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

October Horror Challenge - The Guest (2014)

Synopsis

While grieving the loss of their son, the Peterson family are visited by one of his former squad mates, David. As David grows closer to the family, the family discovers he might not be what he seems.

Review

Going to start by saying while I added this to my October list because I saw it listed as an action-horror flick, it's more of an action-thriller set during Halloween. 

Dan Steven is outstanding in this movie. His portrayal as David is charming to the point of being disarming, but he also has an unmistakable aura of danger. I really can't speak highly enough. Maika Monroe and Brendan Meyer are great protagonists. Their interactions with David really drive the movie. The late, great Lance Reddick also has a smaller, but still important role in the film. This one is sleek and sexy. 

There are only a few action scenes, but they are spectacular. The mystery surrounding David's background will draw you in. There is a fun throwback vibe to this that reminds me of some of John Carpenter's action flicks.

I didn't see any obvious connections between this film and You're Next. After doing some research the connection is that the family in You're Next made their money from the organization tied to David's past.

Your Game

David Collins (Humanoid)

Armor Class: 14
Hit Dice: 8+24 HP (66)
Move: 12
Actions: 3
Attack: Knife (1d6) or Semi-Auto Pistol (2d6)

Special: Toughness +5, +1 to all saves, immune to drugs/poisons
Bonuses: +6 to attacks, +9 to kicks and punches, +10 to Athletics: Basic, Combat Training +3, +4 to Demolitions, Fighting: Brawling,  +5 to Intimidation, +5 to Persuasion, +6 to Pilot: Basic,+5 to Stealth,  +4 to Street Smart

Alignment: Neutral

Morale: 10

Madness: 0 (14)
Terror: -

HDE: 6

Items: burner phone, cash, knife, semi-auto pistol

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 9
First Time Views: 8

October Horror Challenge - You’re Next (2011)

Synopsis

Erin and her boyfriend, Crispian, attend a dinner with his family when they find themselves under siege by a group of killers in animal masks.

Review

This one has been on my list for a bit, but I'm just now getting ready to watch it. You're Next is an entertaining and tense dysfunctional family drama meets home invasion meets slasher. Other than Erin, an Australian student, the characters are a group of arrogant rich assholes. The kills are pretty brutal. My favorite kill involves a garotte and my second involves a blender. This makes most of the deaths quite satisfying. There are multiple twists and I'll admit one caught me off guard. The film does a good job of explaining why the final girl, Erin, is as badass as she is.

If you're interested in watching this, it's currently on Tubi. The director has recently revealed the film is connected to his movie The Guest and Onslaught.

Your Game

Erin

Race:  Human

Class/Level: Final Girl 3

Alignment: Good

STR: 12 (+0)
INT: 14 (+1)
WIS: 13 (+1)
DEX: 16 (+2)
CON: 13 (+1)
CHA: 14 (+1)
SUR: 17

Courage: 14

Critical: 11
Death: 13

Magic: 9
Mental: 11
Poison: 10

AC: 13 (Dex, Class)

HP: 20

Toughness: +2

Initiative: +2

Move: 12

Attack Bonus

+1 to hit with punch and kicks

+3 to hit range

Damage

Unarmed 1

Axe d6+1

Skills:

Athletics: Basic 2 (+2)

Combat Training 1

Fighting: Brawling 1

First Aid 2 (+3)

Investigation 1 (+2)

Knowledge: General 1 (+2)

Stealth 3 (+5)

Wilderness Survival 3 (+4)

Traits:

Advantage on first SUR reroll of each day

Can use improvised weapons with no penalty

+2 to spot and listen

+1 to Intimidation

Toughness +1

Advantage on Madness checks

All allies within 60' may add or subtract 1 from any SUR reroll 

Gear: axe

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 8
First Time Views: 7

October Horror Challenge - Resident Evil (2026)

    

Synopsis

Medical courier, Bryan, finds himself trapped in a nightmare while attempting to make a delivery to Raccoon City.

