Shock Till You Drop’s 2015 Halloween Horror Movie Guide
Halloween only comes but once a year, but the Halloween season is at least two full months of ghouls, goblins and jack-o-lanterns. Oh yeah, and HORROR MOVIES! Our annual Halloween Horror Movie Guide features a barrage of titles containing all manner of vampires, zombies, serial killers, horny teens and a twelve-piece bucket of monsters. Seasonal movie programming is essential at this time of year, so it’s time to look at what is out and what’s on the way between now and October 31st in theaters, on VOD and on Blu-ray/DVD.
There are plenty of VOD and Blu-ray/DVD titles, along with some theatrically-released gems from fan fav directors like M. Night Shyamalan, Eli Roth, Takashi Miike and Guillermo del Toro! The latter’s Crimson Peak leads the pack in terms of production design, scope and old school feel, not to mention a ringing endorsement from the Master of Horror himself Stephen King, who caught an early cut and raved about it. Big budget studio horror has become an endangered species, so we look forward to anything that reminds us that the genre is more than just cheap hack-and-slash or found footage.
Take a look at the Halloween Horror Movie Guide below and let us know which titles you are looking forward to the most!
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September 11
The Visit
Opening in theaters in wide release
The once-mighty writer/director M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs, Unbreakable) has, after a series of cinematic face plants, apparently rebounded spectacularly with this small, housebound thriller. A brother and sister are sent to their grandparents' remote Pennsylvania farm for a weeklong trip, only to learn that the elderly couple is involved in something deeply disturbing.
September 11
Goodnight Mommy
Opening in select theaters
One of the most truly, madly deeply disturbing horror entries in a good long while, this Austrian shocker takes place in an isolated home, centering on a pair of twins whose mother returns home with a bandaged-up face after plastic surgery. Her off-kilter behavior leads the twins to think this isn’t their mother after all, and literally every shot leading to the nightmarish conclusion contains imagery that is deeply insidious.
September 15
Haunting at the Rectory
Available: DVD and VOD
Based on chilling real life events, this 1930s-set story tells of Reverend Lionel Foyster and his wife Marianne as they move into the Borley Rectory. A series of unexplained occurrences quickly escalate into a heart stopping nightmare as the couple tries to discover the deadly secrets of the Rectory before they become another victim of The Most Haunted House In England.
September 18
Cooties
In select theaters and on VOD
Leigh Whannell (Saw, Insidious) and Ian Brennan's ("Glee") horror comedy focuses on a cafeteria food virus which turns elementary school children into killer zombies. A group of misfit teachers must band together to escape the playground carnage while hilariously bickering in an uncomfortable love triangle. Starring Elijah Wood (The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings), Rainn Wilson ("The Office"), and Alison Pill ("The Newsroom").
September 18
Some Kind of Hate
In select theaters and on VOD
Relentless bullying has dogged protagonist Lincoln (Ronen Rubinstein), who winds up at a reform school for troubled teens. As his harassment continues, he accidentally awakens a teenage girl named Moira who was driven to suicide by vicious bullying years ago. Once she is summoned, he unleashes a vengeful and unstoppable force on a mission of blood-soaked revenge. Sierra McCormick, filmmaker Michael Polish, and Noah Segan (Starry Eyes) co-star.
September 22
Judy: The Name for Terror
Available: DVD
A gang of deranged street performers called The Crows start to torment Mary, a young car driver, and Judy, her dog, for seemingly no reason. Mary and Judy will be front-row center for the scariest, most uncomfortable and grotesque performance you will ever see in this thriller in the tradition of Hostel and Saw.
September 23
Pay the Ghost
In select theaters and on VOD
Nicolas Cage is back at his direct-to-VOD best in this slow burner from director Uli Edel (The Baader Meinhof Complex, Body of Evidence). It follows Cage as a dad whose son disappears during a Halloween parade, who is subsequently haunted by eerie images and terrifying messages he can’t explain. "The Walking Dead" star Sarah Wayne Callies plays his estranged wife who helps him unravel the mystery of an unholy legend.
