31 Days of Halloween: Day 31

THE EXORCIST (1973)

PLOT SUMMARY: When a teenage girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two priests to save her daughter.

WHERE TO WATCH: HBO Max

JAIMEE’S NOTES: This movie used to scare the ever living shit out of me and still kind of does, if I’m being honest! Chris is just living her fabulous single mother actress life and boom, demon child. Maybe shouldn’t have been playing around with that Ouija board, Regan. Well, there are only two priests for the job and they have their work cut out for them! This is also another movie that was cursed. There were multiple accidents on set including fires and lost appendages. Two of the actors died shortly after filming and multiple family members of those associated with the movie died. One actor was also convicted of murder several years after the film’s release.

SCARY RATING: 5/5 Ghosts 👻👻👻👻👻

31 Days of Halloween: Day 30

THE SIXTH SENSE

PLOT SUMMARY: A frightened, withdrawn Philadelphia boy who communicates with spirits seeks the help of a disheartened child psychologist.

WHERE TO WATCH: Hulu & Peacock

JAIMEE’S NOTES: This is another one of my favorite movies, it makes me cry. It has its scary moments, sure. But this is more of a thriller with a big twist that you can’t unsee once you know what it is! Cole is having a rough time and everyone around him is such an asshole except Dr. Crowe. If you’ve heard of this movie at all, you know the famous line, “I see dead people.” Some are scary, some aren’t so bad, and some are Mischa Barton. In my eyes, this movie does have a peaceful, resolved ending though and that’s really all you can hope for with a horror/thriller, right!?

SCARY RATING: 3.5/5 Ghosts 👻👻👻

31 Days of Halloween *BONUS* TV Episode: October 29

KING OF THE HILL S2: E4 “Hilloween”

PLOT SUMMARY: Hank can’t wait till Halloween, until a church member called Junie Harper imposes a curfew on Halloween, saying it is a Satanic holiday, Luanne believes Junie and convinces Bobby that Hank may be a Satanist, but Hank decides to fight against Junie’s curfew so that the whole of Arlen may enjoy Halloween.

WHERE TO WATCH: Hulu

JAIMEE’S NOTES: I used to watch this show with my family every week! Hank Hill is the ultimate conservative Texan who love propane and propane accessories and also Halloween! But everyone is being a real downer, especially Junie Harper who is putting ideas in everyone’s heads, namely Hank’s niece Luann (who is voiced by the late, great Brittany Murphy). Junie’s alternative to a haunted house is traumatizing to say the least. And we get a beautiful father son moment to top it all off! Fun fact: If you’ve listened to the Office Ladies podcast you know that Greg Daniels was a writer and creator on this show as well as The Office, what a resumè! Double fun fact: Peggy is voiced by Kathy Najimy AKA Mary in Hocus Pocus, we’re coming full circle here, people!

SCARY RATING: 1/5 Ghosts 👻

31 Days of Halloween: Day 29

CHILDREN OF THE CORN

PLOT SUMMARY: A young couple is trapped in a remote town where a dangerous religious cult of children believes that everyone over age 18 must be killed.

WHERE TO WATCH: Amazon Prime or FREE on Tubi

JAIMEE’S NOTES: Anyone down for a trip to Gatlin, Nebraska? Didn’t think so. Isaac is the scariest 12 year old I know and the rest of these little bitches are terrifying as well. Isaac did ruin wide brim hats for me, after all. He also started a cult that put a scary spin on Kevin McCallister’s statement, “I made my family disappear”…..by murdering his parents and every other adult in town. Burt and Vicky soon find out, not the place they want to be! This was my FIRST favorite scary movie and with 8 sequels and/or remakes, I had a lot to watch. I will say the one that is most memorable is Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest. Corn starts growing in the inner city, I believe on a basketball court…you can only imagine what comes next. Fun fact: This movie was shot in various places in Iowa: Hornick, Whiting, Salix, and Sergeant Bluff!

SCARY RATING: 3.5/5 Ghosts 👻👻👻

31 Days of Halloween: Day 28

GHOSTBUSTERS (1984)

PLOT SUMMARY: Three parapsychologists forced out of their university funding set up shop as a unique ghost removal service in New York City, attracting frightened yet skeptical customers.

WHERE TO WATCH: Hulu

JAIMEE’S NOTES: Can you believe I had never seen this movie!? I love paranormal psychology and ghosts so this was a missed opportunity, but we’re here now! This movie is a little slow moving until Dana becomes possessed, but it’s fun, such a typical 80’s movie lol. I love that they started their own business (boss girls) and they became famous and got lots of jobs! Their ultimate ghostbusting job is incredible to say the least and I finally understand the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man now! Great, funny movie, I’m excited to watch the sequels and remakes…of course!