 

Review

I love Resident Evil. I've been playing the games since the late 90's. Resident Evil 2 was the first Playstation game I bought. I loved the first Paul W.S. Anderson flick and liked the sequels well enough. I also enjoyed the Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. I think Zach Cregger's new Resident Evil is better than any of the previous film. The cool thing about the movie, is even if you don't know anything about Resident Evil, you can enjoy this one. There are nods to the games, like Heavy Field shot gun shells or a small safe room with a type writer, but if you miss them you are fine.

Austin Abrams stars as Bryan, a medical courier who signs up for the wrong delivery. In my opinion, he's one of the most realistic horror protagonist I've seen in a while. He's just a dude. He say's "what the fuck" a lot. He tries to do good. He sucks at using guns. I just found him relatable. The monsters are horrifying. Many are new but fit into RE lore nicely. If you are a fan of the series, I assume most of the new creatures have some variation of the G virus.

Cregger has become one of my favorite horror directors. Barbarian and Weapons were both phenomenal. Comedic writers making great horror is one of my new favorite things.

Your Game

I'm going to stat one of the movie's horrific new creatures for SURVIVE THIS!! Zombies!.

The Amalgam (Undead)

Armor Class: 14
Hit Dice: 6 + 6 HP
Move: 15
Actions: 3
Attack: Bite (d8+ infection), Claw (d8 + infection), 

Special: Assimilate, undead (they can Run and are intelligent), toughness +3, zombie
Bonuses: +7 to melee attacks, +2 to melee damage, +8 to initiative, +10 to Athletics

Alignment: Neutral

Morale: 10

Madness: -
Terror: 16

HDE: 6

Assimilate: If the amalgam kills an opponent they can take a turn to assimilate the body. They immediately heal 1d6 hit points and their hit dice permanently increase by 1 + 1 HP.

Infection: If their bite or claws deal damage, the target must make a Poison Save, or they become infected. If infected, they are at -12 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.

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: 7
First Time Views: 6

October Horror Challenge - Whistle (2026)

   

Synopsis

A group of students find themselves stalked by death when they hear a cursed Aztec death whistle.

Review

I watched this because of the Gunship video for their cover of Time After Time. This movie shares some similar plot elements as the Final Destination series, so there's nothing totally original here. To be honest, I don't even care for those flicks. However, due to the likable cast of misfits I really liked Whistle. In particular Daphne Keen (X-23), Sophie Nélisse, and Sky Yang have great interactions and make care about them. Yang's Rel was my favorite. Nick Frost has a small role as a teacher. The effects in this won't aren't great, but there are some gnarly kills. Honestly I don't have too much to say about this one. It's an average teen scream. 

Your Game

There is a predatory youth pastor in this flick and I think that's an archetype that works well in most SURVIVE THIS!! settings.

Predatory Youth Pastor (Humanoid)

Armor Class: 13
Hit Dice: 3 
Move: 12
Actions: 1
Attack: Knife (1d6-1)

Special: Advantage on Persuasion rolls against Christians and authority figures

Bonuses: +2 to melee attacks, +2 to Knowledge: Religion (Christianity), +2 to Persuasion, +3 to Stealth, Street Smart +4

Alignment: Neutral or Evil

Morale: 4

Madness: 0 (7)
Terror: -

HDE: 1

Items: Bible, switchblade, dimebag, bottle of pain pills, $100

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 6
First Time Views: 5

October Horror Challenge - Ice Cream Man (1995)

  
Synopsis

When one of their friends goes missing a trio of kids try to rescue him from the clutches of the local ice cream man.

Review

I had planned on watching Eli Roth's Ice Cream Man, before I learned about Roth's use of AI and lies about it. This is why I decided to check out the unrelated Ice Cream Man from 1995. This one has a cult following and I can see why. Is it a good movie? Nope. Is it a bizarre and goofy horror movie? Hell yeah. There's a lot about this movie that doesn't make sense. How do folks not notice body parts in their ice cream? How has the mental hospital Gregory, the titular ice cream man, operated the way it has without oversight. Just forget those questions and enjoy the show. The film is definitely 90's straight to video style and the music reminds me of something you'd here in one of Charles Band's Full Moon flicks. Clint Howard's portrayal as the titular ice cream man is inspired. He has a tragic background and there are times that you do feel for him, but ultimately he's an insane killer.

