By Jason Schoolcraft

This year instead of my normal Halloween viewings of (mostly) classic horror films, I decided to change things up a bit. The challenge was to watch thirty-one new-to-me movies in so many days.  It seemed like a great plan but ended up being more challenging than I thought. As many of you know, I’m a movie fanatic and finding a NEW horror film isn’t easy. Now the results are in and here’s a list of everything I saw and my brief reactions to them.  It was a lot more fun than I expected. Remember, I rate a film on its own merit and don’t compare Independent/low budget movies with mainstream Hollywood tentpole films. These are MINE and only my ratings so watch at your own discretion. And here’s the results of my 2019 challenge…

1.Killer Sofa (2019) The trailer looked silly and the premise ridiculous but I gotta say…it was a lot of fun! Dare I even say, the ending was GREAT!? 7.5 /10

2.Wrinkles the Clown (2019) Doc/horror This was another silly premise; Let’s debunk an internet HOAX. When the credits roll it was a good watch, well-produced. 7/10

3.Prey (2019) Your typical “stranded on an island stalked by a mysterious creature” movie…until it’s not! Enjoyable 7/10

4. 3 from Hell (2019) It’s either hit or miss for me when it comes to Rob Zombie films. This final chapter of his House of a 1,000 Corpses trilogy was a hit…a BIG hit. It was a great story that moved at an excellent pace. Since its a Rob Zombie film you can also expect a fair share of violence and gore! I really enjoyed. 8.5/10

5. IT Chapter 2 (2019) Let me start off by saying I was NOT a huge fan of the first installment. IT was ok but  I didn’t love IT. Still, I was invested enough to see the sequel despite the two hour and forty-nine-minute run-time. I didn’t think I could last the entire film especially considering how many mainstream critics panned it. As the Fonz would say…I was rrrWRONG!  This film flows well. Connects the films so well with NEW and earlier footage. The end was satisfying. 8/10

6. Endzbiet (Ever After) (2018) – German Zombie film that still manages a few twists on an oversaturated genre. Definitely worth a watch for Zombie fans! 7.5/10

7.Rabid (2019) – I was excited to see the Soska sisters take on this Cronenberg classic. This film has excellent effects and is a worthy entry in the “outbreak” genre. The perfect film for a cold winter day. 7.5/10

8. Midsommar (2019) Although IT Chapter 2 didn’t feel like a long film to me, this one did. Ari Aster (director of Hereditary) provides a slow build to horrific violence. I haven’t seen the Director’s Cut version which is 20 minutes longer but soon will. The pacing and storytelling become almost hypnotic. It’s worth a watch and a few pauses for the bathroom. 8.5/10 (almost a 9/10)

9. Itsy Bitsy (2019) – Ahhh….a big BUG picture! This one was barely watchable with just a few scenes saving it from pure HELL. Only watch if you have nothing better to do! 4/10

10. Slither (2006) – The first film on my list that isn’t a new release but I somehow missed it. James Gunn’s first feature is a hoot. You not only see his style (later perfected in Guardians of the Galaxy) but one or two actors he loves to work with. I loved the film! Thank you to my friend, Lee Morin, for the gifted DVD as you upgraded to Blu-ray…I now know why!  8/10

11.Little Monsters – (2019) I thought this would be like 2017’s Anna and the Apocalypse (which I LOVED) but there was a lot less singing. Regardless, this musical/zombie romp was a lot of fun! 8/10

12. Memory: The Origins of ALIEN (2019) – A must-see documentary for ALIEN fans. So insightful, so much new information. Well worth your time and a great way to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of this sci-fi/horror classic!! 8.5/10 (another almost 9/10)

13. The Furies (2019) Great female revenge film. Lots of fun and with a compact run time of 82 minutes. 7.5/10

14. Witches in the Woods (2019) – Another barely watchable film. I’m not a huge fan of witch films but was enticed by its trailer. A few jump scares but the premise is ridiculous. 4.5/10. Watch at your own risk!

15. Portal (2019) – Ghost hunting films aren’t at the top of my list, either, but once again the trailer drew me in. It was a decent film with a nice little twist. I really liked the ending. There are worse ways to spend 75 minutes!  7/10

16. The Drone (2019) – Another crazy film in the spirit of Killer Sofa. A silly premise but lots of fun. 7/10

 17. Sweetheart (2019) – Yet another stranded on a desert island Picture. Better than average story. Nice cast. But this time there is a CREATURE!! Liked it 7.5/10

18. Trick (2019) – Very nice slasher film boasting a great cast and story. This was well worth the watch. 8/10

19. Wounds (2019) – This film had a decent cast but was bogged down by a slow story. A bartender finds a phone, brings it home, and his life begins to unravel. Decent NETFLIX film 7/10

 20. Satanic Panic (2019) – My favorite film on the list so far! Lots of fun. Great cast, even the poster is awesome!! Loved it… 9/10

 21. Red Spring (2017) – The trailer looked good but if not for the ending, this film would have been a total. Worse than a ScyFy Channel movie of the week!! 5/10

22. Body Bags (1993) – The second older film on this list I hadn’t seen before. A lesser-known Carpenter anthology film tied together by a morgue. Great 90’s horror. 7.5/10

23. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) – I never read the books (way after my time) but the film trailers had promise. The stories are tied together loosely and made for a great watch. 7.5/10

24. Slayer (2019) This was a short 30 min film that was SO bad it didn’t even have a poster. 3/10. The only reason I didn’t give it a flat “0” is that they took the time to make a film. DO NOT Watch. Worst film on the list!

25. The Lighthouse (2019) – WOW, what a film! Filmed on 35MM B&W stock and using a 1910 movie camera this story is based on a late 1800’s tale that is so crazy you have to see it to believe it. A must-see for film buffs. 8.5/10

26. Corporate Animals (2019) – Nice comedy/horror film with a good cast and a few laughs. I really liked it! 7.5/10 

27. Tone-Deaf (2019) – Wow, talk about quick outbursts of violence and cringe-worthy moments! 7.5/10

28. MA (2019) – I wasn’t really looking forward to this film but ended up liking it. 7.5/10

29. 47 Meters down: Uncaged (2019) – This sequel to 47 Meters Down is pretty bad. The story was OK and there were some claustrophobic moments…but those CGI sharks are the worst!   6/10

 30. Bride of re-animator (1989) – The sequel to Re-Animator somehow slipped by me. I heard good things and decided NOW was the time. It was ok, a few great scenes but pales in comparison to the original. 6.5/10

31. Strange Nature (2019) – Nice cast – the great Steven Tobowlosky is always fun to watch! It looked pretty cheesy, but it was my last night of “31 nights of horror” and I was too tired from work to search for a better one. As it turned out, this was pretty good. 7/10.

JOKER (2019) – I’ll end with an honorable mention. Superhero genre or not, this film was so dark I think it qualifies as horror. I loved it! Disturbing and scary; this film was often hard to watch. It’s devoid of humor and if not for a brief moment of compassion, it would be completely dark! 9/10

Jason Schoolcraft