Speaking of mean, do you want to see an extended scene of dicks being cut-off or smashed? This movie has one. 

There are a few bright spots. Kimberly Crossman is still charming and funny as Medina. There's an extended meta gag about them not playing D&D because they couldn't afford the license to call it that. Also despite everything, the ending made me smile. 

Ultimately I'm just going to pretend like this movie doesn't exist. 

In Your Game

Vocavitique Rex Daemonia Virtutem Fortuna Hymnus Nigrum aka Summoning the King of Demons, A Black Hymn for Gaining Power and Fortune aka The Black Hymn

This demonic bit of sheet music, when played in full will summon Aeloth the Blind One, King of Demons. Use the Greater Demon stats from Dark Places & Demogorgons if he is summoned. While demonic, the Bruiser Human Adversary is appropriate for his eyeless demons. 

While playing the entire hymn is definitely a bad idea, if a metalhead were to get a hold of it, they could use it to bolster the power of their summoned demon (granting it Toughness +4).

Additionally the parts of the hymn can be used to create intelligent or semi-intelligent zombies.  

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 19
First Time Views: 13

October Horror Challenge - Deathgasm (2015)

Synopsis

When his mom gets committed for mental issues, outcast Brody is sent to live with his super religious aunt and uncle and their total douchebag son. He soon makes friends with a few D&D playing outcasts and another metalhead, Zakk, and forms a band, Deathgasm. The pair meet a reclusive musician who entrusts them with an ancient occult hymn being sought after by some rather nasty cultists. The teens unwittingly unleash Hell on Earth on Earth and have to fight their way through demonic hordes to make things right.

Review

This is one of my all time favorite flicks. The characters are lovable and the violence is brutal. You can check out my previous review of the flic here.

In Your Game

Vocavitique Rex Daemonia Virtutem Fortuna Hymnus Nigrum aka Summoning the King of Demons, A Black Hymn for Gaining Power and Fortune aka The Black Hymn

This demonic bit of sheet music, when played in full will summon Aeloth the Blind One, King of Demons. Use the Greater Demon stats from Dark Places & Demogorgons if he is summoned. While demonic, the Bruiser Human Adversary is appropriate for his eyeless demons. 

While playing the entire hymn is definitely a bad idea, if a metalhead were to get a hold of it, they could use it to bolster the power of their summoned demon (granting it Toughness +4). 

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 18
First Time Views: 12

October Horror Challenge - V/H/S Mixtape (2026)

Synopsis

In this horror anthology, Gwar shares series a series of cursed stories.

Review

Gwar is… - Like all entries in this series, there is a wraparound story for V/H/S Mixtape. This time around it’s am MTV-style music show with absurd and grotesque skits hosted by GWAR. These are probably the most hit or miss. If you like the Scumdogs, then you’ll love this. If not, man is it bizarre.

Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance –  A small group working on a documentary related to the revival of a puppet show find themselves being slaughter by the puppets. There are some wicked kills in this one and it’s probably the most stylish segment (and my second favorite). If the puppets look cool, it’s because they were created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop). Oh yeah, this one features horror icon,  Barbara Crampton.

Heartbeat –  In my opinion, this was probably the weakest short. A pair of YouTube urban explorers get trapped in an abandoned Soviet facility that was once used for sonic experiments. The idea behind this one is cool but I didn’t really care for the protagonists.

The Music of Mr. Sze – This is a reimagining of Lovecraft’s The Music of Erich Zann. A student named Howard finds a mysterious musician in his new home plays music that holds back an eldritch being (which looks a lot like a beholder). I love the style of this one and it was probably my favorite segment. The director Ernest Dickerson made of favorite horror flicks, Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight.

Death Tone – Directed by RZA of the Wu Tang Clan this one is pretty twisted. To finish her masterpiece a sound engineer listens to her late father’s recordings. Her father was a famous producer and was possibly a serial killer. I love the ideas presented here. The protagonists plan reminded me of the Trickster, one of my favorite Dead by Daylight killers. This was another great short.

There are a few music interludes as well. “Another Cabin” is an animated stop-motion tale from Flying Lotus. The animation reminds me of the series, The PJ’s. The other music interlude called “Premature Burial.” It’s a music video directed by Tobias Forge of Ghost and centers around a women getting revenge.

This one didn't get the best reviews, but overall I really enjoyed it. Next year's volume will be SCP which presents some weird legal issue.