If you want to watch some horror trash mixed with absurd dark humor, check this one out. Its currently streaming for free on Tubi and a few other apps.  

Your Game

Your game needs a killer ice cream man.

Gregory Tudor the Ice Cream Prince (Humanoid)

Armor Class: 13
Hit Dice: 1 (12)
Move: 12
Actions: 1
Attack: Knife (1d6-1) or improvised weapons (1d4)

Special: Disadvantage on mental saves
Bonuses: +2 to melee attacks, +3 to Stealth

Alignment: Evil

Morale: 5

Madness: 9 (10)
Terror: 14

HDE: 1

Items: ice cream truck, knife, pint of Butter Brickle

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 5
First Time Views: 4

October Horror Challenge - Infested (2023)

 

Synopsis

Residents of a rundown French apartment find themselves fighting for their life as they are quarantined in their building with hordes of deadly spiders.

Review

This French creature feature is the debut film from Sébastien Vaniček, director of Evil Dead: Burn. The movie is a claustrophobic and arachnophobic nightmare. Seriously, this one will make your skin crawl. I appreciate the film's use of practical effects. The sound effects heighten the experience. The film isn't just a thrills and scares though. The cast is solid. Lead Kaleb, played by Théo Christine, is a compelling and flawed protagonist. He and the rest of the cast really make you care about them. I found myself emotionally invested in their survival. 

There is also some social commentary with this one. One of the apartment's residents judges Kaleb and his friends because they are young, financially struggling, and not white. Additionally without going into to much detail there is police subplot that could be scene as commentary on the pandemic. 

Your Game

While it was the least favorite of my stories, the bat monsters from Whispers would be great monsters for a SURVIVE THIS!! game.

Oversized Spider (Beast)

Armor Class: 13
Hit Dice: 1 HD
Move: 8
Actions: 1
Attack: Bite (1d2+poison)

Special: Ambush, Immunity: Poison, Advantage on climbing 
Bonuses: +1 to melee attacks, +8 to Stealth

Alignment: Neutral

Morale: 5

Madness: -
Terror: 13

HDE: 1/2

Poison: When an oversized spider successfully bites a target, the target must make a Poison Save, add the bite damage to their roll., or they become sickened for 3 rounds. At the end of each round while sickened by this ability, the target must make a Death Save or they become stunned as well for the duration of the sickness. Then if under both effects, the target takes 2 Poison damage.

Ambush: Oversized spiders can lay motionless until they wish to strike, graining surprise on their initial action if unseen. They may attempt to Stealth, allowing them to go back into a still state. If nobody sees them they can repeat this ability.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 4
First Time Views: 3

October Horror Challenge - Return to Silent Hill (2026)

Synopsis

James is an alcoholic with a troubled mind. A letter from his lost love draws him back to the mysterious town of Silent Hill.

Review

To say that I was greatly disappointed with this one is a gross understatement. I loved 2006's Silent Hill and even enjoyed he often maligned sequel, Silent Hill: Revelation. I thought they did an excellent job and capturing the spirit and the looks of the games. Return to Silent Hill just looks like a cheap imitation of the games. The two biggest disappointments were Pyramid Head and the nurses. Pyramid Head is supposed to look intimidating, but it just fell flat. This may sound weird, but the nurses are also supposed to be strangely sexy and they are not. Overall the film had a fake look to it. There was something about the way its shot that makes the characters look fake. I don't know I got an uncanny feeling vibe. Storywise, the movie tried to imitate Silent Hill 2, arguably the best in the franchise, but it kind of fumbles it. While James is the protagonist of the game and film, he's not supposed to be the hero. Because we don't get to spend as much time with the characters the connections and things just feel off. It feels like it just goes from one game set piece to another. The movie isn't all bad. It used the iconic Silent Hill soundtrack. Also the final monster of the film actually looks great. Unless you're a fan of the game franchise, I'd pass on this one. Even if you are a fan of the franchise, lower your expectations before going in.

Your Game

Silent Hill is a cursed place that often serves a a dark reflection to a protagonists psyche. However, that doesn't mean you can't just use them as creepy (and strangely sexy) foes to through at your party. If you want to add the nurses to your SURVIVE THIS!! game you can use the stats below.

