It can be overwhelming at times to pick a film to watch when they require a large time investment (especially when following a list like this on a day-by-day basis). That’s why I picked only features with runtimes under 100 minutes for this year’s 31 horror films in 31 days marathon.
To keep the list as diverse as possible, I made sure to limit each director to only one entry and also have at least one film from most of the major decades of film (1920-2020). The assortment of films below explores a wide range of horror sub-genres and themes so anyone following along should (hopefully) find a few entries they enjoy.
This is now my 4th year doing this marathon and I’ve learned that my challenge is less so watching the films on their allotted days(which I’ve managed every year) and more so getting out a review/analysis out within a certain amount of time. To remedy this issue, this year I’ve decided to post minor tidbits regarding my thoughts after watching the day’s respective entry. As opposed to my normal reviews, these comments will be shorter and more casual, so those viewers looking to follow this journey have something to latch onto.
While I’ll aim to get a proper review out for each entry in a timely manner, there’s a good chance delays inevitably occur so hopefully the tidbits can help tide things over till I can post and link the reviews proper.
To those looking to follow along, whether it watching the films in order with me or just perusing my comments, best wishes and Happy Halloween!
The List
| DATE | MOVIE | DIRECTOR | TIDBITS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-1-2021 | Halloween | John Carpenter | There’s something beautiful in how Carpenter is able to take something so seemingly simple and elevate it into a tense nightmare. Even the title credits evoke a sense of dread with the pulsing score and steady camera movement. Never before has a stationary jack-o-lantern evoked as much dread. |
| 10-2-2021 | The Blair Witch Project | Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez | This film might as well be a tutorial on how to construct a found-footage film: – have a realistic framing mechanism that explains why the film is edited and presented the way it is –add some improvised acting to inject the necessary realism required – maintain enough narrative/visual ambiguity to force the audience to imagine the worst. |
| 10-3-2021 | The Blackcoat’s Daughter | Oz Perkins | Oneiric editing and crisp framing emphasizing the isolation of the characters make this horrific exploration of ennui all the more compelling. I appreciate the way the film tackles (and subverts) horror conventions in regards to its themes more every re-watch. |
| 10-4-2021 | Frankenstein | James Whale | Boris Karloff’s performance as the titular monster is legendary as he imbues the creature with a childlike innocence that juxtaposes against its murderous actions, generating both a sympathy and a horror at what follows. Masterful with a capital ‘M’. |
| 10-5-2021 | A Nightmare on Elm Street | Wes Craven | |
| 10-6-2021 | Zombieland | Ruben Fleischer | |
| 10-7-2021 | The Cabin in the Woods | Drew Goddard | |
| 10-8-2021 | The Evil Dead | Sam Raimi | |
| 10-9-2021 | Tucker and Dale vs. Evil | Eli Craig | |
| 10-10-2021 | Perfect Blue | Satoshi Kon | |
| 10-11-2021 | The Autopsy of Jane Doe | André Øvredal | |
| 10-12-2021 | Dead Silence | James Wan | |
| 10-13-2021 | The Babadook | Jennifer Kent | |
| 10-14-2021 | The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari | Robert Wiene | |
| 10-15-2021 | Absentia | Mike Flanagan | |
| 10-16-2021 | House | Nobuhiko Obayashi | |
| 10-17-2021 | A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night | Ana Lily Amirpour | |
| 10-18-2021 | The House of the Devil | Ti West | |
| 10-19-2021 | The Witch | Robert Eggers | |
| 10-20-2021 | The Night of the Hunter | Charles Laughton | |
| 10-21-2021 | Begotten | Edmund Elias Merhige | |
| 10-22-2021 | Raw | Julia Ducournau | |
| 10-23-2021 | Tetsuo: The Iron Man | Shinya Tsukamoto | |
| 10-24-2021 | Suspiria | Dario Argento | |
| 10-25-2021 | Saint Maud | Rose Glass | |
| 10-26-2021 | Hour of the Wolf | Ingmar Bergman | |
| 10-27-2021 | Cat People | Jacques Tourneur | |
| 10-28-2021 | Lake Mungo | Joel Anderson | |
| 10-29-2021 | Trick ‘r Treat | Michael Dougherty | |
| 10-30-2021 | Relic | Natalie Ericka Jammes | |
| 10-31-2021 | Nosferatu | F.W. Murnau |