In Your Game

Lydia's Final Mix - Created from recordings of torture and mutilation and mutilation. This music is infused with dark energy. The first time anyone hears the music they gain a point of madness. Additionally, while the music is playing creatures of Evil alignment feel at peace and gain advantage on all saving throws.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 17
First Time Views: 12

October Horror Challenge - Dead and Breakfast (2004)

Synopsis

Lost and on their way to a wedding a group of friends spend the night at a bed and breakfast. They soon find themselves blamed for a murder and fighting for their lives against possessed townsfolk.

Review

I bought this on DVD when I first got into horror. I remember loving it. I still have my copy, but before tonight I hadn't watched it in years. Does it still hold up? I'd say so.

While this one isn't a masterpiece. It's a fun horror/comedy, It's also a bit of a musical. There's a country/rockabilly band that narrates the story. Oh yeah, there's also a zombie dance scene because why the fuck not? The comedy is super cheesy as are a lot of the sound effects. The kills and effects are low budget, but work. There are several references to classic horror movies and the movie is aware of limitations and silliness. 

The cast is interesting. Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays the towns sheriff. It's cool to see him kind of inept. David Carradine has a small roll and his niece, Ever stars. Diedrich Bader has a small rolls a French chef. Also Osgood Perkins, director of Longlegs and The Monkey, plays Johnny, one of the friends (who ends up leading the possessed townsfolk). A character makes a Psycho comment towards him, which is really funny now that I know he's the son of the actor that played Norman Bates. Horror fans will probably also recognize Gina Philips, one of the stars of Jeepers Creepers.

If you want a fun low budget horror flick you can watch this one on Tubi.

In Your Game

Johnny was an outcast judged by his friends, but all that changed when he accidentally released the Kuman Thong.

Johnny (Undead)
Armor Class: 14

Hit Dice: 3 (15)
Move: 12
Actions: 1
Attack: Unnatural strength (d8)
Special: Possession, undead, unholy fortitude
Bonuses: +3 to Attack rolls, +2 to melee damage

Alignment: Evil

Morale: 7

Madness: 6 (12) 
Terror: -

HDE: 3

Possession: The spirit controlling Johnny can possess and reanimate a person by placing some of their blood, flesh, or remains the the box that housed it's spirit. 

Undead: Undead are immune to mind-affecting effects, Poisons, stuns, being sickened, Diseases & Critical Hits.

Unholy fortitude: Johnny has Toughness +10 to all damage except from magic or by the person that summoned the Kuman Thong originally.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 16
First Time Views: 11

October Horror Challenge - Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025)

Synopsis

Traumatized after seeing his parents murdered by a man in a Santa suit, Billy grows up to be a Santa-clad slasher.

Review

I love the original Silent Night, Deadly Night and have a soft spot for it's sequel (despite it being most footage from the first), so I was nervous about this one. I didn't need to be though, because this movie rocks. 

The director takes the original premise, kid becomes Santa-clad killer based on childhood trauma, and does his own thing with it. Rather that just being a traditional slasher, this Billy only kills the naughty. He also has a voice in his head that directs him to kill the naughty. I don't want to spoil the plot, but this Billy is a slasher vigilante, rather than a traditional slasher. He also has a voice in his head that helps him on his journey. 

Despite the changes this reboot still has a few of the best kills from the original. We still get a deer head and axe/vehicle decapitation. There are some new great kills in this one too. Honestly, this version of Billy could be a Punch A Nazi Week write-up because he slaughters the celebrants at a "I'm Dreaming Of A White Power Christmas" party.

The cast is great. Rohan Campbell is great as the lead. He's intense, but also likeable. I know some horror fans might write him off because of his roll as Corey in Halloween Ends, but that's a mistake. Ruby Modine (Happy Death Day and Shameless) is also endearing as his love interest Pam. She's quirky, cute, and unstable (which makes her even more attractive in my messed up mind). Finally I want to say Mark Acheson is fantastic as Charlie. While he might only appear on screen briefly, he played and important part of the story and his presence was felt. 

This one is on Tubi and I know Halloween might not be the time to watch it, but I definitely recommend y'all check this one out closer to Christmas.

In Your Game

These stats are slightly revised from the ones I posted three years ago.

Billy (Humanoid)
Armor Class: 14Hit Dice: 5
Move: 12
Actions: 2
Attack: Axe (d10)
Special: sense evil, toughness +2
Bonuses: +4 to Attack rolls, +2 to melee damage, +5 to Stealth

Alignment: Neutral

Morale: 7

Madness: 6 (12) 
Terror: -

HDE: 3

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 15
First Time Views: 11

October Horror Challenge - Tales of Halloween (2015)

Synopsis

Like Trick'r'Treat (2007), this Halloween anthology includes multiple interwoven stories.