Dark Nurse (Humanoid)
Armor Class: 13
Hit Dice: 3 HD
Move: 8
Actions: 2
Attack:  Rusty knife (1d6)

Special: Toughness +2, unobservant, 
Bonuses: +3 to melee attacks, +2 to melee damage

Alignment: Evil

Morale: 9

Madness: -
Terror: 13

HDE: 2

Unobservant: A Dark Nurse have disadvantage on Spot & Listen checks to notice creatures being stealthy. Additionally any successful surprise/sneak attack against it is an automatic critical hit.   

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 3
First Time Views: 2

October Horror Challenge - Necronomicon (1993)

    

Synopsis

This Lovecraft anthology includes three different tales with a wrap-around story. The wrap-around framing story features H.P. Lovecraft (played the legendary Jeffrey Combs). "Rats in the Walls," "Cool Air," and "The Whisperer in the Darkness" are adapted for the other three tales.

Review

My favorite Mythos director, Brian Yuzna, directed much of this flick. Additionally some of the effects were done by Tom Savini. Here are my thoughts on the stories.

Library: The wrap-around story is a lot of fun. I mean Combs as Lovecraft is just inspired. Also Yuzna makes a cameo as the cabby at the end.

The Drowned (Rats in the Walls): This tells the tale of Jethro and later his nephew Edward. Both lost their loves and sought to bring them back via a ritual in the Necronomicon. The deep one that brings Jethro the Necronomicon is the best live action one I've seen, even better than all the fish folk of Yuzna's later flick, Dagon. Bruce Payne's portrayal of Edward is full of heart and sorrow. He might not be in the film long, but his performance rally stands out.

The Cold (Cool Air): The story is about a series of missing persons being investigated by a reporter. A woman tells her tells him the story of her mother and they came to live there. An eccentric doctor, played by David Warner (who I know as the scientist from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze) has found a way to prolong his life, though it has changed him. I like the story, but the effects in this one aren't as good as those in The Drowned.

Whispers (The Whisperer in the Darkness): Two Philadelphian police follow a suspect known as "the Butcher" into an underground cavern.  For me the highlight of this is Don Kalfa (Ernie from Return of the Living Dead). The story is kind of meh, the monsters look silly, and the twist also felt dumb. It's not awful, but is just kind of mid. If you want to see a better film with a similar plot, I recommend Midnight Meat Train.

Of the four stories, Library and Drowned are my favorites. This one isn't in print in the states and I had to grab my Jolly Roger to watch it. Still if you're a Stuart Gordon fan and haven't seen it, you should check it out. 

Your Game

While it was the least favorite of my stories, the bat monsters from Whispers would be great monsters for a SURVIVE THIS!! game.

Extraterrestrial Bat Monster (Aberration Beast)
Armor Class: 13
Hit Dice: 2 HD
Move: 6, Fly 24
Actions: 1
Attack: 1XS sawtooth beak (1d6)

Special: Marrow frenzy
Bonuses: +3 to melee attacks, +2 to melee damage

Alignment: Evil

Morale: 8

Madness: -
Terror: 8

HDE: 2

Marrow Frenzy: Once the bat monster gets a taste of human bone marrow it will ignore all other targets in order to devour the marrow. It automatically hits the target on its turn.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 2
First Time Views: 1

October Horror Challenge - Obsession (2026)

   

Synopsis

Bear, a hopeless romantic (emphasis on hopeless), uses a "One Wish Willow" to get his crush to fall for him. As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for...

Review

Many folks have said this is the best horror movie of the year, which is a lot of hype to live up to. I won't say that, because the year hasn't ended, but this it is a phenomenal horror film. I'm a huge fan of Curry Barker's comedic shorts and I wondered if he could make the leap to horror. The film's score is phenomenal and at times, haunting. 

The movie brought back a lot of old feelings for me. Bear, played by Michael Johnston, is the quintessential "nice guy" who really isn't. While in the beginning  he doesn't seem all bad, his true colors and lack of actual character eventually come out. I definitely went through a "nice guy" phase myself. I'm not saying this to say that I relate to Bear. He's definitely the villain of the story. I'm just glad that I was able to grow as a person. I feel like that's a random odd confession, but seemed relevant.

