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…

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In comparison to most of the Svengoolie appearances I’ve attended, my 100th was rather subdued. It happened nearly two weeks ago at the 2019 Chicago Ghost Con presented by Chicago Hauntings; a true crime/ghost tour company that illuminates the darker side of the city’s history, The heart of this organization is Ursula Bielski who’s something of a local legend if not treasure. Even if you don’t believe in the supernatural you have to appreciate her books/lectures on Chicago cemeteries and the incredible amount of research she put behind them. This event took place at the Holiday Inn Chicago SW-Countryside Conference Center – a large and beautiful building that boasts modern conveniences in a somewhat old-fashioned setting. In fact, when I pulled in, it’s curved brick walls reminded me of a castle. Since I was early, I decided to finish my coffee in the car before going in. During this interlude, I observed a woman dressed to the nines walk outside for a smoke. Either I was way underdressed for this occasion or she was cosplaying as a deceased debutante. Things got a lot clearer when I walked inside only to discover I was crashing a wedding party. Obviously, I’d parked on the wrong side of the building! I quickly drove around to the front entrance which was decisively less regal and jam-packed with cars. In place of a bride’s maid, this time I saw a goth looking gentleman smoking instead. After he crushed out his cigarette, I followed him inside.

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