SCARY RATING: 2/5 Ghosts 👻👻

31 Days of Halloween: Day 27

IT FOLLOWS

PLOT SUMMARY: A young woman is followed by an unknown supernatural force after a sexual encounter.

WHERE TO WATCH: Netflix

JAIMEE’S NOTES: Something you never want to bring home from a date? A supernatural entity that is trying to kill you. The It comes in the form of people and they are some pretty scary ass people! At first I thought this is a very odd movie, I feel like they spend most of their time trying to kill the entity which doesn’t seem to be able to be killed when maybe they should try to find the source? I did search for the bigger meaning of this movie because I believed there was one, lots of people said it was a metaphor for STDs, sexual assault, or the inevitability of death. But I will leave you with what the director said was his initial inspiration for the film: “The basic idea came from a recurring nightmare that I had when I was a kid in which I was followed by a monster that looked like different people. And only I could see it. And it was very slow and it was always walking toward me. In the dream I could get away from it easily or sort of easily. I could come into a room, climb out of a window, run down an alley, or go into the street. It wasn’t about it being able to overtake me, it was the feeling of dread and anxiety knowing that something is always coming for you.”

SCARY RATING: 4/5 Ghosts 👻👻👻👻

31 Days of Halloween: Day 26

TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (2022)

PLOT SUMMARY: After 48 years of hiding, Leatherface returns to terrorize a group of idealistic young friends who accidentally disrupt his carefully shielded world in a remote Texas town.

WHERE TO WATCH: Netflix

JAIMEE’S NOTES: There are technically nine total Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies with sequels and remakes (which coming from the girl that just watched all 13 movies in the Halloween franchise, I will watch at some point) but this one is a supposed sequel to the first from 1974. It explains everything you need to know in the first 3 minutes. I’m sorry but the first murder in this movie actually made me laugh out loud because of how outrageous it was. Besides that it’s your classic gory horror movie! I will say they did aggravate him first, so that was their bad. 🤷‍♀️ I always thought I heard this movie was a true story but I would say it’s more inspired by real events. Ed Gein, AKA the Butcher of Plainfield, Wisconsin, was known for exhuming corpses from graveyards and making mementos with their bones and skin, he also murdered at least one person. If you are unfamiliar with the Texas Chainsaw series, the murderer wears a mask of human skin. Have a wonderful day! 💕

SCARY RATING: 3.5/5 Ghosts 👻👻👻

31 Days of Halloween: Day 25

RETURN TO HALLOWEENTOWN

PLOT SUMMARY: Marnie and Dylan are going to follow their dreams to go to college, at Halloweentown University, which is also known as Witch University.

WHERE TO WATCH: Disney+

JAIMEE’S NOTES: So we’ve established where Sophie is but we just aren’t going to address Marnie being a different person at all? Not even in a Becky from Roseanne or Morgan from Boy Meets World funny way? Give us something…because as far as I can tell, Kimberly was available for the role…shady! But hey, we’re headed to college! And fake Marnie is getting bullied by mean girls, everyone’s always out to get her. Also what happened to fake Marnie’s old boyfriend? Now Ethan has a crush on her, no. They do feature a wonderful Jesse McCartney song though so that is a plus. Anyway, after what feels like forever, fake Marnie figures it all out like she always does! Fun fact: I also do my laundry on Wednesdays, am I a Cromwell? Lol. Man, I miss Kimberly J. Brown!

SCARY RATING: 1/5 Ghosts 👻

31 Days of Halloween: Day 24

SWIMFAN

PLOT SUMMARY: A high school senior with a promising swimming career has a one-night stand with consequences.

WHERE TO WATCH: Hulu

JAIMEE’S NOTES: A classic from the early 00’s with three very recognizable leads! Madison is creepy and annoying almost immediately. Then Ben makes a little whoopsie and finds out it’s a huge whoopsie. Yes this might be the teen version of fatal attraction but it’s still enjoyable! Erika Christensen plays one hell of a psycho. I also love all the old tech in this movie, the beeper, pay phone, and the instant messaging, hence the very creative username…swimfan!

SCARY RATING: 2/5 Ghosts 👻👻

31 Days of Halloween: Day 23

THE HITCHER

PLOT SUMMARY: A young man who escapes the clutches of a murderous hitchhiker is subsequently stalked by the hitcher and framed for his crimes.

WHERE TO WATCH: HBO Max

JAIMEE’S NOTES: This poor boy…he really needs a cell phone, unfortunately it’s 1986. He’s having the worst road trip to California ever! A psycho is stalking him and almost no one believes him. Things go from bad to bad again when he’s putting his shoes on in the bathroom?…this man. And woweeeee, what an ending! We did learn a valuable lesson today, NEVER pick up a hitchhiker!

SCARY RATING: 2.5/5 Ghosts 👻👻