Bear isn't the only villain of the story though. While some might say it's Nikki, I would argue that Ian is the secondary villain. I don't want to spoil anything, but Bear's best friend is manipulative. Side note, the actor, Cooper Tomlinson, is also in a lot of Barker's comedic shorts.

Inde Navarrette was amazing as Nikki. Her performance is manic, vulnerable, and frightening. She's truly unnerving and terrifying at times. She's also absolutely sympathetic. I can't praise her performance highly enough. I'm excited to see her portrayal of Rogue.

I didn't expect Conan's sidekick, Andy Richter, to appear in the film, but that was cool. Barker, himself, also has a role in the film as the One Wish Willow call representative. 

Overall, I have to say this one does live up to the hype. The direction and atmosphere is tense and the performances are fantastic. I hope Barker continues to make his comedy shorts, but I also want him to make more horror flicks. He seems like an artist that sticks to his vision. I saw an interview where he stated the studio offered him a ridiculous amount of money to make Bear the hero of the story and he turned it down because it didn't fit his vision. We need more directors like that.

Your Game

You can easily do a Monkey Paw style adventure in your game. However, according to the director the One Wish Willow doesn't maliciously grant wishes. 

October Horror Movie Challenge 2026

Viewed: 1
First Time Views: 0

Spooky Season Approaches

I know I haven't post much recently. I'm still running my weekly game, but just not enjoying summing up the sessions so I haven't really posted about it. It's going well though.

October is a little over a month away. This is a list of what I'd like to watch. There are more than 31 movies and most are new to me, though a few aren't.

• Obsession (2026)
  
• Necronomicon (1993) 
• Return to Silent Hill (2026) 
• Infested (2023) 
• Ice Cream Man (1995)
• The Ick (2024) 
• Pinocchio: Unstrung (2026)
• Queens of the Dead (2025) 
• Wizard of the Gore (2007) 
• Lee Cronin’s The Mummy (2026) 
• They Will Kill You (2026) 
• Ready or Not: Here I Come (2026) 
• The Backrooms (2026) 
• Iron Lung (2026) 
• Hokum (2026) 
• Passenger (2026) 
• Whistle (2025) 
• The Carpenter’s Son (2025) 
• When Evil Lurks (2023) 
• Bring Her Back (2025) 
• Five Night’s At Freddy’s 2 (2025) 
• Resident Evil (2026) 
• Clayface (2026) 
• Don’t Move (2026) 
• Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (2026) 
• I Saw The TV Glow (2024) 
• Match (2026)
• Milk and Serial (2024) 
• Skinner (1993)
• Lowlifes (2024)
• Island of the Fishmen (1979)
• Neon Maniacs (1986)
• Scream 7 (2026)
• From Dusk Til Dawn 2 (1999)

October Horror Challenge - The Rest...

As I said in my last part, despite not posting I've been taking part in the challenge. Here's what I watched since the last post with brief thoughts. I watched 31 movies, 16 of which were new to me. 

New to me movies will be in red.

22. Frankenstein (2025) - Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein is a gorgeous gothic fairytale. I saw it in theater and honestly I don't think a home viewing will do the cinematography justice. 

23. Marvel Zombies (2025) - Technically this is a four part series, but I'm counting it. I didn't love everything about it, but it was a good story overall. Honestly, I was surprised by some of the deaths.

24. Bambi: The Reckoning (2025) - This is a part of the Poohniverse/Twisted Childhood Universe. Despite that, I actually enjoyed it. It's actually a heartbreaking movie at times, despite the gory deaths.

25. Strange Harvest (2024) - This one is a mockumentary horror flick about the fictional serial killer, Mr. Shiny. It was interesting and well acted. If you want something a little different, check it out.

26. Trick or Treat (1986) - This one was recommended by some friends. It's goofy 80's metal fun. Featuring cameos from Ozzy and Gene Simmons, this is a must watch for rock fans. This would also b great inspiration for Dark Places & Demogorgons adventure.