Review

I've posted about this flick a few times before too. My first review is here and my second is here. While it's not as good, I consider this one a spiritual sequel to Trick'r'Treat. I think a big different is the former is a horror flick with some humor, whereas I feel like this anthology focus more on comedy wrapped in horror.

My favorite story from this one is This Means War with Dana Gould. Gould is a comedic genius and it's a ridiculous story with a gory end. 

In Your Game

These stats are slightly revised from the ones I posted three years ago.

Killer Pumpkin (Plant Abomination)
Armor Class: 12
Hit Dice: 2
Move: 12
Actions: 1
Attack: Bite (d6)
Special: On a natural attack roll of 20, the target must make a Critical Saving throw of be decapitated as the Killer Pumpkin bites their head off.
Bonuses: +3 to Attack rolls, +2 to Damage

Alignment: Evil

Morale: 7

Madness: - 
Terror: 10

HDE: 1

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 14
First Time Views: 10

October Horror Challenge - Trick'r'Treat (2007)

 

Synopsis

This anthology includes four interwoven stories on Halloween and is set in the fictional town of Warren Valley, Ohio, that show why you should always follow the rules of Halloween. 

Review

Its probably not surprising but I watch Trick'r'Treat (2007) every year and have talked about it a few times. You can read my reviews here, here, and here. Not a lot new to say. I still think the "School Bus Massacre" segment is my favorite. It's genuinely creepy and shocking. 

In Your Game

Here are a few SURVIVE THIS!! spells for Dark Places & Demogorgons and We Die Young inspired by Trick'R'Treat.

Level 1

Always Check Your Candy

Duration: Instant                                     Range: Touch

A razor blade appears in a treat you touch. It is disguised and unless someone is actively checking the candy or sweet they will not notice it. If a creature eats the item they take 1d4 damage. Clever casters can also use this to make a makeshift blade. Treat this as a knife that breaks if the wielder rolls a natural 1. 

Jack-o-Lantern's Protection

Duration: Until candle goes out                Range: Touch LIGHT

The lit jack-o-lantern produces and protective aura for all creatures within 30 feat. Creatures gain Toughness: Evil +3 and Undead and Outsiders have disadvantage on all rolls while with the aura. 

This spell immediately ends if the the candle goes out. For purposes of targeting the jack-o-lantern to extinguish the candle treat it as have an AC of 10 and 1 HP.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 13
First Time Views: 10

October Horror Challenge - Ticks (1993)

     

Synopsis

A group of trouble teens head to the woods for a weekend with a couple of social workers, unaware that mutated ticks have infested the area. 

Review

I watched this one for the challenge back in 2019. You can read my review here. I don't really have much more to see. I think this is a charming and cheesy 90's creature feature. If you want to check it out, it's on Tubi.

In Your Game

Here are revised stats for the titular ticks.

Oversized Tick (Animal)

Armor Class: 13
Hit Dice: 1
Move: 12
Actions: 1
Attack: Bite (1+ bad trip)

Special: toughness +1 (fire ignores), attach,  bad trip
Bonuses: +5 to Stealth

Alignment: Unaligned

Morale: 10 (unless presented with fire)

Madness: -
Terror: 5

HDE: 1/2

Attach: If the tick makes a successful attack it automatically latches onto the target who must make a DC 12 Poison save. If the saving throw roll fails, the target suffers frightening delusions and must roll on the Failed Courage/Terror Effect Table. An attached tick automatically hits on its turn. The tick can be removed with a successful DC 12 Athletics: Basic check on by confronting the tick with fire.

Giant Tick (Animal)

Armor Class: 15
Hit Dice: 3
Move: 12
Actions: 1
Attack: Bite (d6 + bad trip)

Special: toughness +3 (fire ignores), attach,  bad trip
Bonuses: +3 to attacks, +2 to damage, +5 to Stealth

Alignment: Unaligned

Morale: 10 (unless presented with fire)

Madness: -
Terror: 10

HDE: 2

Attach: If the tick makes a successful attack it automatically latches onto the target who must make a DC 15 Poison save. If the saving throw roll fails, the target suffers frightening delusions and must roll on the Failed Courage/Terror Effect Table. An attached tick automatically hits on its turn. The tick can be removed with a successful DC 15 Athletics: Basic check on by confronting the tick with fire.  

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 12
First Time Views: 10

October Horror Challenge - Onslaught (2026)

    

Synopsis

When three super-soldiers attack her trailer park, a discharged military sniper must protect her daughter and survive the night.

Review

Director Adam Wingard does it again. Onslaught is a tense and stylish action horror. It also has a delightful sense of weirdness. Wingard channels his best John Carpenter here. There are definite Assault on Precinct 13 vibes and even some of the music feels like it belongs in a Carpenter flick.  