September 25
The Green Inferno
Opening in select theaters
In the first of two Eli Roth movies this season, the Hostel and Cabin Fever director makes a tribute to Italian cannibal movies so indebted to Ruggero Deodato that it's even named after the film-within-a-film in Cannibal Holocaust. A plane crash carrying a group of student activists traveling from New York City to the Amazon to save the rainforest runs afoul of a local tribe that does not adhere to a vegan diet. Blumhouse Tilt is finally releasing this movie after over a year of holdup caused by the original production company's financial troubles.
September 25
Hellions
In select theaters and on VOD
A teenager’s Halloween night turns into a terrifying fight to survive when trick-or-treaters from Hell show up at her doorstep. After getting the unwelcome news that she’s pregnant, Seventeen-year-old Dora (Chloe Rose) unhappily discovers that she's pregnant on Halloween night. Soon after, a gaggle of pint-sized demons knocks on her door wanting more than candy… they want her baby. Robert Patrick (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) co-stars.
September 29
Queen Crab
Available: DVD and VOD
Fans of 1950's B-monster movies should find much to like in this very, very low-budget attempt to recapture the salad days of Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion wonder. A centuries-old beast at the bottom of a lake is awakened by a meteor crash. Once this crabby creature has made its way through the countryside, it begins tearing through a nearby town and its inhabitants, who must fight for their lives and stop it before an army of babies is hatched.
October 2
A Christmas Horror Story
In select theaters and on VOD
Krampus comes to town with a vengeance in this anthology movie featuring interwoven stories that take place on Christmas Eve, as told by one festive radio host played by Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner. A family brings home more than a Christmas tree, a student documentary becomes a living nightmare, a Christmas spirit terrorizes and Santa slays evil in this film co-directed by Steven Hoban (Producer on Splice and Ginger Snaps), Grant Harvey (“Heartland,” Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning) and Brett Sullivan (The Chair).
October 2
Gravy
In limited theatrical release before VOD/DVD/Blu-ray on October 6
Notables such as Sarah Silverman, Lily Cole, Gabourey Sidibe and Paul Rodriguez appear in this seasonal horror comedy set on All Hallow's Eve. A trio of costumed misfits with very special dietary requirements seizes a Mexican cantina and force the staff to engage in a late night of gaming, food and libations. The only caveat is what's on the menu.
October 6
Hidden
Available: DVD
Alexander Skarsgård of "True Blood" and the upcoming Tarzan reboot shot this film in Canada several years ago before he rose to fame, and now it is oh-so-quietly being dropped onto DVD just in time for the spooky season. Skarsgård plays the head of a family that takes refuge in a fallout shelter to avoid a dangerous outbreak. Directed by The Duffer Brothers, the film co-stars Andrea Riseborough (Birdman, Oblivion).
October 6
The Invoking 2
Available: DVD
What appears to be an in-name-only sequel to Jeremy Berg's 2013 film is actually an anthology movie made up of six short films directed by Jamie DeWolf (OK Monster), Jay Holben (Jack Frost, Paranoid), Corey Norman (The Hanover House, Natal), Adam O’Brien (Insane, ZombieWorld), Patrick Rea (Nailbiter, Time’s Up, Eve), and Jamie Root. Bear witness as hapless victims experience the unspeakable terror of confronting demonic forces, murderous poltergeists and other evil entities that are dead set on claiming their souls.
October 6
June
Available: DVD
June is a nine-year-old orphan who happens to be the vessel of a supernatural being called Aer. Although June struggles to hold Aer back from lashing out when other kids tease and bully her, the demon leaves a trail of damaged and destroyed foster homes in her wake. When June takes a liking to her new adoptive parents Lily and Dave, she must discover her true identity to overcome this inner demon.