27. Werewolves (2024) - This insane flick is basically The Purge with werewolves. Hell it even stars Frank Grillo. I love him and the movie was entertaining, but I think I might be jaded. I was told this one was absolutely bonkers. I'm not saying it's not wild and silly, but I was expecting a little more. 

28. Ernest Scared Stupid (1991) - One of the best Halloween flicks of all time. 'Nuff said.

29. Cursed (2005) - Haven't watched this werewolf flick in a while. It's not amazing, but was directed by Wes Craven and features Christina Ricci. 

30. Sleepy Hollow (1999) - This is my favorite Tim Burton and gothic flick. The cast are entertaining, the cinematography and music is eerie, and it features three different Sith (Ian McDiarmid, Christopher Lee, and Ray Park).

31. My Name Is Bruce (2007) - If you haven't seen this Bruce Campbell movie and are a fan, do yourself a favor and go watch it on Tubi. It's hilarious, though there are some really bad Asian stereotypes. 

October Horror Challenge - Repeat Viewings

Despite not posting I have been taking part in watching flicks for the October Horror Movie Challenge. While I still will do my reviews for new flicks, Here's a list and quick thoughts about repeat viewings. 

Re-Animator (1985)

Bride of Re-Animator (1990)

Beyond Re-Animator (2003)

Ernest Scared Stupid  (1991)

Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995)

Evil Dead (2013)

The Re-Animator trilogy is one of my favorite trilogies. Jeffrey Combs portrayal of Herbert West is flawless. Beyond is my favorite, mainly because it was the first I watched. Ernest Scared Stupid is my favorite Halloween movie (yes even more so than Trick'r'Treat). Demon Knight is an underrated flick and if you haven't watched it, you definitely need to. Finally y'all know Evil Dead (2013) is my favorite in the franchise.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025 

Viewed: 21
First Time Views: 10

October Horror Movie Challenge - Helloween (2025)

   

Synopsis

During Halloween 1997 young Carl Cane commits several grisly murders. He is locked in a maximum psychiatrics institute.  Jump forward to the present and a series of progressively more hostile clown sightings lead an investigator to believe that somehow Cane is involved.

Review

I would describe Helloween as a British horror flick about the Joker (he even has a Batman: The Animated Series Joker laugh) with a dash of Halloween, IT, and The Purge thrown in. Despite being derivative of several existing franchises, Helloween is a fun mix of them all. When I initially saw the trailer I was expecting British Terrifier. That's really not what this is. Cane monologues several times and is not the silent menace Art is. Additionally while there are deaths and blood in this one, it's no where near as graphic as Terrifier. It's actually subtle at times, which I appreciated. I recommend this one, especially to Batman fans. The film sets up sequels and I hope it was popular enough that they happen.

In Your Game

I don't think any knew stats need to be made based on this one. However, I do think you can definitely steal the idea. If you want to add a Joker to your supers game without actually using the Joker, Cane would be a perfect stand-in. 

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025 

Viewed: 15
First Time Views: 10

October Horror Movie Challenge - Brute 1976 (2025)

  

Synopsis

In 1976 a group travels to the California desert for a photoshoot and decided to stop into a (not so) abandoned town.

Review

Brute is appropriate because this film is brutal as fuck. It's definitely inspired by Texas Chainsaw Massacre (which it references directly) and The Hills Have Eyes. The big difference between this and TCM is that this movie actually shows all the disturbing violence. Also unlike that film, the victims... er protagonists of this one are actually likable. I don't think there are any bad performances in this one. 

As I mentioned, the flick is brutal. It has one of the top 5 nastiest slasher kills I've ever seen. I don't want to go into too many details but it involves a drill and a reproductive organ. Even censored (yes the body part is blurred) it's messed up. Fun fact, I'm friends with the victim of this kill. He and I went to school together and he drove me to school senior year. I didn't realize Mark was in the movie until I started watching it, which made the kill an even bigger surprise. T

This one isn't for everyone but if you are a slasher fan and gorehound check it out. It's a great tribute to some classic slasher flicks.

In Your Game

Mama Birdie and her family would fit right into a Bloody Appalachia game. You could even move them from the desert to Kentucky and make them a third faction. 

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025 

Viewed: 14
First Time Views: 9