The opening montage sets up the movie well, playing various war related news clips and mentioned Operation Paperclip. Dan Stevens plays a third generation (assumed) Nazi scientist, Dr. Kammler, connected to Paperclip. He's not in the movie long, but as usual Stevens gives an unforgettable performance. Adria Arjorna is badass and I really hope she returns in a sequel. She's a soldier that returned home damaged. She's a struggling parent, but very fierce. She's definitely the kind of protagonist you want to root for. Blake Kennedy, the actress that played her young daughter did an outstanding job as well. The trailer park has some great characters two. The two standouts are Josiah (played by Reginald VelJohnson) a Vietnam vet, and Kovacs, a police office played by Eric Wareheim (of Tim and Eric fame).Oh yeah, I also can't forget about Cyrus, played by Drew Starkey. He's a government cleaner and his scenes add to the odd visuals because the character is under the effects of drugs.

The action in this one is spectacular. The killers are brutal and remind me of a combination of the super-soldiers from Universal Soldier with a healthy dose of Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees. There's definitely some Terminator vibes too, which is fitting because Micheal Biehn has small role. This movie has some kink which I wasn't expecting (though I'm not complaining about). Dr. Kammler is submissive to his wife and we are introduced to Cyrus while he's enjoying some bondage. Rather than feeling out of place, this just kind of added to the odd vibes of the flick.

This movie rocks and though it wasn't expressly mentioned in the movie I can see the connections to The Guest. I'd love to see a sequel in which the survivors team team up with David to take on new super-soldiers. 

In Your Game

Operation Paperclip Super-Soldier (Humanoid)

Armor Class: 16
Hit Dice: 10+40 HP (89)
Move: 12

Actions: 3
Attack: Machete (1d6+1) or Semi-Auto Rifle (2d6+2)

Special: Str 20, Toughness +5,fearless,  +2 to all saves, immune to drugs/poisons, dark vision, feign death
Bonuses: +8 to attacks, +12 to kicks and punches, +4 to melee damage +10 to Athletics: Basic, Combat Training +3, +4 to Demolitions, Fighting: Brawling, +6 to Pilot: Basic,+7 to Spot and Listen, +8 to Stealth

Alignment: Evil

Morale: 10

Madness: 10 (12)
Terror: 13

HDE: 8

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 11
First Time Views: 10

October Horror Challenge - Wizard of Gore (2007)

   

Synopsis

Montag the Magnificent is a shocking magician who seemingly kills audience members on stage. The trick is that the beautiful ladies survive. That is until the wind up dead days later with wounds resembling their on stage death...

Review

I grabbed this one on DVD a few months ago because I'd never seen it and heard it was a remake that held up. The fact I've always had a thing for alt chicks and the cover advertised the Suicide Girls, didn't hurt. As a millennial that's always been into alt-chicks, I'm quite familiar with them and used to be a big fan. Honestly the SG are probably the best part of this movie. There are a lot of hot naked goth girls. Unfortunately all the scenes with them involve sleaze and misogyny (though given the title and lineage of the film, that shouldn't be shocking). The flick references The Serpent and the Rainbow and shares some elements with that Wes Craven flick. Now on to the cast. 

Kip Pardue is our modern noir lead. He's a trust fund kid and pretentious as Hell. His performance is fine, I suppose. It's not memorable and you could probably replace him with any reasonably attractive pretentious white guy and the film would be the same. Bijou Philips plays his love interest, Maggie. She does the best with what she has and I appreciate that she calls out the films main issue, it's misogyny. Crispin Glover plays Montag and isn't on screen as much as you'd expect. His character is greasy and misogynistic and chews up scenery in the right way. Brad Dourif plays Dr. Chong which is problematic. While he definitely plays to Asian mystic stereotypes, the character is an American veteran with a shady past, rather than Dourif in straight up yellow face. The character is definitely memorable. Jeffrey Combs plays the Geek. Won't say too much about the character, but he's also quite memorable.

Despite everything wrong with it, I didn't hate this one and don't regret snagging a copy for my collection. There are some interesting visuals and I dig the noir vibes. Plus there are hot naked goth girls. Not that I recommend it, but if you want to watch it's on Tubi.

Your Game

Honestly not really sure how to add elements of this one to your game. You could definitely do some interesting stuff with tetrodotoxin, especially if you want something fantastic but are playing in a non-magical setting. Also, I think the social scene of the flick would fit right at home in a World of Darkness or dark urban fantasy game.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 10
First Time Views: 9