October 6
Navy Seals vs. Zombies
Available: Blu-ray, DVD and VOD
Action legend Michael Dudikoff (“American Ninja series,” Olympus Has Fallen) leads this genre mashup about a team of Navy SEALs sent into Louisiana after the Government loses all contact with the Vice President. These badass jarheads quickly discover that the city is under siege by hordes of fast-moving, flesh-eating undead. The infection is spreading and urban warfare has been unleashed. With the infection spreading and no cure in sight, the elite unit has to survive their most horrific mission of all.
October 6
Last Shift
Available: Blu-ray, DVD and VOD
This supernatural thriller directed by Anthony DiBlasi (Dread) stars Juliana Harkavy (“The Walking Dead,” Dolphin Tale), J. LaRose (Dark Places, Saw III & IV) and Joshua Mikel (“Hindsight”) and focuses on a rookie cop named Jessica (Harkavy) whose assigned to the last shift at a closing police station. She soon discovers that the station is actually haunted by the vengeful spirit of a dead cult leader (Mikel), and must fight for survival or she'll be dead by dawn.
October 9
Knock Knock
In select theaters and on VOD
With full apologies to Michael Haneke, let's refer to this new take on the home invasion thriller from Eli Roth as "F*cky Games." Superstar Keanu Reeves (Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Devil's Advocate) plays a devoted husband and father alone for the weekend blindsided by two attractive young women (Lorenza Izzo and Ana de Armas) who show up at his door on a stormy night asking for help. He reluctantly gives in to their seductive charms, only to realize too late that he has fallen into a not-so-tender trap.
October 9
The Final Girls
Available: VOD
This comedic tribute to the 1980s slasher genre, specifically the Friday the 13th movies, follows Max (Taissa Farmiga), a high school senior who gets mysteriously transported with her friends into an '80s horror flick that starred her dead mom Amanda (Malin Åkerman), a celebrated scream queen. Trapped inside the movie, Max finds herself reunited with her mom, and together they must fend off the camp counselors’ raging hormones, battle a deranged machete-wielding killer and find a way to escape the movie and make it back home. The Final Girls has received wall-to-wall acclaim since debuting at the SXSW Festival earlier this year.
October 9
Yakuza Apocalypse
Opening in select theaters
Infamous Japanese helmer Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer, Audition) takes on the yakuza genre with a vampiric twist. Legendary bloodsucking crime boss Kamiura (Lily Franky) is rumored to be invincible, but assassins aware of his secret arrive from abroad and tear him apart, but not before he bites Kageyama (Hayato Ichihara), passing on his vampire powers to the unsuspecting yakuza. As he adapts to his newfound abilities, Kageyama's desire to avenge the murder of Kamiura sets him up for a violent confrontation with Kaeru-kun, the foreign syndicate's seemingly unstoppable leader.
October 16
Crimson Peak
Opening in theaters in wide release
After the big budget extravagances of Pacific Rim and the Hellboy films, filmmaker extraordinaire Guillermo del Toro returns to the art house horror flavor of his Spanish language trilogy (Cronos, The Devil's Backbone, Pan's Labyrinth) by delving into possibly the whitest of all sub-genres: Victorian gothic romance. Mia Wasikowska stars as a waifish author obsessed with the occult who gets to confront the real deal when she enters the domain of a house that breathes, bleeds…and remembers. Charlie Hunnam and Tom Hiddleston play the hunks vying for her affection, while Jessica Chastain plays the latter's twisted sister in what is sure to be a tour de force of messed up family dynamics.
October 16
Goosebumps
Opening in theaters in wide release
Jack Black plays a made-up version of real-life YA horror author R. L. Stine, who writes his "Goosebumps" books in order to contain the monsters they're about. Dylan Minnette plays a new kid in town who falls for Stine's daughter (Odeya Rush) and unwittingly unleashes the monsters contained in the original manuscripts. It’s suddenly up to Stine, Zach, and Hannah to gest all of the creatures back in the books where they belong in what early buzz says is a really fun monster mash in the vein of the '80s Amblin movies.
October 16
The Diabolical
Available: Digital/VOD
Madison (Ali Larter) and her children are awoken nightly in their once-quiet suburban home by an increasingly strange and intense presence. The mom desperately seeks help from her scientist boyfriend Nikolai (Arjun Gupta), who seeks to destroy the violent spirit that paranormal experts are too frightened to undertake.
October 16
Tales of Halloween
In select theaters and on VOD
Eleven acclaimed genre directors join forces to create a series of interconnected stories, each with a unique Halloween theme. Halloween night in an American suburb is the setting for ghouls, imps, aliens and axe murderers to appear for one night only to terrorize unsuspecting residents. Director include: Adam Gierasch (Night of the Demons), Andrew Kasch (Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy), Axelle Carolyn (Soulmate), Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II, III & IV), Dave Parker (The Hills Run Red), John Skipp (Stay at Home Dad), Lucky McKee (All Cheerleaders Die, The Woman), Mike Mendez (Big Ass Spider!), Neil Marshall (The Descent), Paul Solet (Grace), Ryan Schifrin (Abominable)
October 20
I Spit on Your Grave: Vengeance Is Mine
Available: VOD/DVD/Blu-ray
This sequel to 2010's I Spit on Your Grave remake finds Jennifer Hills (Sarah Butler) still tormented by the brutal sexual assault she endured years ago. When her new support group friend’s murderer goes free, Jennifer hunts down the men responsible and does what the system won’t – make them pay for their crimes in the most horrific ways imaginable.
October 20
The Exorcism of Molly Hartley
Available: DVD/Blu-ray
This all-new, unrated sequel features Sarah Lind (Wolfcop) as an adult Molly Hartley who, six years after graduating high school, discovers that a secret pact assigned her soul to the devil. Suspected of murder and confined to a mental hospital, she wreaks supernatural havoc on the staff and patients until an exorcism by a defrocked priest (Devon Sawa of Final Destination) can put a stop to it.
October 23
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension
Opening in theaters in wide release and 3D
The supposedly "final" part in the neverending Paranormal Activity cycle centers on the Fleege family, who move into a house and discover a video camera and a box of tapes in the garage. When they look through the camera’s lens, they begin to see the paranormal activity happening around them – including the re-emergence of young Kristi and Katie. The video camera footage will be presented in 3D in theaters.
October 23
The Last Witch Hunter
Opening in theaters in wide release
Not content with the Fast & Furious or Riddick movies, Vin Diesel attempts to launch a third franchise for himself as Kaulder, a valiant witch hunter cursed with immortality. Now alive in modern day New York, he must band together with an actual witch (Rose Leslie) to stop the resurrection of the evil Queen Witch. Sounds beautifully hokey? Yes it does. Elijah Wood and Michael Caine co-star in this movie from director Breck Eisner (The Crazies).
October 27
Caesar And Otto's Paranormal Halloween
Available: DVD
The sixth (yes, sixth) film in director/star Dave Campfield's series finds half brothers Caesar and Otto living out some of horror's most terrifying scenes when they agree to housesit a home filled with ghostly visions, levitating objects and possessions. Paying homage to the likes of The Exorcist, Amityville Horror, Sinister and Insidious, this trick or treat boasts a genre cast that includes Tiffany Shepis, Brinke Stevens, Vernon Wells and Sean Whalen.
October 30
Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse
Opening in theaters in wide release
Three scouts and lifelong friends join forces with one badass cocktail waitress to become the world’s most unlikely team of heroes. When their peaceful town is ravaged by a zombie invasion, they’ll fight for the badge of a lifetime and put their scouting skills to the test to save mankind from the undead. Cyclops star Tye Sheridan of next summer's X-Men: Apocalypse leads the cast of this comedy from Christopher B. Landon (Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones).
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